Colleges Boston University

Boston University www.bu.edu

Boston University is a private institution that was founded in 1839. Its campus sits on 140 acres located along the banks of the Charles River and adjacent to the historic Back Bay district of Boston. The University has nearly 500 student clubs, ranging from Ski Racing to the Juggling Association. BU created one of the first study abroad programs, and currently sponsors more than 100 international programs on six continents. From historic brownstones lining Bay State Road to modern high-rises overlooking the Charles River to residence halls with dedicated specialty floors, BU provides a variety of living communities. The University guarantees on-campus housing for undergraduates for all four years and about 80% of students live on the main Boston campus. The BU Alumni network spans the globe with more than 300,000 alumni living and leading in nearly 200 countries. Unique fact: the BU Bridge is the only spot in the US where a plane can fly over a car driving over a train going over a boat—all at the same time.

Academics

Boston University is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium for Higher Education. The University is classified among R1 Doctoral Universities:  Very High Research Activities. BU offers more than 300 programs of study including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctorates, and medical, dental, business, and law degrees through 17 schools and colleges on three urban campuses. BU places strong emphasis on the interdisciplinary and collaborative research efforts of both faculty and students. The student-faculty ratio at Boston University is 11:1, and the school has 60% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Popular majors include Business Administration & Management, Communications & Media Studies, Economics, Psychology, and International Relations.

Special Highlights

The BU Hub. The BU Hub is the University’s campus-wide general education curriculum created to ensure that all undergraduates, regardless of major, develop six essential capacities: Philosophical, aesthetic, and historical interpretation; scientific and social inquiry; quantitative reasoning; diversity, civic engagement, and global citizenship; communication; and the “intellectual toolkit,” which includes skills like critical thinking, teamwork/collaboration, and research and information literacy.

Professional Organizations. Most of BU’s Schools and Colleges offer their students membership in one or more professional organizations. Some are honor societies recognizing high academic achievement. Others provide valuable opportunities—attending professional conferences nationwide, networking with industry professionals and broadening your understanding of their field. Engineers, for instance, can join Engineers Without Borders, while students in the College of Communication can join the Public Relations Student Society of America.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

BU’s Kilachand Honors College is a university-wide community of faculty and students dedicated to preserving, renewing, and rethinking classic ideals of liberal education. It rests on three pillars: an integrated, four-year curriculum; an extensive series of co-curricular events that include site-visits to leading cultural institutions as well as talks and readings by leading figures in the arts, sciences, and professions; and, finally, a living and learning community that offers students the personal atmosphere of a small liberal arts college and fosters responsibility and citizenship. Boston University Academy is a private high school for grades 9 to 12 operated by the University. The school sits within the university’s campus and students are offered the opportunity to take college courses with BU students. BU is also noteworthy for being the first university to open all divisions to female students in 1872.

Student Reviews…

“I’ve very much enjoyed my time at BU, the professors are willing to teach beyond the normal classroom and make a great effort to meet with their students. There are plenty of academic options. Classes are interesting, professors are good, schedules are not too demanding…”