All that you need to apply to our program is at your fingertips. A PDF version of the current application form and instructions is available to download and print using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, click here. Alternatively, you may apply electronically via our online application, which is maintained by the Law School Admission Council.
Guidelines for completing the application are detailed on the application forms and instructions. Key requirements follow:
Application Deadline
If you are applying for enrollment in Fall 2010, the application deadline is March 1, 2010. We will consider applications received after this date, but only on a space-available basis. We will begin making admissions decisions in January 2010, so we strongly encourage you to submit your application well before the stated deadline. We expect to have made most admissions decisions by April 15, 2010.
Eligibility requirements
There is one fixed eligibility requirement: applicants must have either (a) graduated from a U.S. law school that is approved by the American Bar Association, (b) obtained a full degree in law from a non-U.S. university or (c) be admitted to practice law in a country other than the U.S. Apart from this, we seek applicants from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of legal and career interests. We are most interested in applicants who have completed their prior legal studies with high rank and who intend to return to their home countries to contribute to the legal profession.
English Language Skills
Boston College Law School course work and related academic activities require written and spoken fluency in English. Students must be able to express themselves in both spoken and written English and must read the language with ease. Consequently, if your native language is not English, you must submit your scores on the standardized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The following minimum scores on the TOEFL examination are required: (1) 100 using the Internet-based test, (2) 250 using the computer-based test, or (3) 600 using the paper-based test. This exam is administered worldwide.
LSAC Credential Assembly Service
Applicants who graduated from law schools outside the U.S. may register with the Law School Admissions Council’s (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. This service is designed to save you time and money if you intend to apply to a number of U.S. or Canadian graduate law programs. For a fee, LSAC will collect, authenticate, and process all transcripts and TOEFL scores required by each law school to which you apply. If you use this service, you only have to supply your official transcripts and other educational records one time, to LSAC, no matter how many schools you intend to apply to.
Application Components
The complete application is to include:
• Application form
• Resume or c.v.
• Statement of Purpose
• Writing Sample
• Two signed letters of recommendation
• Academic Records and official transcripts with a certified English translation from all of your law and/or graduate schools
• TOEFL results (please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the LL.M. Program)
• Application Fee $75
Note: if you are applying online, you must pay the $75 application fee by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover). If you are applying using our paper application or one downloaded from our web site, you may pay the application fee by check, travelers checks, or a postal money order. For further information, see the application instructions.
Financial matters
The estimated cost of study for a single student during the 2009-10 academic year is $56,930. This figure consists of tuition of $39,590 and estimated living expenses of $17,340. It does not include the expenses of travel between the student’s home country and the Boston area. The comparable figures for the 2010-11 are likely to be higher.
Applicants requiring financial assistance should investigate funding sources in their home countries well in advance. Examples of such sources include employers, government agencies and foundations. A partial list of organizations that offer scholarship funding for U.S. graduate study follows:
• American Association of University Women
• American-Scandavian Foundation
• Australian Federation of University Women Fellowship Fund
• DAAD Scholarships for German citizens
• Ford Foundation
• Fulbright Scholarships
• Golden Key International Honour Society
• International Federation of University Women
• Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarships for Polish citizens
• Mackenzie King Scholarships for Canadians
• Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
• Organization of American States
• P.E.O. International Peace Scholarships for Women
• Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships
• World Bank Scholarships Program
The United States embassy or consulate in your home country may have additional information on Fulbright Scholarships and other fellowship opportunities. Finally, loan funding may be available from organizations such as Sallie Mae, or Citibank. If you are not a United States citizen or permanent resident, however, these lenders generally require a United States citizen or permanent resident to guarantee the loan.
Boston College Law School has a limited amount of scholarship funding available to LL.M. students. A scholarship application form will be sent to admitted applicants upon request. For further information, please contact the LL.M. Office (below).
Further information
If you would like a physical copy of our information materials, or if you have questions about the application process, please contact the LL.M. Office by email at bcllm@bc.edu, by telephone at (617) 552-1002, or at the following address:
LL.M. Office
Boston College Law School
885 Centre Street
Newton, Massachusetts 02459
U.S.A.