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Interested in joining the BU URBAN Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience and Environmental Health?

Participation in BU URBAN is an exciting opportunity to benefit from expanded training and resources during your Ph.D. at Boston University. Trainees join BU URBAN from multiple participating departments across the university, creating a unique interdisciplinary community.

BU URBAN is now accepting applications from students who are admitted to Boston University’s Biology, Earth & Environment, Environmental Health, Mathematics & Statistics, Computing & Data Sciences, and other department Ph.D. Programs. We are committed to creating a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community for all students.

What is it like to be part of BU URBAN? Watch the video below for a perspective from Claudia Diezmartínez on how BU URBAN has helped her look at problems from different perspectives and cultivated a strong community.

 

Information Sessions for Fall 2025 Admission

There will be BU URBAN Information Sessions at each department’s prospective student visiting days.  If you are unable to attend those days or want more information outside of the information session, please reach out to Emily Walton, Program Manager, for more information about the URBAN program: urban@bu.edu.

(Click here to view a past recording of our virtual information session for prospective BU URBAN Trainees, held on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.)

 

Optional Interest Form

Are you interested in the Boston University Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience & Environmental Health (BU URBAN) and considering joining us in Fall 2025? Please fill out our prospective student interest form here!

 

Application for Fall 2025 Admission

To apply, please complete the BU URBAN Trainee application form below and have an instructor, academic advisor, and/or supervisor send a letter of support directly to the BU URBAN Program Manager at urban@bu.edu by May 15, 2025 at 5pm, Eastern Standard Time. The letter should describe why they think you should participate in the program and summarize your strengths and weaknesses. Please have your reference use “Student last name_Student first name_Fall 2025 Admission-BU URBAN LOR.pdf” as the file name.

Prospective Ph.D. applicants to BU: You must first be accepted by a participating department in order to apply to BU URBAN. The following links will lead you to the application pages in each department. If you are interested in a department not listed below, please email the BU URBAN Program Manager at urban@bu.edu to discuss further.

Application for BU URBAN, 2025-2026 Cohort

  • What excites you about the program? Describe your interdisciplinary research interests, your professional and career goals, and how participation in BU URBAN aligns with and may advance these goals.
    0 of 1500 max characters
  • 0 of 1500 max characters
  • Please use “Last name_First name-BU URBAN.pdf” as your file name.
    Max. file size: 100 MB.

  • Additional Questions

    Your responses below will not be used to evaluate your application. Rather they are for our own learning, evaluation, and planning purposes. Race/ethnicity, gender, and first generation to college questions are optional.

Questions? Book a meeting with the BU URBAN Program Manager via Calendly or send an email to urban@bu.edu.

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