Graduate Programs

The College of Communication offers graduate programs of study leading to the Master of Science (MS) and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in the following areas:


MFA Film


Film Production Program

Screenwriting Program

Film Studies Program


MS Television

MS Television Management

MBA/MS Television Management


Department of Journalism

MS Broadcast Journalism

MS Journalism

MS Photojournalism

MS Science Journalism

MS Business and Economics Journalism


Department of Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations


Applied Communication Research
Communication Studies


The Master of Arts degree in International Relations & International Communication is offered in cooperation with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences’ Department of International Relations. For application forms, write directly to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.


Application Requirements


A complete application, due February 1, will include the following:


1. A completed Application for Admission Form.



2. A nonrefundable application fee of $80 for the paper application or $70 for the online application (make check or money order payable to Boston University). The application fee is an application processing fee, not an application consideration fee. It is non-refundable.



3. Official transcript(s) of applicant’s academic record from each of the colleges/universities and graduate schools (if any) attended. College seniors should have transcript(s) sent as soon as grades for the first term of the senior year are available. A final transcript will be required of seniors, after they have been admitted to the College, in order to certify completion of undergraduate degree requirements. Transcripts are required from each college attended, whether or not the student was enrolled in a degree program. All transcripts must be in English, or an official translation in English accompanied by the original transcript.



4. Three letters of recommendation written by persons who know the applicant well, preferably professors and/or employers.


5. Official results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Dual degree MS/MBA Television Management applicants must take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) instead of the GRE. Students applying to the JD/MS Mass Communication program must take the LSAT. Tests must be taken within four years of application. Results must be sent directly from the testing center. Application will not be considered complete without official test results. Test scores must also be received by February 1.


6. Admissions/writing requirements (see “Instructions for Applicants” section of Application for requirements specific to each degree or visit our website. 


Applicants are not required to have experience in communication industries or in the academic areas of the department concerned. Students from the fields of humanities, sciences, and social sciences generally are preferred.


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Application Deadline


Application materials must be received by the Graduate Admissions Office of the College of Communication by February 1. 
Only applications that are complete by
 February 1 will be considered for admission. The application is available online at College of Communication Graduate Services.


The College of Communication is highly intensive in both written and oral communication. Therefore we recommend that students who wish to apply, whose native language is not English, submit both the TOEFL and GRE tests to the COM Graduate Services office.


However, international applicants are REQUIRED to take the Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) if your native language is not English. If a student has completed three to four years of an undergraduate degree program in English or has completed one or more years of a Master’s degree program taught in English the student MUST take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) instead of the TOEFL. A proficiency examination is an absolute requirement; no application from any student will be considered without the results of one of these tests.


Please refer to our website for updated TOEFL requirements. 


To make arrangements to take the TOEFL write to: 


Test of English as a Foreign Language

Box 899

Princeton, New Jersey 08540 U.S.A.


An applicant who is not a citizen of the United States must also submit an International Student Data Form. This form must be submitted by every foreign student who does not hold a permanent resident (immigrant) visa in the United States. The form will be mailed if the student is accepted and is needed to confirm that the student has the necessary financial support to meet all expenses of the program.


In addition, international graduate students must certify that they will have at least $55,000 available to cover tuition and living expenses for each year of the graduate program without depending on the University for any type of aid. A married student must have a minimum of $63,000 available. Financial documentation must be filed before Boston University will issue any visa documents.


If you are being supported by a parent, relative, organization, or company, we need an official letter from your sponsor stating a willingness to support you financially for academic studies and living expenses while attending Boston University. This should be in the form of a bank statement or a credit reference for the amount of the tuition and living expenses. All documents must be originals, not copies. This certification should be in English and must state the exact amount of your support in United States dollars.


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Scholastic Information


It is the responsibility of all graduate students at the College of Communication 
to be aware of the graduation and academic requirements listed in the publications COM Graduate Administrative Rules and Academic Conduct Code.


Electives


In selecting electives, students should give attention to broadening experience in the several fields included in the College.


Grades


A 3.0 (B) grade point average is required to qualify for the Master of Science or Master of Fine Arts degree.


If a student’s grade point index is less than 3.0 in any semester, or if more than 8 credits for grades below B – are received during the length of the program, the student’s record is reviewed by the department of enrollment to determine whether the student should be permitted to continue as a candidate for the degree, expelled, or should be placed on academic probation. A student who receives more than two C grades will be subject to a status review by the College’s academic committee. A grade of D will not receive graduate credit.


Course Load


Students entering the first semester of full-time graduate work are required to take a minimum of 12 credits (from 12 to 18 credits constitutes a full course load). In subsequent semesters students may, in exceptional cases, be permitted to take less than a full credit load. In consultation with his or her faculty advisor, a student may take courses for graduate credit in the other departments of the College or in other schools and colleges of the University, if such courses are relevant to the field of concentration.


Typing Requirement


Basic skill in typing (35 words per minute) is required of all graduate students and should be acquired before enrolling.


Transfer of Credits


In certain instances a maximum of eight semester credits may be accepted from other universities’ graduate programs with the approval of the chairman of the department concerned. At the discretion of the department, credits may be granted or course requirements waived. This will be done sparingly, if at all.


Incomplete Coursework


If for reasons acceptable to the instructor a student fails to take the final examination or to complete any other required work within a course, he or she receives the I grade. Within the time limit set by the individual school or college, the student must complete the course requirements. If the student does complete the course requirements, the I grade is replaced with the appropriate letter grade.


Completion of Degree Requirements


A full-time candidate for the master’s degree must complete all requirements within seven years from the date of first course registration. Part-time students also have seven years for the completion of all degree requirements. Extensions are given only upon recommendation of the faculty of the department in which the student is enrolled. Extensions may be accompanied by a requirement that the student take additional coursework to assure familiarity with current developments in the field.


A thesis, creative or analytical project, or comprehensive examination (for the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations only) for May graduation must be in the individual department office in completed form by April 1. Application for the degree must be filed in Room 123, Student Services, one year in advance.


Registration


All students must register for each regular semester until all degree requirements have been completed, except under conditions 
of authorized leave of absence. Registration must be completed within the official registration period, the dates for which are given in the Class Schedule. Students may register in any of the following categories:


Full-Time Students


A normal full-time course load is four courses per semester, but students enrolled for either three or four courses will be considered full-time and will be charged full tuition and fees. Students may register for more than four courses only with approval of their advisor.


Part-Time Students


All part-time degree candidates must register each regular semester for no less than one course per semester until all department course requirements are completed. Continuing students may register for less than one 4–credit course as indicated in the “Continuing Students” section that follows.


Continuing Students


All degree candidates, after completing all department course requirements, must register each regular semester as continuing students until all remaining degree requirements are completed. Payment of the fee for this status makes available to the student all academic facilities of the University. Registration and payment of regular tuition and fees for at least one course exempts the student from the continuing student fee. Continuing students may qualify as full-time according to the above regulations. Normal full- and part-time fees are also applicable. If in any semester a student fails to register and has not been granted an official leave of absence, he or she will be considered a continuing student and will be charged the usual fee for such status. Failure to register for two consecutive regular semesters, except under conditions of authorized leave of absence, may result in termination of degree candidacy.  All international students must comply with the above requirements to be eligible for practical training.


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Withdrawal/Leave of Absence


A student who submits a Registration Form for a semester and who decides not to attend must file an official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence Form.


Part-time students who reduce their course loads but remain registered during the first five weeks of the fall or spring semester will have their accounts adjusted for the difference between the original and reassessed tuition charges.


Part- and full-time students who find it necessary to withdraw completely from the University must file an official Withdrawal/Leave of Absence Form with the Graduate Services office, Room 119, College of Communication. Mere absence from classes does not reduce a student’s financial obligation or guarantee that a final grade will not be recorded.


A student who withdraws from the University before classes start is eligible to receive full credit of tuition and fees, excluding nonrefundable deposits and the application fee. No tuition or fees are returned after classes start. Students withdrawing during the first two weeks of classes are eligible to receive a credit of 80 percent of their tuition only; during the third week, 60 percent; during the fourth week, 40 percent; and during the fifth week, 20 percent. After the fifth week of classes, there will be no credit. Any request for an exception to the refund policy should be made in writing to the Graduate Services office.


A credit balance (overpayment) resulting from withdrawal, cash payment, or other adjustment will be refunded upon written request to Graduate Services, 640 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 119, Boston, MA 02215.


Late Registration


Continuing students who settle their accounts after the payment deadline will be assessed a late fee of $150–$600 (full-time) or $75–$300 (part-time) depending on the date of payment. Late registration will not be accepted. Students attempting to complete registration with full payment/settlement after the payment deadline will be required to submit a petition for a waiver of this policy. Petition forms may be obtained at the records office at the student’s college. Students whose petitions are approved by the University and who are allowed to complete late registration and payment/settlement will be subject to a late fee.


Auditing Courses


An auditor is a student who attends a class to acquire knowledge, but not to earn credits or a grade. Audited courses do not count toward completing degree requirements. An auditor may not change his or her status after the fifth week of classes. Auditors must attend classes regularly, complete assigned reading, and participate in discussions, but they are excused from examinations.


Auditors are admitted to a course on a space-available basis and in accordance with the rules of the school or college offering the course. Auditors are subject to the full tuition and fees of the course.


Change of Courses


After the registration period, students wishing to change their courses must fill out the appropriate forms at the College of Communication. A request for late registration in courses ordinarily cannot be granted after the first full week of classes.


A student who registers for any course is held responsible for its completion unless he or she officially withdraws or changes to the status of auditor before midsemester.


Financial Assistance


The deadline to apply for financial assistance is April 30 for continuing students. For information on graduate financial assistance, please refer Financial Aid section of this bulletin.  All entering students are considered for scholarship and are mailed information about loan and assistantship programs if accepted.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215

1 October 2008
Boston University
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