Program Notes
- No GRE required.
- Merit scholarships available, with no additional application required.
- The MS in TV is a creative producing and management program. The TV producing/writing track is no longer being offered. If you’re interested in writing for TV, we encourage you to apply to our MFA in Screenwriting for fall 2025.
Stand Out With an MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management
Get the best of two coasts with experiences in Boston and LA—you have the option to gain experience in Boston and hold coveted television and streaming entertainment industry internships in LA during this MS in TV production management program.
Learn from TV entertainment industry insiders—your faculty have deep experience in the television and streaming industry. You’ll learn how to become a TV producer with award-winning producers and writers of primetime sitcoms, dramas, and more.
Join successful BU COM alumni—program alumni work at Disney, HBO, Netflix Originals, National Geographic, CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery, GBH, PBS, the BBC, Paramount Studios, and more.
Join Successful Creative Producing and Management Alumni
This MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management has a track record of developing executives, writers, and producers at the very highest levels of the television and streaming industry. Many of our graduates are working in LA. The program also offers diverse opportunities in Boston, New York, and beyond. Our alumni frequently hire new BU graduates for competitive roles in the entertainment industry—an important element of how to become a TV producer.
Example Alumni Employers
- Apple TV+
- Circle M+P
- CNN
- Comcast SportsNet
- Confluent
- Cyber Group Studios
- Disney (including ABC Network)
- DreamWorks Animation
- Fremantle
- FX
- GBH
- Google LLC
- Hallmark Media
- HBO
- MGM Studios
- MTV Entertainment Group
- NBCUniversal (including MSNBC; Telemundo)
- National Basketball Association
- National Geographic
- NBC
- Netflix Originals
- Paradigm Talent Agency
- Paramount Global (including CBS)
- Paramount Studios
- PBS
- Skydance Media
- Sony Entertainment
- TelevisaUnivision
- Warner Bros. Discovery (including CNN)
- WCVB Television
- White Horse Pictures
- WME Talent Agency
- Universities and colleges
Hold Key Roles in Creative Producing and Management
BU COM alumni in the MS in TV creative producing and management program work in TV and streaming. They hold jobs like advertising & promotions manager; business development & marketing; content manager; creative executive/strategist; director; executive producer; faculty of TV, film & media; field producer; film producer; head of content; international sales & distribution; line producer; marketing manager; operations supervisor; planning & production manager; producer; production supervisor; programming executive; script coordinator; showrunner; talent agent and more.
What You’ll Learn in the MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management
The Boston University Master of Science in TV: Creative Producing and Management can help you fulfill your dream of telling stories. You’ll spend two semesters in Boston and a third in Boston or Los Angeles as you learn how to become a TV producer. This MS in TV production management program is focused on TV and streaming content.
You’ll get the skills you need to be a gatekeeper of what we see on TV. Gain insight into how the business works and get real life experience and connections to help open the doors to success in the entertainment industry as:
- TV producers
- Independent, studio, and streaming executives in:
- Development
- Production
- Distribution
- Agents
- Managers
Learn How to Become a TV Producer
In this program, you’ll learn how television has changed and will continue to evolve—and how to thrive in a demanding industry. From courses in creative producing to the media money trail, you’ll learn how to become a TV producer. Courses are led by faculty with deep backgrounds in producing award-winning television programs.
Prepare for all genres of TV and streaming content, from scripted to unscripted, including TV dramas, comedies, reality shows, documentaries, and limited-run docu-series. You will learn to:
- Create and develop compelling ideas/concepts
- Build creative pitch decks, series bibles, and look books
- Pitch TV ideas/TV program concepts
- Develop budgets and production schedules, hire department heads, and set up production offices
- Break down and schedule scripts to maximize financial efficiency
Learn additional skills with electives in:
- Writing
- Directing
- TV studies
- Cinematography
- Editing
During Creative Producing II, I had to develop a solo pitch. Though the assignment was challenging, I learned so much about the pitching process and was able to practice public speaking. I know how to develop questions on pitches I hear at work, and I am able to take good notes. That class also taught me the life cycle of a scripted television show, and I am able to use that knowledge almost every day.
Tia Black, Alumna and TV Assistant at Proximity Media
Real World Productions
Real World Productions is a class that operates as a student-run, client-driven production company. Students in Real World hone their…
Choose an MS in TV Production Management With Real Experience
In the MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management, you’ll also receive valuable internship experience and industry connections. Who you know is a key part of how to become a TV producer. You will work alongside established television and streaming professionals in Boston, with the option to finish your thesis and last semester classes in Los Angeles.
Spend Semesters 1–2 in Innovative Boston
Study in Boston—offering a unique blend of academic excellence, industry proximity, and cultural diversity. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is a top 10 media market. It’s home to a vibrant media and entertainment landscape with ample opportunities for you to engage and network with industry professionals. You’ll also gain exposure to projects, independent production companies, and a wide range of media organizations.
Expand into LA in the 3rd and Final Semester (Optional Location)
Study and work in Los Angeles. You can opt to spend your third semester in this MS in TV production management program at BU in Los Angeles, where West Coast industry professionals teach classes, offer networking opportunities, and open doors to key decision-makers.
You’ll gain hands-on skills and professional contacts through internships, including at iconic companies such as:
- The Walt Disney Company
- NBCUniversal
- CBS Studios
- AMC Networks
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Hello Sunshine (Reese Witherspoon’s company)
If you’re really looking at getting into the entertainment business, I think to combine the Boston experience with an LA experience, there’s nothing that compares.
Jay Roewe, alumnus and senior vice president of production at HBO
Gain Access to Production and Entertainment Opportunities
This MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management also offers you experience working at BUTV10, our student-operated TV station. Additionally, you can work in our in-house, student-run production company, Real World Productions.
You’ll also get to experience Boston’s vibrant cultural scene. Attend Cinemathèque, a series of screenings and conversations with film- and television-makers. Explore the Krasker Film/Video resource center at BU, where you’ll discover 16mm prints and rare films. Take advantage of complimentary screenings at the Harvard Film Archive, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Brattle Theatre.
Industry Veteran Craig Shepherd Is New Film and Television Chair
As a television and film producer and director, Craig H. Shepherd has worked on projects that have won the Sundance…
Connect With Scholars and Makers
Learn what studios are looking for from experts who have experience in some of TV and streaming’s most popular content: scripted dramas, sitcoms, documentaries, animation series, reality shows, daily magazine shows, morning/late night shows, interactive media, and more. Our professors offer a rare combination of academic rigor and industry experience to help you understand how to become a TV producer.
Sheila Sitomer, Director of the MS in TV: Creative Producing and Management
“Early in my career, I was a field producer/director at Good Morning America. One of my segments was on a California elementary school that regularly paired non-disabled students with those with disabilities. As a result, these children formed deep friendships as well as an appreciation for other children with whom they might not otherwise interact. Sarah Vaughan, a well-known jazz singer and pianist, saw the segment and decided to make a generous contribution to the school. I knew at that moment that my work had the power to make a positive contribution.”
Experience the Advantage of East Plus West
Get the best of two locations. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is a top 10 US media market and is a hotbed for creative programming. It’s home to some of the world’s best creative agencies, media companies, and leading employers. It’s also a hub for innovation. And of course, LA is the world capital for entertainment media and is the perfect place to finish your program and launch your career in TV and streaming.
