Embrace your future.
The need for competent tax attorneys has never been greater. With professors who work in the “real world”, we understand the importance of staying on top of rapidly changing tax law. Our faculty doesn’t just teach you the law, they teach you how to think about it and how to apply what you learn through experiences from their daily practices. That’s practical tax education at its best.
One program. Three tracks.
Whether you are a practicing lawyer, a recent law graduate or a non-legal professional, BU Law’s Graduate Tax Program can give you the tax credential you need in today’s competitive market. Which one is right for you?
LLM in Taxation.
Master in the Study of Tax Law.
Estate Planning Certificate.
LLM in Taxation.
LLM in Taxation.
Is the LLM in Taxation right for you?
If you’re a lawyer seeking advanced training in tax law, it is! Maybe you’re a recent law school graduate, maybe you’re looking at a mid-career shift in focus and specialization. Either way, the LLM in Taxation is your path to professional success.
Rigorous training leads to superior preparation.
BU Law’s LLM in Taxation has one of the most comprehensive curricula for advanced tax studies in the country. You’ll find classes that matter to today’s tax lawyer. Classes like tax technology, cryptocurrency, and more. You’ll also find faculty firmly grounded in the real world. When you graduate, you’ll have a deep understanding of the U.S. tax system, tax law, and tax procedures. And with that, well, there’ll be no stopping you.
Degree requirements.
The LLM in Taxation degree requires the successful completion of 24 credit hours, including five required courses. Full-time students must complete the degree requirements in two consecutive academic semesters; part-time students must complete the degree requirements in no more than four years.
Personalize your degree with concentrations and emphasis areas.
LLM students are free to specialize their learning according to interest through concentrations and emphasis areas.
LLM students can choose a concentration in estate planning by completing three required courses and three of nine electives. The estate planning concentration will be indicated on the transcripts of students who complete the concentration’s requirements.
Online or in-person? Part-time or full? The choice is up to you.
Whether you’re looking to earn your degree as a full-time online student, a part-time residential student, or a mixture of both, BU Law’s LLM program can make it happen.
Both online and in-person classes lead to the same degree and are taught by the same experienced faculty. The online option is ideal for domestic and internationally-trained tax lawyers whose jobs preclude them from attending our traditional on-site program option in Boston.
In-person classes are scheduled only during the late afternoon and evening hours to make it easier on working lawyers.
Residential students are also welcome to enroll in up to 6 credits of online course sections during their studies to accommodate course conflicts or any scheduling issues they face due to their professional or personal commitments.
Full-time students complete the degree program in two sessions, while part-time students may complete the degree in as few as four consecutive sessions or over the course of four years.
Learn More
#13
-U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 ranking of U.S. Tax Law Schools
Top 10
in US Tax Law 2023
– LLM Guide 2023
Top 10
Online and Hybrid LLMs
– LLM Guide (2023)
Master in the Study of Tax Law.
Is the Master in the Study of Tax Law right for you?
Let’s say you’re not a lawyer. Instead, you’re a current or aspiring accountant, wealth manager, auditor or other professional who wants the distinction of an advanced degree in taxation from one of America’s premier tax programs? Our Master in the Study of Tax Law could be the perfect choice for you.
Boston’s top-ranked graduate tax education—now open to you.
As a master’s candidate, you’ll have access to one of the most comprehensive curricula for advanced tax studies in the country. That means that when you graduate with the Master in the Study of Tax Law program, you’ll possess the skills required for immediate success in the field of taxation.
And with yearly professional opportunities, you’ll have your foot in the door before you’re even out of ours.
- On- and off-campus recruiting events with all the “Big 4” accounting firms
- Proprietary job postings
- Tax careers luncheon
- Lecture series
- Advising events with alumni
- Visits to observe proceedings in the U.S. Tax Court
- Skills workshops on tax research databases and Excel
Degree Requirements.
The Master in the Study of Tax Law requires the successful completion of 24 credit hours, including five required courses and two additional courses focused on legal research and writing. Full-time students must complete the degree requirements in two consecutive academic semesters; part-time students must complete the degree requirements in no more than four years.
A comprehensive curriculum at your fingertips when you want it.
At BU Law, we don’t think work requirements or life commitments should be a barrier to learning. Our Master in the Study of Law program can be completed full-time, part-time, online, or in-person. All successful students receive the same degree with no differentiation on diplomas or transcripts.
Because all residential course lectures are captured and streamed through the course site within 24 hours of each class meeting, both residential and online students view the same lectures. All video content and text-searchable transcripts of lectures are available to students throughout the course to review on-demand, and closed captioning is available for all course lecture videos.
Learn More
#1
QS Best Student Cities 2023 ranked Boston first in the United States.
#2
Ranked LLM program.
– National Law Journal
Estate Planning Certificate.
Is the Estate Planning Certificate right for you?
Are you a non-lawyer (or lawyer) who would like to enhance your career in estate planning? If so, then BU Law’s Estate Planning Certificate could be right for you.
Train with leading experts.
The same tax and estate planning experts who teach in BU Law’s LLM and Master in the Study of Tax Law programs will teach you the ins and outs of estate planning. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Requirements.
Students in the Estate Planning Certificate program complete three required courses and three elective courses. Of course, with classes such as Life Cycle of a Business Venture, Business Succession Planning, and International Estate Planning, the question is really how to choose between them.
Students can take up to nine semesters including summer terms or three calendar years to complete the certification.
Ready for more?
If you find yourself wanting more, you can apply for acceptance into the Tax LLM degree program either during or following completion of the certificate. A strong performance in the certificate program will certainly be considered.
Online or residential? What works best for you?
The Estate Planning Certificate program is available in online and residential formats—or a combination of both. Students in the program are considered part-time students and are charged tuition on a per credit basis each semester.
Learn More
60+
Years as one of the nation’s preeminent graduate tax programs.
3,000+
Alumni in professional network.
Online options because we could all use a little flexibility.
Life (and scheduling) can be challenging—and no more so than right now. Because we feel strongly that life shouldn’t be a hindrance to learning, we offer our programs online, in person, or as a mixture of both. There’s no difference in degree earned and no notation placed on transcripts. Learning is learning, no matter how it gets done.
A great value. An even better return on investment.
You envision a successful career. We want to help make that happen. Within 9 months of graduation, 93% of students from the past five years were employed in a range of settings, including professional services firms, law firms, government agencies, financial services companies and the like.
BU Law offers the lowest tuition of any private law school ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report. Add in that our graduates have the ninth best salary-to-debt ratio of any law school in the country, and you’ll understand why we’re such a great value.
Building the future of tax.
Technology is changing the way the world thinks about tax—whether it’s outsourcing document review to algorithms, using software to transfer client data, or relying on machine learning to match individual transactions to state and local tax codes. The Graduate Tax Program offers multiple courses focused on tax technology topics and practical training on technology tools used in the practice of tax.
Grad Tax By the Numbers
60+
Years as one of the nation’s preeminent graduate tax programs.
#2
Ranked LLM program, National Law Journal.
3,000+
Alumni in professional network.
Top10
in US Tax Law 2023 – LLM Guide (2023)
