Visiting International Student Registration

Boston University Summer Term welcomes students from across the globe. With hundreds of courses to choose from, we offer the opportunity to expand your knowledge through rigorous coursework while increasing your network.

The summer 2025 application for visiting international students will be available on January 15, 2025.

You can learn about the registration process by visiting our How to Register page for visiting international students. The registration process includes completion of our International Student Online Enrollment Form and submission of required documents.

Registration dates for visiting international students, 2025

Summer 1

Summer 2

For students requesting a Boston
University I-20
January 15—April 4 January 15—May 16
For all other visiting international
students
January 15—April 25 January 15—June 6

To register for Summer Term courses as a visiting international student, a completed application and all required documents must be submitted within the date range indicated in the table above. 

Start and end dates for standard Summer Term courses, 2025

Summer 1

Summer 2

May 20—June 27 June 30—August 8

Commonly Asked Questions

Do I need to be accepted into an undergraduate or graduate academic program to take courses at BU during the summer?

You do not have to be accepted into a degree program to take summer courses at BU. For students who want a short-term educational experience in the US, a Summer Term session is ideal. (Please note that to take courses in the fall or spring semesters you will need to formally apply to BU. Open enrollment is only for the summer.)

How many summer courses can I take?

Summer Term is comprised of two, six-week summer sessions. A full course load in a single six-week session is 8 semester credits (generally two courses). As a visiting international student, the number of credits you may enroll in is determined by your visa type. Please visit our Visa Information page to learn more.

How do I register?

To learn about the registration process, please visit our How to Register page.

Course codes

All Summer Term courses are assigned a college and departmental code, a three-digit course number, and a section identifier. For example, CAS EC 101S A1 means that the course is offered in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), by the Economics Department (EC). The course number 101 indicates it is an introductory course, the S indicates it is a summer course, and section A1 indicates it is offered in Summer 1. Please see Course Codes & Numbers for further information on the numbering system.

Payment

Charges for tuition and fees will appear on your student account soon after you register for courses. These charges will remain, and you will be responsible for payment, unless you officially withdraw or drop your course(s) by the published deadlines. See the Tuition, Fees, & Payment section for additional payment information.

Still have questions? The answer might be in the visiting international students section of our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. If not, contact us and we will be happy to help.

Visa Information

Learn More

How to Register

Learn More

Arriving on Campus

Learn More