Jesuit Values
Jesuit, Catholic values are deeply embedded in our culture as part of our University heritage. They guide us in everything we do, from developing new courses to each one-on-one interaction.
Core Values
Faith Traditions
Boston College celebrates its Catholicism in many ways, including daily Mass and the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. It also welcomes people of all faith traditions and encourages students to explore their spirituality and engage in discussions of faith-based issues.
Preparing Principled Professionals
All of our graduate programs incorporate ethical requirements, ensuring we prepare principled professionals. These course offerings have an ethical focus
Course number: ADEC7500
The focus of the course is to ascertain how public policy makers decide to either regulate or legislate how an industry or firm will operate in society. We will examine the process from three different vantage points: ethics, economics, and policy. The first part of the course will be spent examining the role that ethical thinking does or does not play in motivating public policy makers to take action. The second part of the course examines how economic pressure comes into play as policy makers try to establish bounds on an industry or a firm. Finally, we explore the role that social pressures such as the media and various interest groups play in influencing how public policy makers react to various issues that confront an industry or a firm.
Course number: ADEC7940
What role do ethics and morals play in influencing leaders? Too often, decisions are made based solely on numbers, shareholder value, or some other metric of business, often without reflection. Yet, we have an obligation to each other and to ourselves to personally engage and make decisions within a moral context. Using a Thomistic ethical system and Ignatian discernment and values as our guide, this course will explore strategies and options for integrating virtue into leadership decision-making. Thomistic ethics is to be given primacy of place because it is universally applicable and is based upon a unified, coherent understanding of the nature of humanity. It is thoroughly grounded in the objective order of things. Thomistic ethics is an eminent expression of philosophical realism. Thomistic ethics is guided every step of the way by the assumption that just as human beings are born into a world which is defined and governed by objective physical laws, so that same world is defined and governed by objective moral laws. Applying those strategies to real world case studies, we will develop tools to help navigate those situations where there is pressure to compromise virtue or to disengage from our moral compass.
Course number: ADHA7030
In this course, ethical and moral considerations associated with the management of healthcare facilities and the provision of health services are examined. Treatment of ethical and moral issues emphasize the understanding of diverse viewpoints and methods for resolving conflicting moral obligations. Student apply course concepts through the exercises and cases in ethical decision making for leaders of healthcare organizations.
Course number: ADGR7785
This course addresses the political and legal aspects of the role of education in our democratic society and provides an introductory survey of public policy issues and laws governing preschool, elementary, secondary, and higher education.
Course number: ADPL1500
This course will look at ethics from a social and Christian perspective. This course provides an introduction to Christian ethical modes of reflection on contemporary issues that impact class, race, and gender groups. These include issues of poverty and economic justice, First World/Two-Thirds World relations, racism, and sexism. U.S. citizens often identify themselves as religious persons, but less often do the hard work of connecting religious ethical traditions with social policies that impact relations among social groups. We may come up with different conclusions, but the unifying element in this course is our engagement in the difficult process of ethical discernment that is informed by both social theory (i.e., analysis of class, race, and gender systems) and the Christian tradition (Catholic Social Teaching with its foundation in scripture, Thomistic ethics with its assumption that the world is defined and governed by objective moral laws, and church teaching which emanates from application of tradition and scripture to current ethical situations.) An integral component of this class is to be engaged with the world i.e., pay attention to issues in the world that could benefit from the application of the material being discussed in class.
Course number: ADCY6900
This course provides “real life” complex, ethical situations for students to evaluate, as both decision maker and advisor, by addressing the various issues confronted by senior government and corporate professionals, nation states, and other parties of significance, involving the receipt and protection of critical and sensitive data. Specific topics include standard professional ethical frameworks of beneficence and non-maleficence; rights and justice; and issues related to privacy and corporate espionage and fraud, while contrasting same with freedom of information and intellectual creativity. The course compares and contrasts global governments’ and cultures’ differing approaches to ethics, and enhances, from a framework of dialogue, discernment of action, and deliberation, the ability of students to make reasoned and responsible business decisions in a global economy. The course also examines aspirational versus mandatory ethical standards (i.e., the “right thing to do” vs. what is “legal” or “compliant”), through additional frameworks of reference, including review, reflection, and refinement of decisions.
“Health Ethics and Law has been my favorite class because it challenges you to think outside of the box while analyzing critical ethical dilemmas and learning about vital ethical principles related to the law. Dr. Beshansky relates classwork to real-world issues, and assignments relate to my future professional work. ”
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A group of Woods College Manresa Experience Scholars and faculty mentors with alumnus, diversity champion, and bestselling author Steve Pemberton who gave a lecture as part of the program.
The Manresa Experience
Named for a small town in Spain that was critical to St. Ignatius’ own spiritual growth, the Manresa Experience bonds Woods undergraduate students through a common read, courses, and interdisciplinary applications. The experience encourages greater professional, personal, and spiritual discernment.
Explore Volunteer Opportunities
The Volunteer and Service Learning Center is committed to serving the Greater Boston community by promoting conscientious service in the context of Catholic social teaching and contemporary Jesuit education.
