General Policies
The following policies apply to all students in IR graduate programs, with no exceptions.
Minimum Grade Requirement
Students must achieve a grade of B- or higher in a class in order to receive degree credit toward any of our MA programs. Any grade lower than a B- will be considered as failing. Students who receive two or more grades below a B- may be terminated from the program by the IR Department.
The Graduate School of Management permits students to count classes towards their MBA even if the grade in the class is lower than a B-. For students in the dual-degree IR/MBA program, that policy applies only to the MBA portion of the degree program. Students must earn a B- or better in any class that they wish to count toward the requirements of the IR portion of the program.
Limitations on Courses Outside of GRS
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) regulations prohibit students from taking more than two courses toward their degree outside of GRS. Courses taken in other schools within Boston University as well as courses taken at other universities through the cross-registration consortium count against this total.
Students in dual or joint degree programs with other schools within BU (GDP, IRIC, IR/MBA, IRJD) may, of course, take as many courses as necessary for their degree requirements from the partner school.
Limitation on Transfer Credits
Students may transfer no more than eight credits from other universities toward an MA program at Boston University.
Students in the LAS program, which requires a semester of study in Latin America, may, of course, count all courses in their study abroad program toward the MA degree.
Continuing Study
Most students complete all of their coursework and other requirements and then spend a summer or one additional semester at BU working on, and then defending, their MA Paper. During this final semester, students do not pay full-time tuition. Instead, they register as a ‘continuing student’ and pay tuition equal to that for a two-credit class. Click here to see current tuition and fee information. Students must register as a continuing student every semester until they complete their degree, unless they have taken a formal leave of absence from the university.
Residency Requirement
GRS mandates that students must be registered in the term in which they graduate as well as the immediately preceding term. Students graduating in the Fall Semester may register for either the preceding Spring or the preceding Summer term.
Leave of Absence
Students may take up to two semesters of leave of absence from the university, for any reason. Students should discuss this with the Graduate Programs Administrator. A certain amount of paperwork is required in order to take a leave of absence — simply not registering for a semester does NOT constitute an official leave of absence.
Students should note that they must still fulfill the residency requirement, outlined above. This means that a student who takes a leave of absence must register at the university for at least two consecutive terms after the leave of absence in order to graduate.
Time to Degree Limit
In accordance with GRS policy, all students in IR and joint degree programs must complete all courses and examinations within three years of matriculation into the Graduate School at Boston University. Time spent on a leave of absence does count toward the time to degree limit.
Students enrolled part-time in an MA program may be permitted to exceed the usual time to degree limit, at the discretion of the IR Department, provided that they are making regular progress toward their degree.
Students in the dual-degree programs (IRJD and IR/MBA) should check with the Law School and Graduate School of Management, respectively, for the time to degree limits of their programs.
Exclusivity Requirement
Boston University does not permit students to be enrolled concurrently in a degree or certificate program at BU and in a degree or a certificate program at another college or university. Students may take classes as a non-degree student at another institution while enrolled at BU, but they may not enroll in a degree program at another institution. Students who violate this policy will be required to terminate their degree status at one of the two institutions immediately.