Is Boston U. Blaming a New Contract for Its Freeze on Ph.D. Admissions?

Boston University is suspending admissions to a dozen doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences for the 2025-26 academic year, citing a commitment to “long-term sustainability,” according to a statement from a university spokesperson. In an email obtained by Inside Higher Ed, administrators implied that the contract the university signed last month with graduate students to end a strike had forced their hand. While the university’s statement on the suspensions did not mention the strike or contract, the administrators’ words point to a broader set of tensions surrounding graduate-student unionization and the need for reform in doctoral education.