What is Branded Content Production?
The best branded content doesn’t feel like an interruption. It feels like something worth watching. Through storytelling, branded content builds relationships between organizations and their audiences. Unlike traditional advertising, it takes the form of videos, documentaries, podcasts, social campaigns, and other content that people choose to engage with.
Strategy decides what to say. Production brings it to life. This program teaches you both.
Two degrees. One cohesive skill set.
Most programs ask you to choose between creative production and brand strategy. This combined 4+1 program brings them together, so you graduate fluent in the language of content and the language of brand.
Built exclusively for COM students
Designed for BU COM undergraduates in film + TV, advertising, PR, and media science, this accelerated pathway lets you use up to 2 approved undergraduate courses (8 credits) toward your master’s degree. Apply during your junior year, earn two degrees in five years, and save both time and tuition along the way.
Content that moves audiences
You’ll learn to solve branding and communication challenges by creating videos, mini-documentaries, podcasts, and digital campaigns that people actively choose to engage with. Build a portfolio that sells ideas, connects with audiences, and cuts through online noise.
Who this Bachelor’s/Master’s program is for
If you’ve ever felt like your undergraduate major gives you only one half of what today’s media market expects, this dual degree builds the other half.
- For Film + TV students: Add brand strategy, consumer insight, and business thinking to your production skills. Prepare for roles leading content marketing teams, creative agencies, and commercial storytelling projects.
- For PR, Advertising, + Media Science students: Add hands-on video production, motion graphics, and visual storytelling to your strategic skill set. Instead of outsourcing your creative vision, learn how to produce it yourself.
What you’ll learn
By graduation, you’ll know how to move between the strategy room and the production set—and speak the language of both. Your portfolio will prove to employers that you can:
- Turn business goals into compelling, brand-driven content.
- Produce multimedia content, from short-form social video to long-form narratives, on budget and on deadline.
- Lead cross-functional creative teams from concept through delivery.
- Build a professional portfolio that showcases both strategic thinking and production expertise.
Curriculum: One year. 32 credits. Strategy meets production.
Complete your master’s degree in just two semesters, with the option to apply up to 8 approved undergraduate elective credits toward the 32-credit master’s requirement, saving you time and tuition.
Semester one
- Practical Production (4 credits): Build hands-on skills in camera operation, sound recording, and editing for branded content.
- Content and Project Management (4 credits): Learn to manage the budgets, timelines, talent, and workflows that keep creative projects moving.
- Writing Branded Content (4 credits): Write scripts, treatments, and strategic narratives designed to connect brands with their audiences.
- Career Practicum 1 (4 credits): Gain professional experience in studio, agency, or brand environments while building your industry network.
Semester two
- Real-World Productions (4 credits): The capstone experience. Work in collaborative teams to pitch, produce, and deliver original content for real clients.
- Career Practicum 2 (4 credits): Finalize your portfolio, expand your professional network, and prepare for creative and strategic roles across the industry.
- Approved Electives (8 credits): Tailor your focus. Choose from specialized courses like Data Visualization, Creative Video Development, Social Media Strategy, Documentary Production, Motion Picture Editing, or Marketing Communication.
Career outcomes: where graduates go
Graduates of the Branded Content Production BS/MS are prepared to work anywhere organizations use visual media to inform, persuade, or inspire. You’ll graduate ready to understand both what a brand needs to say and how to bring that idea to life on screen. Career opportunities span global creative agencies, streaming networks, corporate brand teams, technology companies, political campaigns, and international nonprofits.
Types of roles graduates can pursue
- Multimedia content creator
- Branded content specialist
- Multimedia producer
- Video producer/editor
- Content marketing strategist
- Brand storyteller
- Creative strategist
- Creative director (longer-term pathway)
Learn from faculty across strategy and production
You’ll learn from faculty with expertise in strategic communication, advertising, filmmaking, documentary production, writing, and digital media, bringing multiple sides of the industry into one interdisciplinary program.
In our integrated world, communication professionals require both literacy in content production and a strategic framework to break through and connect with stakeholders. Gaining a master’s degree in Branded Content Production will prepare students for success in our rapidly changing and ever-expanding communication industry.
Amy Shanler, Professor of the Practice, Public Relations
How to apply (BU undergraduates only)
The accelerated BS/MS program is open exclusively to current BU COM undergraduates majoring in Public Relations, Advertising, Media Science, or Film + Television. Most applicants have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
Apply during your junior year at BU. Required materials:
- Personal statement
- Resume
- One letter of recommendation
- Reel or portfolio
You can apply for free. Email COM Graduate Affairs at comgrad@bu.edu to request an application fee waiver code.
Visit the Application Instructions page.
Program at a glance
- Path: Accelerated 4+1 dual degree (BS/MS)
- Eligibility: Current BU COM juniors majoring in Film + Television, Advertising, Public Relations, or Media Science
- Graduate credits: 32, with up to 8 approved undergraduate elective credits applied toward the MS
- Duration: 1 additional year (2 semesters, full-time on-campus)
- Entry term: Fall after your senior year; apply during your junior year
- Application fee: Free with fee waiver code
- GRE: Not required
Frequently asked questions about the combined BS/MS in Branded Content Production program
Who can apply to this 4+1 program?
The accelerated BS/MS pathway is open exclusively to current BU COM undergraduates majoring in Film + Television, Advertising, Public Relations, or Media Science. External applicants are not eligible for this 4+1 option.
When should I apply?
Apply during your junior year so you can plan eligible undergraduate electives that may count toward your master’s degree.
How long does the program take?
You’ll complete the master’s portion in two full-time semesters immediately following your bachelor’s degree, earning both degrees in a total of five years.
What if I’ve already taken some of the elective courses as an undergraduate?
Up to 8 credits of approved undergraduate electives can count toward your master’s degree, giving you flexibility in how you complete the program.
Why earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s?
The combined degree lets you add advanced expertise in both strategic communication and content production while saving time and tuition. You’ll graduate with two degrees, a professional portfolio, and the ability to move between creative production and brand strategy.
Do I need prior production experience?
No. The curriculum is deliberately designed to cross-train students. If your undergraduate background is in PR or Media Science, we teach you production from the ground up. If your background is in Film & TV, we teach you brand strategy, audience insight, and strategic communication from the ground up.
What’s the difference between this program and the MS in Strategic Integrated Communication?
The MS in Strategic Integrated Communication is a fully online program designed for working professionals. The Branded Content Production BS/MS is an on-campus 4+1 program exclusively for current BU COM undergraduates, with a specific focus on the intersection of production skills and brand strategy.