Cross-Registration

University Policy

Within the University

If space is available and if permitted by the school or college giving the course, students may cross-register and receive degree credit for courses outside their school or college of registration. In most cases, a student’s advisor must approve cross-registration selections. Courses offered by Metropolitan College may require special permission.

With Other Universities

Several schools and colleges within Boston University have formal, cooperative arrangements for cross-registration at nearby institutions. Information and permission may be obtained from the student’s school or college.

School of Theology Policy

Cross-Registration in Other Boston University Schools

The School of Theology is one of the 16 schools and colleges of Boston University. In consultation with their advisors, students may wish to register for courses at other Boston University schools and colleges, if that registration is permitted according to each school’s policies. It should be noted that some University courses are appropriate for theological study, while others are not.

Many University courses are cross-listed, carrying an STH TX course number. These courses are considered to be School of Theology courses and are treated as integral to the curriculum. Other courses, although not cross-listed, may be recommended as distributional electives in the course of study for a student’s program.

Students can register for any course that is not cross-listed by using the course number of the BU host school. No more than one-half of the total semester’s registration may be taken outside the School of Theology (in the University or elsewhere).

Although MED and SPH courses may be listed in STH clusters, permission to register requires petition to the associate dean of Academic Affairs because of the extra costs related to these courses.

Tuition Rates at Other Boston University Schools

Students are encouraged to take courses in other Schools and Colleges within the University to the extent permitted by each School of Theology degree program and the other Schools and Colleges themselves. Tuition rates may, however, vary at other Boston University Schools and Colleges. Students planning on taking a course at one of the other Schools must be registered as a full-time student (registered for 12 or more hours) and have a certification code of 1. A student carrying a part-time load (11 or fewer credit hours), who may or may not be “certified full-time,” will be assessed the tuition rate of the school in which the course originates.

Cross-Registration in the Boston Theological Institute (BTI)

Without payment of additional tuition, all full-time School of Theology students may register for up to one-half of their total courses for the semester in any Boston Theological Institute school, providing they have received their advisor’s signed approval. Candidates for the MA and PhD degrees in the Division of Religious & Theological Studies in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are eligible to cross-register at BTI schools if they are registered for at least one semester course in the University.

The participating BTI schools publish a common online bulletin of courses each academic year in August, but each school keeps a different academic calendar. Boston University students must register for BTI courses within the registration deadlines established by Boston University, not the host school. No BTI course can be added to the student’s registration after the end of the course adjustment period.

BTI cross-registration is completed once the student has submitted both a Boston University registration form to Registration and Financial Aid Office and a BTI cross-registration form to the School of Theology, with the required signatures from the home and host schools. BTI courses cannot be selected on WebReg.

  • MDiv—limit eight classes (see the MDiv program for more information)
  • MTS—limit five classes (see the MTS program for more information)
  • STM—for BTI limits in the STM degree program, please review the STM handbook
  • PhD—for BTI limits in the PhD degree program, please review the PhD handbook
  • ThD—for BTI limits in the ThD degree program, please review the ThD handbook
  • DMin—for BTI limits in the DMin degree program, please review the DMin handbook