The Master of Science in Media Science is a three-semester program (Fall, Spring, Fall) that requires a minimum of 12 courses (48 credits) and a non-credit final degree requirement.
To earn the degree, you must complete:
- 8 Required courses (32 credits)
- 4 Electives (16 credits)
Program Learning Outcomes
The MS in Media Science curriculum is engineered to build advanced operational mastery across four core professional areas. By completing this degree, you will be prepared to:
- Design & Execute Evidence-Based Strategies: Apply social scientific communication theory and cutting-edge research insights to build, launch, and manage high-impact media campaigns.
- Create Data-Driven Content: Demonstrate professional proficiency in message development, multiplatform content creation, and targeted media dissemination.
- Evaluate Media Performance: Deploy rigorous quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to track audience behavior, profile consumer segments, and measure exact campaign ROI.
- Prepare to pursue advanced academic study: Establish deep theoretical and methodological foundations — providing an advantage if you choose to continue into communication doctoral programs with a focus on media effects, health communication, political discourse, or marketing research.
Curriculum + course requirements
Core Requirements (8 total courses: 2 writing courses**, 5 core methods + theory courses, and 1 concentration requirement course; 32 credits):
These foundational courses establish your technical, theoretical, and methodological toolkit.
Writing Courses (2 courses | 8 credits)
- COM CM 703 Basic Media Writing (Must be taken in the Fall)**
- COM CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals (Must be taken in the Spring)
**The CM 703 Waiver Exception: If you are formally waived out of CM 703, you must take CM 707 in your first Fall semester. You will be required to take an additional 4 credits of electives (bringing your elective total to 20 credits) to meet the overall 48-credit university graduation minimum.
Core Methods + Theory (5 courses | 20 credits)
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. - Provides knowledge and practice for effective graphic design for all media. Develops a foundation in design principles and creative software skills including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Students create projects demonstrating how design strategies are used to engage audiences, and enhance comprehension of all forms of mass communication from traditional print to digital media. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
Examines origins, nature, and consequences of mediated communication and related processes and contexts. Reviews traditional theories of mass communication, derivative and developing theories on various communication media, including social and mobile. Furthermore, the course considers the application and utilization of theories for media professionals.
This course covers the laws that apply to communication and media practitioners and the policies that underlie them. Topics include the First Amendment, defamation, invasion of privacy, liability for physical and emotional harm, national security, copyright, trademark, regulation of advertising, obscenity and indecency.
CM722 Communication Research Methods is an introduction to the social scientific method of inquiry and the fundamental concepts and processes of social scientific methods that are used in media science, advertising, and public relations. Assorted research methods are covered, including both quantitative and qualitative. Also included are literature review, research design, research execution, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and reporting of findings.
Graduate Prerequisites: CM722 - Students will utilize social media analytics software as the basis for assessing and developing strategies to elevate the social media presence of brands, organizations, and campaigns. Students will learn how to collect social media data, convert data for analysis with SPSS, and apply cutting edge AI tools such as topic analysis and sentiment analysis across an array of platforms. This class prepares students to navigate the contemporary social media landscape.
Concentration requirement (1 course | 4 credits)
You will deepen your domain-specific expertise by completing advanced courses within your chosen specialty.
Choose one:
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. - Critical evaluation of political campaign strategies and tactics within the sociopolitical environment. The roles of campaign managers, media consultants, pollsters, press secretaries, and field operatives are studied. Analysis of the impact of press coverage, political advertising, and candidate debates on the electorate. 4 cr. Either sem.
Addresses basic marketing and promotion principles used to increase awareness of and change in attitudes and buyer behavior about products, services, and organizations. Students learn to evaluate appropriate promotional mixes, examine the role of communication, and develop marketing communication strategies through the use of case studies and classroom discussion. 1st sem.
This course provides students with both theoretical and applied foundations for understanding and developing health communication campaigns. Students will explore ways to communicate effectively with individuals and populations to improve health and reduce the burden of disease, with applications to issues such as smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, physical activity and diet, condom use, public safety, and environmental health. Students will study theory-based principles for developing and delivering health messages to diverse populations, including underserved groups, and will gain practical experience in creating and assessing health communication interventions. Drawing on established theoretical frameworks, the course emphasizes not only the design and implementation of health campaigns but also their evaluation. The course also highlights two areas essential to contemporary practice. Students will learn to design digital health campaigns using platform-native strategies like TikTok storytelling, interactive tools such as chatbots, and integrated transmedia approaches that coordinate messages across multiple platforms. Students will also strengthen their ability to evaluate campaign effectiveness through pre-testing, digital analytics, and behavioral outcome assessment. By analyzing existing campaigns and developing applied projects, students will gain a strong understanding of how theory informs the creation and evaluation of campaigns that shape health behavior.
*Elective Selection Rules:
Students in Media Science must take four elective courses (i.e., 16 units).
Electives (choose 4 courses | 16 credits)*:
Your remaining 16 credits offer you the flexibility to customize your portfolio or learn high-demand, cross-disciplinary technical tools.
- 2 courses (8 credits) in the department: At least 2 of your 4 courses must be chosen directly from this approved Media Science graduate elective list.
- 2 courses (8 credits) in other graduate courses: The remaining 2 courses can be selected from the Media Science list or any other graduate-level course (500-level or higher) across Boston University.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. - This course introduces students to using new media tools as a source and vehicle for creating expression and media communication. Students will acquire building blocks for design thinking and hands-on skills to successfully communicate ideas using media technology. Students will experience the design process: ideation to execution. Topics on media technology, interface design, information architecture, and interaction design will be covered. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Digital/Multimedia Expression.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMCM215 OR COMCM217) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMCM701 OR COMCM708) - Students study how interactive marketing strategy integrates communication objectives with consumer insight and digital execution. How social, digital and experiential media are used to achieve branding, engagement and behavioral goals for organizations in a wide range of business categories. The impact of interactive marketing strategy on the advertising and public relations sectors.4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: CM501 or CM510 or consent of instructor - This course introduces students to principles of interactivity through a hands- on experience designing and building an interactive project (website/app). Students will learn to apply design thinking for interactivity while building a device-agnostic package using modern web technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript and related libraries, plug-ins, frameworks and tools as necessary. Students will experience the full design and development process (concept ideation, prototyping, user testing and iteration) in building a functional project. Topics on media technology, animation, accessibility, interface design, information architecture, interaction design, networking, performance, prototyping, responsive design and usability will be covered.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMCM501) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMCM501) - In this course students develop advanced design and new media skills while participating in multi-media lectures, critiques, and hands-on software skill building. While implementing individualized creative processes, students develop strategic projects from concept through to functional new media campaigns. The projects are continually updated to prepare students for emerging opportunities in the communication industry. 4 cr. Either sem.
International Communication is a niche field that encompasses wide-ranging and interconnected subjects in communication and international relations. This course is intended to introduce relevant concepts and real-world practices in the broadly defined field, which is an important dimension of higher education for students aiming to specialize in a host of communication and socio-political areas. As the world has become immensely internationalized and intricately related, a good grasp of the world's communication systems, their underlying concepts, and the potential impact of practices may prove pivotal to one's edge in building successful careers in any field that involves any facet of communication, including news, campaign, public relations, or public diplomacy. Empowered with the knowledge and understanding beyond national borders, professionals in communication and public affairs are better prepared to fulfill their professional responsibilities, advocate the ideals they embrace, and the interests they represent. To all students, the knowledge of how global communication works indisputably can enhance their appreciation, enrichment, and engagement with different parts of the world.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. - Critical evaluation of political campaign strategies and tactics within the sociopolitical environment. The roles of campaign managers, media consultants, pollsters, press secretaries, and field operatives are studied. Analysis of the impact of press coverage, political advertising, and candidate debates on the electorate. 4 cr. Either sem.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMCM180 & COMCM321) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMCM710) - This course introduces the study of the effects of media on individuals and on society. This course will overview a broad range of media theories that have examined media as a social force, that have explored factors that affect individuals' selection of and perceptions of media messages, and that have studied how media affect viewers' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. These theories will be used to examine a variety of different types of content, including media violence, portrayals of race and gender, politics, advertising, and entertainment, among others. 4 cr., 1st sem.
This course covers the essentials of effective presentation, from preparation (audience analysis, content development) to critical thinking when presenting. It is designed to place students in business and social settings that require a mastery of presentation skills in order to be successful. A combination of lecture, discussion, and hands-on practice and simulation, this course helps students exercise leadership through oral communication.
Graduate Prerequisites: (COMCM722) - Provides skill training for data analysis with SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Students will obtain hands-on experience by carrying out actual analyses using real data acquired via different research methods. Techniques covered include correlation, regression, t-test, ANOVA, and factor analysis. Students also learn how to translate the results of their analyses into data-driven narratives that provide actionable solutions to problem cases.
Graduate Prerequisites: (COM CM 722 and CM 723) - Discusses various issues related to sampling, such as design, sample size, methods of selection, sampling error, and sampling sources for applied research projects. Also teaches about the various types of questionnaires and measurement procedures commonly used in communication research, including those used for assessing such factors as attitudes, beliefs, media use, and consumer behavior. 2nd sem.
Addresses basic marketing and promotion principles used to increase awareness of and change in attitudes and buyer behavior about products, services, and organizations. Students learn to evaluate appropriate promotional mixes, examine the role of communication, and develop marketing communication strategies through the use of case studies and classroom discussion. 1st sem.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CM703 or CM707 - Building on writing skills and formats presented in CM703 or CM707, students work individually and in-depth on challenging writing assignments: essay analyses/critiques (drawn from The Best American Essays series); a Q & A interview; and a website, which includes a wide variety of writing formats and critical thinking --this major individual project provides students with a substantial portfolio showcase. Several collaborative workshops complete the course requirements.
Graduate Prerequisites: one semesters of graduate study. Students enrolled in CM 809 can earn credits for completing internships they secure at advertising, public relations and integrated marketing communication agencies; communication or public affairs departments of companies, nonprofit organizations, and government entities; corporate sales or nonprofit fundraising departments; and communication-related functions at media companies. Two-credit students must work a minimum of 100 hours during the semester in which they are enrolled in CM 809. Four-credit students must work a minimum of 200 hours during the semester in which they are enrolled in CM 809 and their internship role must be with a non-Boston University entity. Graduate students are limited to four total CM 809 credits via the departmental internship coordinator or the London Study Abroad program. No more than four credits of CM 809 can count toward any graduation requirements. Faculty members and the assigned supervisor at the internship oversee student work. Students complete a detailed end-of-semester internship report, and the internship supervisor provides a thorough evaluation. Register for 2 or 4 units.
Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - Course credits slated for students writing a thesis.
Special Curricular Conditions:
**If you take COM CM 535 as part of your core requirements, you may take COM CM 539 as an elective (and vice versa).
***Students in Media Science can take ONLY one of these three courses, whether it counts as a requirement or as an elective (CM 730 Marketing Communication OR CM 738 Global Marketing Communication [London only] OR CM 526 Integrated Marketing Communication).
Final Degree Requirement (Non-Credit)
Beyond completing your 48 credits of formal coursework, all Media Science candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive, non-credit final degree requirement during their final semester to demonstrate operational mastery before graduation.
Academic Policies & Regulations
In addition to the University Bulletin, master’s students should refer to the College of Communication Graduate Handbook for a comprehensive guide to policies, academic regulations, and student resources.