Welcome to the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. As the oldest and largest division of Boston College, enrolling nearly 6,000 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students, A&S embodies the Jesuit commitment to academic excellence in a liberal arts setting.

Successful BC students learn to think critically and independently and to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. They "learn how to learn" so that they can better respond to the fast changing circumstances and unexpected challenges they will inevitably face after graduation. What I remember most about my years in college and graduate school is the exhilarating sense of new worlds opening up to me in the courses I took, the books I read, the professors with whom I studied, and the research I did. My studies challenged me to rethink my values and beliefs, attitudes and assumptions. It is this transformative experience that I hope students will have at Boston College.

At BC we want our students to develop the skills that will help them lead happy and productive lives. But we also challenge our students to think beyond their own personal success and to consider how they can enrich the lives of others. What good is a private college or university, President Kennedy once asked, unless it is serving a great purpose? That is our view as well.

Patrick J. Maney
Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

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