Program Overview

PULSE Program for Service Learning

The PULSE Program for Service Learning is a comprehensive program that combines academic coursework with community service. The program is designed to help students develop a sense of social responsibility and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to make a positive impact in their communities.

The PULSE Core Course: Person and Social Responsibility I and II

The PULSE Core Course is a two-semester, twelve-credit course that fulfills the entire Philosophy and Theology Core requirement. The course is designed to help students develop a sense of social responsibility and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to make a positive impact in their communities. Enrollment in the course requires a 12-hour-per-week commitment to a PULSE Community Partner, where students will work with people experiencing social injustice.

PULSE Elective Courses

The PULSE Program offers a variety of elective courses that allow students to explore specific topics in greater depth. These courses include:

• PHIL 2233 Values in Social Service and Health Care: This course is designed to help students reflect on their service experiences and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to make a positive impact in their communities.
• PHIL 2216 Boston: An Urban Analysis: This course is designed to help students understand the history, problems, and prospects of Boston's neighborhoods.
• PHIL 2261 Telling Truths I: Writing for the Cause of Justice: This course is designed to help students develop their writing skills and to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to use writing as a tool for social change.
• PHIL 2262 Telling Truths II: Depth Writing as Service: This course is designed to help students develop their writing skills and to provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to use writing as a tool for social change.
• PHIL 2215 Telling Truths III: The Narratives that Shape Our Lives: This course is designed to help students understand the narratives that shape their lives and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to reflect on their own foundational narratives.
• THEO 3201 The Meaning and Way of Jesus: This course is designed to help students understand the meaning and way of Jesus and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to follow Jesus' teachings.
• THEO 3202 Immigration and Ethics: This course is designed to help students understand the ethical implications of immigration and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze immigration practices.
• PHIL/THEO 2291 & PHIL/THEO 2292 Philosophy of Community I & II: This course is designed to help students understand the structure, power, and change of community and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop new approaches for learning about social change.
• PHIL 2230 Mass Incarceration: Philosophical and Theological: This course is designed to help students understand the problems of justice in relation to incarceration and to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze the philosophical and theological implications of mass incarceration.

Course Schedule

The PULSE Program offers a variety of courses, each with its own schedule and requirements. The course schedule includes:

• PHIL1088/THEO1088 and PHIL1089/THEO1089: The PULSE Core Course
• PHIL 2233, PHIL 2216, PHIL 2261, PHIL 2262, PHIL 2215, THEO 3201, THEO 3202, PHIL/THEO 2291 & PHIL/THEO 2292, PHIL 2230: PULSE Elective Courses

Community Partners

The PULSE Program partners with a variety of community organizations to provide students with the opportunity to work with people experiencing social injustice. These community partners include:

• Suffolk County Jail
• Non-profits that provide transitional services for returning residents or formerly incarcerated individuals
• Organizations that advocate for prison reform

Program Requirements

The PULSE Program requires a 12-hour-per-week commitment to a PULSE Community Partner and enrollment in the PULSE Core Course or a PULSE elective course. Students must also complete a series of written assignments and participate in class discussions.