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Graduate Admissions & Services » Admissions Info.

Admissions Information:
Application Process

Application Deadline

Our online application is now available! Our deadline is February 1, 2009 for Fall 2009 admission. We do not have Spring admission.

Students may only apply to one program within the College of Communication.

Packaging of Application Materials

Students should apply online and send the rest of the application materials in a single admission packet to the College of Communication, Graduate Services Office. We do not accept late applications or late materials. Only completed applications are reviewed for admission.

Standard Application

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $80 for the paper application or a $70 application fee for the on-line application (preferred). The application fee is an application processing fee, not an application consideration fee.

Transcript(s)

An official transcript of the applicant's undergraduate record listing the degree conferred. In addition, we require all transcripts from colleges and/or universities attended as a non-degree student. A college senior should submit an official report of work completed in the first semester of the senior year as soon as it is available. All transcripts must arrive in signed and sealed envelopes within the admission packet and must be in English or an official translation. All transcripts should have a letter from the Registrar of the school indicating what the GPA is on a 4.0 scale.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation, written by people who know the applicant well, preferably professors and/or employers. These must arrive in signed and sealed envelopes within the admission packet. We do not accept emailed or faxed recommendations.

GRE

The GRE is required for all students who received their undergraduate degree from an English speaking institution. Our code is R7090. We must receive the official score.

Applicants to the dual degree (MS/MBA) Television Management program must take the Graduate Management Admissions Test.

Applicants to the JD/MS in the Mass Communication Program must take the Law School Admissions Test (test results for all programs are valid for four years).

TOEFL

Students who have studied at an NON-English speaking school must take the TOEFL and not the GRE.

TOEFL test breakdown:

  • Paper TOEFL (PBT) -- minimum score 600
  • Computer based TOEFL -- minimum score 250

Both are firm minimum scores.

iBT TOEFL:

Since all four components of the iBT TOEFL test are critical to students in the College of Communication we will require the following of our applicants.

  • Listening: 25 (max. of 30)
  • Reading: 25 (max. of 30)
  • Speaking: 25 (max. of 30)
  • Writing: 25 (max. of 30)

Total score: 100 (students should meet the minimum 25 in each category).

Applicants that have a score lower than 600 PBT or 250 CBT will not be considered for admission under any circumstances. Students that score significantly lower than our minimums on the iBT TOEFL will be not be considered.

Please note: Students who have studied at an English speaking school must take the GRE instead of the TOEFL.

Writing Requirements

Applicants are not required to have experience in communication industries or in the academic areas of the department concerned. Students from the fields of humanities, sciences,and social sciences generally are preferred. Download the COM's writing requirements.

International Application

Attention

International Applications require additional materials. Please review the following requirements.

Video Requirement

ALL international students (non-US citizens) must submit a three-minute video as described below:

State your name and your intended major. Answer each of the following questions:

  • How do you plan to advance your community as a result of your study in the field of communications?
  • Discuss a significant person in your life and describe the ways in which you have been influenced (positively/negatively and why).
  • If you were to describe where you grew up to someone who hadn't visited there before, what would you highlight?

The video may be in VHS, DVD or PAL format OR you may submit as a video on a CD (Windows Media Player). It must be unedited and unscripted. You should not memorize or read your answers.

Make sure to label your video/cd with your name and your intended major before you send it to the College of Communication.

Do not exceed the three-minute time limit.

Videos/CDs will not be returned.

GRE and TOEFL

Additionally, all applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit an International Student Data Form. We are unable to offer full scholarships or tuition waivers for international students so this form is needed to confirm that applicants have the necessary financial support to meet all expenses for the duration of the program. The student's visa will not be issued without this information. Please note: we do not need this form unless you are admitted.

In addition to the application requirements (with the exception of the Graduate Record Examination [GRE]), students who studied at a non-English speaking school must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (institution Code 3245, Department Code 83), attaining a minimum score of 600 (paper based), 250 computer based or 100 total on the internet based TOEFL. Information on these tests may be obtained at U.S. embassies and consulates, information agency offices, education commissions and foundations, binational centers,or by writing directly to:

Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton NJ 08541

Test results should be mailed directly to:

Office of Graduate Services
College of Communication
640 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

All international students enrolled at Boston University are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language in order that they may profit fully from their academic programs.