Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Housing Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More About Residence Life and On-campus Housing

University-sponsored housing is housing that MCPHS shares with other local colleges. These sites have anywhere from 20 to 140+ MCPHS students and include many of the same amenities as our on-campus locations, including MCPHS Resident Assistants (RAs) and professional staff.

Housing is guaranteed for all new first-year students and transfers who meet application and deposit deadlines. Housing is not guaranteed for students who miss the deadline. A very limited amount of housing is available for upper-class students through the housing lottery process.

The housing selection process takes place during the spring semester. Once a student has been accepted by the University, he or she will be required to pay a non-refundable housing deposit in addition to the deposit for admission. A housing contract and related materials will be mailed in mid-April. Students are required to read, fill out, and sign the contract and materials, then mail them back to the Office of Residence Life.

We offer a variety of different housing options. They include apartment-style with a kitchen and bathroom (i.e., Matricaria Hall), traditional corridor-style (i.e., Fennell Hall), and suite-style, multiple single, double, triple, or quad rooms with a shared bathroom and common living area (Treehouse).

A variety of factors are considered when assigning students to housing, including the date on which the housing contract and related materials are received by the Office of Residence Life.

Housing assignment information, including location and roommate(s) contact information, will be sent out electronically. This e-mail will include everything you need to know about what to bring to campus and the move-in process. Students starting in the fall will receive this email in mid-July and students starting in the spring will receive it in November.

Students and families may request a tour of the residence halls by contacting the Admission Office. Tours are also available during the July Orientation sessions.

Each room is furnished with extra-long twin beds, desks with chairs, dressers, and closets or wardrobes.

The cost of living on campus can vary, based on the residence hall assignment you receive. Please see the Student Financial Services site for more information.

Move-in dates and times will be posted on this site when available.

All of our residence halls are equipped with internet and cable television jacks. All buildings have wireless internet. Students with questions or difficulties regarding cable or internet access should call the Help Desk at 617.732.2170 or e-mail helpdesk@mcphs.edu.

Fall semester: Residents are asked to depart campus 24 hours after their last final exam or by 6 p.m. on the last day of final exams, whichever comes first. Residents returning for the spring semester may leave their belongings.

Spring semester: Residents are required to depart campus 24 hours after their last final exam or by 6 p.m. on the last day of final exams, whichever comes first.

Specific dates will be posted on this site when available.

Incoming first-year students and first-year transfer students are eligible for residence hall living. We also offer University-sponsored housing to students in their second year — however, housing eligibility and availability can vary from year to year. To see if you’re eligible for housing, please contact the Admissions Office.

Housing assignment information, including location and roommate(s) contact information, will be sent out electronically. This e-mail will include everything you need to know about what to bring to campus and the move-in process. Students starting in the fall will receive this email in mid-July and students starting in the spring will receive it in November.

The apartments available are four-person apartments consisting of two double (two-person) bedrooms.

If four students have mutual interest in living together they can fill out the Group Application/Apartment section. Incomplete apartments will not be considered.

If students can only fill a single bedroom with two people they can fill out the Group Application/Bedroom section. We do not accept applications of only three people.

The majority of the apartments at the New Residence Hall at Emmanuel College are four-person apartments consisting of two double (two-person) bedrooms. Each apartment has a full kitchen, living room, washer/dryer, and two bathrooms.

There are some single apartments (studio apartments), which only house one person with a full kitchen, living space, washer/dryer, and bathroom. Please note there is a limited amount of these units available.

Housing is not guaranteed for returning students, but those who meet application and deposit deadlines will be entered into the housing lottery. A very limited amount of housing is available.Students and families may request a tour of the residence halls by contacting the Admission Office. Tours are also available during the July Orientation sessions.

Students who live further than eight hours from MCPHS will be permitted to stay over the Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks if they complete the appropriate form before the deadline. Please note that many amenities on-campus, including but not limited to dining services, gym hours, and on-call staff assistance, will be limited during these times.

Damage deposits are refunded to students in June following the year you resided in campus housing, minus any costs for damage.

Special Requests

Yes, you may request a specific roommate. No placement is guaranteed.

Yes. As a group, you will submit only one Housing Selection Application. The application must include all the names and HSNs of each student wishing to live in the room or apartment. The average of the HSNs will be used when making housing assignments. For example, if the group of four students has HSNs of 2, 36, 75, and 120, a group HSN of 58 (the group average) will be assigned and placed for that request. Students on multiple applications will be rated based on the most recently submitted.

Yes. Students can apply on the individual application, and the Office of Residential Living and Learning will place them with other individual participants as their HSN numbers are selected. Please note that there are very few single apartments.
Limited single spaces are available, and they incur an increased cost. They are given based on availability and a student’s housing selection number.
Students who do not receive housing will be informed of their place on the waitlist and will be refunded their deposit. As space becomes available, we will contact students on the waitlist based on their HSN number.
While you cannot select a specific building, you may denote your housing style preferences on your housing form. Building assignments are made based on the housing deposit date, so it is beneficial to submit your deposit early.
Outside furniture such as couches/sofas, futons, bean bags, and comfy/cushion chairs are prohibited. The City of Boston maintains strict fire codes, which MCPHS must honor. Don’t hesitate to contact the Office of Residence Life if you have furniture-related questions.
For health and safety reasons, pets are not permitted in the residence halls. Fish (except piranha) are allowed in containers with a maximum volume equal to or less than ten gallons. No fish are allowed in the Treehouse.

Residence Life and Dining

The Director of Residential Living and Learning oversees all functions within the office, including student assignments, room changes, and the opening/closing of residence halls. The Assistant Dean supervises the Area Coordinators, the Graduate Assistants, and the Resident Assistant program.
Area Coordinators are live-in staff who supervise Resident Assistants. They have direct responsibility for all student development functions in their areas and oversee the day-to-day operations of the residence halls.
GAs are part-time “live-in” professional staff members employed by the Office of Residence Life. They are graduate students pursuing master’s degrees and assist ACs with the administrative aspects of the residence halls.
RAs are upper-class student leaders who live in the residence halls and serve as role models in promoting academic success, developing positive relationships, and educating students about their responsibilities within the MCPHS Community.
The Residence Hall Council (RHC) is a student-run organization that meets weekly and is responsible for educational and entertaining programming for on-campus students throughout the year.
Students are encouraged to speak with RAs, who are specifically trained to assist with various problems or concerns. If their RA is unavailable, they should seek an Area Coordinator or another staff/faculty member for assistance. We are here to help, please don't hesitate to ask.
Student workers assist with administrative, organizational, and programming tasks. You must have the work-study award to apply to be a student worker. For prospective candidates, mandatory informational sessions are held during the late fall and early spring semesters.
Meal plans are mandatory for residence hall students and are automatically billed. Students have a full or partial meal plan with a certain number of dining points. Dining points are accepted like cash and are similar to a declining balance account. Fall meal plan balances carry over to the spring semester; remaining balances at the end of the spring semester do not carry over to any future semesters. Residents are not permitted to opt out of the meal plan.
Sodexo, MCPHS’s dining service provider, is responsible for any special dietary requests or needs. See Dining Services for more information.

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