Admission Requirements and Application Information
Nondegree Students
Information for International Applicants
Prior Legal Education
Candidates for the Graduate Tax Program must hold a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school that is accredited by the American Bar Association, or an equivalent first degree in law from a comparably recognized law school or law faculty outside the United States. Admission is competitive and depends to a great extent on the demonstration of outstanding ability in previous law studies, particularly in the field of taxation.
Application Procedures
Candidates for admission may submit their applications either online or by mail. Instructions for online applications are available at School of Law. Application materials and detailed instructions regarding applying by mail are included both at the end of this bulletin and at School of Law. Applicants must submit the following items by the relevant deadline listed in the instructions:
1. Completed Application for Admission form
2. Application fee
3. Official, sealed academic records
4. Two letters of recommendation
5. Personal statement of interest
6. Curriculum vitae (or résumé)
7. LSAT scores (U.S. law school graduates)
8. Completed International Student Data Form (non U.S. citizens/permanent residents)
9. Proof of English language proficiency (applicants whose native language is not English)
Non-Degree Students
Although the program is designed to lead to the Master of Laws in Taxation degree, we will accept a limited number of highly qualified non-degree students to take selected courses. Non-matriculating students must follow the same admission procedure as degree candidates.
Information for International Applicants
Boston University Overseas Liaison Offices
Boston University maintains permanent offices in the following cities to provide prospective students with information and assistance in communicating with the University: Taipei, London, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Hong Kong. Please let us know if you would like to contact one of these offices.
LSAC Credential Assembly Service
We strongly recommend (but do not require) that international applicants register with the LL.M. Credential Assembly Service provided by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). This service collects and authenticates the academic records and TOEFL scores of international lawyers who are applying for admission to U.S. LL.M. programs, and sends reports to participating LL.M. programs to which these lawyers have applied. Because applicants will need to obtain only one set of official academic transcripts in order to make them available for all applications to participating law schools, the service should save them time and money. The registration fee of $185 (U.S.) includes five reports to law schools. (Additional reports can be ordered at an additional fee.) We encourage international applicants to register for this service at LL.M. Credential Assembly Service, but they may also register by completing and submitting to LSAC the paper form included with this bulletin. Please note that (i) the LSAC service only authenticates academic transcripts and related credentials from outside the United States, and (ii) international applicants must still complete the Boston University School of Law LL.M. program application and submit it with the required application fee.Passport and Visa Information
International applicants who are currently in the United States must submit copies of all current visa documents. Applicants who are accepted for admission will ordinarily be issued the Form I-20 (needed to secure the F-1 student visa) directly from Boston University. For additional information concerning passport or visa requirements, international applicants should contact the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) at 19 Deerfield Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; phone: 617-353-3565; fax: 617-358-1170; e-mail: isso@bu.edu; website: International Students and Scholars Office.
Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP)
The Boston University Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP) offers a number of intensive language courses, including six-, nine-, and twelve-week summer “Legal English” programs for international students who have been admitted to an LL.M. program. We encourage all applicants for admission to American LL.M. programs who received their first degrees in law from countries other than the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom to seek early preparation for their studies by attending a CELOP summer program. CELOP also offers programs in the fall which may be taken on a part-time basis (see Three-Semester LL.M./CELOP Program below). In certain cases, we may offer full-time admission to the Graduate Tax Program on the condition that the applicant successfully completes one of the CELOP summer programs before fall enrollment. Students should be aware that participation in a CELOP program will increase their expenses. For more information on CELOP programs, visit CELOP.
Three-Semester LL.M./CELOP Program
International applicants who are otherwise qualified for admission but whose English language skills still need improvement before full-time law studies begin may receive admission to the Graduate Tax Program on the condition that, in addition to taking one of the summer CELOP programs mentioned above, they undertake the LL.M. program on a three-semester basis. The first semester would include English language class at CELOP, for which no degree credit would be awarded, as well as two or three courses from the Graduate Tax Program curriculum, for which the student would receive credit toward the LL.M. degree. For the fall semester, the student would pay for each CELOP course and each LL.M. course on a per credit basis. During the second semester, the student would take a full-time course load in the Graduate Tax Program and then finish the degree requirements as a part-time student during the third semester. During the second semester, the student would pay the full-time tuition, and during the final semester the student would pay per credit.Bar Admission
It is generally expected that international students enrolled in LL.M. programs in the United States will return to their home countries after they complete their studies. Most states in the United States will allow only individuals who have earned a Juris Doctor degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association to take their bar examinations. However, New York and a few other states do allow some lawyers from abroad who have received LL.M. degrees from Boston University to take bar examinations. Each of the fifty states of the United States has its own criteria and procedures for admitting lawyers to practice, and these criteria and procedures change from time to time. It is essential that a foreign lawyer who wishes to practice in this country directly contact the lawyer-licensing authority in the state or jurisdiction in which he or she expects to be located. Individuals can also request a copy of the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements from the National Conference of Bar Examiners; ABA Order Fulfillment Department, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611; phone: 312-988-5522. Bar admissions information is also available at the American Bar Association.
Financial Information
Information on tuition and fees is included in the Financial Information section at the end of this bulletin. International applicants ordinarily obtain education loans or assistance from sources in their home countries. For assistance in locating sponsoring organizations, contact your embassy, the U.S. Embassy or consulate, or U.S. Information Agency in your country. Because current immigration laws severely restrict the ability of foreign nationals to accept employment in the United States, international students should not rely on employment as a means of financing their studies.
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215
15 November 2005
Boston University
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