MA in Emerging Media Studies

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What is emerging media studies?

Emerging media studies is the social science of how technology shapes human behavior. Rather than focusing on digital content creation, this discipline combines media psychology, data analytics, and behavioral research to understand how people interact with platforms like AI, VR, AR, social media, and streaming. It’s the study of why people use digital tools, how networks influence public opinion, and what’s coming next.

Ultimately, we look beyond what people do with technology to analyze why they do it, how those behaviors evolve, and what they mean for global businesses, policymakers, and communities.

Because this understanding requires diverse perspectives, our cohorts welcome varied academic and professional backgrounds. The curriculum builds your data literacy and technical research toolkit from the ground up—making it a seamless fit whether you’re entering straight from an undergraduate degree or pivoting into data analytics from an entirely different industry.

Why choose the MA in Emerging Media Studies?

The Year-Long Collaboratory

You don’t learn data analysis or consumer tracking in a vacuum. Through the Master’s Collaboratory in Emerging Media, you spend three semesters embedded in a team environment executing research projects for external clients—including regional tech startups, national non-profits, and media organizations. You graduate with a corporate-ready portfolio showing you can manage datasets, interpret human behavior, and deliver strategic data-driven recommendations. Details below.

Advanced Research Infrastructure

You’ll conduct original behavioral and physiological research inside the Communication Research Center (CRC), COM’s advanced data and media lab. Here, you’ll gain technical proficiency in biometric tracking, eye-movement analysis, and cognitive response tools, applying empirical social-science methods to platforms like generative AI, VR, AR, and streaming algorithms.

Present to the Industry

The program culminates in the #ScreentimeBU conference, our annual student-led research conference. You’ll present your team’s data visualizations and empirical insights to industry professionals, academic peers, and executive recruiters—building an active network before graduation.

What can you do with an MA in Emerging Media Studies?

MA in Emerging Media Studies graduates work across industries that might surprise you — and a few that won’t. Graduates bridge the gap between technical data development and human behavior, moving into roles across technology firms, data agencies, public relations, and corporate strategy.

Because the MA in Emerging Media Studies is STEM-designated, you graduate with a highly competitive technical and analytical skillset. More than 90% of COM graduate students report secure professional employment or enter further study within six months of graduation. International students are also eligible for the 36-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension to work in the United States post-graduation.

Whether your goal is to move directly into industry or pursue advanced doctoral research, this degree provides a seamless pipeline to both paths.

Common career pathways

MA in Emerging Media Studies graduates move into high-impact roles across sectors — many of which didn’t exist ten years ago:

• User Experience (UX) Research: UX Researcher, Usability Specialist, Design Strategist
• Data + Audience Analytics: Social Data Analyst, Media Insights Manager, Data Visualization Specialist
• Digital Strategy + Public Policy: Platform Governance Advisor, Digital Marketing Specialist, Technology Policy Researcher
• Academic Research: Direct pipeline into premier PhD tracks in communication and social data science

I knew that I was entering a workforce where I would be surrounded by rapidly changing technology and media. I was looking for guidance on how to learn as much as I could before becoming a subject matter expert in my career.

Samantha Middleton, Alumna and Director of Project Management at Digitas Health

Where our alumni run strategy

Graduates of the MA in Emerging Media Studies work anywhere organizations need to understand people, technology, and data.

• Technology + Platform Networks: Google, Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Apple, IBM, HubSpot, ODK Media, Sky Solutions AI
• Financial + Professional Services: Fidelity, Accenture Song, China Merchants Bank, Gartner, Linkgraph SEO Services, Nielsen, Ipsos, Sky Solutions
• Media, Consumer Brands + Healthcare: Netflix, HBO, National Public Radio (NPR), Blue Bottle Coffee, Target, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Research + Global Institutions: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), MIT Media Lab, and premier tier-one research universities in the US and abroad

What you’ll learn in this emerging media master’s program

Our curriculum balances advanced social-science theory with intensive technical execution. You’ll build deep expertise in human behavior, media psychology, network sociology, and data analytics, while developing the cross-functional fluency demanded by tech and research sectors.

Explore our courses and curriculum.

Advanced Research + Technical Toolkits

Through data-driven coursework, you’ll master the analytical software and programming fundamentals required to mine raw data and translate it into actionable strategic insights:

• Social Network Analysis + Big Data: Gephi, NodeXL, UCINET
• User Experience (UX) + Biometric Research: iMotions biometric tracking platform (eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, and galvanic skin response)
• Statistical Analysis + Visualization: SPSS, Stata, Tableau
• Web + Data Architecture Foundations: HTML, CSS, JavaScript

Core Coursework Foundations (28 Credits)

Every graduate student masters the foundational pillars of computational social science and empirical research:

• COM EM 700: Introduction to Emerging Media Studies | Examine the psychological patterns and social consequences of human-technology interaction across modern device architectures.
• COM EM 747: Trending Insights: Social Data Analysis and Visualization | Learn large-scale data scraping, network mapping, and sentiment tracking. Master the tools needed to mine raw data and turn it into clear visual dashboards.
• COM EM 757: User-Producers 2.0: Developing Interactivity | Evaluate the mechanics of digital co-creation, building digital interfaces and tracking audience engagement through advanced metrics.
• COM EM 777: Master’s Collaboratory in Emerging Media (Taken 3 times across the program) | The foundational, team-based applied research sequence managing projects for external corporate and civic sponsors.
• COM EM 797: Connecting Humans: Networks, History, and Social Media | Map structural communication networks, exploring how digital platforms influence public opinion and institutional architecture.

Advanced Electives (3 courses / 12 credits)

Customize your quantitative profile with internal specialized coursework or approved graduate courses across Boston University’s programs in data science, computer science, public health, and more. You define the focus. The program gives you the research foundation to go deep in it.

Specialized EMS Elective Highlights:

• COM EM 755: Measuring Media Effects: Experimental Design & Biometrics
• COM EM 793: Psychology of Emerging Media
• COM EM 761: Special Topics in Algorithmic Governance & AI Society

Tailor your path to degree completion

The MA in Emerging Media Studies adapts to your specific academic and professional goals. While you select an initial path during the application process, you can shift your focus upon completion of your first semester in consultation with your advisor:

• The Professional Track (3 Semesters): The standard accelerated pathway. Focuses heavily on data methods, UX tools, and real-world execution through the year-long Master’s Collaboratory.
• The Thesis Track (3–4 Semesters): Ideal for students planning to transition into elite Ph.D. programs or advanced research roles. Requires an original research thesis (COM EM 909) guided by a faculty mentor.
• The Internship Track (3–4 Semesters): Pairs your quantitative coursework with a field placement (COM EM 911) inside a Boston-based tech, media, healthcare, or corporate analytics department.

One of the most impactful courses was EM757. I was introduced to UX research for the first time – methodologies, design principles, and the chance to work with clients to build a portfolio. This experience led me to a career in UX research.

Brittany Andersen, Alumna and Senior User Experience Researcher at Google

Real-world applied projects + labs

Recent Collaboratory Corporate Sponsors

Through the Collaboratory, students work in cross-functional teams to solve research challenges for prominent civic and commercial organizations, including:

• UX + Emerging Tech: A user experience (UX) consulting agency, a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to digital safety, and a university organization analyzing generative AI interfaces.
• Public Media + Entertainment: One of the oldest continuously operating television services in the U.S. and a network producing groundbreaking children’s media content.
• Civic + Non-Profit Advocacy: Advocacy organizations for refugee outreach, youth mental health initiatives, and historic neighborhood vitality groups.

Featured Student Research Publications

Our students regularly publish and present empirical research on high-priority digital trends. Recent project topics include:

• AI Use in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions
• Preparing for an AI-Mediated Future: A Mixed-Methods Study of How Student and Media Professionals Perceive Required Competencies
• Trusting the Machine: Psychological Mechanisms Behind Users’ Continuous Intention to Use ChatGPT
• Exploring the motivational driving forces of frequent flyer program engagement: A self-determination theory approach
• Understanding Effective Digital Narratives for Mental Health Branding Among Youth: A Case Study
• From Personalization to Resignation: Interpreting User Attitudes Toward Online Advertising and Data Profiling
• Optimizing AI Literacy Education in K-12: Assessment Strategies in Collaboration with Day of AI Initiative
• Retro Rewind: Nostalgia in Sharing Children’s Media
• Exploring Donor Intentions and Digital Fundraising Strategies for NGOs: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Elaboration Likelihood Model
• Screened Perceptions: Social Media, Am I Not Enough?
• Determinants of Sense of Community Belonging Among Asian-American Social Media Users: Informing the Design of Social Media Strategies for NPOs’ Community Outreach and Engagement
• Cross-Cultural Differences in On-Campus Wellbeing Seeking Behavior: Integrating Theory of Planned Behavior and Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory
• What Do Students Think of Blackboard? Tailoring the Technology Acceptance Model to Evaluate an Online High School’s Learning Management System

Specialized Analytics Labs

Inside the Communication Research Center (CRC) — COM’s primary research hub, established in 1959 — and the Zimmerman Family Social Activation Center, you’ll work alongside faculty inside specialized, state-of-the-art research spaces dedicated to:

• Information Integrity: Tracking and analyzing digital disinformation and platform algorithmic bias.
• Biometrics + Audience Response: Utilizing eye-tracking and galvanic skin response to test media platforms.
• Social Media Analytics: Real-time data scraping, audience sentiment mapping, and predictive trend tracking.
• Specialized Sub-Groups: International communication, children’s media, and public opinion on evolving societal issues.

Led by active researchers, not just theorists

Our faculty members are actively defining the rules of this new discipline. They aren’t reading from outdated textbooks; they’re publishing pioneering research on AI governance, social polarization, biometric data response, and human-computer interaction. They bring their current research datasets and professional networks directly into your seminars, acting as personal career mentors.

Study emerging media in Boston

Program Details at a Glance

• Degree: Master of Arts (MA) in Emerging Media Studies
• Designation: STEM-Approved (Eligible for 36-month international OPT extension)
• Structure: 40 credits spanning core data methods and applied research
• Duration: 3 semesters (Full-time completion in 16 months)
• Tuition Model: Per-credit rate (Effective Fall 2026; allows flexible pacing)
• GRE: Not required
• Scholarships: Automatic merit scholarship evaluation upon application
• Double Terrier: 25% tuition discount automatically applied for BU undergraduate alumni

Frequently asked questions about the MA in Emerging Media Studies

What is the difference between Emerging Media Studies and a traditional Mass Communication degree?

Traditional communication degrees often focus on producing content (like journalism or video) or analyzing historical media systems. Emerging Media Studies is an empirical social science. It treats technology as a measurable behavioral system, teaching you how to scrape digital data, conduct biometric experiments, and build predictive models regarding how humans interact with new platforms.

Do I need a background in media, communications, or data science to apply?

No. We explicitly build our cohorts around diverse academic profiles and welcome career changers. We do not expect you to enter with any programming skills. The curriculum is designed to take your qualitative insights and train you from the ground up in data visualization, social media metrics, and experimental research design. The program welcomes applicants from sociology, psychology, computer science, business, and beyond – any background that brings curiosity about how technology shapes human behavior.

How does Emerging Media Studies compare to UX Research?

User Experience (UX) research is a primary career track for our graduates, but our degree is broader. While traditional UX programs focus strictly on product interfaces and immediate user testing, EMS looks at the entire system—evaluating the social network, the media psychology, and the data footprint surrounding the technology. This broader perspective prepares you for executive strategy and policy roles, not just interface execution.

Is this program STEM-designated?

Yes. International graduates are eligible for the 36-month OPT extension to work in the US after graduation.

What’s the difference between Emerging Media Studies and Media Science?

Media Science focuses on how media messages influence audiences, often in areas like marketing, health, and political communication. Emerging Media Studies explores how new technologies shape human behavior, organizations, and society, with a broader emphasis on emerging platforms, digital culture, and interdisciplinary research.

See all frequently asked questions.

Also worth exploring

Learn more about our other graduate programs in communication and media, including:

• MS in Media Science: Focuses on how media messages influence audiences, with specializations in health, marketing, or political campaigns.
• MS in Media Science (Marketing Communication Research Concentration): Deep focus on consumer behavior and data-driven marketing strategy. Strong fit for careers in consumer insights, UX research, and analytics across business and nonprofit sectors.
• MS in Media Ventures: Launch bold ideas in entertainment and media in just 11 months. Gain business, strategy, and creative development skills while working in both Boston and Los Angeles.
• MS in Human Centered Design: Built for students heading into UX/UI careers, with end-to-end expertise in product strategy, research, and design.
• PhD in Emerging Media Studies: For students with a master’s degree who want to pursue independent research and academic careers.