Visiting Students
Visiting Students
Visiting Students are students from outside of Boston College who are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program and are on leave of absence from their current home institution.
Individuals wishing to attend one semester of undergraduate classes offered by Boston College should apply to the Woods College of Advancing Studies as a Visiting Student (fall and spring semesters only).
Visiting Student applicants are admitted to specific courses on an individual, space-available basis. Note that while students are admitted by the Woods College, courses are offered by the other colleges within BC (e.g., Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, or Carroll School of Management) and tuition is charged based on the rate for the respective college’s course.
Please note, Boston College students are not eligible for Visiting Student status.
Application Information
PrintIf your academic institution provides electronic transcripts please indicate wcasadm@bc.edu as the recipient.
Deadlines
- Fall Enrollment
- August 1
- Spring Enrollment
- December 1
Online Application
Academic transcripts
Academic transcripts
Please submit an official transcript from your home institution.
Please mail transcripts to:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
If your academic institution provides electronic transcripts please indicate wcasadm@bc.edu as the recipient.
Essays
To be uploaded to your online Application Form
Please submit a personal statement.
Application Fee
Application fee: $45 (to be paid as part of the online application).
Forms
Visiting Student Certification Form
Visiting student applicants must submit the Visiting Student Certification form, which should be completed by your current institution. (Please note: Students with a previous bachelor's degree are not required to submit this form).
Forms must be sent directly from your home institution's certifying official to the Woods College by email (wcasadm@bc.edu) or mail.
International Students
International applicants will need to submit the following additional materials:
- Declaration and Certification of Finances form (DCF) for Visiting Students
- Official translation of Transcript, if not in English
- Official iBT TOEFL score report, the minimum score must be 100 (ETS code 3276)
- Notarized Bank Statement
International applicants seeking a visa should apply at least 3 months prior to their intended start term.
Mailed Materials
Please mail application materials to:
Boston College
Woods College of Advancing Studies Admissions Office
St. Mary's Hall South
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
If your academic institution provides electronic transcripts please indicate wcasadm@bc.edu as the recipient.
Questions?
Program or Application Questions?
For more information, fill out this online form or find the appropriate name on our contact page.
To-Do Items Following Acceptance to BC
Visiting Students cannot self-register in advance of the start of the semester.
After an application has been completed and acceptance has been granted, Visiting Students must obtain a Registration Form either in person at the Woods College office in St. Mary's Hall South or by printing off the Registration Form (see below). Students must take the form to the academic departments offering the courses desired to obtain stamped authorization for each individual course, and bring the completed form with stamped approval to the Woods College office for registration.
Once a student is registered, tuition is posted to the student's new BC account at the day school rate according to the day school courses approved.
Registration for Fall and Spring courses
For information about specific course offerings, please view the University's Course Information and Schedule website.
Massachusetts State Law requires that all students who are registering for three or more courses a semester must have proof of required immunizations on file at Boston College. All forms must be uploaded and entered within 30 days from the start of classes.
For a list of required immunizations for the current academic year please visit BC's Immunization Requirements page. Please note the recently added section pertaining to COVID-19.
Immunization Requirements Page
Failure to show proof of immunization within 30 days from the first day of class will result in a block on your registration and a non-refundable administrative late fee of $65 will be charged to your student account.
Immunization forms are available through the Medical Forms page.
All students enrolled in a degree program, regardless of credit hours, and non-degree students enrolled at least 75% of full-time will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the Student Health Insurance Plan. Seventy-five percent of full-time enrollment is as follows:
- Woods College of Advancing Studies, Undergraduate—9 or more credits
- Woods College of Advancing Studies, Graduate—7 or more credits
Failure to maintain these credits levels will result in the termination of the mandatory health insurance plan, but not the financial charges. Students are responsible for monitoring their eligibility status.
Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States will be automatically enrolled in the Boston College plan regardless of the number of their credit hours.
Students enrolled exclusively online are eligible to waive the insurance.
Students enrolled in a health plan that is comparable to the Boston College-sponsored plan may waive the BC coverage through your Agora Portal account and follow the steps below.
- Log in to Agora Portal
- Under my services click Health insurance
- Summit YOUR Health insurance information
To provide proof of comparable coverage, a student needs to have information about their current health insurance plan readily available. Incomplete waivers are not processed.
Students who do not complete a waiver prior to the deadline are automatically enrolled and charged the student only premium for the Student Blue Plan. Additional information on the Medical Insurance plan and detailed information including waiver forms can be found at the Office of Student Services Medical Insurance website.
All fees and tuition charges are due when courses begin. Undergraduate students who have been approved to take day school courses pay the 2023-2024 day school per-credit rate, which is $2,214 per credit.
Fees are not refundable; no refunds are made to auditors. Not attending classes, informing a professor of intent to withdraw without submitting a withdrawal to the college, stopping payment on a registration check, or a registration check being returned by the bank, do not constitute withdrawal, and full charges are due. Upon receipt of written notice of withdrawal from a course, the tuition refunded is prorated. The fax number is 617-552-8404.
Drops, Withdrawals, and Refunds
Please visit the Office Student Services' Tuition and Refund page, tab Tuition Refund Schedule.
There are no refunds beyond that schedule; fees are not refundable. An audit is considered a fee, and there is no refund for a student who withdraws from a course taken for audit. Woods College students may not change a course registration from credit to audit status, or vice-versa.
All requests for withdrawal from a course must be submitted in writing to the Woods College of Advancing Studies; no course withdrawal or refund of tuition will be processed without written notification from the student.
There are no refunds beyond this schedule.
After the add/drop deadline passes, students can withdraw from a course by submitting a withdrawal form to the college. When a student withdraws from a course, a grade of “W” is assigned and no academic credit is granted for the course. Tuition may be partially refunded when a student withdraws (see refund schedule in the academic calendar), but the student is responsible for paying all tuition due until the withdrawal is submitted. The following do not constitute a withdrawal from a Woods College course:
- Not attending classes
- Informing a professor of intent to withdraw without submitting a withdrawal to the college
- Failing to pay tuition due
To withdraw from a course, please contact your academic advisor. Students may not withdraw from courses after the withdrawal deadline and will receive a final grade for all registered courses. Find withdrawal deadlines on the academic calendar.
The Academic Policies section (link below) details the withdrawal procedures and the refund schedule of Woods courses, including the six week courses.
Boston College reserves the right to change or withdraw offerings if necessary and alter fees and charges from those published on this site without prior notice.
Additional Information
Academic Policies
A list of the Woods College's policies regarding academic integrity, credit transfers, course withdrawals, graduation requirements, special accommodations, class attendance, and much more.
Learn moreCourse Information
Explore the full breadth and depth of Boston College's academic offerings.
Learn moreCross Registration
Undergraduate and graduate students may be eligible to take courses in BC-affiliated consortia if the same courses are not offered at Boston College.
Learn moreInsurance Plan
Students enrolled in a degree program and non-degree students enrolled at least 75% of full-time will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan.
Learn moreInternational Student Info
Important information from the International Students and Scholars website.
Learn more