Boston University

What is the history of Boston University?

Boston University traces its origins to the Newbury Biblical Institute, founded in Vermont in 1839 to educate Methodist ministers. The school later moved to New Hampshire, and Boston University received its Massachusetts charter in 1869.

BU's religious origins remain part of its history, but the university is now a private, nonsectarian research institution. Its academic range expanded well beyond theology to include liberal arts, professional education, health sciences, and graduate research. The Charles River Campus and the Medical Campus reflect that development: students encounter a broad urban university rather than a single-purpose college.

What are the faculties and departments at Boston University?

Boston University offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional study through a wide range of schools and colleges. Undergraduates can pursue liberal arts, engineering, business, communication, the arts, education, health-related fields, and other subjects.

Major academic units include the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Communication, College of Fine Arts, Questrom School of Business, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Hospitality Administration, and Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences. The College of General Studies offers a distinct pathway into BU undergraduate study. Metropolitan College serves students seeking professional and continuing education, among other programs.

Graduate and professional schools include the School of Law, School of Public Health, School of Social Work, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Applicants should check the school offering their intended program: entry requirements, degree structure, clinical placements, and professional credentials differ substantially across BU.

What is the location of Boston University?

Boston University is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts. Its main Charles River Campus extends along Commonwealth Avenue, while its Medical Campus is in Boston's South End.

The Charles River Campus is integrated into the city rather than separated from it by a conventional campus boundary. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line stops serve the Commonwealth Avenue corridor, and students also use buses, walking routes, bicycles, and the university shuttle. That setting provides access to Boston employers, hospitals, museums, and other colleges, but travel time and city living costs matter when evaluating internships or off-campus housing.

BU's Medical Campus has a different location and daily travel pattern from the Charles River Campus. Applicants to health professions programs should check where their classes and required placements take place. Boston Logan International Airport is the region's principal airport.

What is the mission and vision of Boston University?

Boston University describes its purpose in terms of education, research, and service to the wider community. Its stated priorities include creating and sharing knowledge across disciplines and preparing students for professional and civic life.

BU grew from a Methodist educational institution, but it is nonsectarian today. Its School of Theology remains part of the university's academic offerings; enrollment elsewhere at BU does not imply a religious course of study. The mission describes what the institution aims to do, not a measurable promise about an individual student's experience or outcomes.