GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
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Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done. Louis D. Brandeis
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The Brandeis University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) is one of the top graduate schools in the country. Located just west of Boston in the greater metropolitan area, GSAS is a community of scholars dedicated to performing research and creating knowledge. Here at GSAS, you will work with faculty who are leaders in what they do and have the global recognition to prove it. We have MacArthur Fellows, Pulitzer Prize winners, Howard Hughes Medical Investigators and many other notables. Our professors will guide you, challenge you and help you become the advanced scholar or researcher you are yearning to be. You will share your time here with a diverse group of students and faculty who all have a common goal: to take their learning to the next level at one of the most renowned research universities in the world.
Four divisions, infinite opportunities One of the key differences at Brandeis GSAS is our emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Here you will learn the importance of connecting with people who have a broad range of expertise and experience.
SCIENCE
HUMANITIES
CREATIVE ARTS
SOCIAL SCIENCES
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DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
436 FACULTY
40+
MASTER’S AND POSTBACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS
900 GRADUATE STUDENTS
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE > Founded in 1948 > World-class research university in a liberal arts setting > Ranked among the nation’s top 35 universities by U.S. News & World Report every year since the list’s inception > Dedicated to social justice > Just nine miles from Boston
“Science has this mathematical backbone, but through discovery, you can experience something that no human has ever experienced or known before. It’s breathtaking.” Vivek Vimal, PhD student in the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab
Academic Inquiry
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Thousands of students have found it to be absolutely true: A graduate degree from Brandeis hones your professional skills and/ or prepares you for further academic study. GSAS has a variety of graduate programs that encourage innovative, exciting new projects of interdisciplinary research and teaching. Your time here will be rigorous and rewarding, with hands-on research and experiential learning at the core of many of our disciplines.
1 DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2014, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY HAD A RESEARCH VOLUME TOTALING MORE THAN $37M IN FEDERAL AND NONFEDERAL GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.
Whatever program you wish to pursue, you’ll find that GSAS helps prepare you for academic and industry careers … or whatever your next steps happen to be. MASTER’S
With an emphasis on small classes and faculty mentorship, we offer you the opportunity to work closely with our distinguished scholars. Not only that, we support you both inside and outside the classroom: workshops to foster graduate-level skills, funding to sponsor research for theses, travel funds to present your research at conferences, and career services for professional development. PHD
At the core of our doctoral programs is the philosophy of mentorship. From your arrival on campus to your hooding ceremony, Brandeis faculty will guide and direct you, not only to do the best research possible but to help you find your independence as a scholar. POSTBACCALAUREATE
Postbaccalaureate programs greatly enhance your skills in a given discipline. If your undergraduate coursework did not include the prerequisites needed to pursue a graduate degree in a particular discipline, our post-baccalaureate programs will provide you with those skills. Alternatively, our postbaccalaureate students have often honed their current skills to make themselves more qualified for graduate study.
“I take enormous pride in the success of my Brandeis students, and I’m especially happy that so many of them have stayed in touch with me.” Jonathan Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History and Chair of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program
Faculty Mentorship
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It’s a fact of life here at GSAS: You will work oneon-one with faculty who are global leaders in your field of study. One of the most important indicators of a student’s satisfaction with graduate school is how much access and interaction there is with faculty members. Here at Brandeis, mentoring is an essential component — perhaps the leading component — of your graduate experience, and one that distinguishes us from other institutions.
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AT LAST COUNT, ARTS AND SCIENCES AT BRANDEIS HAD 298 FULL-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY.
Meet Some GSAS Faculty.
GINA TURRIGIANO
DAVID HACKETT FISCHER
Professor Turrigiano, a MacArthur Fellow, uses her Brandeis lab to research neuron excitability that can underlie brain disorders such as epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Professor Fischer has taught at Brandeis for over half a century. He’s also influenced — and hosted at his home — countless Brandeis students.
EILEEN MCNAMARA
BERNADETTE BROOTEN
A professor of the practice of journalism, Professor McNamara is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Boston Globe and current contributor to a local NPR affiliate.
A MacArthur Fellow and founder and director of the Brandeis Feminist Sexual Ethics Project, Professor Brooten heads a team of scholars, activists and others who are disentangling the nexus of slavery, religion, women and sexuality.
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY 2 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS 2 MACARTHUR FELLOWS
2 MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS
3 HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INVESTIGATORS
7 FELLOWS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
2 MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
5 MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
10 FELLOWS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REMARKABLE GSAS FACULTY AT BRANDEIS.EDU/ ABOUT/FACULTY
“Brandeis gave me experience with multiple facets of my industry, and the connections I made enabled me to direct my career after graduation.” Linta Rahman, MS’13
Work. Life.
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You come to GSAS to better position yourself for what comes next. That’s why we offer unique advantages when it comes to your career. GREATER BOSTON
Boston and its suburbs are global hubs in many industries — education, pharmaceuticals, finance, technology and bio-research, among others. Our location in the Greater Boston area gives you easy access to internships, employment opportunities and much more. OUTSTANDING CAREER ASSISTANCE
From day one, we’re here to help you with: > Individual advising, including assistance with your résumé, curriculum vitae, cover letters and other job-search documents > Creating a personalized, strategic employment plan > Workshops and events that include career fairs, forums, employer site visits and mock interviewing > Alumni, employer and targeted professional networking
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WE ARE COMMITTED TO GETTING YOU TO THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER.
What do GSAS students do when they graduate from Brandeis? Just about everything.
GSAS PhD graduates are … … holding tenure-track positions at prestigious universities around the world … publishing books on genre cinema … directing the Jewish Studies Program at Penn State … founding nonprofit organizations in developing nations … winning Pulitzer Prizes for nonfiction writing ... overseeing the politics section of The Atlantic magazine
GSAS master’s graduates are … … pursuing PhDs at top institutions around the world … acting with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project … working in process development at the Broad Institute … teaching humanities at public and private elementary and secondary schools across the country … working in marketing at TripAdvisor … writing and analyzing at Citizens Disability … working in clinical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Welcome to Brandeis. To be Brandeisian means to be academically driven without being overly competitive. This makes for an environment that is both stimulating and inviting. Our student body is diverse, yet everyone at GSAS seems to have one thing in common: an open mind. Wherever you come from, whatever your background and beliefs, you will feel welcomed by the GSAS community and quickly become a part of it. We are a community that fosters connections. Make friends and meet colleagues. Get to know professors who will continue to influence and guide you long after you graduate. Build a professional network that will last a lifetime.
Boston and Beyond
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Close enough to Boston that you have easy access to everything it offers. EASY ACCESS TO THE HUB
Brandeis is only nine miles from downtown Boston. There are several transport options available, including buses, a shuttle and commuter rail. In fact, the Brandeis/Roberts commuter rail station abuts our campus. Once in Boston, you’ll enjoy one of the most historic cities in America. Museums, restaurants, world-class shopping, beautiful neighborhoods, sports and so much more make the Boston area one of the best places in the world to be a student.
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MASSACHUSETTS COMPANIES RAISED $4.2 BILLION IN VENTURE CAPITAL IN 2014.
12 GREAT THINGS TO DO IN METRO BOSTON GREET THE SEALS AT THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM
SEE THE SOX AT HISTORIC FENWAY PARK
VISIT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS INDULGE AT THE SOWA FOOD TRUCKS RIDE THE MINUTEMAN BIKEWAY ENJOY THE SWAN BOATS IN THE PUBLIC GARDEN
VISIT DECORDOVA SCULPTURE PARK RUN (OR AT LEAST CHEER AT) THE BOSTON MARATHON GO BACK IN TIME AT THE OLD STATE HOUSE
EXPLORE THE NEW BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET EAT AT REGINA PIZZERIA IN THE NORTH END
TAKE A FERRY TO THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS
Discovery starts here. We invite you to explore GSAS at our website, brandeis.edu/gsas. There you’ll also find: > FINANCIAL AID AND STIPEND INFORMATION > RESEARCH AREAS > HOW TO APPLY TO GSAS > HOW TO CONNECT WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT OF INTEREST > HOW TO REQUEST MORE INFORMATION
We are happy to talk with you about Brandeis, GSAS, our programs or anything else you may have questions about. We can also provide an introduction to departments about which you are curious. It can be helpful to connect with them as you think of applying so that you can get a feel for potential avenues of study. You can reach out to our office at gradschool@brandeis.edu or call 781-736-3410.
COPY: BEN HALL; PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE LOVETT, KEN SCHLES, ROBERT D. FARBER UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS ©2015 BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY F148
YOU WILL WORK (ACTUALLY WORK) WITH WORLD-CLASS FACULTY. 2 NOBODY HERE IS LOOKING FOR EASY ANSWERS. 3 ALONG WITH YOUR PEERS, THE GLOBAL NETWORK OF GSAS ALUMNI WILL BE INVALUABLE AS YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT’S NEXT. 4 OUR AVERSION TO SILOS IS WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS. 1
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
brandeis.edu/gsas