Los Angeles offers opportunities found nowhere else in the United States. For students interested in any sort of media experience, LA is the place to be. Academics and practical experience are intertwined; instructors work in the industry, and we connect students to the vast BU in LA alumni network. Students learn about marketing techniques, media and consumer behavior while working in the marketing or PR departments of multinational firms, advertising and public relations agencies.
Requirements & Considerations
- All students must enroll according to, and remain in compliance with, the Boston University Study Abroad Course Load Policy.
- Graduate students
- Admission requirements for all programs
Curriculum
Note: Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.
Required Courses
Students take the following two required courses:
Required Course List
- COM CM 563 Entertainment Marketing (4 credits)
- This course surveys the strategy, techniques, and communication media employed to market the range of entertainment available to the American audience. The course examines the organizations and people who conceive, create, and distribute video, film, print, interactive, and new technology within the framework of the entertainment promotion landscape. The course demonstrates how advertising, publicity, promotion, research, and overall marketing campaigns are created and the impact on the creative and business operations of entertainment companies.
- Syllabus
- COM CM 564 Entertainment Promotion: Speaker Series (4)
- The course will showcase agents, managers, publicists, and studio executives, among others, who will discuss their role and real-life experience in developing and guiding an entertainment project (be it a movie, play, book, or music) to success. The course surveys the nuts-and-bolts of taking an entertainment project from the ground up with emphasis on doing so in the digital age of the 21st century.
- Syllabus
Elective Courses
Students choose one of the following elective courses:
Elective Course List
- COM FT 539 Professional Production Methods (4)
- To introduce film and television students to professional-quality production techniques, suppliers, and equipment through field trips, speakers in the PLB classroom, and film and video shoots, vendors, and post-production facilities. The class will primarily consist of required excursions; it will also include lectures, guest speakers, screenings, class discussions, and demonstrations. The class meetings will be informal, striving for an open exchange of ideas, points of view, experiences, and difficulties encountered in film and video production. Students are encouraged to participate in an open forum of discussions regarding techniques, problems encountered related to directing and producing skills, and so forth. We also discuss potential solutions to problems, some of which are routinely encountered in the film industry.
- COM FT 554E Special Topics: Introduction to Virtual Production (4)
- Explores the ever-growing world of virtual production through the lens of creative storytelling. In this survey course students will utilize the virtualization process and techniques of The Third Floor, an industry leader in the area of pre-visualization, when taking an idea from script to audience. Through real examples the course breaks down each step in the process in exploring the relationship between technology and art. Students gain hands-on experience through project-based work where they define a workflow for a classic piece of cinema while applying the technology of today.
- A practical analysis of the film and television industries: a general overview of the business of entertainment and the balancing act between art and commerce. How to evaluate, acquire, develop, package, promote, sell, finance, produce, and market motion picture and television product. Where to begin, how to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to the marketplace, and how to land your first and second jobs. Understanding the personalities and social constructs of the industry and how to navigate your way through the industry and make a career for yourself in film and television.
- Syllabus
- Prerequisite: This course is open to COM students or those who have taken and passed a course in communications, creative writing, theater or film studies, acting, or literary study at the college level. This course is oriented to students who have a solid background in television and in the industry. It is not an introductory course.
- This course will follow the life and death of a television season. We examine what makes it on the air, why it gets there, who creates it, who sells it, who buys it, and who is going to pay for it. We look at the cultural, political, and commercial forces that shape the creative environment. The course examines the struggle of the networks to survive in a rapidly changing environment and in the face of new technologies. And as the dinosaurs die, we look at the new opportunities this era of change offers for fresh talent.
- Syllabus
- A series of symposium-like evenings with industry professionals speaking primarily on those topics covered in COM FT 566 The Business of Hollywood. Some classes will reflect topics covered in COM FT 584 The Creative Life in Television. Students will be given the opportunity for up close and personal interaction with some of the industry’s movers and shakers. An opportunity to network with industry alumni as well as non-alumni professionals.
- Syllabus
- Spring only
- Prerequisite for BU Questrom students: QST OB 221.
- Prerequisite for non-Boston University students: Organizational Behavior.
- No prerequisite for BU COM students.
- Participants in this course will be offered a rare, hands-on opportunity to peer behind the historically closed doors of talent agencies, personal management companies, entertainment law firms, and other representation team members. Utilizing case studies and business models, the class members will examine the manner in which these critical players interact and attempt to work together on behalf of clients. Participants will gain an understanding of the different areas of talent representation, how each one functions in the scope of a client’s career and what the position responsibilities are in each area of representation. Readings and research projects will focus on current approaches to negotiation.
- Syllabus
Internship
Study marketing techniques and media and consumer behavior while working in the marketing or PR departments of multinational firms, advertising and public relations agencies.
Upon successful completion of the internship experience, undergraduate students will receive a Hub unit in the area Individual in Community from the co-curricular HUB SA 330.
Internship Course
Please note that these are examples of past internship placements only. While Study Abroad guarantees an internship to program participants, specific placements vary from semester to semester and may not always be available. Likewise, internship placements may be available in academic areas not listed.
- COM CM 809 Graduate Internship (4)
- Study marketing techniques and media and consumer behavior while working in the marketing or PR departments of multinational firms, advertising agencies, or public relations agencies. Past internship placements have included MPRM, mml pr, Live Nation,Fabletics, Project Social T and ICON PR.
Housing & Student Services
Program Residence
Students normally live in housing in close proximity to the BU LA program office at 5700 Wilshire Blvd.
In general, students on the LA program share apartments, though floor plans and numbers of bedrooms may vary by location and/or building.
Apartments include basic kitchen utensils supplied by the program.
Board is not included in this program; housing is situated close to supermarkets and restaurants, and BU LA staff can guide students who may have specific dietary needs.
Program Dates
- Fall Semester: Late August to early December
- Spring Semester: Early January to late April
Application Timeline
This program follows rolling admissions and may fill before the official deadline.
Fall Semester
- Applications Open December 15
- Applications Deadline March 15
Spring Semester
- Applications Open June 1*
- Applications Deadline October 1
This program is rolling admissions; applications are reviewed once all application materials are received, prior to all deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials are received by the BU Study Abroad office. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as some programs and internship tracks have limited space and may fill up before the deadline. Submitting a complete application prior to the application deadline, does not guarantee acceptance. Students will be emailed an admissions decision within three weeks of a completed application.
Information for BU Students Awaiting an Admissions Decision and exceptions to the standard admission calendar for all students can be found here.
Cost & Financial Considerations
- 2024/2025 Tuition & Fees: $39,834 per semester
Cost includes tuition, housing, program related activities, and administrative fee. - Estimated program budget, including cost of living expenses.
- Grants and Scholarships available
