Graduate Information

We welcome your application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences!

Arts & Sciences is Boston University’s largest academic division, the heart of a world-class research university. Our faculty in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are among the world’s most respected professors, researchers, and professionals in their disciplines. Our alumni are leading innovation and research and making an impact in their fields. Our campus is Boston, a city vibrant with history, culture, and diversity, and teeming with potential for connections and careers. 

 

Important Admissions Update:

All PhD applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now closed.  Applications for the 2026-27 academic year will open on September 1, 2025.

The application deadlines for our MFA programs are as follows:

  • MFA in Creative Writing: closed January 9, 2025, at 11:59pm EST
  • MFA in Literary Translation: closing February 15, 2025, at 11:59pm EST

 

Admissions Basics:

  • Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS) through our online application.
  • We strongly advise that you familiarize yourself with our PhD & MFA: Frequently Asked Questions before contacting our admissions staff.
  • Applications close at 11:59pm (23h59) Boston Time (Eastern Time Zone, UTC – 05:00) on the day listed as the program’s application deadline (refer to the list of programs at the bottom of this page). Example: if the deadline is listed as December 15, then the application will close on December 15 at 11:59pm.  If you are currently located in a time zone west of Boston (i.e. UTC – 06:00 to UTC – 11:00), you must submit your application one to six hours before midnight your time.  Please do not wait until the very last second to submit your application.  We do not grant extensions.  Please plan ahead.
  • You cannot apply to more than one GRS program, and you cannot apply to both a GRS PhD and a GRS Master’s degree.  We recommend that you contact the program directly if you are unsure about applying to the Master’s or the PhD degree.  PhD & MFA applicants can only apply to the fall semester.
  • You can apply to a program offered by GRS and program(s) offered by the other 16 Boston University schools and colleges.  Each graduate school has their separate application.
  • When creating your account, please be sure to use a permanent, non-school-related email address. You will be contacted through the email address you use to create the account, and correspondence may occur after your previous school disabled your school email account.
  • All documents (transcripts, personal statement, CV/resume, writing sample, if applicable, etc.) have to be submitted through the online application.  Documents that are sent or emailed directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by you, your institution, or a third party (ex: Parchment) cannot be added to your application.  You cannot add or email updated transcripts showing fall grades after you submit your application.
  • All documents, official electronic test scores, and recommendations letters must be received by the deadline; otherwise, they may not be considered by the program’s application review committee.  Please allow for 5-10 business days for electronic scores (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) to be matched to your application.
  • All credentials, including transcripts and recommendation letters, submitted in support of an application become property of Boston University. Neither originals nor copies may be returned.
  • After you submit your application, it will be reviewed by the program’s admission committee.  The response time varies by program.  Most programs make admission decisions in late February to early March.  If you have questions about the timeline, please contact the program directly.  You do not need to sign back in to your application after you submit it; there is no additional information that can be found in the application, you cannot track the progress of the review in the application.  Once a decision has been made, you will receive an email informing you of the outcome.
  • If you are a PhD or MFA applicant to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS) and have a program-related question, please contact the program directly at the email address listed under each program (refer to the list of programs at the bottom of this page).

Online Application

    Admissions FAQs      International Applicants

PhD Fellowship Aid    MFA Fellowship Aid

GRS Statement on Holistic Admissions:

The admissions committee of each of our graduate programs will be looking, as always, at the entire transcript and the cumulative GPA in their evaluation as well as test scores (if applicable), recommendations, and personal statements, as required by specific programs. We encourage applicants to include special circumstances as well as achievements that may not be apparent due to modified grading policies in their personal statements. This policy has been adopted to ensure that applicants are not evaluated differently by admissions committee due to the varied impact of COVID-19 on individuals and/or due to the specific grading policies of their colleges/universities.

 

As part of our holistic approach to admissions, many of our PhD programs no longer require the GRE General Test, while others have suspended the requirement for applicants.  For those who continue to use it, they do so as part of their holistic review.  While GRE scores may be an essential component of the application for some programs, they are only one of many factors that contribute to your review as an applicant. Our programs consider the personal statement, letters of recommendation, GPA, and other supporting materials, when assessing an applicant’s academic potential and ability. Please see the list below for details on programs that do not require the GRE.

Deadlines and Requirements: