The College of Fine Arts Introduction
Boston University
The City of Boston
Message from the Dean
I am grateful to have this opportunity to introduce you to the excitement of this rich arts community. At the College of Fine Arts, students are prepared for professional work in the fields of music, theatre, or visual arts. Studio instruction is at the heart of a student’s experience in the College. We focus on the development of each student by emphasizing technique and professional skills through personalized instruction. Faculty members are carefully selected for their ability to impart knowledge, their personal accomplishments in the arts, and their commitment to students. Among the College of Fine Arts faculty are artists, performers, and scholars of national and international reputation.
The Boston University College of Fine Arts is comprised of the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts. Although each School has its own faculty and program of study, all three Schools share the goal of providing the best possible training for the next generation of artists.
Walt C. Meissner
Dean ad interim
The University
The fourth-largest independent university in the United States, Boston University is a hub of intellectual and cultural activity.
The University is coeducational and nonsectarian. Our campus extends over 71 acres from the historic Back Bay section of Boston westward along the south bank of the Charles River. From the townhouses of Bay State Road to state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, from peaceful parks and esplanades to the city life of Commonwealth Avenue, the University offers a safe and attractive environment in which students live and study.
Founded by a group of Methodist lay leaders, Boston University has always been strongly committed to equality in opportunity without regard to race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. The University was the first institution of higher education in Massachusetts to grant degrees to women, and graduated the first African-American woman MD and the first woman PhD. Boston University stood nearly alone in its early years when it opened its doors to African-Americans and international students from all continents. The University’s commitment to recruiting minorities and women continues today within the student body and the faculty.
Boston University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. The School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
An urban institution from its inception, Boston University has always recognized that its future is linked with the future of its city. The University fosters programs to promote the well-being of Boston’s citizens and improve the city’s environment.
The City of Boston
One of America’s most beautiful cities, Boston is rich in historical charm and modern vitality. Home to more than 60 colleges and universities, Boston is an intellectual and cultural center diverse in its people and stimulating in its opportunities, yet at the same time relaxed and accessible.
Boston is the largest city in New England and the site of many significant events in American Revolutionary history. A historic seaport that grew to prominence in the days of the China trade and the whaling industry, the city maintains a vibrant and picturesque waterfront. Here, historic treasures intermingle with contemporary skyscrapers, evidence of the city’s thriving business and financial community and its leading role in research and technology.
Boston is home to the renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque (in residence at Boston University), the Boston Lyric Opera, and a wealth of other musical organizations.
Our students have the opportunity to attend productions at the Boston University College of Fine Arts and the highly acclaimed resident Huntington Theatre Company. Dozens of local museums include the world-renowned Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art.
Bostonians are famously enthusiastic about their sports teams. Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, is within walking distance
of the campus. In April, the Boston Marathon runs through the campus.
Students also enjoy the galleries, sidewalk cafés, bookstores, and elegant boutiques that line nearby Newbury Street. Public transportation via subway, bus, and train is a convenient and inexpensive way to navigate the city. New York City is an easy trip by train, bus, or car. Close by are the beaches of Cape Cod as well as the mountains of New Hampshire.
Students enjoy extended exposure to creative innovation and professional artistry in this extraordinary environment.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215
8 June 2009
Boston University
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