CNS Assistantships and Fellowships
The CNS Department offers full financial support, in the form of Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships, to qualified PhD candidates each year. In addition, top applicants are nominated for Presidential University Graduate Fellowships, Arts and Sciences Dean's Fellowships, Clare Boothe Luce Fellowships, and other prestigious awards.Individual Graduate Fellowships
CNS applicants are also encouraged to apply to the NSF, other federal agencies, and foundations for graduate fellowship support. Many CNS students have competed successfully for such fellowships, using both their excellent academic records and the specific interest of some granting agencies in furthering development of neural network research to advance brain science and intelligent technology.For further information on the various forms of financial aid available, please refer to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Financial Aid website at
www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/graduate/aid.Part-Time and Full-Time Employment
Some CNS degree candidates support themselves by full-time or part-time employment in the Boston area. Many companies offer tuition payment as a benefit of employment. Most CNS courses meet once a week, from 5 to 8 p.m., to facilitate the participation of students with outside obligations.International Students
International students enrolled in the CNS Department come from a variety of countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, and Venezuela. The department welcomes applicants from all countries. The types of financial aid the department can directly offer international students are sometimes limited, and visa restrictions may limit the types of part-time employment these students can obtain in the United States. Various CNS international students have obtained international fellowships prior to their arrival in the department. International students applying to the CNS Department are strongly encouraged to seek funding from their home countries.Admission to the MA Program
A number of students are accepted to the MA program each year, usually without financial support. Students who do excellent work in the MA program and wish to work toward the PhD will be considered for admission to the PhD program upon written request.