Resources for Current Students

Other Program Support:

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is available to answer questions and support students during the course of the program. The DGS offers regular office hours and is available by email. The current Director of Graduate Studies for Fall 2023 is Dr. Ruth Langer, and in Spring 2024 will be Dr. Dieter Roth.

The Graduate Program Assistant (Berit Guidotti, 2023-2024) is also available to respond to student requests, and can be reached at theolog@bc.edu.

Incoming doctoral students are paired with a current doctoral student to help ease the transition into the program. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to meet once each semester during the mentee’s first year in the program.

All first year doctoral students participate in a year-long seminar which includes mandatory training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Title IX responsibilities, as well as opportunities for fellowship and professional development.

Students are invited to attend lunchtime discussions with current faculty on topics such as teaching, job applications, conference presentations, manuscript preparation, and careers outside the academy.

All doctoral students attend regular faculty-student gatherings (organized by each area) to discuss current research and discipline-specific trends.

Annual Conferences Timeline

Call for Papers, Due Dates and Meetings

Other Annual Conferences with Moving Dates

  • Ecclesiological Investigations,
  • Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium at Drew Seminary,
  • New Wine, New Wineskins Catholic Moral Theology Symposium at Notre Dame,
  • Association of Practice Theology hosts bi-annual meetings,
  • International Academy of Practical Theology hosts bi-annual meetings,
  • A number of research groups gather separate from but in tandem with the regional AAR/SBL conventions. Check with relevant groups/sections within AAR/SBL to see if there are networking or presenting opportunities that pertain to your research interests.

Membership Requirements

  • Most society-sponsored conferences require that you have a membership with the society in order to present papers at their meetings. Annual fees usually accompany membership, but there is often a special student rate.
  • Some societies, such as CTS and AAR/SBL, simply require that you to hold membership at the time of your presentation. This means you can wait to pay for your membership until after your paper is accepted, if you so choose.
  • Other societies, such as CTSA and SCE, have a lengthy membership process that requires application. You may need to plan ahead—even as early as a year ahead—in order to complete the membership process before submitting a paper proposal. These societies also have requirements tied to academic standing: both societies require that presenters have completed their comprehensive exams for the PhD.
  • If you find you can’t access a Call For Papers without paying to join the society in question, ask around—many fellow students and faculty are members of these societies and would be happy to pass CFPs around.

Contact

If you would like to suggest an addition or correction to the department’s conference timeline, please contact theology@bc.edu.

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