Among the Best Universities for Film and Television
Create gripping stories across film, TV, and new media at BU—ranked among the best universities for film and TV. Small classes of 12–15 in many film and tv degree programs pair you with industry veterans to hone your unique voice and build a standout portfolio. Your entrance into film and TV is backed by COM career services and an alumni network that opens doors.
From Boston to LA—start in Boston, a top 10 media market. Then opt to build experience in LA. Students have interned on both coasts: Disney, Sony, ABC, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Thunder Road Films, the Hollywood Reporter, Hello Sunshine, Discovery, ESPN, GBH, and more.
Personal mentorship to boost your creativity—our faculty have done the work, and our small class sizes let them show you how, personally. Get support creating a broad range of content: from scripted to unscripted, art house to commercial.
Learn the industry inside and out—as an undergrad, you’ll start with the basics of cinematic history, theory, writing, and production. Then, you can specialize in screenwriting, cinematography, editing, directing, producing or management, or film or television studies. Grad students choose from degrees in TV, screenwriting, film and TV studies, and media ventures.
Film & TV Industry Awards and Connections
The BU College of Communication is regularly ranked among the best universities for film and TV. Our award-winning film and tv degree program faculty have experience writing, producing, and directing work for networks from Netflix to Disney. Our alumni hold prestigious roles at companies and production houses like NBCUniversal and VICE media, creating a network that spans all the way from Boston to LA and around the world.
- BU COM among best universities for film according to the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TheWrap, and more for 2024
Film and TV Degree Programs
Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Student Work in Film and TV
Studying at one of the best filmmaking schools means you’re a part of an inspiring community. Just check out some of this recent student work:
- Student films from our Redstone Film Festival have been nominated for Academy Awards.
- Real World Productions and BUTV10, both student run, create award-winning works from PSAs and documentaries to news and variety shows.
Where a Film and TV Degree Can Take You
BU’s film and TV degrees prepare you to succeed in screenwriting, cinematography, editing, directing, producing or management, or film or television studies across film, television, and new media. BU’s liberal arts requirements for undergrads guarantee that each student imbues their work with a deep understanding of society’s essential questions. The graduate programs offer deep specialization. This combination is what makes BU COM one of the best universities for film.
Film and TV Degree Alumni
BU COM film and TV alumni are among the most successful directors, screenwriters, editors, producers, executives, and academics in the industry.
Bonnie Arnold (COM’78)
Bonnie is an Oscar-nominated producer who turned toys and dragons into box office gold. From Pixar’s trailblazing Toy Story to DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, her BU-honed storytelling soars worldwide. Alumni help make BU one of the best filmmaking schools.
Josh Safdie (COM’07) & Benny Safdie (COM’08)
This pair of indie mavericks crash-land raw NYC energy onscreen. Their adrenaline-shot thrillers—Good Time and the Adam Sandler blockbuster Uncut Gems—prove BU-born vision can jolt global cinema.
Bonnie Hammer (CGS’69, COM’71, SED’75)
This media titan rose from BU lecture halls to vice chair of NBCUniversal. She built hit brands like USA Network and Syfy, championed visionary shows, and now guides film, TV, and streaming strategy.
Film and TV Degree Program Events & Experiences
Redstone Film Festival
For 30+ years, BU’s spring Redstone Film Festival—backed by the Sumner Redstone Foundation—has showcased standout student films, earning its rep as New England’s premier venue for rising film and TV talent. See what comes out of one of the best filmmaking schools.
BUTV10 Network
BUTV10 produces award-winning student-created news, sports, drama, comedy, and variety programs. You can watch on campus on channel 10 and via livestream at butv10.com.
BU Cinemathèque
BU Cinemathèque gives you access to a series of exclusive screenings and candid talks with top filmmakers and showrunners—think the Safdie brothers, Paul Schrader, Kelly Reichardt—so every Film & TV student gains insider insights and industry connections each semester.
Real World Productions
Hone your production, writing, and editing skills through Real World Productions, a class that operates as a student-run, client-driven production company. Work on project proposals from nonprofits, for-profits, faculty, and students.
