Applications are due by January 1 for MusM and MusAD degrees. Admissions requirements are stated on our website. Applicants to graduate programs other than Composition & Theory, Musicology, and Music Education must audition.

We urge applicants to audition in Boston. Those who live more than 300 miles away or who are not able to audition in Boston may audition at a regional audition site or submit a self-prepared tape recording or CD. Collaborative piano applicants must audition in Boston.

Applicants who are auditioning in person should sign up for an audition online well in advance of the audition date. Self-prepared auditions must have been made within the last six months and digitally mastered tapes cannot be accepted.

Applicants to the composition or theory programs are required to submit scores and/or theoretical papers in lieu of a performance audition. These should be submitted at the same time as the application for admission.

Admissions/Prescreening

For most programs, no prescreening is required. Applicants should review specific requirements of their program online. For programs requiring a preliminary tape or CD, a limited number of applicants are invited to audition live. Those applicants will be notified as to their audtion status.

Programs requiring prescreening:

• Artist Diploma—Applicants must submit a preliminary audition DVD or videotape (U.S. format) by December 1.
• Conducting (MusM or MusAD in choral or orchestral)—Applicants must submit a preliminary DVD or videotape by December 1.
• Opera Institute Certificate—Applicants must submit a preliminary self-prepared audio recording by January 1.

These programs will conduct final auditions in Boston in February. Please consult our website for each program’s prescreening  requirements.

Regional Audition Locations

The School of Music holds auditions in various locations during January and February. Past cities have included Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and Houston. Please refer to our website at www.bu.edu/cfa for dates and locations.

Proficiency Examinations

All entering graduate students in the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts programs are required to take a proficiency examination in music theory for course placement at the start of the program. Students without a sufficient background in music theory will be required to take a prerequisite course which may not count toward degree credit. The material covered by the proficiency examination includes basic harmony, ear training, form and analysis, orchestration, and counterpoint.

Scholarships

The School of offers merit scholarships based on the strength of the candidates artistic promise and program needs; financial need is not a factor. As there is no separate application process for scholarship consideration, all  admitted graduate students are automatically considered for scholarship aid.

Scholarships given to master’s-level students are a two-year commitment, while scholarships awarded to doctoral candidates are a three-year commitment. Scholarships, as well as the Federal Stafford direct loans are split between the Fall and Spring semesters. Scholarships are based upon full time registration.

Assistantships

Assistantships are positions within the College of Fine Arts having instructional, research, or administrative responsibilities. There is no separate application required to apply for an assistantship. Both domestic and international students are automatically reviewed for assistantship positions. Assistantships are awarded based on artistic merit and the needs of the schools.

Admissions Requirements

The School of Theatre offers unique educational experiences for students possessed of theatrical imagination and professional promise. Successful applicants have traditionally been early-career professionals with an established body of professional work.

Application Materials

All School of Theatre graduate applicants are required to submit:

• A completed application for graduate admission to the College of Fine Arts, available on our website at www.bu.edu/cfa/admissions.
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
• A résumé.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from theatre professionals.
• A letter of intent outlining, in detail, your experience, what you wish to accomplish at 波士顿大学, and your career ambitions.

Additional requirements for each degree program are provided on the CFA admissions website.

Application Deadline

The graduate programs application deadline is February 15, but early application is advised. In late March, after review of all materials, a small number of applicants will be invited to interview with us. The faculty takes time to evaluate each candidate with care. Therefore, applicants should not expect final decisions until late spring.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Applicants applying for financial aid must submit an application on or before February 15. The School of Theatre expects to substantially fund most accepted graduate students. In fact, many students receive up to a full tuition scholarship in addition to a living stipend.

Graduate Admission Requirements

In reviewing candidates for graduate admission, the faculty place primary emphasis on artistic promise and demonstrated motivation to succeed. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. While the majority of applicants have undergraduate studio art degrees, applicants from other undergraduate disciplines may be considered based on equivalent training or experience.

Candidates for admission must submit the following:

1. A completed online application. To apply, please visit www.bu.edu/cfa.
2. A portfolio consisting of 15–20 slides that demonstrates competence, ability, and talent at the graduate-study level. Applicants should upload their portfolios to the College of Fine Arts website. Art Education and Studio Teaching applicants must include a self-portrait and observational figure drawings in an interior space.
3. A résumé.
4. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
5. Two recommendations, preferably from art teachers or employers familiar with the applicant’s artistic work.

The deadline for application and portfolio submission is February 15 for Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Design. Art Education, Museum Education, and Studio Teaching encourage application by February 15 but will accept later applications on a space-available basis.

Any application materials not submitted online should be sent directly to the College of Fine Arts Graduate Admissions Office (Room 230) located at 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.

The Visual Arts faculty reserves the right to request additional samples or to examine the proficiency level in any of the phases of professional or academic pursuit and to prescribe certain courses as prerequisites.

Entrance to the MFA programs in Graphic Design, Painting, and Sculpture is for the fall semester only. Spring semester entrance can be considered for the MA programs in Art Education, Studio Teaching, and Museum Education if no prerequisite courses are necessary.

Financial Aid

Scholarship Opportunities

Exceptional Visual Arts applicants may receive merit-based scholarships in the form of grants or graduate assistantships. Based on portfolio strength, Visual Arts students may receive merit awards ranging from $2,000 to $15,000 annually. In addition, each year the School of Visual Arts selects an Alajalov Fellow to receive a full-tuition scholarship for the two-year course of study. Applicants may also be considered for a Dean’s scholarship of $15,000. All accepted graduate Visual Arts students are automatically considered for all available scholarships, and selection is based on outstanding artistic and academic achievement. No financial aid form is needed for scholarship consideration. Graduate students may apply for loans, Work-Study, and graduate teaching and service assistantships.

Graduate Assistantships

Students apply for Graduate Teaching Assistantships after they are accepted. Assistantships are highly competitive and offer select graduate students the opportunity to work with the Visual Arts faculty to gain teaching experience. Graduate students may also apply for Service Assistantships in the Visual Arts library, the on-campus galleries, the wood shop, and the Visual Arts office. Assistantship awards range from $700 to $5,000 annually, depending on the position.