Program Notes
- No GRE required.
- Merit scholarships available, with no additional application required.
- International students: This program is eligible for the OPT STEM extension.
Increase Your Impact with the MS in Media Science
Become a strategic storyteller across platforms—learn to create and manage media as well as analyze media performance across new and emerging technologies.
Specialize or go broad—take a concentration in Health, Politics, or Marketing Communication Research—or study broadly. This flexible MS in Media Science gives you access to topics you’d find in an MA in political communication, masters in social media, master’s in mass communication, and much more.
Complete an internship or research project—you build 1/3 of your program to suit your interests; choose from a wide range of electives or even an internship in London.
Join Successful MS in Media Science Alumni
The MS in Media Science sends its graduates to a wide range of fields: advertising, public relations, marketing communication research, politics, healthcare, international relations—any field where media communication is essential. Which is to say, anywhere.
Example Alumni Employers
- Tiktok
- Lenovo
- PBS
- Edelman
- Gupta Media
- Burson
- Education First
- Time Inc.
- Devries Global
- Liberty Mutual
- Meta
- Microsoft
- M Booth
- And more
You’re Prepared for Diverse Roles in Media Science
MS in Media Science alumni work as marketing managers, market research analysts and specialists, management analysts, credit analysts, instructors, editors, and more. Your degree is versatile and valued in the job market—91% of alumni have reported that they’re employed in their field of study.
You’re Skilled in Key Areas for Mass Communication
Alumni are highly skilled in research, communications, marketing, strategy, social media, data analysis, branding, graphic design, editing, teaching, and more.
I applied to Boston University due to its outstanding reputation in communication studies and for its impressive course catalog that offered both theory and practical application. Serving as a graduate teaching assistant while taking industry-related courses provided the perfect mix of academia and real-world application.
Danielle Derman, Alumna and Associate Director of Learning Experience at Applied Medical
What You’ll Learn in the MS in Media Science
Boston University’s Master of Science in Media Science provides you with a deep expertise in the social scientific study of media. Explore the changing media landscape and learn to strategically create, distribute, and evaluate media messages.
This three-semester program offers the practical knowledge of a master’s in mass communication, but it doesn’t stop there. Learn how media influences human behavior, societal trends, and communication patterns. The MS in Media Science prepares you for careers in:
- Strategic media planning
- Content creation and media design
- Message development and dissemination
- Analysis and evaluation of media messages and media campaigns
- Or a future in research and teaching via doctoral studies
I’ve wanted to be a teacher for most of my life, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized being a communication professor was my calling. The special pairing of researching our media-saturated world with cultivating the growth of students inspired me to begin the long road towards earning a PhD. However, I didn’t major in communication at my undergraduate college, so I decided to apply to graduate school to become a serious communication PhD applicant. I am so glad I made that decision. The thought of combining my passion for research and for teaching continues to energize me.
Jack Anderson, Current Student
Explore Communication from Politics to Health
Challenge yourself with classes in media writing, media theory, communication research, media law and policy, and design strategy and software. Focus your studies further by choosing a concentration in political campaigns, health campaigns, or marketing communication research. And choose other electives like UX, data analytics, and more to create a degree that is tailor fit.
You can get the depth of a MA in political communication, masters in social media, and more while sampling courses from additional areas.
Explore our curriculum and courses.
Build Real Experience
In the MS in Media Science, you can select from internships, research projects, thesis projects, and more. You can also get implementation experience in one of the many clubs and organizations at COM.
Hold Media Science Internships
Select from internships in Boston, across the US, or abroad.
As part of our London Graduate Mass Communication Summer Program, interns can work for PR and advertising agencies, start-ups, nonprofits, and more with a range of specialties: brand identity and digital marketing strategy, beauty and lifestyle, accessible and inclusive health tech, luxury interior decor, sustainable and equitable business, and beyond. These internships fuse mass communications and media science to give you unmatched expertise.
Publish with the COMmunicator
The COMmunicator is the official student-run multimedia website of the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations. It features news, insider stories, personal blogs, faculty news and awards, interviews with alumni, and published work from BU students. Leadership and staff positions are available through the COMmunicator for credit.
Gain Cross-Platform Experience in COMLab
COMLab is a student-run, multiplatform, integrated media start-up with departments that cover multiplatform news and documentaries, research and strategic communication, and multiplatform fiction.
Collaborate with Teachers, Researchers, Mentors
MS in Media Science faculty are steeped in research and practice. They are internationally recognized thought leaders in the fields of advertising, public relations, media law, psychology, political communication, design, and more. They provide the kind of expertise you’d find in programs ranging from an MA in political communication or master’s in mass communication to a masters in social media.
You can find a mentor in your area of interest on our faculty pages.
Combatting Science Denial
It’s a question many of us have grappled with in recent years, whether engaging in a debate about the reality…
Harness the Power of Advanced Research Facilities
As a student in this flexible program, you can work alongside faculty conducting original research. Together, you can leverage the technology at COM’s Communication Research Center and the state-of-the-art social media tools offered at the Zimmerman Family Social Activation Center. This gives you access to the creative tools of a master’s in mass communication and the analytical tools that make your MS in Media Science stand out.
Your faculty are a great resource to help you position yourself for success after graduation.
Benefit from Boston
Boston is a top destination for tech and start-ups, as well as being home to some of the best creative agencies, media companies, and leading employers. Innovation, research, and communications are in high demand here.
- Ranked among the most livable cities in the world
- America’s college town
- At the confluence of businesses working in:
- Media Strategy, Health Communication, Political Communication, Marketing Communication, Social Media
- Top media science and mass communication market
- Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, Cone Communications, HubSpot, IDEO, Wistia, and more
- Boundless opportunities for internships and careers
