Application Instructions

Personal Statement

Please respond to the prompts below in one document. Please limit your response to 750 words, double-spaced.

Part 1:
What most inspired you to apply to an advertising program?

The Advertising program at BU offers specialty courses in various areas. Select one of the different areas of focus within advertising (strategy/research/media/ creative/copywriting/art direction/account management) that aligns most with your career goals. Incorporate your anticipated area of focus into your response – for example, if creativity is your goal, incorporate that as part of your statement; if strategy is your goal, incorporate strategic insight, etc.

Beyond the prestigious reputation and location of Boston University, why do you think BU is the right program for you to achieve your aspirational goals?

Part 2:
What experience and/or skills would you bring to the program that make you a good fit? If available, please include a link to your website, blog, etc. that showcases your creativity or management experience.

Part 3:
In the digital age, the field of advertising is constantly evolving. What ad messaging have you seen or experienced from a marketing perspective that breaks through the clutter or is different from the competition? What ad messaging has gotten you engaged with a brand that you wouldn’t have engaged with otherwise? What did they do to get you to take action– was it something emotional, tactical, or something else? Why do you think that worked?

This program is open for fall 2027 entry to Boston University undergraduate students that will have completed their Bachelor’s degree program prior to enrollment.

Personal Statement: Please provide a brief statement (approximately 500 to 750 words) outlining your interest in Branded Content Production. In your statement, highlight your unique qualifications and motivations for pursuing this degree, relevant experience (if any), career goals, and how you plan to use your new skills to make a positive impact in the field.

We do not require a Kira Talent assessment or standardized test scores for the Branded Content Production (4+1) program.

Personal Statement: Please provide a brief statement (approximately 500 to 750 words) outlining your interest in civic science communication. In your statement, highlight your unique qualifications and motivations for pursuing this certificate, your interest in science, relevant experience (if any), career goals, and how you plan to use your new skills to make a positive impact in the field.

Upload transcript(s) within our online application from colleges and/or universities you’ve attended beyond high school. Transcript(s) must include evidence of a bachelor’s degree, such as a final transcript showing the degree conferral date.

We do not require letters of recommendation, a Kira Talent assessment, or standardized test scores for the Civic Science Communication application.

Option to enroll as a non-degree student: If you’re not ready to commit to the full certificate program, you can take individual courses as a non-degree student.

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? How will EMS’ training in theory and research methods be applied in pursuit of your longer-term professional goals? What are your academic research interests, and what faculty members at Boston University have research areas that parallel yours? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double-spaced.

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. (Note that this program focuses on research and analysis of media, not producing films or TV; please be sure you are applying to the program that best fits your goals.)

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. Essays should show the course numbers and names of the instructors and the dates of submission at the top of the first page if possible. The samples should display your writing and research abilities.

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, movie reviews, or screenplays. (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, and AI writing is not acceptable.

Important Note on Academic Integrity:
Generative AI Policy: The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, DALL-E, Midjourney, Grammarly AI etc.) is strictly prohibited for the creation of any application materials, including but not limited to, your statement of purpose, essays, writing samples, and any other submitted text. All submitted work must be your original creation and intellectual property. Violations of this policy may result in the rejection of your application.

• Your writing sample must clearly display your ability to conduct research, synthesize information, and present arguments effectively.
• Your writing sample must include appropriate academic citations for all sources used. Please adhere to a recognized citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) consistently throughout your sample.

Personal Statement

Please describe your interest in Human Centered Design and your motivation for pursuing graduate study in this field. In your statement, the admission committee would like to learn:

     *   What draws you to Human-Centered Design and why it matters to you
     *   Experiences, skills, or perspectives that have prepared you for this program (academic, professional, or personal)
     *   How this degree aligns with your short- and long-term goals
     *   The kind of impact you hope to make through human-centered, ethical, or inclusive design

Formal design training is not required to apply.

Optional Supporting Materials

Applicants may choose to submit up to 1–3 examples of work that provide additional context for their interests or experiences. This may include (but is not limited to): a portfolio link, writing sample, research or creative project, case study, blog, or independent project.

Submission of samples is not required.

MS in Journalism Personal Statement

Why do you want to be a journalist? Tell us about yourself, your skills and aptitudes as they relate to journalism, and your perspective of journalism’s role in society. Please limit your response to 750 words and double space.

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

Personal Statement

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.

With the description above in mind, please respond to the two prompts below in one document. Please cite/reference any outside sources utilized while responding to these prompts. Limited to 750 words.

1. MCR relies heavily on quantitative research methods. Discuss a project, class, internship, job, or related experience you’ve had or worked on where you’ve had experience with surveying, SPSS, data analysis, or similar research tools. Tell us more about what you did, how you’ve applied research methods, and what you learned from the experience. If you’re new to the field and have no prior experience in marketing communication research, discuss the type of information that you believe would be important to collect about consumers of specific goods, services, or technologies. Also indicate the types of insights that you believe such information would allow you to have and the usefulness of such insights.
2. Explain 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.

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

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.

Please respond to the two prompts below in one document. Please cite/reference any outside sources utilized while responding to these prompts. Limited to 750 words.

Please elaborate on the following:

1. What specifically about the field of media science excites or inspires you to pursue a graduate degree? We offer courses in health communication, political communication, design, communication law, and media effects. Please provide an example that sparked your interest in one or more of these areas or the field in general.
2. Please explain how the interdisciplinary nature of our program aligns with your career goals. How might this program’s unique combination of faculty expertise, research agendas, and resources equip you to explore your chosen area within media science and contribute meaningfully to the field?

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 answer both Part 1 and Part 2 of the prompts below in a single response. Part 1 should be limited to 500 words; Part 2 should be limited to 750 words.

Part 1: Personal Experience & Perspective
Reflect on two or more distinct experiences you personally had (e.g., coursework, internship, volunteer work). How do you think these past experiences contribute to the public relations program at BU and the field of public relations?

Part 2: Strategic Thinking & AI
Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping communication practice.
• Provide a specific example of how you have used AI for work or in school.
• Explain how it influenced your thinking, productivity, or decision-making.
• Reflect on how you personally think AI can be used strategically and responsibly in public relations.

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 one or two original writing samples, totaling a maximum of 20 pages. They may be a portion of a screenplay, teleplay, short script, or play. On the cover page of each sample, please identify the type of sample you are submitting and include a logline and brief paragraph synopsis (three sentences maximum).

Personal Statement

Tell us about yourself and your experiences (academic, professional, or volunteer) that sparked your interest in strategic communication and cross-channel integration. Why is the online MS in Strategic Integrated Communication the right next step for you, and how do you plan to use this this degree to create meaningful impact in your future career or community? Please limit your response to 500–750 words and use your own authentic voice.

TV Producing/Management

Personal Statement for the MS in Television: Tell us about yourself and your experiences with television production, such as undergraduate courses, extracurricular activities, internships, and/or jobs. What area(s) and positions in the TV/film industry do you feel would best suit your talents and personality? What do you see as your strengths you’d like to build upon and your weaknesses you’d like to improve upon? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double spaced.

Writing Sample: Tell us about a film or TV show that has had a big impact on you. Discuss how it has resonated with you, shaped your perspective, and influenced your interests. Then, what would you envision as a sequel, prequel, or spin-off of that work? Your statement should be no longer than 750 words and double spaced.

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