MS in Media Ventures

What is media ventures?

The next great media company probably doesn’t exist yet. It might begin with an idea you develop here.

Media Ventures sits at the intersection of media, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and technology. It’s about creating what comes next, whether that’s a startup, digital product, platform, or enterprise brand extension.

Instead of studying how the media industry functions, you’ll learn how to identify market gaps, test business ideas with real audiences, and bring them to life. Because innovation thrives on bold, diverse perspectives, our cohort welcomes innovators from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds, from recent graduates to professionals pivoting into media and entertainment from entirely different industries.

You’ll graduate ready to turn ideas into products, platforms, and experiences that people use, watch, play, or invest in, across streaming, gaming, AI, immersive media, and whatever comes next.

Why study Media Ventures at BU?

Every company starts with an idea. The hard part is turning that idea into something people want.

That’s why this program is built around your idea.

From your first semester, you’ll develop, test, and refine a real venture concept or brand extension with feedback from faculty, mentors, and eventually industry executives. Unlike many entrepreneurship or product development master’s degrees, this program is designed specifically for the media and entertainment industries. Our graduates have gone on to become CEOs, product managers, marketing leaders, content strategists, and founders.

Two major media hubs—You’ll spend the fall semester building your concept in Boston before heading to Los Angeles for two semesters of internships, industry connections, and Pitchfest.

The Pitchfest experience—The program culminates in a live pitch to a panel of media executives, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. It’s more than a classroom presentation—you’re pitching to the people who invest in, develop, and launch new ideas. Past pitches have led to job offers and seed funding.

Learn from founders—Our mentors teach from decades of real-world experience. Program director Jodi Luber secured $17 million in venture funding before joining BU. Professor Margaret Wallace has built award-winning video games, apps, and interactive experiences across mobile, health tech, and entertainment. They teach from experience as founders, executives, and entrepreneurs.

STEM-designated—As a STEM-designated program, international graduates are eligible for the 36-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension to work in the United States after graduation.

Where graduates go: career outcomes

Graduates build careers across media, entertainment, technology, gaming, and startups. Some launch their own independent venture as founders. Others lead innovation inside established companies as product managers, corporate strategists, and business development leaders.

Alumni employers

• Amaze VR
• American Express
• Apple
• AT&T
• Bloomberg
• Bloomerang
• Dish
• General Assembly 
• Google
• HubSpot
• Hulu
• Komodo Global Social Agency
• Lionsgate
• Miramax
• NetEase Games
• Netflix
• Paramount+
• Skybound Entertainment
• Sony
• Spotify
• Wiip
• YouTube

Common career paths

• Product + strategy tracks: XR/VR Product Manager, Head of Content Strategy, Product Innovation Leader, Global Studio Manager, Audience Growth Strategist
• Creative + executive Ttacks: Head of Entertainment, Managing Director of Original Content, Chief Executive, Head of Merchandising and Licensing, Marketing Manager

How the program works: the 11-month roadmap

Innovation doesn’t happen because someone had an idea. It happens because someone built it.

That’s exactly what you’ll do over 11 months—moving from concept and market research to validation, internships, and an investor-ready pitch.

Build: Fall in Boston

Spend your first semester in Boston, one of the top U.S. cities for startups and venture capital investment. Take classes, find mentors, and lay the foundation for your thesis project.

Fall courses include:

• The Media Money Trail
• Fundamentals of Interactive Media
• Market Analysis for Creative Ventures
• Creating New Ideas

Validate: Spring in Los Angeles

Move to BU in LA in the spring to experience the entertainment industry from the inside. Validate your concept, expand your professional network, complete your first internship, and begin your thesis.

Spring courses include:

• Entertainment Marketing and Promotion
• Careers in the Entertainment Industry
• Graduate Media Ventures Seminar
• Thesis Project
• Professional Internship

Launch: Summer in Los Angeles

Summer is where the program comes together, from your second internship to your final Pitchfest presentation.

Recent internship sites

Our students build professional momentum by interning at leading companies during their semesters in LA:

• AmazeVR
• Baobab Studios (Development)
• Black Box
• Brand Knew
• Civic
• Double Elvis
• Legacy Games
• Macro
• Red Wagon Entertainment
• Sony
• Studio 71
• Trade Zing

The most impactful moment during my time at BU was Pitchfest. It was what we were working toward since the beginning of the program. After my pitch, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment and validation that I had chosen the right career path. I realized how much the program had allowed me to grow and learn, and I could not be more grateful for the program and the people I met along the way, including my mentors Jodi Luber and Margaret Wallace.

Julia Meacham, Alumna and Social Media Assistant at Up High

Ideas our students built

See what happens when students take an idea from classroom concept to professional opportunity:

AveNews — a platform showing users hyperlocal neighborhood news, geographically pinpointed by address.

• Where are they now: Alum is now Audience Growth & Content Strategist/Marketing Manager at HubSpot. 

InventiveBit — VR/AR incorporated into children’s stories. 

• Where are they now: Alum is Global Head of Learning Design and Development at CreatorUp. 

Spotify Festival Gates — a brand extension giving subscribers access to festival video content. 

• Where are they now: Alum is in business and legal affairs for wiip, which produced Mare of Easttown for HBO. 

HBO Immersive — a brand extension giving subscribers VR experiences of HBO content. 

• Where are they now: Alum is working in venture capital in South Africa.

BecomeLouder — a platform showcasing the comedy of Indian women. 

• Where are they now: Alum has worked for Netflix and Sony Pictures; currently Producer Writer at Golden Caravan in Mumbai.

The faculty

Our Media Ventures faculty don’t just teach entrepreneurship–they’ve lived it. They’ve founded companies, raised venture capital, launched products, and led innovation across media and technology.

Jodi Luber, Program Director and Associate Professor of the Practice, is a media entrepreneur who secured $17 million in venture funding from Vantage Point Venture Partners and has written and produced for cable television.

Margaret Wallace, Associate Professor of the Practice, is a tech exec and creator of video games, apps, and interactive experiences across interactive entertainment, mobile games, health tech, education, and experiential tech.

Working in video games, technology, and interactive entertainment involves a dynamic blend of creativity, grit, and design thinking. The rapid pace of innovation requires constant learning and active engagement with creators, business communities, and audiences. It’s never a dull moment.

Margaret Wallace, Associate Professor of the Practice, Film & Television

Two innovation hubs: Boston + Los Angeles

The MS in Media Ventures unfolds across two of the country’s leading centers for innovation and entertainment, giving you the opportunity to build your idea in Boston and launch it in Los Angeles.

Boston (fall semester): Build your venture

Boston is one of the nation’s leading startup and venture capital ecosystems, making it the ideal place to develop your idea. During your first semester, you’ll refine your concept, build your business strategy, connect with mentors, and lay the foundation for your venture.

Los Angeles (spring + summer semesters): Launch your career

Then you’ll head to Los Angeles, where entertainment ideas become entertainment businesses. Across two semesters, you’ll validate your concept, complete two industry internships, expand your professional network, and present your final pitch at Pitchfest to executives, product leaders, and investors looking for what’s next.

Common questions about the MS in Media Ventures

Do I need a business or media background to apply?

No specific background is required. The program welcomes students from a range of undergraduate disciplines—what matters most is a genuine idea you want to develop and the drive to see it through.

Do I need to launch my own company?

No. Some students graduate intending to launch their own startups, while others use the program to secure leadership roles in media product management, corporate innovation, streaming strategy, or business development. The entrepreneurial mindset you build applies equally whether you’re launching a company or driving growth within an established brand like Netflix or Google.

How is this different from a typical entrepreneurship or MBA degree?

Most entrepreneurship and product development programs are industry-agnostic. This degree is built specifically for the unique economic models of media and entertainment—streaming ecosystems, gaming, podcast networks, VR/AR, generative AI, and emerging creator platforms.

What skills will I develop in the MS in Media Ventures?

This program builds practical, hands-on entrepreneurial skills across the full arc of media innovation—from concept to pitch. You’ll develop expertise in media product innovation, audience data analysis, market research, content distribution models, intellectual property monetization, public speaking, and executive-level pitching. By graduation, you’ll know how to bring a new idea to market and make a compelling case for it to the people who can help make it happen.

What kinds of ventures do students develop?

Students have developed streaming platform extensions, creator tools, AI-powered products, gaming concepts, immersive media experiences, community platforms, subscription services, and ventures that address opportunities across entertainment, media, and technology.

What is Pitchfest?

Pitchfest is the culminating event of the program – a live pitch in Los Angeles to a panel of media executives and entrepreneurs. Students present the venture or brand extension they’ve developed over 11 months. Past pitches have led directly to jobs and industry relationships.

Do I have to spend time in LA?

Yes. Spring and summer semesters are based in Los Angeles, where you’ll take classes, complete two internships, and present at Pitchfest. The two-city structure is a core part of the program.

Is this program STEM-designated?

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

Also worth exploring

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

• MS in Television: For students whose goal is to become an industry executive, the MS in TV is focused on the creative and executive side of television – developing, pitching, and selling ideas to networks and streaming platforms.
• MA in Emerging Media Studies: For students who want to research how emerging technologies—from social media to AI— are shaping human behavior. Strong overlap with Media Ventures in social media, AI, and platform strategy, but focused on research rather than entrepreneurship.
• MS in Media Science: For students interested in how media messages influence audiences – useful grounding for the marketing and distribution side of media ventures.