Overview
Boston University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian university. Founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church for the improvement of theological training, it has since its incorporation in 1869 been fully open to women and to all minorities. Its more than 24,022 full-time students and more than 3,500 faculty members contribute to its ranking as one of the world's largest independent universities. The main campus, on the south bank of the Charles River just west of downtown Boston, houses the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Management, Metropolitan College, the College of Communication, Sargent College of Allied Health Professions, the School of Social Work, the School of Theology, and the University Professors' Program. On the medical campus are the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and University Hospital.

The Graduate School has 1,910 students, of whom approximately 49 percent are women and 35 percent come from abroad.

The Location and Community
The character of Boston results from a rich blend of its historical heritage, active cultural life, and contemporary growth in business, technology, and medicine. Some sixty colleges and universities are located in Greater Boston. Within Boston's compact central area are a host of galleries, the Public Garden, an active theater district, and the Freedom Trail, along which are located some of the most important landmarks in U.S. history. The Museum of Fine Arts, open without charge to Boston University students, has notable Oriental, Egyptian, American portrait, and French Impressionist collections. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Company of Boston, and many fine chamber and jazz groups offer annual seasons; the Boston Pops season includes free outdoor summer concerts. Boston is the home of the Red Sox, the New England Patriots, the Celtics, and the Bruins.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Boston University offers forty-two M.A. programs and thirty-two Ph.D. programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. There is, in addition, one division within the Graduate School that provides formal linkage to other professional graduate opportunities at Boston University: the Division of Religious and Theological Studies.

Freestanding M.A. programs within the Graduate School are offered through some research centers and institutes.

Additional academic options may be pursued through cross-registration in any of the University's other schools and colleges, including the University Professors' Program. Through an area consortium arrangement, students may also register for courses at many other graduate schools in the Boston area.

Facilities & Resources
The Boston University library system holds more than 4.5 million volumes in books and microform. Central service is provided by the Mugar Memorial Library. Among the units contained within this central facility are a music library, an African Studies library, and a department of Special Collections, containing rare books and manuscripts. Numerous departmental libraries are located throughout the campus. An interlibrary loan system further extends the available resources, and a consortium arrangement enables graduate students to use the facilities of many Boston area academic and research libraries.

The University provides laboratories for research and training in disciplines ranging from the physical sciences to the dramatic arts. The recently constructed Metcalf Center for Science and Engineering, for example, houses state-of-the-art facilities for science and engineering students. The University's Academic Computing Center, the Center for Computational Science, and individual departments provide computing resources, from parallel supercomputers to personal workstations, interconnected on a campuswide broadband network.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $1,292 per credit hour.The estimated cost of books and supplies is $1,000 per year.

Financial Aid:
Highly qualified graduate students are eligible for Presidential Fellowships and Dean's Fellowships. The Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowships are available to African-American students beginning graduate studies in any department. A wide variety of grants and awards (e.g., graduate scholarships and research assistantships) are made annually by individual departments and centers. In addition, graduate students at Boston University are eligible to participate in a variety of federally funded programs.

Housing/Living Expenses:
A limited number of rooms and apartments in University residences are available for graduate students. Information may be obtained from the Housing Office, 985 Commonwealth Avenue. The Office of Rental Property, 19 Deerfield Street, has information about off-campus housing.

Costs of living in Boston are comparable to those in any large metropolitan city. Average housing costs range from $850 to $1300 per month.

How to Apply
Applications for admission with financial aid consideration for the fall semester must be received by January 15 for most programs; students should refer to the Graduate School Bulletin for exceptions. Some departments accept students in the spring semester, for which applications must be received by October 15 for financial aid consideration. Applications must include official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, letters of recommendation from at least 2 faculty members in the proposed field of graduate study, and official results of the Graduate Record Examinations (General and Subject Tests) and/or the Miller Analogies Test, as required by the department to which the student is applying. A nonrefundable application fee of $60 is required of all applicants. This fee cannot be waived.

Although financial aid competitions within individual programs begin in early January, students who wish to be considered for special Graduate School fellowships are urged to submit their application with all supporting documents by December 1.

International Students
Students from abroad must also submit the International Student Data Form and official English translations of all academic records. Students whose native language is not English must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

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