Graduate Tax Program Admissions

Thank you for your interest in the Graduate Tax Program.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Eligibility to Apply

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. 

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Interviews

All qualified applicants will be invited to interview with a member of the BU Law staff - in person, if practical, otherwise by telephone. We will notify applicants of the date and time of scheduled interviews.

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Admissions Decisions

We accept applications for admission throughout the academic year and make decisions on a "rolling" basis. Due the high number of applications this year and the attention we give each application, we recently have been unable to reach our goal of providing a decision within two weeks after an application is complete. Upon notification of acceptance, a nonrefundable deposit of US $500.00 is required to hold your place in the class. If the deposit is not paid within the specified time, the acceptance will be canceled.

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Contact Current Students and Alumni

We encourage all applicants to talk with current students and alumni to learn about the Graduate Tax Program. Send an e-mail to us at gradtax@bu.edu to get in touch with a current full-time or part-time student, or an alum of the Graduate Tax Program. 

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Application Instructions

Candidates for admission may submit their applications either online or by mail. Instructions for online applicants are available online. Applicants must submit the following items by the relevant deadline below:

  1. Completed Application for Admission form
    We recommend that you complete the online application form. Alternatively, you may download and complete the application from the Web site listed above, or you may request an LL.M. Program Bulletin which includes an application for admission.
    We are accepting applications at this time for Fall 2010, however we will not consider an application complete without a transcript including Fall 2009 grades.
  2. Application Fee
    Payment of a nonrefundable application fee of U.S. $75 must accompany the application. Online applications may pay this fee only by credit card. Other applicants may pay this fee in the form of a money order or check drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to Boston University.
  3. Official, Sealed Academic Records
    You should fill out the identifying information at the top of the transcript request form included in the application materials and send it (or a copy of it) to the registrar’s office of each college or university you have attended. Schools should mail official transcripts to you to be submitted, unopened, with the application. (If this procedure is against school policy, you should indicate on the application form that your school is mailing the transcripts directly to us.) The official transcript or an accompanying report must contain your class standing or an official approximation of class standing, together with a description of the school’s grading system. All transcripts or other academic records must be official documents bearing the registrar’s signature and/or the institution’s seal. If these records are not in English, a certified English translation must be submitted together with the originals or copies. Complete official transcripts or notarized, full-sized copies of all colleges, universities, or graduate schools from which you have received a degree must be submitted along with an official certification of the law degree received. We recommend that international applicants register with LSAC's LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. For more information, visit LLM.LSAC.org or read below.
  4. Two Letters of Recommendation
    You must submit two letters of recommendation from individuals who are well acquainted with your academic or professional abilities. At least one must be from a former law professor. The other should be from a law professor, a law school administrator, or an employment supervisor. You should complete the top part of the recommendation form and distribute to your recommenders. You should ask each recommender to enclose the recommendation form and letter in an envelope, seal the envelope, sign it across the seal and return it to you to be submitted, unopened, with the other application materials. (If a recommender prefers, she or he may mail the recommendation directly to us, and you should indicate on the application form that the recommender is doing so.)
  5. Personal Statement of Interest
    A carefully worded and detailed personal statement of interest is an important part of your application. You should discuss your personal and professional reasons for pursuing the LL.M. degree. You should also include an explanation of your study interests and their relation to your previous study, employment experiences and professional goals.
  6. Curriculum Vitae
    You must submit your curriculum vitae (resume) as a separate item, not as a substitute for your personal statement..
  7. Law School Admissions Test
    If you have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), you must list on the application form each time you took the test and the scores you received. (We do not require GRE or other standardized test results.).  The LSAT test is not required of foreign-trained applicants.
  8. International Student Data Form
    If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you must complete the International Student Data Form and provide the appropriate financial declaration and documentation as described in the form. Applications cannot be processed unless complete financial documentation is submitted. View form.
  9. Proof of English language proficiency
    (applicants whose native language is not English)
    LL.M. students must have a high degree of proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and listening in the English language. If your native language is not English, you must demonstrate proficiency in English by achieving a minimum score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 100 (internet-based). If you have taken the new internet-based test, your scores on the individual sections should at a minimum be 25 (reading), 25 (listening), 25 (writing) and 23 (speaking). Candidates whose scores fall slightly below these minimums may still apply to the program, but may be asked to attend an intensive English language program prior to the commencement of law school studies. You should take the TOEFL as early as possible, preferably before December 1, so your scores will be received by the application deadline. You must arrange for an official report of your TOEFL scores to be sent to us from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Information on TOEFL may be obtained from:

    The Educational Testing Service
    TOEFL/TSE Services
    P.O. Box 6151
    Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
    USA
    Telephone 609.771.7100
    Fax 609.771.7500
    E-mail TOEFL@ets.org
    Web site www.toefl.org

    When completing the TOEFL Score Report Request Form, please use 9627 as the “Institution Code.” The code will be named “Boston University School of Law LL.M. Programs.” Please enter Department Code 03 (for law schools).

    You also must indicate that it should be sent to:

    Boston University School of Law
    LL.M. Admissions Office
    765 Commonwealth Avenue
    Boston, MA 02215

Note Regarding TOEFL scores: 1) If your native language is not English, you may not be required to take the TOEFL if you received your first degree in law from a college or university in a country where both the language of instruction and the official language is English. 2) We understand that you might bot be able to get a TOEFL test date before our application deadline. We will gladly accept applications before the TOEFL scores are available, and make final decisions once we receive the TOEFL scores.

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Application Deadlines
LL.M. in American Law April 15, 2010
   
LL.M. in Banking & Financial Law  
Fall Semester Enrollment  
U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents June 30, 2010
Citizens of Other Countries May 31, 2010
Spring Semester Enrollment  
U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents November 30, 2009
Citizens of Other Countries October 31, 2009
   
LL.M. in Intellectual Property April 15, 2010
   
LL.M. in Taxation  
Fall Semester Enrollment  
U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents July 31, 2010
Citizens of Other Countries May 31, 2010
Spring Semester Enrollment  
U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents November 30, 2009
Citizens of Other Countries October 31, 2009
 
Applications received after those dates are reviewed on a space available basis.

 

Non-Degree Students (Graduate Tax Program and Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law Law Only)

The Graduate Tax Program and the Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law, while designed to lead to the LL.M. 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.

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Part-time Students (Graduate Tax Program and Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law Law Only)

The Graduate Tax Program and the Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law accept part-time students. If you are interested in being a part-time student, you should follow the same admission procedure as full-time applicants.

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Transfer Students (Graduate Tax Program Only)

We offer qualified students enrolled in other LL.M. in Taxation programs the opportunity to transfer into the Graduate Tax Program in either the fall or spring semesters. Transfer applicants must follow the regular application process for admission to the Graduate Tax Program.

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: London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok and Taipei. 

England (covers all Western Europe)
William Straughn, Director
Boston University Liaison Office
43 Harrington Gardens
Kensington
London SW7 4JU England
United Kingdom

Telephone: 44.20.7835.0916
Fax: 44.20.7373.7411
E-mail: liaison@bu-london.co.uk

Hong Kong, People's Republic of China

Marsha Lee, Director
Boston University Liaison Office
11th Floor, Unit 1113
Lippo Sun Plaza
28 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telephone: 852.2.375.6278
Fax: 852.2.375.6215
E-mail: buhk@pacific.net.hk

Tokyo, Japan
Makiko Teraoka, Director
Boston University Liaison Office
Yatsuka Building, 6th Floor
1-3-8 Higashi Azabu
Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-004 Japan

Telephone: 81.3.3582.8421
Fax: 81.3.3589.2406
E-mail: bujapan@abelia.ocn.ne.jp

Bangkok, Thailand
Somnual Laohaprasit, Director
Boston University Liaison Office
11th Floor, RS Tower Building
121/46 Ratchadaphisek Road
Huay-Kwang
Bangkok 10310 Thailand

Telephone: 66.2.641.2120
Fax: 66.2.641.2134
E-mail: bubkk@asiaaccess.net.th

Taipei, Taiwan
Meierh Shen, Director
Boston University
Alumni Association of Taipei
Taiwan, ROC
10th Floor, Unit D, No. 332
Tun Hua South Road, Section 1
Taipei, Taiwan
Republic of China

Telephone: 886.2.2708.5235
Fax: 886.2.2703.6541
E-mail: butpe@ms23.hinet.net

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LSAC Credential Assembly Service

If you are an international applicant, then we strongly recommend (but do not require) that you 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 you 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 you to register for this service online (LLM.LSAC.org). 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.

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Financial Documentation

If you are an international applicant, Boston University is required by U.S. government regulations to check the availabilty of adequate funding for your tuition, fees and living expenses. You will need to include a letter from a bank (on bank stationary) and a letter from the bank account owner (either you or your sponsor) in order to show adequate funding. These letters must have original signatures. Please refer to the International Student Data Form for more information.

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Passport and Visa Information

If you are an international applicant who is currently in the United States, you must submit copies of all current visa documents. If you are accepted for admission, Boston University will ordinarily issue the I-20 Form (needed to secure the F-1 student visa). For additional information concerning passport or visa requirements, you should contact:

International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO)
19 Deerfield Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Phone 617.353.3565
Fax: 617.358.1170
E-mail isso@bu.edu

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Center for English Language Orientation Program (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 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 their Web site.

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Three-Semester LL.M./CELOP Program (Graduate Tax Program and Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law)

If you are an international applicant whose English language skills still need improvement before full-time law studies begin, but are otherwise qualified for admission to one of the LL.M. programs, we may offer you admission on the condition that you satisfactorily complete one of the summer CELOP programs mentioned above.  If you require more English language training than can be completed during the summer, we may offer you admission to our Graduate Tax Program or Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law on the condition that you complete your English language studies during your first full semester at Boston University with a view toward completing both your English language studies and all of the requirements for the LL.M. degree over a period of three semesters.  

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 or Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law curriculum, for which you would receive credit toward the LL.M. degree. During the first semester, you would pay for each CELOP course and each LL.M. course on a per credit basis. During the second semester, you would take a full-time course load in the Graduate Tax Program or Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law, and then finish the degree requirements as a part-time student during the third semester. During the second semester, you would pay the full-time tuition, and during the final semester you would pay per credit. The three-semester option does not exist for the American Law Program or Intellectual Property Program.

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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.

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Transfer to J.D. Program for Foreign-Trained LL.M. Candidates

Foreign-trained students who have completed or are enrolled in an LL.M. program at BU Law may apply for admission to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program. The timing and procedures for such applications are the same as those for transfer admission to the J.D. program. If accepted to the J.D. program, students will receive J.D. credits for their BU Law LL.M. work, in accordance with American Bar Association regulations. All standard requirements for the J.D. degree apply, including completion of the full program of first-year study.

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Administrative Policies Relating to Federal Guidelines

Equal Opportunity Policy

Boston University prohibits discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or marital, parental, or veteran status. This policy extends to all rights, privileges, programs and activities, including admissions, financial assistance, employment, housing, athletics and educational programs. Boston University recognizes that nondiscrimination does not ensure that equal opportunity is a reality. The University therefore will continue to take affirmative action to promote equal opportunity for all students, applicants and employees. Inquiries regarding the application of this policy should be addressed to:

Assistant Vice President for Human Resources
25 Buick Street
Boston, MA 02215
Phone 617.353.4477

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Contact Us

Please send applications and associated documents to:

Boston University School of Law
LL.M. Admissions Office
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

All other correspondence and inquiries may be directed to:

Boston University School of Law
Graduate Tax Program
765 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 1670
Boston, MA 02215
Telephone: 617.353.3105
Fax: 617.353.2368
E-mail: gradtax@bu.edu

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