Emerson College

Boston, MA

Emerson College

Boston, MA

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Undergrad Diversity International Transfer Performing Arts Visual Arts

At Emerson College, you will use your creativity and talent to push the boundaries of human expression.

You will transform the way people think, revolutionize the way people interact, and advance ideas that change the world. There are so many ways our students move their industries forward—from directing short films, writing magazine features, and devising business plans to performing improv comedy, teaching children to speak confidently, and launching viral advertising campaigns. Whatever they do, Emerson students unite to become a creative force in communication and the arts.

Location
Located in the heart of Boston’s Theatre District and across the street from the iconic Boston Common, Emerson’s campus stands at the crossroads of the city. With unparalleled access to internships, museums, hospitals, theatres, and countless cultural experiences, there is never a shortage of new things for you to do. 

Beyond the Boston city limits, Emerson offers you the opportunity to spend a semester at our state-of-the-art Los Angeles center in California or at Kasteel Well, the College’s medieval castle in Well, the Netherlands. Emerson offers study and internship programs in Los Angeles and Washington, DC; study abroad in more than 20 countries, including the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Valencia, and Prague; and course cross-registration within the six-member Boston ProArts Consortium.  

Facilities 
Emerson College offers you access to industry-leading facilities and equipment across all academic disciplines. The College is home to multiple theatres; a journalism production center with an integrated digital newsroom for aspiring journalists; the highly regarded Robbins Speech, Language, and Hearing Center; a state-of-the-art marketing suite and focus group room; WERS-FM, Boston’s oldest noncommercial radio station; Ploughsharesthe award-winning literary journal for new writing; and much more. 

In fall 2019, our Dining Center was expanded, and we opened a new student-centered space for campus organizations, student activities, and meeting spaces.

As a new student, you will spend your first year in our newly renovated all-freshman residence, the Little Building. You will live in one of our five residence halls for your first three years. 

Inclusion 
Emerson is a vibrant, dynamic college that embraces diversity in all its forms. We value and welcome differences and strive to create a supportive and inclusive campus environment. The richness of a community that reflects ethnic, geographic, socioeconomic, sexual, and gender diversity is vital to the growth of our community and the critical thinking demanded of our global society today. So much of what our students learn they learn from one another—in the classroom, in our residence halls, or through the extracurricular activities on our urban campus.

Two campus resources—Intercultural Student Affairs and the Social Justice Center—sponsor a range of activities for celebrations such as African American Heritage Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and Hispanic–Latin American Heritage Month. Organizations such as Emerson International, EAGLE (Emerson’s Advancement Group for Love and Expression), Flawless Brown, Muslim Student Association, EBONI (Emerson’s Black Organization with Natural Interests), ASIA (Asian Students for Intercultural Awareness), Amigos (Latinx/Hispanic student organization), and Raíz Latinoamericana Productions provide additional opportunities for involvement.

Admission 
Emerson accepts the Common Application (commonapp.org). Students are required to complete all parts of the application, including the Emerson-specific questions and writing supplement. Other required credentials include high school transcripts and recommendation letters. Emerson has a test-optional policy for admission. 

Students may elect to submit their application with standardized test scores, or they may send additional supplemental information in the place of scores. Our goal is to allow you to put your best foot forward in the admission process. Please pay particular attention to any additional requirements for your major when submitting your application. For specific details on applying to Emerson, please visit emerson.edu/ugapply.

At A Glance

Founded: 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson

Degrees: BA, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, MS

Student Body: 3,813 undergraduate students, 633 graduate students

Admission: Competitive; approximately 15,300 applications received each year for a fall class of about 900 students

Student-Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Expenses 2020–2021: Tuition: $50,240; room and board: $18,768

Application Deadlines: Early Action: November 1; Regular Decision: January 14

Athletics: 14 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s teams

An Inside Look