Student Groups

AdLab is a full-service, nonprofit advertising agency run by undergraduate and graduate students. Any junior or above who is interested in advertising can register for AdLab (COM CM 420, 2  credits). Master’s students enroll in COM CM 732. AdLab is designed to give students the opportunity for hands-on experience with the theories presented in their classes. Students should take AdLab for a minimum of two consecutive semesters.

In AdLab, students create, design, and produce ads for actual clients. They learn how to work within budget limitations, meet deadlines, and recruit new clients. Most of the ads AdLab produces are for the print media; however, student accounts have also called for radio and television public service announcements.

Association for Women in Sports Media—AWSM@Boston University is a student chapter of the national organization of the Association for Women in Sports Media. Open to all students, the group allows those interested in the sports media field to create their own network within Boston University. Like the national organization, AWSM@Boston University will work to promote diversity in sports media and encourage positive workplace environments. AWSM@Boston University will hold meetings at least once a month, bringing in industry professionals from around the Boston area. These professionals may or may not be members of the national organization of AWSM, and will offer insight into the field, as well as create networking opportunities for the students involved. While networking with industry professionals, the group will also host events pertinent to those interested in communication and sports, including panels on internships and resumes, as well as fun events like watching games together. Furthermore, the group will work within the sports community, volunteering for different sports-related charities and organizations in Boston.

Boston University News Service is an online multimedia publication that promotes student-driven journalism. Our mission is to publish stories through a Boston lens with a commitment to excellence and a dedication to the trust of our readers and community. The organization operates a full multimedia website focusing on issues crucial to the BU community as well as the city at large.

BUAR/VR is a student-run organization dedicated to introducing augmented reality and virtual reality technologies to the community around us. We aim to foster an enthusiastic atmosphere and bring in industrial resources to the Boston University campus. It’s a brand-new initiative for students to gain recognition among bigger technology communities in Boston built upon intellectual interest in the cutting-edge AR/VR field.

butv10 and its companion website butv10.com is Boston University’s student-produced and managed television station. Established in 2005, butv10 is a University-wide resource that presents the work of students, faculty, and alumni via campus channel 10, live streaming video, and on-demand web content. butv10 has garnered national recognition in recent years, with its Telly, Aegis, and Emmy Awards. butv10’s twelve programs and two hundred members are based at the College of Communication at Boston University.

COM Ambassadors give prospective undergraduate students and parents their first glimpse at the College of Communication. They offer daily tours of our programs and facilities. Additionally, they help with Open House for first-year students and other COM special events. COM Ambassadors also help first-year students adjust to their new environment, beginning in the summer before their first year commences and continuing throughout the year.

COM Graduate Student Council (GSC) is the representative body of COM graduate students. The GSC organizes social events, educational programs, and professional forums to enrich the graduate experience at Boston University. Participation in the GSC is a good way to meet students outside of your program of study and a perfect opportunity to make graduate school more than just an academic experience. Email comgrad@bu.edu for more information.

COM Student Government promotes the educational and social interests of COM students and ensures the efficiency and continuity of student activities. It promotes community-building efforts among students, faculty, and administration, and serves as a communication channel for the flow of student opinion and administrative policy. COM Student Government is composed of elected representatives of departments and classes within the college, including, but not limited to, Academic Department Representatives and the DEI Team. The latter focuses on implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion into COM’s DNA. It provides students with resources and opportunities to network with industry professionals through panels and other events celebrating diverse backgrounds. The team also works to plan non-DEI-centered COM Student Government events to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion is always represented.

Edward L. Bernays Chapter, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was  established in 1968 by the Public Relations Society of America. It provides an opportunity for students and professional public relations practitioners to meet and exchange views on issues of current concern in areas of public relations practice. Meetings with the New England Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and special student programs highlight PRSSA activities. Membership is open to all students majoring in public relations who meet the grade requirements in public relations courses. Members who graduate in good standing are eligible for preassociate membership in the Public Relations Society of America.

National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Photojournalism students are encouraged to become members of the National Press Photographers Association, a professional group with more than 10,000 members nationally. Boston University’s active student chapter promotes professional workshops, has many guest speakers, sponsors field trips, and regularly schedules portfolio reviews and critiques by area professionals.

PRLab is a student-run public relations agency open to undergraduate students (juniors and above) studying public relations who have completed COM CM  215 (Principles and Practices of Public Relations) and COM CM 331 (Writing for Communication) and master’s students studying public relations who have completed COM CM 701 (Contemporary Public Relations) and COM CM 707 (Writing for Media Professionals). The program was created to allow students to practice the skills studied in class. Students in PRLab serve as account executives for local nonprofits and government clients, and are required to work a minimum of seven hours per week. Students write news releases and brochures, plan and coordinate special events, pitch story ideas, prepare slide presentations and fund-raising campaigns, and write weekly status reports for their ­clients. Students who enroll in PRLab generally receive two academic credits per semester for a maximum of two semesters.

Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is  the largest and oldest journalism organization in the country. Membership includes more than 35,000 men and women from print, photojournalism, and broadcast journalism. As one of 300 campus chapters, the Boston University chapter works to support First Amendment rights and the Freedom of Information Act; sponsors guest speakers from print, photojournalism, and broadcast journalism media; and maintains contact with members of the local professional chapter of SPJ.

WTBU is Boston University’s student radio station, since 1965. Located on the third floor of the College of Communication building, the station is entirely student staffed and managed. WTBU acts simultaneously both as a fully operational radio station serving the student community and as an excellent training platform for students wishing to go into professional radio. WTBU offers students opportunities to assist in all aspects of running a commercial radio station, including public service, promotions, engineering, sales, management, and on-air work. With live music, news, and sports broadcasted 24 hours a day, WTBU can be heard around the world at www.WTBURadio.org.