Program Highlights

A Mentorship Philosophy

While the resources available to our doctoral students are vast, the PhD program itself is intentionally small. We believe in nurturing those students who best fit our program’s philosophy and supplying them with the resources to succeed. We ask our faculty to weigh admissions using these criteria to ensure students will be mentored effectively.

A distinguishing feature of UMass Boston is the collegial spirit and noncompetitive nature of the community. Students collaborate on projects and assist each other; joint research with faculty is common. Our informal atmosphere and open-door policy encourage students to engage in conversation with faculty or continue seminar discussions with distinguished visitors beyond the allotted class time and space.

Developing as Professionals

To prepare for the academic path, students participate in a teaching seminar and practicum in their second year and then are offered opportunities to teach a variety of undergraduate courses. Career development workshops are also offered, and focus on topics such as writing research grants, the interviewing process, and delivering a successful research talk. Faculty advisors and student mentors are assigned to each student to facilitate their success within the program.