International Direct - Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy and Public Policy

Program Description

International direct admission is for international students with advanced English-language skills. It focuses on academic, cultural, and professional growth so students can excel in school—and prepare for a successful future.

International direct students receive:

• Exclusive and rigorous academic coursework
• Priority access to in-demand courses that fit their interests
• Guidance from academic advisors and mentors
• Career development and networking opportunities
• Intensive classes with domestic students

The Philosophy Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston is pluralistic, with faculty that teach and pursue research in almost all major areas of philosophy, including Ethics, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Theory of Knowledge, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Language, Aesthetics, Feminism, Philosophy of Race, Asian Philosophy, American Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Modern Philosophy, Nineteenth-Century Philosophy, and Twentieth-Century Continental Philosophy.

The department sees philosophy as an engaged discipline, one in which theoretical understanding is meant ultimately to make a difference in practical lives as persons and citizens. The department has a concentration of faculty working in ethics, applied ethics, law and political philosophy (Blum, Rivera, Tirrell, Bromwich, Perina, Zurn, Silver, Klein, and Zabel), a concentration in American Philosophy very broadly construed (Tirrell, Wanderer, Brincker and Levine), and one in the history of philosophy (Beresford, Inukai, Lande, Levine, Fleshe, and Kaye).

The major in philosophy and public policy is intended for students who have a specific concern with questions of value as they apply to individuals, society, and public policy. It, in different ways, provides a broad outlook on these problems and attempted solutions to them, but should not, in general, be considered the best preparation for graduate work in philosophy. The public policy major, will, however, serve as a good liberal arts base for careers in government, the law, or social service.