Program Overview

Introduction to Boston College Experience for High School Students

The Boston College Experience for High School Students offers a variety of programs designed to provide students with a comprehensive and immersive experience.

Program Offerings

The following programs are available:

• Business & Leadership Institute (BLI)
• Creative Writing Workshop
• Fundamentals of Finance
• Government, Globalism, and World Affairs
• Introduction to Concepts in Psychology Seminar
• Introduction to Design Thinking
• Politics & Democracy: The West, the World, and the Emergence of Democracy and Nation States Since 1688
• Sports Management Institute

Business & Leadership Institute (BLI)

The Business and Leadership Institute (BLI) is an immersive two-week experience for high school students who want to explore the world of business and leadership. Combining the challenge of a college-level course with the creativity of real-world problem-solving, students dive into topics like design thinking, marketing, finance, international leadership, emotional intelligence, and personal leadership development. Through interactive workshops, guest speakers, and hands-on team projects, they apply what they learn in meaningful, engaging ways.

Creative Writing Workshop

Through the study of creative writing, students will explore their own unique voices and the diverse voices of published writers. Students will identify and analyze different styles of writing and collect a "toolbox" of craft techniques that they will put into practice by writing their own original creative pieces. Classes will consist of reading, discussion, writing exercises, and writing workshops in which students will have the opportunity to give and receive constructive feedback on their work. Though this course will primarily focus on fiction writing, students will have the opportunity to write poetry and creative nonfiction during in-class exercises. As a capstone, students will have the opportunity to present their work in a class reading.

Fundamentals of Finance

This course provides a strong foundation in key areas of finance, including financial markets, corporate finance, and risk management. Students will learn fundamental concepts such as discounted cash flow and valuation techniques, risk and return, the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), capital structure, and capital budgeting. They will also be introduced to advanced ideas like the Fama–French three-factor model. Through practical exercises, students will develop the ability to analyze financial statements, assess different asset classes, and gain hands-on experience in portfolio management and basic financial modeling. No prior knowledge of finance or accounting is required, though students should have a basic understanding of algebra and some familiarity with spreadsheet tools like Excel and/or statistical software like R.

Government, Globalism, and World Affairs

Government, Globalism and World Affairs investigates the phenomenon of globalization and its direct impact on governments and world affairs. This study uncovers the crux of this important occurrence by looking at three distinct components of our global system. One, Government, Globalism and World Affairs, will analyze the political, economic, and socio-cultural historical events and trends that have created and fostered this twenty-first century movement. Second, this course will offer students a rich understanding of the interconnectedness of globalization today, by studying specific economic and political case studies or examples that reveal how the system works. And last, Government, Globalism and World Affairs , will evaluate the impact of the development of this system from local, regional, and global perspectives. All components of this session will foster greater student critical thinking and awareness by identifying strengths and weaknesses found in the global network.

Introduction to Concepts in Psychology Seminar

Psychology is the study of mind and behavior, the "how" and "why" of human activities. It is a social science that continues to shape our experience within society and provide insights into the human potential for growth, healing, and understanding. The five pillars of psychology (biological, cognitive, developmental, social/personality, and clinical/health) are covered at an introductory level. A scientific-minded approach is integrated throughout the course activities and class discussions, while incorporating a justice-oriented lens that seeks to understand the ways that privilege and power can inform research and practice. This course is designed to be a survey course that briefly touches on many facets of the study of psychology as a science and an applied science. Students should be prepared to be active participants in class, to read occasionally challenging scientific literature, and complete an APA-style research presentation focused on a psychology topic of their choosing as their culminating assessment.

Introduction to Design Thinking

Design thinking is an action-oriented, creative, and structured activity which involves empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and evaluating processes to productively tackle and solve complex real-world challenges. Through an inclusive approach, infused by a global viewpoint and ethical underpinnings, participants learn a design thinking toolkit and develop skills to help enhance our planet, the common good and develop innovative new products and services. This course is a good overview for students interested in business, psychology, engineering, and history/political science.

Politics & Democracy: The West, the World, and the Emergence of Democracy and Nation States Since 1688

Course examines the ways in which Democracy became the established political system of government for many Nation States, particularly those in the West, under the influence of the Enlightenment. After the upheavals of the American, French, and Industrial Revolutions, Democracy, and its economic counterpart, Capitalism, became key components in the establishment of Nation States for many countries of the world. In this course, we will investigate the processes which allowed this political, social, economic, and, in many cases, religious transformation to take place. The course will also examine the roles played by Democracy and Capitalism in the development of New Imperialism; the challenges to Democracy presented the World Wars of the twentieth century; and the resurgence of nationalism in the twenty-first century. Throughout the course, issues of class, race, gender, and ethnicity will be to the fore, as we strive to discover how the world came to be as it is today.

Sports Management Institute

The Sport Management Institute (SMI) is an exciting introduction to the world of sport management. The two-week summer session course is a valuable experience for students who enjoy sports as either a participant or a spectator, who are intrigued by the possibility of studying sport management in college, and who want to explore and learn more about the myriad of career options in the sport management field.

Faculty

The faculty for each program includes:

• Business & Leadership Institute (BLI): Barbara Mitchell
• Creative Writing Workshop: Margaret Fegurson
• Fundamentals of Finance: Arvind Sharma
• Government, Globalism, and World Affairs: Chris Brooks
• Introduction to Concepts in Psychology Seminar: Javier Rizo and Christina Dimitri
• Introduction to Design Thinking: Julia Whitcavitch-Devoy
• Politics & Democracy: The West, the World, and the Emergence of Democracy and Nation States Since 1688: Michael Paul
• Sports Management Institute: Dr. Elizabeth Conant and Dr. Elizabeth O'Hara

Program Details

Boston College reserves the right to change any provision of this program at any time. The college specifically reserves the right to change its tuition rates and any other financial charges at any time. The college also reserves the right to rearrange its courses and class hours, to cancel courses for which registration falls below the minimum enrollment, and to change instructor assignments at any time.