Campus Life

• 172 Tremont Street and the Student Performance Center
• Off-Campus Student Services
• Meals
• Emerson Wellness Center 
• Health Insurance
• Wellness Education
• Counseling and Psychological Services
• Student Accessibility Services
• Office of Intercultural Student Affairs
• Cultural Center
• Office of International Student Affairs
• Center for Spiritual Life
• Athletics and Recreation
• Social Justice Center
• Healing & Advocacy Collective
• Office of Equal Opportunity (formerly Title IX Office)

The atmosphere at Emerson is relaxed, creative, and informal. The faculty, staff, and administration encourage and maintain open communication with students. Emerson emphasizes the professional and academic aspects of education. In addition to academic work and co-curricular activities, many students work off campus in production companies, social service organizations, broadcasting stations, and business firms. As a major media market, Boston provides internship opportunities for students interested in all aspects of communication and the arts.

Social life at the College is greatly enhanced by its Boston location. Emerson is within easy walking distance of concert halls, theaters, museums, parks, and restaurants. Local collegiate and professional sports arenas offer year-round events in hockey, basketball, baseball, football, and tennis.

The Student Performance Center (SPC) is located on the lower level of the Little Building at 80 Boylston Street. Featuring two primary venues, the SPC Theatre and the SPC Black Box, as well as two studios, three rehearsal rooms, a production space, and a large social lobby, the Student Performance Center is the premier location for student events.

The larger venue, the SPC Theatre, can host events of almost any size or shape for up to 200 people, while the smaller SPC Black Box can hold up to 100 people. The spaces can be set up with rows of chairs for performances, completely open for rehearsals or film shoots, or with tables for a reception or workshop. The neutral black box setting of either venue allows it to be dressed up or down, which is perfect not only for theatrical productions but for other events as well. Event hosts can add fine table linens and light music for a formal event or break out the decorations and add colored lighting for a festive, casual event.

A complete array of theatrical audio and lighting and video systems, as well as flexible staging systems and a variety of furniture options, are available in either venue. These spaces are also fully supported with student staff to assist in setting up or running events. Spaces within the SPC can be booked through the service desk located within the SPC or online through Spacebook (spacebook.emerson.edu).

As the College expects that all of its graduate students will reside off campus, students within this population are encouraged to seek out the assistance and support of the Office of Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS). As well as being a resource for Boston-area vacancy and sublet listings, OCSS provides numerous programs and services designed to meet the needs of Emerson’s off-campus population. One of the programs offered by the OCSS is the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) discount pass program. In conjunction with the MBTA, Emerson offers a program in which subway, bus, and combo passes are available for purchase at a discount (currently 11 percent, but subject to change). The program is offered in semester blocks and must be purchased prior to the start of each semester.

Graduate students should contact OCSS for information about rental housing options, roommate searches, or local realtors who work with Emerson students. OCSS can be reached at ocss@emerson.edu and 617-824-8620. Additionally, there are several helpful resources on the OCSS website (emerson.edu/departments/off-campus-student-services), including a database filled with available housing options and other students looking for roommates.

Graduate students are eligible to participate in the College’s commuter meal plan. Information regarding the plan and charges can be obtained from the Office of Business Services. Commuter meal plans are only good for the academic year they were purchased. Unused meals and Board Bucks do not carry over to the next academic year.

Individual meals may also be purchased on a walk-in basis at any of the College’s dining facilities.

Contact foodservice@emerson.edu with any questions.

The Emerson Wellness Center provides primary care and episodic illness/injury treatment for eligible graduate students. Graduate students who are enrolled in the College-sponsored insurance program and/or those who elect to pay the Health Fee are eligible for on-campus services.

The EWC offers general medical care, including GYN exams, immunizations, emergency contraception, PrEP, STD screening/testing, nutrition consultation, health counseling and education, routine lab work, pregnancy testing, and referrals to other health specialists when appropriate. Services are available by appointment. Confidentiality within the guidelines of professional ethics and legal principles is guaranteed to all students using the EWC. Staff include a registered nurse, nurse practitioners, a registered dietitian, a health and wellness educator, and a consulting general medicine physician.

All graduate students enrolled in the College insurance program will be assessed the health fee. Please review the insurance benefit and waiver information at universityhealthplans.com/emerson. You will be automatically enrolled in the College’s insurance program unless an annual waiver is submitted by the waiver deadline.

The EWC is open Monday through Friday during the academic year. The center is closed on weekends, holidays, and school breaks. Emerson College is situated within two miles of five major hospital emergency rooms. Students should be familiar with the location of the nearest hospital to their neighborhood. When possible, non-urgent care should wait until the center reopens to avoid unnecessary medical bills. Dental service is not available at the center.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts regulations and College policy require compliance with specific immunizations and screenings. Students who meet the criteria below are required to submit medical history, a TB risk assessment questionnaire, and immunization verification. 

• All full-time students
• All part-time students in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• All students attending on a student or other visa regardless of number of credits

Students can access the secure online student Health Portal at emerson.medicatconnect.com/.

The following immunizations/screenings are required to be eligible to begin classes (July 15 deadline for fall enrollment and January 5 deadline for spring enrollment):

• Two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine(s). Generally, this is administered as a combination MMR vaccine given at least one month apart beginning at or after 12 months of age;
• Tdap, combined tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis: one dose within the last 10 years; and
• Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. This series may take up to six months to complete. If you are not immunized, you should begin the series as soon as possible. Details for dosing intervals are listed on the health form.
• Varicella (Chickenpox): two doses; if given before age 13, at least three months apart. If given after age 13, two doses at least 30 days apart, or verification by documented laboratory test of immunity to varicella. If born in the United States before 1980, verification/immunization is not required except for Communication Disorder majors.
• Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV-4) for all students under age 21 regardless of residence status (must be on or after 16th birthday).
• TB Risk Assessment Questionnaire (cannot be completed earlier than three months prior to the start of classes.) If there is a YES response on the risk assessment, a TB skin test or blood test for tuberculosis must be submitted. Do not have a TB skin test if you have had prior positive interpretation. Have the clinician complete the verification form.
• Recommended vaccines: Meningococcal B vaccine and HPV vaccine

Updated Immunization Requirements as of 2021-2022

• Two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (for all on-campus students)

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (two doses 3 weeks apart)

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (two doses 4 weeks apart)

Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine (one dose)

WHO-approved COVID vaccines (Sinopharm, Astrazeneca)

Fully vaccinated is TWO weeks after your last vaccine.

• It is possible the seasonal flu vaccine will be required to be on campus.

Medical or religious exemptions are acceptable when the waiver meets the standards for medical or sincere religious exemption set forth in M.G.L. c. 76, § 15C. Students who wish to submit a waiver must complete the Medical and Religious Exemption Form and upload it to the student health portal. Medical documentation is required. In the event of an outbreak of a communicable infection, students with medical or religious exemptions will be excluded from participating in campus activities, internships, or other College functions until the local board of health determines the end of the quarantine period (105CMR300.000). The College will then be in touch with students to review the exemption request. Weekly COVID testing and masks may be required.

• Students may submit evidence of immunity to MMR, varicella, and Hepatitis B by blood tests (titers). The lab report must be uploaded to the health portal. Documentation must be provided in English and the student’s name must be on all uploaded forms.
• Students are able to sign the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Meningococcal Waiver Form in lieu of the Meningitis vaccine.

Please take note of these requirements and obtain your vaccinations well in advance of your planned enrollment date. If you do not meet these requirements by July 15 (fall enrollment) or January 5 (spring enrollment), a Health Hold will be placed on your registration and you will not be permitted to attend classes or register for additional classes at Emerson College until the requirements are met.

The information and access to the online student health portal will be available in early June at emerson.edu/admissions-aid/graduate-admission/accepted-students. You will use your Emerson ID and password to access the secure portal.

State law mandates that all students enrolled at least ¾ time (6 graduate credits or more) must be continuously enrolled in a qualified insurance plan. Students will be automatically enrolled in the College-sponsored program unless they provide insurance information and submit an insurance waiver annually. Information on plan benefits and waiver requirements can be found at universityhealthplans.com/emerson.

Because Massachusetts state law requires any student participating in at least 75 percent of the full-time curriculum to have continuous medical insurance, Emerson is responsible for ensuring its students have continuous medical coverage.

If a student waives insurance at the beginning of an academic year, then loses coverage, they must notify University Health Plans at info@univhealthplans.com or 833-251-1726 to purchase health insurance through Emerson. Prorated plans are available.

The Center for Health and Wellness coordinates programming on topics such as alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use and abuse, smoking cessation, sexually transmitted infections including HIV and AIDS, stress management, and body image and eating disorders. Focusing on responsible decision making, the College seeks to increase education and awareness about these issues with the goal of reducing the health risks associated with them.

Emerson Counseling and Psychological Services (ECAPS) is an excellent place for Emerson students to begin looking for help with personal concerns, family problems, or other psychological issues. ECAPS serves as a resource to help students develop tools to succeed academically and socially and to assist with mental health concerns. 

Counseling is providing remote sessions during Fall 2021. Please call 617-824-8595 or email counseling_center@emerson.edu to schedule an appointment.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:45 am-5:00 pm; evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday until 7:00 pm.

Phone: 617-824-8595

For more information, visit emerson.edu/counseling-center.

Counseling provides the following services:

• Short-term counseling and psychotherapy
• Support and therapy groups
• Urgent Care hours: Monday-Friday, 2:00-3:30 pm
• Crisis intervention
• Psychiatric consultation for students in therapy at ECAPS
• Referrals to outside agencies, private psychotherapists, and psychiatrists
• After-hours crisis line: Graduate students can call 617-824-8595 and select to talk to a live therapist when ECAPS is closed evenings and weekends.

ECAPS’s facilities and services are available to all graduate students who choose to pay the health services fee. It also provides the Emerson College community with consultation, outreach, and training on a variety of topics relevant to students’ lives and psychological issues. Counseling services are confidential. No information is released to anyone inside or outside of the College without the student’s knowledge and consent, within the guidelines of professional ethics and legal principles.

Emerson College is committed to providing access to its academic programs and social activities for all qualified students with disabilities. While upholding this commitment, we maintain the high standards of achievement that are essential to the College’s programs and services. In advancing these dual aims, we ensure that the College’s policies, practices, and procedures conform to federal and state statutes and regulations. Our philosophy is that students are independent and self-determined and that students with disabilities-just like all students-have control over their lives here at Emerson and are ultimately responsible for making their own decisions.

Emerson offers services through its Student Accessibility Services Office to students with documented physical, medical, visual, hearing, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. Any student with a disability who is seeking accommodations or who has specific questions about services at Emerson should contact the Student Accessibility Services Office by email at sas@emerson.edu or telephone at 617-824-8592, or see emerson.edu/student-accessibility-services. The Student Accessibility Services Office is located at 216 Tremont Street on the fifth floor.

Intercultural Student Affairs (Intercultural) at Emerson centers humanity, compassion, and education at the forefront of everything we do; we honor, celebrate, and validate the narratives of marginalized voices, and, in turn, support community-based advocacy, reflection, and action. In short, we want to create and hold space for people to be who they are. Intercultural Student Affairs advises many student cultural organizations and supports all student organizations whose missions focus on topics in close alignment with the mission of the department. Additionally, Intercultural presents a variety of programs throughout the academic year. Find the office on the web at emerson.edu/departments/intercultural-student-affairs. Follow Intercultural on Instagram at emersonintercultural and do not hesitate to email the office at intercultural@emerson.edu.

The Cultural Center located at 172 Tremont Street, room 406, was established to enhance the educational, cultural, and social needs of the campus community. It hosts a variety of formal and informal events for students, faculty, and staff. The Cultural Center is open during the day as a drop-in lounge for the entire Emerson community. After 5:00 pm, the space is reserved for cultural organizations’ weekly meetings. Student organizations whose missions align with the work of the Cultural Center and Intercultural Student Affairs may request to use the Cultural Center for their weekly meetings. Approval is contingent upon availability. The facility can also be reserved for special cultural events and meetings. Reservations can be requested online via Spacebook. Approval is contingent upon availability.

The Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) provides immigration and campus support services for Emerson’s international student community. It offers immigration advising to students in F-1 status, exchange visitors, and others on matters related to US study, work authorization, and international travel. It supports international students with cross-campus resources for academic success, community integration, leadership development, and career preparedness. The office participates in new student orientation and promotes campus organizations, events, and initiatives that reflect Emerson’s global voice. 

The office can be reached at: 

Location: 120 Boylston Street, 10th Floor (Note that the office can also offer remote services. Call if you have a question!)

Email: oisa@emerson.edu

Phone: 617-824-7858

Web: emerson.edu//international-student-affairs

The CSL suite also includes an ablution room for Muslim daily prayer practice. Please email spiritual_life@emerson.edu to receive ongoing access to the ablution room.

The Department of Athletics coordinates the College’s varsity, intramural, and recreational sports programs. Athletics at Emerson is an opportunity for student-athletes to bring out their best through competition and to learn valuable lessons on and off the field that will stay with them throughout their lives. Lessons about teamwork, self-discipline, accountability, and effort help shape a well-rounded individual.

Emerson College is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

Student-athletes who are enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the college or university that they previously attended as an undergraduate student may participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided they have eligibility remaining and within the first 10 full-time semesters of collegiate enrollment for Division III. Students who attended Emerson as undergraduates should contact the Athletics Department about interest and potential participation.

Fitness Center

The Emerson College Fitness Center (ECFC) offers exercise and wellness programs designed to meet specific interests and goals including proper diet and nutrition, stress management, sports conditioning, and general physical fitness. At no cost to the Emerson community, the ECFC provides state-of-the-art strength training, cardiovascular and free weight equipment, and a studio where a daily schedule of aerobic, dance, yoga, and conditioning classes are offered.

Visit emerson.edu/departments/athletics/facilities/fitness-center for more information.

The Social Justice Center works with individuals and communities through advocacy, support, and radical care. Our community and organizing work is informed by Intersectionality, Black feminist theory, Decolonization, Critical Trans Politics, Abolition, Disability Justice, Healing Justice, and Transformative Justice. We believe in the power of individual and community self-determination and engage in an ongoing practice of praxis-reflection and action. We seek to deepen our own liberatory practices and work to create liberatory spaces for others.

Please feel free to visit us in the Social Justice Center at 120 Boylston Street, 10th Floor; the Elma Lewis Center at 148 Boylston Street; and the Healing and Advocacy Collective at 150 Boylston St. Suite 233 . For more information, please visit emerson.edu/social-justice-center or follow us on facebook.com/SocialJusticeCtr and Instagram at @socialjusticectr.

No one should make you feel like you can’t be yourself or that decisions are not consensual. If you are feeling:

• Anxious or panicked
• Sad or depressed
• Checked out or disinterested
• Unsure or overwhelmed
• Numb, unreal, or out of body
• Run down, sick, or tired
• Not hungry

Your feelings make sense and are valid.

It’s not your fault.

These things are rooted in power and control, take choices away from survivors, and make consent impossible:

• Emotional Abuse
• Threats & Intimidation
• Verbal Abuse
• Sexual Assault
• Physical Harm
• Cultural Abuse

We believe you.

We’re here.

Connect with a free and confidential counselor/advocate.

Call, email, or stop by, no appointment necessary:

• 617-824-8857

• Piano Row 240, 150 Boylston Street 

• advocate@emerson.edu

• emerson.edu/healing

• facebook.com/HealingandAdvocacyCollective

• twitter.com/HealingAdvocacy

• instagram.com/HealingandAdvocacyCollective

• instagram.com/TrumanTales

We can:

• Provide ongoing trauma-informed support;
• Request No Contact Orders and academic accommodations;
• Go to Title IX meetings as your advocate;
• And more…

You get to pick what works for you.

We recognize that people of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, faith, socioeconomic status, age, ability, veteran status, and citizenship status can be impacted by power-based interpersonal violence and we’re here to support Emerson students (domestic, international, undergraduate, graduate); faculty; and staff.

Healing & Advocacy envisions a world where all communities are committed to community-building, radical care, and justice-a world where violence does not seem inevitable. We are all accountable to interrupt the norms and behaviors that reinforce harm and oppression. It is not only up to survivors to change things. It requires social change, and we’re all a part of that. Everyone can do something. Here are some ideas about how to get involved throughout the year:

• Participate in an active bystander intervention workshop
• Try out our trauma-informed yoga
• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
• Consult with us on a class paper, project, thesis, or capstone
• Connect with us for student organization meetings, events, and additional activities
• Visit with Truman the therapy dog

The Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) (formerly known as the Title IX Office) is responsible for addressing all issues of discrimination, harassment and sexual violence within the Emerson community.  We do this for students, staff and faculty.  OEO is available to meet with individuals who may have experienced this conduct to discuss their experience, provide support resources and to review what options may be available if that person was interested in taking steps to address that conduct.  OEO is responsible for the informal and  formal resolution processes that are available internally to address this type of conduct.  OEO is headed by the Associate Vice-President for Equity, Access and Equal Opportunity, who serves as the Title IX and ADA/Section 504 Coordinator for the College.  OEO also employs full-time OEO Investigators specially trained and experienced in addressing these matters.  OEO is also available to conduct training on these topics campus-wide.