Program Overview
Foundations Program
The Foundations program provides select BC applicants chosen by Undergraduate Admission with a pathway into Boston College through a one-year transitional program within Messina College. The program features small class sizes, a nurturing environment, and a focus on writing, mathematics, and science—preparing students for the rigors of a Jesuit liberal arts education at Boston College.
This program provides tailored academic support and tutoring, mentoring, and advising for approximately 15 students each year. These students will be guaranteed internal transfer into BC's Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences with a GPA of 3.4 and/or a recommendation from the dean. Students do not apply to the Foundations Program. All offers of admission to the Foundations Program will be extended to a small group of candidates who apply for an Undergraduate Bachelor's degree.
- Key program details:
- 1 year to complete the program
- 30 credits that can be used toward a degree
- 15 students each year
Curriculum
All Foundations students participate in a summer bridge program and the BC Core Curriculum courses Complex Problems and Enduring Questions. For transfer-eligible sophomores, Foundations offers enrollment in the service-learning program PULSE. All Foundations students will earn 30 credits, which will facilitate undergraduate degree completion at BC after three additional years of study. Electives will cover public speaking, computer science, economics, and more.
Sample Course Schedule
Summer
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| First-Year Writing | 4 |
| First-Year Discovery Seminar | 3 |
Fall
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Statistics (with lab) | 4 |
| Social Science or History core | 3 |
| Complex Problems (taken on the Chestnut Hill campus) | 6 |
| Foundations Seminar | 1 |
Spring
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Biology | 3 |
| Messina College elective | 3 |
| Enduring Questions (taken on the Chestnut Hill campus) | 6 |
| Foundations Seminar | 1 |
Costs
As Boston College students, Foundations participants pay Boston College tuition, plus an 11-month BC Housing rate with a meal plan. Foundations students who matriculate into Boston College for their sophomore year are guaranteed two additional years of BC campus housing.
Campus Life
Studying and living on BC's Brookline Campus, Foundations students will be part of a close-knit community of undergraduates and will have full access to all of BC's amenities and offerings.