The University
Other Schools and Colleges of Boston University
Boston University, the fourth-largest independent university in the United States, is a hub of intellectual, scientific, and cultural activity. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 32,000 students, it follows the ideal of a research university–that knowledge is best acquired in the pursuit of new knowledge, and that undergraduate and graduate students benefit by learning from those who are actively engaged in original research.
The University traces its roots to a school founded in Vermont in 1839, which moved to Boston in 1867, becoming the first American university to be modeled on the European system. Today, the University retains its dual character: Yankee independence combined with a cosmopolitan outlook. Within the University, 17 schools and colleges offer a total of more than 250 degree programs. Academic departments and research institutes serve as small communities for students and scholars, who also participate fully in the excitement and variety of the larger university community.
BU is coeducational and nonsectarian. Its campus stretches 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, and from peaceful parks and esplanades to the city life of Commonwealth Avenue, the University offers a clean, safe, and attractive environment to live and study. A separate medical campus in the South End of Boston is home to world-renowned medical researchers and teaching physicians.
Founded by a group of Methodist lay leaders, BU has always been strongly committed to equality in opportunity, without regard to race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. It was the first institution of higher education in Massachusetts to grant degrees to women, and it graduated the first African-American woman MD and the first woman PhD. It stood nearly alone in its early years when it opened its doors to African Americans and international students. That commitment continues today within the student body and the faculty.
The University is a progressive, recognized innovator in health care, science, engineering, communications, management, and education. The two-year College of General Studies introduced the first college program in the country organized around a team method of instruction. The University has also initiated accelerated programs in liberal arts/medical education, liberal arts/dental education, and liberal arts/law education. Numerous interdisciplinary programs offer broad possibilities for combining career goals and personal interests.
BU is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Individual schools and programs are also accredited by other professional associations. Please see school bulletins to find out more.
An urban institution from the start, BU has always recognized that its future is linked with the future of its city. The University supports programs that promote the well-being of Boston’s citizens and improve its environment. Major undertakings such as the Chelsea Schools initiative illustrate the University’s commitment to the community.
Other Schools and Colleges of Boston University
From innovative, two-year, basic study programs to its world-famous graduate schools, Boston University offers a student at any academic juncture a wide variety of options. The other schools and colleges of Boston University are briefly described below. If you would like further details regarding any program of the University, write to Boston University Graduate Programs, P.O. Box 886, or Boston University Undergraduate Programs, P.O. Box 887, Boston, MA 02215.
College of Arts & Sciences
College of Communication
School of Education
College of Engineering
College of Fine Arts
College of General Studies
Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
School of Hospitality Administration
School of Law
School of Management
School of Medicine
School of Public Health
College of Health & Rehabilitation
Sciences: Sargent College
School of Social Work
School of Theology
Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215
18 September 2009
Boston University
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