Information for new PhD & MFA Students

Each student, admitted to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, is responsible for becoming familiar with the general regulations of the Graduate School as stated in the “Policies” section of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Bulletin and with the more specific requirements stated in the individual section on each department, division, or program which may go beyond, or supplement, the Graduate School standards.

If necessary, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences staff is available to interpret or clarify any rule or regulation.

Boston University does not permit a student to enroll simultaneously in more than one graduate program either within Boston University or at another institution, unless those programs have been previously approved by the Trustees of Boston University as a combined degree program.

Please refer to the Registrar’s website for compliance requirements.

Check the MyBU Student Portal to ensure you have met these requirements. Students not in compliance will be unable to register for future semesters.

After you have accepted your offer of admission, please be sure to submit your final, official transcripts showing all previous degrees conferred to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) by the start of classes in September.  You may request an e-transcript to be sent from your institution’s transcript service directly to GRS (do not have the e-transcript to sent to yourself) .  You may also have paper transcripts mailed in a sealed envelope from your institution to GRS.

Transcripts should be sent to:

Boston University
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
705 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 112
Boston, MA 02215

If you have not submitted your final transcript(s) in sealed envelopes from your institution as requested by the beginning of classes, please bring the transcript(s) to the Graduate School Office as soon as possible so that we may update your record. We are located at 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 112.  Our hours are Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Please note that if you received your degree from a Chinese institution, and you are not able to request your institution send the degree certificates in a sealed envelope, you will need to send the degree certificates through the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC).

International students are required to check in with the International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) after arriving on campus. For information about new student orientation offered by the ISSO, check their website.

Should you have any problems or questions about your visa status, please contact the International Students & Scholars Office at 888 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02215 (Tel: 617-353-3565 or email: issogac@bu.edu) before coming to the Graduate School. You will not be allowed to register unless you have been cleared for admission by the International Students & Scholars Office.

Students are reminded that, in accordance with the Code of Student Responsibilities (Appendix 15), current addresses must be on file with the University. We ask that you provide this information via the MyBU Student Portal.

The home address currently on file for you may be the permanent address provided on your application for admission. Local addresses should be updated once you have located housing in the Boston area. After you matriculate, you will need to update/confirm your local address twice a year in accordance with the University compliance requirements. If your name or Social Security number has changed or is incorrect, these can be updated at the Office of the University Registrar at 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Second Floor. This information cannot be changed using the Student Link.

Registration for new students will take place with your academic department of admission who will send notification to you regarding the dates and times of advising and registration. Most departments will register students during the two weeks prior to the start of the semester. Incoming GRS students are not allowed to register before meeting with department staff. Registration instructions will be provided by the department.  If you do not receive information regarding dates of advising and departmental orientation sessions from your department prior to August 1, please contact your department directly.

Please refer to our Registration page for specific instructions.

A complete academic calendar can be viewed on the Registrar’s website.

Incoming Students should upload their Terrier Card photos following the instructions on the Terrier Card website. The Terrier Card Office recommends that students submit their photos by August 5, in order for the cards to be printed and ready for pick at the PhD & MFA orientation on September 1.

Students who upload their photos on August 4 – August 18 can pick up their Terrier Card at the GRS office starting September 7.  The GRS office hours for the fall semester and address are:

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM

Address: 705 Commonwealth Ave, Suite 112, Boston, MA 02215

Students who upload their photos after August 18 will need to pick up their cards at the Terrier Card Office after September 15 and will be notified by Housing when their ID cards are ready.

A student who is registered for a semester and decides not to attend must officially take a leave of absence or withdraw. Mere absence from classes does not constitute a withdrawal. A leave of absence should be taken when the student intends to return in a future semester; a withdrawal indicates a decision to permanently leave the University. Charges are canceled in accordance with the published refund schedule, based on the effective date of the withdrawal or leave of absence.

More Information

​Graduate students will receive an email from ithelp@bu.edu 24-48 hours after accepting the offer of admission​ to set up their BU email address and password.  ​After account setup has been completed, newly admitted students will receive a generic email with link to MyBU Portal and inviting to update Personal Information.  The University Registrar will continue to send messages about compliance (BU Alert, Sexual Misconduct Prevention, Local Address, etc.) to all entering students.  As a GRS PhD or MFA student, you will be using Office 365 Outlook to access your BU email.  You will not be using BU Google Mail, please make sure to sign in to Office 365.  For international students, the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) will be emailing the I-20 to the student’s BU email address.  If you encounter any technical issues with the setup of your BU email account, please contact 617-353-HELP (4357) or ithelp@bu.edu.  Please include your BU ID in all written correspondence.

For information about graduate housing, please visit the Boston University Housing website.  For information regarding Boston and its neighborhoods, please visit Boston University’s Graduate Education website.  The Office of Rental Property has a listing of available Boston University apartments. For information regarding additional apartments available on the Charles River Campus, please call them at 617-353-4101. Off-campus housing information can be found on the Off-Campus Services website.

BU’s Information Services & Technology (IS&T) department can help you with all of your technology needs. Links for computing resources on campus and information on obtaining support for your personal computer can be found here.

Information Services & Technology Information

We can just about guarantee you’ll make extensive use of Boston’s rapid transit system (the MBTA, or simply, “the T”) while you are a student at BU.

Boston University is located at several stops along the Boston College branch (B Line) of the Green Line.

Schedules and fares

The MBTA’s Student Semester Pass allows students to prepay for their monthly “T” passes and thereby save approximately 11% off the regular monthly “T” pass price.

All entering Boston University students have pre-matriculation health requirements that must be completed prior to your first term at Boston University. Please visit the Student Health Services for important information regarding required medical forms and immunizations.

— Campus map

— Information about Boston University and the city of Boston

— The Educational Resource Center provides students with the services and resources for developing personal and academic skills

— Information regarding campus safety can be found at the BU Police Department’s website

— The Dept. of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (PERD) offers programs and facilities for numerous forms of physical activity

— If you plan on driving a car to classes, you should take a look at the Office of Parking Services’ website

— Boston University houses a number of libraries on campus and you’ll make use of at least one of them during your time here

— Information Services & Technology provides general-access computing and communications facilities for the entire University community

— The Geddes Language Center provides a wide range of instructional media services for students

— Student Health Services offers a number of health-related services including counseling to the University community

— The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is a student-run advocacy group for Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students

—  Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWISE) at Boston University is a student-run group open to all, which strives to create a community to support and promote women in science.

— Finally, information regarding Boston’s rapid transit system, the MBTA, or simply, the T, can be found on the MBTA website.