Application Instructions

Personal Statement

Please review and answer both parts one and two of the prompts below in a single response. Part one should be limited to 500 words; part 2 should be limited to 750 words.

Part 1: What drives you to further your studies in advertising? In addition, and if available, please feel free to include a link to your website, blog, etc. that showcases your creativity or management experience.

Part 2: Please choose 1 quote from the 3 below and write an essay that gives your thoughts on the quote. Be sure to begin your essay with your chosen quote. If you choose to use outside sources in addition to using your personal insight and experience, please make sure your sources are correctly cited. Limited to 750 words.

“Obviously ads are reaching millions of eyeballs — those are eyeballs of men, women, people of all genders, children — so I think it’s very important to put out work that is respectful, and that represents all people.”

— Nomin Boutchard

“Building a profitable personal brand online is not a sprint, and something that happens overnight. Don’t aim for perfection early on. Instead allow your brand to evolve naturally over time and focus on providing massive value and over-deliver to your target audience. Then you will get more clear over your message and brand as well.” 

– Navid Moazzez

“There are a lot of great technicians in advertising. And unfortunately, they talk the best game. They know all the rules … but there’s one little rub. They forget that advertising is persuasion, and persuasion is not a science, but an art. Advertising is the art of persuasion.” 

– William Bernbach

Personal Statement

Tell us about yourself and your experiences with emerging media. Why do you think you’ll succeed in Boston University’s Emerging Media Studies program and beyond? What are your academic research interests, and what faculty members at Boston University have research areas that parallel yours?

Academic Writing Sample

Please attach a sample of your writing. Though it may be of any type or length, we recommend that you submit an academic writing sample of no more than 30 pages.

Personal Statement

Tell us about yourself and your experiences with film and television studies. What are your main areas of interest? Who among the Film and Television Studies faculty performs research that aligns with your interests? What would you like to do with your master’s degree? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words.

Academic Writing Sample

Submit two academic writing samples, each of at least 750 words in length. The samples should be essays actually submitted to recent arts or humanities courses. Ideally, the samples should be originals or clear photocopies of the actual papers that were turned in, showing the course numbers and names of the instructors, the dates of submission, instructors’ comments in the text and margins, and the grades the papers received.

If the originals or clear copies of the papers are not available, newly printed-out copies of the papers are acceptable. Write on the first page the course name, teacher’s name, date, and grade the paper received (if remembered). If neither originals nor photocopies nor new print-outs of papers from the past five years are available, applicants may submit two newly written essays of 750–1,000 word length. In either case, the essays need not be about film or television.

Discussions of any work of art, artistic movement, or issue in literature, drama, painting, sculpture, television or film are equally acceptable. Do not submit informal, non-academic samples, such as blog posts or movie reviews. (Note to international applicants: both essays should be submitted in the English language, but the translation, if necessary, should be done by the candidate.) No one else is allowed to assist in the preparation or correction of the writing samples submitted.

Personal Statement

Tell us about yourself and your experiences with journalism. Why do you think you’ll succeed in the BU graduate program and beyond? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced, please.

Writing Sample

Please attach a sample of your own original writing. The admission committee is looking to assess your potential writing ability in the journalism field. 

• The committee recommends that your sample is at least 3 pages long and no longer than 10 pages, double-spaced.
• The writing sample must be written solely by you (i.e. not a group project).
• The admission committee will accept a wide range of samples (or a combination of samples), including but not limited to:
  •  stories written for media (for example, a student or other newspaper)
  • academic writing
  • blog
  • creative piece

Boston University’s Master of Science in Media Science: Marketing Communication Research (MCR) prepares you with instruction in advanced research methods to gain consumer insights, predict purchasing behaviors, evaluate the impact of media consumption, and analyze consumer decision-making processes about brands, services, products, and political candidates.

We strongly encourage you to review the program’s link above so that you can incorporate your knowledge of the field of marketing communication research into various aspects of your application – for example, your personal statement (below), Kira Talent assessment, and anywhere else that’s applicable.

Personal Statement

Our concentration in Marketing Communication Research trains students for jobs in the marketing research/consumer insights industry.
Write an essay, in your own words, that explains how companies, organizations, government agencies, etc. can benefit from marketing communication research. In the second half of your essay, please provide a real-life or theoretical example of a marketing research project and tell us how knowledge gained through such a project helped or can help a client.
Please cite/reference any outside sources utilized while writing this essay. Limited to 750 words.

Personal Statement

Broadly defined, the Media Sciences constitute a field of study that encompasses the history, theory, production, content, and public effects of a variety of media, including but not limited to journalism, advertising, photography, radio, film, video, television, design, the internet, digital technologies, and the performing arts. We recognize that studying media requires interdisciplinary training. At BU, the Media Science curriculum provides core, structured learning in media theory, research, and practice, to train students in how to create, distribute, and evaluate media messages in a strategic manner. 

According to this description, explain how you plan to use this interdisciplinary thinking in your future career. Why do you want to study media science? How do you see the field advancing? Please remember to cite any external sources you use to support any portion of your answer. Limited to 750 words.

Personal Statement

Why do you believe the Master’s in Media Ventures is the right graduate program for you? What are your goals for the future and what do you hope to accomplish with this degree? Limited to 750 words.

Case Study

Everyone is familiar with companies such as Apple, Snapchat, Facebook, and Google and recognize the innovations these brands have made in shaping how consumers create, share, and consume content. However, in all parts of the world, other companies and innovators are also creating meaningful innovations in media, technology, and communication, but perhaps are lesser known.

We’d like to hear from you about a company, brand, or individual that you believe is making an impact by bringing together content and technology in ways that are important. Describe what the company is doing and how it is using technology and content to position itself as a leader to better serve its audience and customers or community. How is it innovating and making a difference? How is the company giving itself a competitive advantage within its market segment or, if you’ve chosen a non-profit, how are they creating impact within the community? Limited to 1,000 words.

Personal Statement

Please review and answer either option A or option B. You may only submit one essay. Limited to 750 words.

Option A: 

“According to the most current annual PRWeek/Boston University Bellwether study conducted by BU faculty Donald Wright, Raymond Kotcher, and Arunima Krishna (https://www.prweek.com/article/1693824/bellwether-survey-2020-amid-era-constant-evolution-agility-will-win;), agile, flexible communications are essential for building and maintaining relationships. Changes such as big data, analytics, AI and macro-challenges (e.g. health, economic, demographic, social and political) will continue to drive change and define a new future for communications and public relations.” — Raymond Kotcher (2021), COM alumnus, COM professor of the practice, and former CEO and Chairman of Ketchum  

Please write an essay that gives your thoughts on the quote above and explains what you think are post-pandemic challenges of keeping PR agile. If you choose to use outside sources in addition to using your personal insight and experience, please make sure your sources are correctly cited.

Option B:

“As a communicator, agility is make-or-break… Influencers are acting as newsmakers, reporters are starting their own outlets, and social platforms are revising their rules. If communicators don’t understand the different roles — and keep up with the changes — their ability to execute will suffer.” — John Saunders, president and CEO of FleishmanHillard

Please write an essay that gives your thoughts on the quote above and explains how you see these different roles influencing the field of PR. If you choose to use outside sources in addition to using your personal insight and experience, please make sure your sources are correctly cited.

Personal Statement

Tell us about yourself and your experiences with screenwriting. Why do you think you’ll succeed in the BU graduate program and beyond? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced, please.

Two Fictional Writing Samples

Submit two original writing samples. They may be a portion of a screenplay, teleplay, short script, play or prose (at least one screenplay or teleplay is highly recommended). The combined length of both samples should be no more than 20 pages. On the first page of your writing sample, please identify what type of sample you are submitting: feature, a short, television pilot, etc. Please do not include more than two samples.

TV Producing/Management Concentration

Personal Statement: Tell us about yourself and your experiences with television. How do you see a MSTV degree helping you with your career? What area(s) of the TV/film industry interests you as a potential career path? Why do you think you’ll succeed in the BU graduate program and beyond? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced.

Writing Sample: Name three American TV shows, each from a different TV genre, and then tell how those shows reveal interesting trends in American society. In other words, choose a TV comedy, a TV drama, reality program, or talk show. Then name the network which carries the program (that network could be a traditional network, cable program, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.. You choose.). The point is to look at current TV programs so you can write about their connection to what is actually going on in America. Your response should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced.

Optional Writing Sample: If Producing/Management students wish to take the Television/Writing electives (FT522, FT512, or FT514), they are required to submit a writing sample. This is not a required component and does not have any impact on your admission status (only on your ability to take to writing electives).

Please select an American situation comedy series or dramatic series that is currently being aired with original episodes. Create an original storyline for this series. Write no more than 10 pages of dialogue for a scene in the story you created. You are only required to submit up to 10 pages of dialogue for the scene, not the entire story. On the top of your submission, write your name, the title of the series that you are submitting, and a one-sentence logline. (A logline is a one-sentence description of your series episode storyline.)

It is also possible that, based upon your writing sample, you may be required to have a Skype/Zoom conversation with a television professor. This will not apply to all applicants.

TV Producing/Writing Concentration

Personal Statement: Tell us about yourself and your experiences with television. Why do you think you’ll succeed in the BU graduate program and beyond? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced.

Writing Sample: Please select an American situation comedy series or dramatic series that is currently being aired with original episodes. Create an original storyline for this series. Write no more than 10 pages of dialogue for a scene in the story you created. You are only required to submit up to 10 pages of dialogue for this scene, not the entire story.

On the top of your submission, write your name, the title of the series that you are submitting, and a one-sentence logline. (A logline is a one-sentence description of your series episode storyline.)

Writing Sample: Name three American TV shows, each from a different TV genre, and then tell how those shows reveal interesting trends in American society. In other words, choose a TV comedy, a TV drama, reality program, or talk show. Then name the network which carries the program (that network could be a traditional network, cable program, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.. You choose.). The point is to look at current TV programs so you can write about their connection to what is actually going on in America. Your response should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced.

It is also possible that, based upon your writing sample, you will be required to have a Skype/Zoom conversation with a television professor.