Pushing boundaries.
BU launched the nation’s first PhD in Emerging Media Studies and an MA that jump-starts research careers. Inside eye-tracking suites, VR rigs, and live social-data “war rooms,” you’ll ask questions like how AI, XR (extended reality), robots, and new media transform people, policy, and profit—and publish findings before graduation.
Department Highlights
- World-first doctorate founded 2014— graduates in this cutting-edge field now work at places like Meta Reality Labs and the United Nations. From AI and media to disinformation, our alumni influence the policy and practices of Fortune 500s, governments, and more.
- #ScreentimeBU— showcase your latest emerging media research and connect with peers at #ScreentimeBU, the student-run conference of BU’s Emerging Media Studies that spotlights cutting-edge scholarship, collaboration, and professional networking.
- Year-long industry lab— EM777 pairs you with professional sponsor organizations–from global tech companies to NGOs– to design and conduct original data-driven research that helps clients solve real problems. You’ll present and publish your findings, too.
Rankings and Reputation
Emerging Media Studies students publish in places like New Media & Society and present at conferences around the world. BU COM is a leader in emerging media studies, an area of study so new that it lacks popular rankings. But BU is highly ranked across many better-known and complimentary fields, such as digital media studies and more.
- No. 3: Best Schools for Digital Communication 2025, College Factual
- No. 1: Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in the U.S. 2025, College Factual
- Top Film Schools in North America, Variety (no rankings)
- No. 2: Best Journalism Schools 2025, College Factual
- No. 1: Best Schools for Public Relations & Advertising in the U.S. 2025, College Factual
Programs in Emerging Media Studies
Graduate:
Student Work in Emerging Media Studies
Recent projects map TikTok political memes, eye-track VR empathy, scrape 2M tweets on climate protest, and examine AI and media—all showcased at the annual #ScreentimeBU conference. This conference covers a broad range of topics, from media science and digital media studies to emerging media.
Where Emerging Media Studies Can Take You
Graduates become research scientists, UX researchers, policy analysts, and assistant professors. Employers include NIH, Meta Reality Labs, Nielsen, UN Development Programme, MIT Media Lab, institutions of higher education, and more.
