SPECIAL CURRICULA AND PROGRAMS OF STUDY

University Honors Program

The University Honors Program offers the academically talented student special challenges and opportunities. For complete information, see the “University Honors Program” section of this publication, or visit the Honors Program Office (Healey Library-8-003).

Honors and Academic Distinction

Besides the opportunities offered by the Honors Program, and the awarding of the university’s honors designations (see the “Academic Regulations” section of this publication), CLA and CSM recognize academic achievement in several other ways:

• Students who achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.20 for nine or more graded credits in a semester are named to the Dean’s List.
• Most major CLA and CSM departments have special provisions for Senior Honors, ordinarily based on some combination of research, a directed thesis or project, and an honors seminar.
• Each year both CLA and CSM recognize seniors who achieve academic distinction in majors and programs and also award a number of named prizes at an Honors Convocation.
• Exceptional students are elected to membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the National Honorary Society in Sociology; Omicron Delta Epsilon, the National Honorary Society in Economics; Phi Alpha Theta, the National Honorary Society in History; Sigma Pi Sigma, the National Honorary Society in Physics, and Psi Chi, the National Honorary Society in Psychology.

Individual Majors Curriculum

The Individual Major Option is intended for students whose interests and goals make it advisable for them to set up an individualized program of study that differs from programs with standard requirements. A student may develop a major program from existing interdisciplinary concentrations or design a major program drawn from the offerings of several academic areas in the university. A student seeking admission to this option will be expected to prepare a proposal containing an articulation of his or her interests and goals and an explanation of the relationship between these goals and the courses the student intends to take. Students who wish to earn a BS rather than a BA through an individual major must select the bulk of their courses, including upper-level courses, from the natural sciences.

The following guidelines have been developed for the implementation of the Individual Majors Curriculum.

GPA Requirement for Individual Major Option

Students must have a 2.5 grade point average in order to apply for the Individual Major Option.

Format of Proposals

In consultation with his or her advisor the student will prepare a proposal which contains

1. a selection of ten to twelve courses, at least six of which are at the 300 level or above, and one of which is designated in the proposal as a “methods of inquiry” course, designed to illuminate how different approaches to understanding fit together in the several disciplines to be studied.
2. a rationale for wishing to pursue an individual program of study.
3. an articulation of the student’s interests and goals. If a student states professional or graduate school plans, then the proposal should show an awareness of the academic prerequisites.
4. a consideration of the relationship between the courses selected and the student’s goals.

Evaluation of Proposals

1. Each proposal must be submitted to the student’s advisor. The advisor may approve the proposal as written, may reject it as inappropriate, or may return it to the student with a request to resubmit the proposal in revised form.
2. All proposals initially approved by advisors are transmitted by the Office of Academic Support Programs to the Senate Committee on Majors, Honors, and Special Programs for evaluation.
3. Students should submit proposals to the Committee on Majors, Honors, and Special Programs before accumulating 60 credits, either before November 1 in the fall semester or before March 1 in the spring semester. Transfer students’ proposals may be submitted in the first or second semester after matriculation but before the student attains 90 credits.

Preparation for Careers in Medicine and Law

The University provides special advising services as well as all the basic academic work necessary for students planning careers in medicine and the other health professions for which premedical courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics offer appropriate preparation. CSM welcomes participation in premedical studies by post-baccalaureate students—those with bachelor’s degrees who wish to enroll in premedical courses as non-degree students. Further information about these studies for both matriculated and post-baccalaureate students can be found in the section of this publication on the Program in Premedical Studies and Health-Related Careers.

The university also conducts special advising programs for students considering legal careers. Program advisors suggest appropriate courses and activities and provide information about procedures for applying to law schools.

In past years, the percentage of UMass Boston applicants admitted to medical and law schools has been high. Interested students should contact the Premed/Prelaw Advisor in the University Advising Center (617.287.5519).

150-Credit-Hour Baccalaureate/MBA Program

This program is designed for CLA and CSM students who are interested in pursuing careers in management and who are able and motivated to undertake an intensive and demanding course of study. For students in the sciences, the program could offer, for example, the prospect of strong preparation for the biomedical and health care industries; while those in the arts and humanities might be interested in working toward careers in marketing, roduction, or management.

Participants receive the baccalaureate degree (either the BA or the BS), with a major in one of the CLA or CSM undergraduate disciplines, and the MBA degree from the College of Management. Those admitted to the program take a total of 96 undergraduate credits and 54 graduate credits for a total of 150 credit hours. This compares to as many as 177 credit hours if the baccalaureate and MBA degrees are pursued sequentially. The program, though carefully structured, is nevertheless flexible enough to accommodate seven or eight undergraduate elective courses. Interested students should inquire about the program as soon as possible in their career at the university. Admission to the 150 credit-hour program is competitive and by application only. Information about the program and prerequisites is available from the Office of Academic Support Programs and from the College of Management’s Graduate Program Office.

Cooperative Education/Internship Program

The Co-op/Internship Program places UMass Boston students in work assignments which relate directly to their fields of study. The object of the program is to provide students with opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom in practical work settings. For more information, see the “University Advising Center” section of this publication.

Directions for Student Potential Program (DSP)

Directions for Student Potential provides a pre-matriculation summer program for a selected group of students who lack the traditional credentials for admission to college, but who show promise of succeeding in a university environment with additional preparation. It offers intensive courses in college-level reading, writing, mathematics, English as a Second Language (ESL), and study skills. Those students who successfully complete the program are admitted to the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Science and Mathematics in the fall.

For Further Information

For detailed information about academic programs, statements of requirements, and course descriptions, refer to the sections for individual departments, programs, majors, and areas of study. Those seeking information about the range of offerings each semester should speak with departmental or program advisors and consult the schedules issued by the Office of the Registrar every semester.