Admissions

Qualifications for Admission

Any well-qualified person with a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college or university or with equivalent international education may apply for admission to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. A student’s undergraduate program should include introductory studies in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The student may be required to make up any deficiencies in his or her academic background by completion of specified courses without credit.

Boston University does not permit a student to enroll simultaneously in more than one graduate program, unless those programs have been previously approved by the Trustees of Boston University as a combined degree program.

Application

Applications and instructions for submission of complete credentials may be obtained from the Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, or by contacting Bulletin Requests via email at grartsci@bu.edu. Note that only application requests can be received at this address. Any other questions can be answered via email at grs@bu.edu. Application forms and instructions are also available in printable pdf versions online at www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/graduate/apply, as is the online application for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Please be sure to provide a name and mailing address for any application request, and to indicate an intended area of study. For the paper version, both the School Copy and the Department Copy of the Application for Admission must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Admissions Office.

A nonrefundable application fee of $70 must be submitted with each application. If using a paper version of the Application for Admission, this fee must be paid in U.S. currency or check, international money order, or an international check in U.S. funds drawn on a bank in the United States. Credit card payment or Traveler’s Checks cannot be accepted with the paper application; however, when submitting the online application, payment is required by credit card. This fee cannot be waived or deferred.

Applications will not be considered without the application fee.

All applicants must also submit the following credentials:

1. official transcripts or records of each college or university attended with official documentation of the names and dates of all previous academic degrees awarded. A college senior should submit an official report of the work completed through the first semester of the senior year as early as possible.
2. letters of recommendation in English from at least two faculty members in the proposed field of graduate study who are familiar with American higher education.
3. official test results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (General Test and Subject Test) and/or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), as required by the department to which the student is applying. Check departmental requirements in this bulletin or the Department/Program Information Sheet portion of the application.

For GRE application materials and information, contact the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000; 609-771-7670; Email: gre-info@ets.org; Web: www.gre.org.

Information about the MAT may be obtained at most universities or by writing to the Psychological Corporation, Miller Analogies Test, 19500 Bulverde Road, San Antonio, TX 78259. Telephone: 800-622-3231; Web: www.milleranalogies.com.

All credentials submitted in support of an application become property of Boston University. Neither originals nor copies may be returned.

Application Deadlines

For many programs, the deadlines for admission with full consideration for all available forms of Graduate School merit-based financial aid are January 15 for Fall admission and October 15 for Spring admission. Please be aware that many programs have an earlier deadline for Fall admission/financial aid consideration. Adhering to these deadlines will ensure that you are considered for all available forms of merit-based financial aid, both University-wide and departmental. The PhD program in Psychology has an earlier deadline of December 1 for Fall admission/financial aid consideration.

Individual departments/programs may have later deadlines for admission consideration if you wish to be considered for departmental financial aid only, or if you do not wish to be considered for financial aid at all. These deadlines are listed on the Department/Program Information Sheet, enclosed with the Application for Admission and at: bu.edu/cas/admissions/graduate/apply/requirements/. By submitting a complete application by the deadlines stated there, you will be considered for financial assistance as departmental funds allow. Applications that are complete at the time of the deadlines will be given priority. An application is considered complete when all required credentials, as listed above, have been received by the Admissions Office.

Application Submission

The completed Application for Admission and supporting credentials should be directed to:

Admissions Office
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Boston University
705 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 112
Boston, MA 02215
USA

Note: In addition to the above, applicants who have twice been rejected for admission to the same degree program must submit a letter of approval for application from the current director of graduate studies for the department to which they seek admission.

International Applicants

In addition to following the procedures outlined above, applicants who are not citizens of the United States or who do not hold official United States Permanent Residency status must submit the following:

1. a completed, signed International Student Data Form, including the financial support and visa documentation requested on the form. This form is available as part of the Application for Admission.
2. certified English translations of all transcripts and academic records.
3. official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for all applicants whose native language is not English. Unless otherwise required by a department/program, the minimum score requirement is 550 (paper-based test). The minimum requirements for the internet-based test can be found at: www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/graduate/faq/testing. This requirement is waived only if you have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in any of the following countries prior to enrollment in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland.

The TOEFL Bulletin of Information and registration form can be obtained at American embassies and consulates, offices of the United States Information Service (USIS), U.S. education commissions and foundations abroad, binational centers, and certain private organizations. Applicants who cannot obtain a TOEFL Bulletin and registration form locally should write for them well in advance to TOEFL/TSE Services, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA; 609-771-7975; Web: www.toefl.org.

International students must provide evidence of financial resources adequate to cover travel to and from Boston and for tuition and living costs for at least one full year at Boston University. A limited number of appointments to teaching fellowships and assistantships are available for qualified international students with superior fluency in English. Immigration regulations prohibit most international students from accepting any employment except University appointments during the first year of study in the United States. Information and assistance regarding governmental regulations and University services may be obtained by writing to the International Students & Scholars Office, 888 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02215 USA.

Because of the relatively small amount of time available for processing and reviewing applications for admission to the spring semester, international students are strongly advised to apply only for fall semester admission.

For further advice and assistance in seeking admission, international students should consult the nearest U.S. embassy, consulate, or information center.

Nondegree Applicants

A person with an accredited bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent who is qualified for graduate work, but who does not wish to enter a degree program, may apply to a department or program in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for admission as a special student with nondegree status. The completed application and a transcript of the most recent degree awarded should be submitted along with the application fee. Results of the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test are not required.

Application for a change from nondegree to degree status must be made before the admission deadline for the semester of intended enrollment. No more than two courses for a degree program of eight semester courses, or four courses for a degree program of 16 semester courses, may be credited toward the degree, and only if the grades received are B or higher.

Financial assistance is not available to nondegree students.

Deferral Requests

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences does not defer admissions. However, if you were admitted you may request consideration for readmission for a future semester that is up to one year beyond your initial semester of admission. Your original application will be reviewed along with all other applications for admission for the requested semester of reconsideration, taking into account present competition and work undertaken by you in the interim. The Admissions Committee will review, rate, and reach an admissions decision as if it were the first time you were applying. You need not submit a new application, set of credentials, or application fee. (Your original application credentials are kept on file for one year.)

It is important to understand that the department is not obligated to re-offer admission.

A request for readmission consideration must be made in writing to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Admissions Office at 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 112, Boston, MA 02215 or at the following website: www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/graduate/apply/reconsideration/.