Nondegree Students
Nondegree Students
Our nondegree option allows students to earn academic credit without enrolling in a degree program. Nondegree students are vital to Woods College and Boston College, enriching the classroom and our communities. They come to Woods to learn new skill sets and improve their understanding of specific disciplines. Nondegree students may also be looking to try out a subject before committing to a program or enhance their academic track record. Please note, nondegree students are only eligible to take courses through the Woods College of Advancing Studies.
Many of our B.A. students find starting as a nondegree student helpful in transitioning to college. For nondegree students who later enroll in a B.A. program, the credits earned as a nondegree student will be counted toward your B.A. degree.
Please note, Non-U.S. citizens and non-residents whose immigration status requires Boston College to issue an I-20 are not eligible for nondegree status.
Students may take 16 credits as a nondegree student before a BA application is required. Exceptions can be made by petition to the academic team for students seeking coursework for personal enrichment or other reasons. Additionally, nondegree students are limited to two courses per semester.
Undergraduate Nondegree Students
Most Woods undergraduate courses are open to you (with certain exceptions for courses in specific degree or certificate programs). Most Woods College of Advancing Studies undergraduate courses are open to nondegree students. Before registering, students must meet with an advisor.
As a nondegree student, you are not eligible for need-based or merit-based financial aid from Boston College or for most federally and state-funded assistance plans. (See specific assistance programs for exceptions.)
However, you (your) nondegree work may qualify for reimbursement under employer-sponsored tuition remission development programs. We’re happy to work with you and your employer to see if our nondegree offerings qualify for assistance. Contact a member of our admissions team for more information.
Questions?
Our Admissions Counselors
can help
Application information
PrintTo be considered for admission, applicants are responsible for submitting all necessary application materials by the designated program deadline (see below). There is no application fee for nondegree status.
Deadlines
- Fall enrollment
- August 1 (rolling admission after deadline)
- Spring enrollment
- December 1 (rolling admission after deadline)
Online application
Online Application
High School Diploma
High School Diploma
High School Diploma or equivalency (transcript not required for nondegree students, but by completing this application, you are certifying you hold a high school diploma or equivalency)
International Applicants
International Applicants
Non-degree enrollment does not support an F-1 visa. However, certain visa statuses may qualify. International students interested in non-degree enrollment should contact the Woods Office of Admission (wcasadm@bc.edu) for assistance.
Mailed Materials
Mailed Materials
Please Mail Application Materials To:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Additional Information
Individuals wishing to attend evening classes without being in a degree program may take undergraduate courses as Nondegree students, and Woods College tuition costs will apply.
Tuition for WCAS undergraduate courses for the Academic Year 2024-2025 is $2,520 (4 credits). The Tuition and Aid page has more information.
For course selection visit the Course Information and Schedule page.
The registration fee per semester is $25.
Nondegree status is open to any U.S. citizen or permanent resident. To enroll as a Special Nondegree student, please see the above "Application" section.
Non-U.S. citizens are not eligible to apply for Special Nondegree student status unless currently enrolled full-time at another U.S. institution.
Nondegree students wishing to attend classes in one of the four full-time undergraduate schools must get permission from the department chairs before registering for courses. Day school courses will be charged at the day school price per credit rate.
Detailed information can be found on the Student Services Registration website.
Massachusetts State Law requires that all students who are registering for three or more courses a semester must have proof of immunization against hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus on file at Boston College. All forms must be uploaded and entered within 30 days from the start of classes.
For more information please visit BC's Immunization Requirements page.
Immunization Requirements Page
Failure to show proof of immunization within 30 days from the first day of class will result in a block on your registration and a non-refundable administrative late fee of $65 will be charged to your student account.
All new students must complete the meningitis vaccination form or submit a signed waiver. Immunization forms are available through the Medical Forms page.
All students enrolled in a degree program, regardless of credit hours, and nondegree students enrolled at least 75% of full-time will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the Student Health Insurance Plan. Seventy-five percent of full-time enrollment is as follows:
- Woods College of Advancing Studies, Undergraduate—9 or more credits
- Woods College of Advancing Studies, Graduate—7 or more credits
Failure to maintain these credits levels will result in the termination of the mandatory health insurance plan, but not the financial charges. Students are responsible for monitoring their eligibility status.
Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States will be automatically enrolled in the Boston College plan regardless of the number of their credit hours.
Students enrolled exclusively online are eligible to waive the insurance.
Students enrolled in a health plan that is comparable to the Boston College-sponsored plan may waive the BC coverage through your Agora Portal account and follow the steps below.
- Log in to Agora Portal
- Under my services click Health insurance
- Summit YOUR Health insurance information
To provide proof of comparable coverage, a student needs to have information about their current health insurance plan readily available. Incomplete waivers are not processed.
Students who do not complete a waiver prior to the deadline are automatically enrolled and charged the student only premium for the Student Blue Plan. Additional information on the Medical Insurance plan and detailed information including waiver forms can be found at the Office of Student Services Medical Insurance website.
All fees and tuition charges are due when courses begin. Undergraduate students who have been approved to take day school courses pay the Academic Year 2023-2024 day school per-credit rate.
Fees are not refundable; no refunds are made to auditors. Not attending classes, informing a professor of intent to withdraw without submitting a withdrawal to the college, stopping payment on a registration check, or a registration check being returned by the bank, do not constitute withdrawal and full charges are due. Upon receipt of written notice of withdrawal from a course the tuition refunded is prorated. The fax number is 617-552-8404.
Drops, Withdrawals, and Refunds
Please visit the Office Student Services' Tuition and Refund page, tab Tuition Refund Schedule.
There are no refunds beyond that schedule; fees are not refundable. An audit is considered a fee, and there is no refund for a student who withdraws from a course taken for audit. Woods College students may not change a course registration from credit to audit status, or vice-versa.
All requests for withdrawal from a course must be submitted in writing to the Woods College of Advancing Studies; no course withdrawal or refund of tuition will be processed without written notification from the student.
There are no refunds beyond this schedule.
After the add/drop deadline passes, students can withdraw from a course by submitting a withdrawal form to the college. When a student withdraws from a course, a grade of “W” is assigned and no academic credit is granted for the course. Tuition may be partially refunded when a student withdraws (see refund schedule in the academic calendar), but the student is responsible for paying all tuition due until the withdrawal is submitted. The following do not constitute a withdrawal from a Woods College course:
- Not attending classes
- Informing a professor of intent to withdraw without submitting a withdrawal to the college
- Failing to pay tuition due
To withdraw from a course, please contact your academic advisor. Students may not withdraw from courses after the withdrawal deadline and will receive a final grade for all registered courses. Find withdrawal deadlines on the academic calendar.
The Academic Policies section (link below) details the withdrawal procedures and the refund schedule of Woods courses, including the six week courses.
Boston College reserves the right to change or withdraw offerings if necessary and alter fees and charges from those published on this site without prior notice.
Please visit the Woods College Academic Policies page for detailed and current information.
4 Steps to Earning Your Degree
Step 4
Earn BC degree
Graduate Nondegree Students
If you’re enrolled in a master’s-level certificate program, you should register only for courses that apply to your specific program requirements. If you’re not enrolled in a certificate program, you can register for specifically designated courses only.
As a nondegree student, you are not eligible for need-based or merit-based financial aid from Boston College or for most federally and state funded assistance plans. (See specific assistance programs for exceptions.) However, your nondegree work may qualify for reimbursement under employer-sponsored tuition remission development programs. We’re happy to work with you and your employer to see if our nondegree offerings qualify for assistance.
Tuition
Tuition for the Academic Year 2024-2025 is $1,432 per credit.
Enrollment process
To begin the process to enroll as a Nondegree student, please select the appropriate Nondegree Coursework option from the Program Information section of the Graduate Application.
See below for more information about courses that are offered for nondegree students as well as for the contact information of each program's academic team. Nondegree courses are intended to count towards a full MS program as long as successfully completed.
Questions?
Our Admissions Counselors
can help
Woods College Graduate Programs
Employer-aligned, convenient and personalized, the Master of Healthcare Administration was designed in close collaboration with industry healthcare professionals and provides the next generation in online learning: competency-based education.
Program Contact
Caroline White
Academic Advisor
caroline.white.2@bc.edu
Leverage the power of data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence with a specialized master’s degree in one of today’s most in-demand fields.
Taught by experienced professionals, this STEM-designated program prepares you to apply advanced analytical approaches to solve real-world problems in almost any industry. The M.S. degree can also be completed as a dual degree with Woods College’s M.S. in Applied Economics.
Requirements for enrollment
Requirements for enrollment in the nondegree courses listed below:
- Students must complete the nondegree application or be referred to the nondegree option by the MSAA admissions committee.
Program Contact
Sasha Tomic
Program Director
a.tomic@bc.edu
Program's Nondegree Offerings
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ADEC7310 | Data Analysis This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts and data-based tools of statistical analysis commonly employed in Applied Economics. In addition to learning the basics of statistical and data analysis, students will learn to use the statistical software package Stata to conduct various empirical analyses. Our focus will be on learning to do statistical analysis, not just on learning statistics. The ultimate goal of this course is to prepare students well for ADEC 7320.01, Econometrics. | 3 |
| ADEC7320 | Econometrics This course develops the foundations of predictive data analytics by introducing the key concepts of applied econometrics, the application of statistical tools used to estimate economic relationships. The main topics covered in this course include: simple and multiple linear regression, binary and multinomial logistic regression, variable selection and shrinkage methods, count regression, generalized linear models, weighted least squares, generalized least squares, robust regression, and panel regression. The course is heavily weighted towards practical application using the R statistical programming language and data sets containing missing values and outliers. The course also addresses issues of exploratory data analysis, data preparation, model development, model validation, and model deployment. | 3 |
The M.S. in Applied Economics, a STEM Designated Degree Program, will prepare you to use the data analysis and tools organizations rely on to evaluate policies and programs, develop forecasts, better understand consumer behavior, and analyze marketing efforts. Housed at a top-tier research institution and taught by a faculty of accomplished academics and current industry practitioners, Boston College's M.S. in Applied Economics also emphasizes ethical decision-making—a hallmark of Jesuit education.
Requirements for enrollment
Requirements for enrollment in the nondegree courses listed below:
- Students must complete the nondegree application or be referred to the nondegree option by the MSAE admissions committee.
Program Contact
Sasha Tomic
Program Director
a.tomic@bc.edu
Program's Nondegree Offerings
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ADEC7310 | Data Analysis This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts and data-based tools of statistical analysis commonly employed in Applied Economics. In addition to learning the basics of statistical and data analysis, students will learn to use the statistical software package Stata to conduct various empirical analyses. Our focus will be on learning to do statistical analysis, not just on learning statistics. The ultimate goal of this course is to prepare students well for ADEC 7320.01, Econometrics. | 3 |
| ADEC7320 | Econometrics This course develops the foundations of predictive data analytics by introducing the key concepts of applied econometrics, the application of statistical tools used to estimate economic relationships. The main topics covered in this course include: simple and multiple linear regression, binary and multinomial logistic regression, variable selection and shrinkage methods, count regression, generalized linear models, weighted least squares, generalized least squares, robust regression, and panel regression. The course is heavily weighted towards practical application using the R statistical programming language and data sets containing missing values and outliers. The course also addresses issues of exploratory data analysis, data preparation, model development, model validation, and model deployment. | 3 |
A 10-course degree program, Boston College’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance teaches you to help organizations protect their data, identify and manage cyber risk, and recover from cyber attacks.
With an emphasis on leadership, critical thinking, analytic problem solving, and communication skills, our M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program prepares professionals to meet and respond to the challenges of today’s cyber ecosystem.
Requirements for enrollment
Requirements for enrollment in the nondegree courses listed below:
- Bachelor’s degree or, in the case of BC undergraduate, written approval from their academic department’s chair and the CPG Program Director
- Optional interview with the CPG Program Director
- Approval by the CPG Program’s Director
Program Contact
Kevin Powers
Program Director
kevin.powers@bc.edu
Program's Nondegree Offerings
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ADCY6000 | Cyber Ecosystem and Cybersecurity Course provides an overview of Cyberspace, defines the scope of Cybersecurity, and addresses information classification and system compartmentalization. Course includes an appreciation of information confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and covers Cybersecurity architecture, strategy, services, hardware, software, and cloud services. The course also examines national security issues, critical infrastructure, and the potential for cybercrime and cyber terrorism, as well as the need for corporations to align their security with business needs and consider the threat from malicious employees, contractors, and/or vendors. | 3 |
| ADCY6050 | Cybersecurity Policy: Privacy & Legal Requirements This course provides a comprehensive examination of the laws, regulations, and Executive Orders concerning privacy, including PCI, HIPAA, GLBA and their overseas counterparts, and the roles of Federal, State and local law enforcement. The course also examines national security issues governed by various Federal agencies (e.g., SEC, FTC, FCC, FERC), including suspicious activity reporting (SAR) requirements under the Patriot Act. Additionally, the course addresses intellectual property protection (e.g., SOX, NIST, FISMA), security classifications, data location requirements, audits, compliancy assessments, and individual, class-action, and shareholder derivative litigation and liability. | 3 |
The M.S. in Leadership program offers the rare combination of strategic expertise and ethical perspective that today’s leaders need to guide organizations through change. With tracks for emerging and experienced leaders, our customizable curriculum prepares working professionals at all stages of their careers to make a real-world impact.
Requirements for enrollment
Requirements for enrollment in the nondegree courses listed below:
- Students must complete the nondegree application on the Woods College website or be referred to the nondegree option by the MSL admissions committee.
Program Contact
Mary Ellen Joyce
Program Director
maryellen.joyce@bc.edu
Program's Nondegree Offerings
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ADGR7715 | Inclusive Leadership This course is designed to provide a foundation for understanding of the concept of inclusion as well as an overview of the theory bases, terminology, and practices of inclusive leadership. Students will explore the impact of inclusive leadership (and conversely, a lack of inclusive leadership) on individual, group, and organizational dynamics. | 3 |
| ADGR7708 | Project Management This course introduces students to the basic tenets and components involved in project management. The primary objective is to provide frameworks that make it possible to track and measure project performance, overcome challenges, and adapt to changes in a variety of professional environments. Specific topics covered in the course include project scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and stakeholder management and a variety of other operational issues that emerge during project planning initiation, monitoring, and execution. | 3 |
The Master of Science in Sports Administration Program at Boston College addresses the challenges and opportunities of an industry in rapid growth. Designed to propose new thinking and broaden leadership competencies for those in sports management as well as administrators and coaches, this degree focuses on balancing the needs of the many stakeholders within an athletic system. The Sports Administration Masters focuses on development and cultivation of the individual, team and organization through the establishment of an intentional culture of trust and commitment which adhere to the broader core values of the institution.
Requirements for enrollment
Requirements for enrollment in the nondegree courses listed below:
- Students must complete the nondegree application on the Woods College website or be referred to the nondegree option by the MSSA admissions committee.
Program Contact
Patty R. Keller
Program Director
patricia.raubekeller@bc.edu
Program's Nondegree Offerings
| Course | Course Title | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ADSA7501 | Introduction to Sport Management This introduction to the professional area of sport management discusses basic philosophy and principles of sport at all levels. Students will explore issues facing sport managers through in-depth discussions and analyses of case studies from different sport industries and apply Jesuit principles to problem solving strategies. The development of effective communication skills and career development skills will be stressed through class presentations, projects and assignments. | 3 |
| ADSA7502 | Sports Marketing and Communication This course is developed to provide an understanding of marketing and communication concepts that apply to sports and sporting events. The core concepts include vision, goals, and objectives of sports marketing management, communications, branding, product management, sales, sponsorship, promotion, and research associated with the sports industry. | 3 |
Testing the waters
“Being able to take classes as a nondegree student at the Woods College allowed me to test the waters and see if the fit was right. Halfway through the semester, I felt at home with the faculty and staff and applied to enter the graduate program. ”