How to Apply to Physics at Boston University: A BA in the College of Arts & Sciences with Graduate and Interdisciplinary Options, Five Joint Majors and a BA/MA, Applying to the College with No Separate Admission for Physics, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Boston University (BU) offers undergraduate physics through the Department of Physics in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), as a BA in Physics. Here is what you need to know, based on the Office of Admissions, the bulletin and the physics department website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, philosophy and computer science are not covered here; the joint majors with them are mentioned only in section 1. BU also has an engineering college, whose programs are not covered.

1. Degrees and options

• Two options within the BA in Physics: the bulletin and department say there are two curricular tracks. The Graduate Option is for students planning graduate study in physics or a closely related field, or a technical physics career: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I and II (PY 405, 406), Intermediate Mechanics (PY 408), Statistical Thermodynamics (PY 410), Quantum Physics I and II (PY 451, 452) and Advanced Laboratory (PY 581), plus one more physics course at the 300 level or higher; the bulletin describes it as roughly 16 courses. The Interdisciplinary Option combines physics with a related science or engineering program, suiting students planning graduate study outside physics or a related career: PY 405, 408 and 451, two more physics courses at the 300 level or above and three coordinated courses from a participating department (astronomy, biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, electrical and computer engineering, energy and environmental studies, geography, mathematics or mechanical engineering). Students must work with their physics advisor and file a formal plan of study signed by the student, the physics advisor, the advisor in the other department and the physics Director of Undergraduate Studies, with a statement of purpose and a semester-by-semester course list; the bulletin also puts it at roughly 16 courses.
• Prerequisites and related courses: both options require Calculus I and II (MA 123, 124, or Enriched Calculus MA 127; the Graduate Option also accepts Honors Calculus MA 129), Principles of Physics (PY 251, 252) and Modern Physics (PY 351), or General Physics (PY 211, 212) and Elementary Modern Physics (PY 313), and Methods of Theoretical Physics (PY 355); required related courses are Multivariate Calculus (MA 225) and one more math course at the 200 level or higher. A grade of C or higher is needed in the principal courses. The department says mathematics and physics should normally be started in the freshman year.
• Joint majors and other programs: the bulletin lists five joint majors (astronomy & physics, chemistry & physics, mathematics & physics, philosophy & physics, physics & computer science) and the astronomy department’s BA/MA in astrophysics and space physics; the department’s degree page also describes three routes to physics teaching (a physics degree followed by a one-year MAT, an education track within the Interdisciplinary Option, and a four-year dual degree with the School of Education through BUCOP leading to teacher licensure). Requirements of the joint majors are on the degree page and in the bulletin and are not covered here.
• BA/MA in Physics: a five-year program; students should enrol by the end of the sophomore year and none is admitted after the junior year. Before entry they need an overall GPA of 3.0 and at least 2.7 (B–) in science and mathematics, and must have completed the 300-level requirements of the physics BA; principal courses numbered 300–499 need an average of at least C, and those numbered 500 or above a minimum passing grade of B–.
• Minor: PY 251, 252 (or 211, 212), PY 351 (or 313) and two courses from PY 355, 405, 406, 408, 410, 451 and 452, each with a C or better.
• Specialisations: the department and bulletin pages list only these two options under the BA; there are no separately named applied physics, astrophysics or biophysics undergraduate degrees (astrophysics sits in the astronomy department’s joint major and BA/MA). The department website’s research menu lists areas such as biological physics (only the navigation links were seen; that section was not read), but those are research areas, not degrees.
• Sample course plan (bulletin): freshman year calculus and PY 251, 252; sophomore year PY 351 (fall only), 352 (optional, spring only) and 355 (spring only); junior year PY 405, 406, 408 (fall only) and 451 (spring only); senior year PY 410 (spring only), 452 (fall only) and 581 (fall only).
• Thesis: not required of all majors; the honors thesis is in section 8.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the College, no separate admission for physics

• At application: the first-year page says you must specify a BU school or college, and refer to the list of majors; if you have no specific area in mind it suggests applying to the College of Arts & Sciences and selecting “Undeclared” or the College of General Studies. In the majors list, physics is a BA in the College of Arts & Sciences. You may be offered admission to the College of General Studies or another program you qualify for (applicants to the College of Fine Arts are considered only for the program they applied to). Neither the admissions pages nor the physics pages describe a separate cut-off or cap for physics.
• Declaring the major: the CAS policy says students submit a Declaration or Change of Major/Minor form through CAS Academic Advising, and that all students must declare a major before registering for the junior year. Any grade, prerequisite or space requirement for declaring physics is not stated in the pages read; please ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies or CAS Academic Advising.
• Switching into physics: the department’s degree page says transfer students or students deciding to become physics concentrators after the first semester may substitute PY 211, 212 and 313 for the introductory PY 251, 252 and 351 (as may students whose experience has not prepared them for PY 251, 252), though it strongly recommends joining the mainstream programme early; in that case substituting PY 252 for PY 212 and PY 351 for PY 313 is encouraged.
• Support after entry: the department says each entering freshman is assigned a faculty adviser, upper-level courses do not exceed 40 students, there is a one-credit Freshman Seminar for Physicists (PY 195, fall, for freshmen with a declared physics major), and the undergraduate club Photon offers a social network; the department also has a tutors page that was not read.

3. Prerequisites and AP/IB

• High school coursework (admissions office): for most BU programs, 4 years of English; 3–4 years of mathematics (precalculus/calculus recommended); 3–4 years of laboratory science; 3–4 years of history and/or social science; and a world language, which the first-year page gives as “2–4 years” while the physics department’s admissions page says “three to four years of a foreign language” – the two pages disagree, so confirm with Admissions. The physics page says the most competitive students excelled in the most challenging coursework available and that honors, AP and IB enrolment is considered. The admissions office sets a calculus requirement only for the College of Engineering (and a math requirement for the business school); it does not require high school physics or calculus for the College of Arts & Sciences or physics.
• Starting point in college: the department describes PY 251, 252 (for physics, mathematics and astronomy majors; prerequisite MA 123 or equivalent with MA 124 or 127 as corequisite; open to other students with a strong math background) and PY 211, 212 (a calculus-based general physics course for science and engineering students); the bulletin’s sample plan has freshmen taking calculus and PY 251, 252 together.
• AP/IB physics and calculus credit: the physics, bulletin and admissions pages read do not say how AP/IB physics (Physics 1/2, C: Mechanics, C: E&M) or calculus exams map onto PY and MA courses. This is not published in the pages read; please check BU’s credit pages or ask CAS Academic Advising and the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
• Honors entry: to be considered for the Kilachand Honors College, answer “Yes” on the application and write the required essay; the application is first considered by the school or college applied to, and only if you are admitted there will Kilachand be considered. The physics department also lists a course code PY 191S for a “RISE program” honors programme, with no further description in the page read.
• Physics competitions: how competitions such as USAPhO are viewed in admission is not stated in the admissions or department pages read.

4. Deadlines and application materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines: the admissions deadlines page does not state a year; please check that these apply to fall 2027. Early Decision (binding, only for high school seniors): application 2 November, notification 14 December, enrollment deposit in early to mid January. Early Decision 2: application 5 January, notification 8 February, deposit in late February. Regular Decision: 5 January, deposit 1 May; some merit scholarships require applying by 1 December. The CSS Profile and FAFSA for US citizens and permanent residents seeking need-based aid fall on the same dates (2 November for ED; 5 January for ED2 and Regular). A Regular Decision notification date is not given in the pages read.
• How to apply and fee: the Common Application or the QuestBridge Application; the application fee is $80, paid through the Common App, with fee waivers available.
• Materials: an official high school transcript sent by a school official; the Common App personal statement plus the BU supplemental essay (two essays); the School Report and School Counselor Recommendation; one Teacher Evaluation (the page does not say it must come from a science teacher); senior-year grades (first marking period for ED, first semester for Regular). Materials become the property of BU and are not returned.
• Testing: test optional for first-year applicants applying through fall 2028 and spring 2029, across all undergraduate schools and colleges and all scholarship programs; applicants choose whether the scores are considered and cannot change this after submitting. If submitted, SAT and ACT are both superscored; BU’s codes are SAT 3087 and ACT 1794; self-reported scores need an official report before enrolling.
• Interview: the first-year page read does not describe an admissions interview for domestic applicants (international applicants have an optional third-party English interview, section 6).

5. US domestic applicants

• Cost (2026/27): the admissions office lists tuition $73,024, housing $13,170 (depending on accommodation), food $7,570 (most dining plans) and fees $1,570, for estimated billed expenses of $95,334; books and supplies $1,000, personal expenses $1,455 and local transportation about $630, for other expenses of $3,085; total estimated cost of attendance $98,419. Student health insurance is extra (Massachusetts law requires coverage; students without a qualifying plan must buy the University’s). The cost page lists a single tuition figure, with no in-state or out-of-state distinction. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read, and tuition is subject to change by the Board of Trustees.
• Need-based aid: BU says it will meet 100% of demonstrated need for first-year (and, per the aid page, transfer) US citizens and permanent residents, without loans; admitted first-year students with household income below $200,000 and typical assets can expect to pay no more than $20,000 a year, and families with $75,000 or less with typical assets can expect to pay nothing; a table on the page shows the income bands. Applying requires the CSS Profile and FAFSA. The BU Scholarship Assurance guarantees that need-based aid will not be reduced during the undergraduate years for students who receive it.
• Merit scholarships: BU offers a range of merit scholarships to first-year students, mostly for academic achievement and some for athletes, performers and artists; some require applying by 1 December; the test-optional policy applies to them.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: the pages read give Massachusetts residents no separate admission priority or guarantee.

6. International applicants

• Who counts: applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents (green card holders), who usually need an F-1 or J-1 visa.
• Deadlines and fee: the same as for domestic first-years (section 4), with an $80 fee. The international checklist: Common App, secondary school records, senior-year grades, counselor recommendation and school report, and a teacher evaluation; applicants in exam-based curricula (IB, GCE, CBSE/ISC and others) must also supply predicted results. Documents in other languages need a notarized English translation, with both the original and the translation submitted.
• English requirements: applicants whose first language is not English submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic or the Duolingo English Test. TOEFL: the most competitive applicants have a composite of at least 90–100 and at least 20 in each section; for score reports from 21 January 2026 on, a total of 5.0 or higher; TOEFL code 3087. IELTS: an overall 7 or higher satisfies the English requirement for all programs. Duolingo: the most competitive applicants have a total of at least 125–135, and the total and all subscores are required. BU does not accept the IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials or the IELTS One Skill Retake. BU also recommends an optional interview with InitialView or Vericant, but test results are still required. English proficiency waiver requests must be received by the application deadline with a complete application and are decided at the Board of Admissions’ discretion.
• Standardized tests: as for domestic first-years, optional.
• Proof of funds: students who need an F-1 or J-1 visa must submit financial documentation (for example online deposit accounts or a signed bank letter confirming funds for the annual costs) with the Confidential Statement for Financing Studies and Sponsorship Support Confirmation. Documents must be dated within 12 months of the start date, in English, readily available or liquid (stocks and non-liquid investments are not accepted), and the account owner must match the sponsor signing the form. ED and ED2 applicants must submit them by the application deadline, or the Board will not begin the academic review. A copy of the passport data page is also required.
• Scholarships and aid: international students may apply for select merit scholarships; the admissions page states that need-based aid from BU is not currently available to international students.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages read do not mention the Gaokao. Whether it is used is not published; please contact International Admissions (617-353-4492, intadmis@bu.edu).
• Secondary school credentials: the school-credentials page lists, for China, the Senior High School Graduation Certificate. It says all credentials must come with the final secondary school transcript and leaving exam scores if applicable, and that copies of all qualifying exams taken during secondary school are needed; applicants in their last year should state the certificate they expect and when. The page does not list a separate requirement for Chinese academic proficiency test materials or Gaokao results; if in doubt, ask International Admissions.
• English: see section 6 (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo); translations must be notarized.
• Transfer applicants from Chinese universities: the transfer page requires that the Center for Student Services and Development of the Ministry of Education (CSSD) send directly an English Verification Report of the China Higher Education Student’s Academic Transcript and the official transcripts in English and Chinese; CSSD may send them by email.
• International curricula: applicants in IB, GCE, CBSE/ISC and similar exam-based curricula must supply predicted results; see the credentials page for other curricula.

8. Costs, scholarships, research and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships: the physics pages read do not describe physics-specific undergraduate scholarships; the admissions scholarship page covers BU-wide need-based aid and merit scholarships only.
• Undergraduate research: the department’s undergraduate research page says its goal is to ensure every undergraduate has the opportunity to do research, encouraging students to start early and continue to graduation. Options: BU-PRO (an NSF-funded summer REU run by the department, US citizens and permanent residents only), the University’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP, not limited to summer, can start at any time and continue to graduation) and NSF REU programs at other universities (usually June to August, US citizens and permanent residents only). Most UROP/REU applications need two letters of recommendation, and the department’s undergraduate program administrator keeps a list of research, graduate school and career opportunities. The department’s undergraduate page says many students get involved as early as sophomore year, and that since 2010 it has run a study abroad programme in Geneva for juniors (classes at the University of Geneva, research at CERN; the bulletin says spring term of the junior year).
• Honors thesis (Work for Distinction): open to physics majors and joint majors; there is no formal GPA requirement, but academic performance is a criterion for approval. It is a two-semester, 8-credit directed study (PY 401 and 402) in the senior year; before registering for PY 401 the student finds a faculty research supervisor and writes a proposal approved by the supervisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, naming two committee members; the proposal deadline is one week to the day before the first day of fall classes. Theses typically run 50–100 pages and must be presented to the committee with an oral presentation no later than 30 April; successful students receive a note of distinction on the transcript and diploma and cords for commencement. The bulletin also refers to the department’s guidelines for honors in physics in a PDF that was not read.
• Outcomes: the department and bulletin pages say physics prepares students to become educators or physicists in national or industrial research laboratories, and is valuable in other sciences, medicine, business, computer science and law; the bulletin lists industrial research and development, engineering, environmental science, medical physics, geophysics, oceanography, computer science and energy resource management, and calls it ideal preparation for professional schools such as medicine, law, teaching, engineering or management. No employment or graduate-school data are printed in the pages read.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: applicants who have completed the equivalent of a US secondary school education and will have at least one full-time semester (12 or more credits) as a degree candidate at another college; students in a US high school dual-enrollment program apply as first-years.
• Deadlines: September entry – application 15 March (CSS Profile and FAFSA the same day), notification mid-April to mid-June; January entry – 2 November, notification mid-November to mid-December. Some programs do not offer January admission. The page shows no year, so check it. The fee is $80, and SAT/ACT scores are not required for transfer admission.
• Requirements: the transfer page does not state a minimum GPA or required courses; for reference it prints the fall 2024 transfer profile (6,728 applicants, 840 enrolled, average college GPA 3.8). Transfers must choose a school or college and a major when they apply and may not apply undeclared, and should check the majors list to confirm the program is open to transfers (the list read shows physics as a BA in the College of Arts & Sciences, without saying it is closed to transfers). Required: a transfer essay of up to 600 words, college transcripts, a transfer report, and a high school transcript with proof of graduation; Chinese university applicants have the CSSD requirements in section 7.
• Physics transfer credit: the department says to apply for credit before taking the course; credit is given only for external physics courses with labs, and not for online physics courses (even with an in-person lab). The transfer credit application must include a recent or future syllabus with the institution, course number and title, instructor’s name and title (who must hold a PhD in physics), textbook, lecture-by-lecture schedule, grading scheme (homework must be graded) and list of lab experiments. The Physics Undergraduate Coordinator reviews and the Director of Undergraduate Studies decides, which can take up to one month; missing information must be supplied within one month or the application is denied. Courses at nearby colleges use a different form, and the CAS Student Records Office keeps a list of institutions not allowed for credit. The admissions page suggests checking Transferology and submitting syllabi as soon as you apply.
• Entering physics after the first term: see the substitution of PY 211, 212 and 313 for the introductory courses in section 2.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED 2 November (binding), ED2 or Regular 5 January; Common App personal statement plus BU supplement; School Report, counselor recommendation and one teacher evaluation; testing optional; 3–4 years of math (precalculus/calculus recommended) and laboratory science
• CSS Profile and FAFSA on the application deadline; after entry declare physics before registering for the junior year, choosing the Graduate or Interdisciplinary Option

International applicants (including China):

• The same dates, $80 fee; English scores (TOEFL 5.0+ new scale or 90–100 older scale, IELTS 7, Duolingo 125–135 for the most competitive); transcripts with notarized English translations; proof of funds; passport data page
• The role of the Gaokao is not published; BU does not offer need-based aid to international students, only merit scholarships

Transfer students:

• 15 March for September entry; choose physics at application (no “undeclared”); 600-word essay; apply for physics course credit before taking the course; Chinese university applicants need CSSD reports

Sources: Boston University, Physics: undergraduate program; Physics: degree programs; Physics: undergraduate admissions; Physics: undergraduate research; Physics: work for distinction; Physics: transfer credit; Bulletin: BA in Physics; CAS: declaring a major; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: important deadlines; Admissions: international applicants; Admissions: secondary school credentials; Admissions: transfer applicants; Admissions: 2026/27 cost of attendance; Admissions: scholarships and financial aid; Admissions: majors. The deadlines page does not state a year and costs are 2026/27 figures; check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Check Boston University for the latest details.