Applying

To apply to study statistics with us at Boston University, you must submit an application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Application materials should be submitted directly to the Graduate School, not to our department. Within the application portal, please be sure to select the appropriate program. Options include:

  • Statistics – PhD
  • Statistics – MA
  • Statistical Practice – MSSP

Also, please note that the application fee must be paid in order for an application to be processed.

Deadlines

  • Fall semester admission for MSSP: March 15
  • Fall semester admission for MA: March 15
  • Fall semester admission for PhD: January 6
  • Spring semester admission: September 30*
    • *By Invitation Only: Due to the nature of our course sequencing, spring admissions is typically only offered to students who have already completed the fall coursework at Boston University or have exhibited a mastery of that material. We encourage all other applicants to apply for fall admissions.

All required materials must be received by the graduate school on or before the deadline.

Required Tests

GRE
  • General test is NOT required for applicants (no specific minimum score required)
    • all GRE requirements have been lifted.
  • The mathematics subject test is encouraged for PhD applicants, but not required. It is not required for MA or MS applicants. (Please Note: If you intend to focus primarily on probability as a PhD student, then the GRE mathematics subject test is encouraged in order to make your application competitive.)
English Language Proficiency
  • (Non-US Citizens Only) Proof of English proficiency is required of all applicants by submitting official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Cambridge English Qualifications, or Duolingo. This requirement is waived only if you are a citizen of one of the following criteria:
    • You are a citizen of: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Micronesia, Montserrat, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe.
    • You have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is English.
      • If your transcript does not clearly state that the language of instruction is English, then please upload supporting documentation on institutional letterhead along with your transcript.
    • You have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in any of the following countries prior to enrollment in GRS: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland.
    • You are a citizen of Cameroon or Canada and your post-secondary degree is from a university in which English is the language of instruction.
    • You have studied in the United States (or one of the before-mentioned countries) at an accredited college or university in a degree-seeking program for at least two years.

This waiver does not include undergraduate or graduate degrees earned from an institution in a country listed above while enrolled in a “dual degree” program with an institution in another country. Studying as an exchange student in an English-speaking country is not sufficient to waive the English proficiency requirement. There is no additional paperwork that needs to be submitted in order to waive the requirement.

  • TOEFL:  100 Overall Score (25 recommended in each section). Most recent Internet-based Test (iBT) only. We do not accept “MyBest Scores.”
    • Only your most recent TOEFL test scores will be used to determine if you have met the English proficiency requirements.  You may not combine sections from different test dates.
    • Scores can be sent to Boston University at institution code 3087.
  • IELTS: 7.0 Overall Band Score
    • Scores can be sent to Boston University at institution code 3087.
  • CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH QUALIFICATIONS: 185 Overall Score on B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exams
    • Scores can be sent to Boston University at institution code 3087.
  • DUOLINGO:  130 Overall Score
    • To support you with an accessible way to complete the English Proficiency requirement for your application to GRS, we are allowing our international applicants to complete the online Duolingo test.
    • When you log in to complete the exam, please select Boston University Graduate & Professional Programs as a score recipient.
    • Once you have completed the Duolingo exam, please email GRS Admissions at grs@bu.edu with Subject Line “Duolingo,” and include your first and last name, exam date, and the name of the master’s program to which you are applying.
    • A minimum score of 130 is required to satisfy the GRS English proficiency requirement.

Financial Aid

You may request Financial Aid from Boston University on the graduate application for PhD applicants. For US Citizens and Permanent Residents, information on additional possible federal sources of financial aid include the following:

The main source of financial aid for department PhD students is the Teaching Fellowship. These awards carry a stipend as well as tuition remission for six courses per year. Teaching Fellows are required to assist a faculty member who is teaching a large lecture section of an introductory mathematics course. Generally, the Teaching Fellow is responsible for conducting a number of discussion sections consisting of approximately 25 students each, as well as for holding office hours and assisting with grading. The Teaching Fellowship usually entails about 20 hours of work per week. For that reason, Teaching Fellows enroll in at most three courses per semester. A Teaching Fellow Seminar is conducted to help new Teaching Fellows develop as instructors and to promote the continuing development of experienced Teaching Fellows.

Other sources of financial aid include University Fellowships and Research Assistantships. The University Fellowships are one-year awards for outstanding students and are service-free. They carry stipends plus full tuition remission. Students do not apply for these fellowships.

Regular reviews of the performance of Teaching Fellows and Research Assistants in their duties as well as their coursework are conducted by members of the Graduate Committee.

*Currently, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics does not have financial aid available for our MA programs.

Questions

  • Admissions decisions are typically completed by mid-April (Fall semester admission) and early December (Spring semester admission). Financial aid decisions are generally (but not always) made at the same time as admissions decisions. Due to the volume of applications received, we request that applicants do not inquire about their applications before these dates.
  • For questions related to logistics, deadlines, and requirements, please contact mathdept@math.bu.edu.