The MS in Television curriculum is designed to give students the tools they need to seek professional careers in TV producing, management, writing, and programming. The program stresses that the producer is the creative driving force behind all television production, and that he or she must have a mastery of basic technical skills as well as a developed aesthetic sensibility. The producer must also be intellectually agile and have the ability and foresight to adapt to structural changes in a fast-moving industry. Management skills, essential in the successful completion of each production, are also essential to the economic welfare of the industry. Writing, the ability to tell a powerful story, remains the foundation for all TV and streaming media. Understanding new distribution technologies plays an increasing role as well.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to professionally pitch TV ideas and TV program concepts.
- Students will be able to relate national news, popular trends, and industry information to TV programming and network concepts.
- Students will be able to write professional (or semi-professional) TV projects and proposals.
- Students will have practical knowledge of the basics of physical production, including script breakdown, scheduling, and budgeting.
Curriculum (Producing/Management Concentration)
The curriculum includes courses in producing, management, writing for television series, pilots, reality shows, and documentaries, as well as electives in a wide range of television-related fields. In addition to electives, students have some choices in the courses they are required to take during their three semesters. These choices should reflect the direction they plan to follow when they leave the College and should support their ideas for their thesis projects. All students must give thought to these choices before registering for their first semester.
Students must complete a minimum of 48 credits to receive the degree. All courses are four credits unless otherwise noted.
Required courses (28 credits):
Undergraduate Prerequisites: FT353 - Any film- even a very short one- requires the making of thousands of decisions. How long do we shoot' How many mouths do we feed' How much will the props cost' This course offers systems for arriving at intelligent answers to these myriad questions. In covering logistics of getting a media production made, the course addressed how to catalog all the practical considerations that go into a production, how to schedule a shoot, how to budget a production and how to plan for distribution of the final product.
This course examines the history, evolution, and present scope of interactive media and related technologies from the perspective of design, theory, business, technology, and impact. Global trends, patterns, and themes are identified and discussed within the context in which they are created, experienced, and transformed.
CREATIVE PROD 2
This course takes students through the process of creating non-fiction TV programming. Think talk shows, reality programs, and documentaries. How to create a concept, write a proposal, cast a program, and develop a marketing reason to do the program. It's all part and parcel of being a creative producer.
Creation of an original work in any one of four areas: producing; scriptwriting; directing/production; or a research paper. One-on-one advisor supervision throughout the entire process.
On the job professional experience in media industries: television stations, film and video production studios, networks, cable television operations, advertising agencies, digital media companies, and related corporations.
4 credits
This course will examine leadership issues facing today’s television executives and the varied management styles of high-profile decision makers. The current TV landscape, content development, revenue models, consolidation, negotiation, distribution, and ethical considerations are explored using lectures, in-class discussions, readings, and special projects.
Curriculum offerings of potential elective courses (20 credits):
Students may choose electives (500+ level) that are not listed below. All electives must be approved by the program director. (These courses are not offered every semester.)
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT353) a 3.0 COM GPA - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) a 3.2 COM GPA - Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM FT 353; a 3.0 COM GPA Graduate Prerequisites: COM FT 707; a 3.2 COM GPA This is a class that operates as a student-run, client- driven production company. Projects include PSA's and web videos for local, national, and international non- profits. GPA of 3.0 or higher. 4 credits only. Application only. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU HUB area: Teamwork/Collaboration.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT201) COM FT 201 or Instructor Consent - Course presents the requisite strategies, processes, technology, and skills training to successfully create live multi-camera productions. Emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of the director and producer. Intended outcome is for students to demonstrate proficiency in the academic, practical, and professional components established for the course. 4 cr, either sem.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) - Deals with the process and techniques of writing a dramatic series for commercial network and cable television. Students will select a current prime-time drama, develop A, B, and (possibly) C stories for an episode, and complete a Writer's Draft and polished First Draft, suitable for a Writer Portfolio. Lectures will include the life of a working television writer, one-hour story, structure, genres, and character development. We will view and analyze TV series from the past and present, and focus on proper drama script format, character development and voice.
This course examines the critical financial and strategic challenges that businesses face whether they are in start-up, expansion, or exit mode. Students will use case studies to delve into the lives of the founders and CEOs of some of the world's most innovative and enduring brands and industry game-changers. We'll delve into each company's business model(s) and learn why some evolve to become industry gold standards while others fail.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) - Intense writing workshop learning how to write professional sitcom scripts. Elements of character, dramatic story structure, how comedy is created, how scenes build and progress a story, formal story outlines, dialogue, the business of sitcom writing, pitching, arc, comedic premise are analyzed. The class becomes a sitcom writing team for a current hit series and writes an original class spec script to understand the process of group writing employed on most sitcoms. Also, students write their own personal spec scripts with individual conferences with the professor.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: FT353 - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) - Given its central role in the filmmaking process, examining the way films are edited can reveal a lot about the inner workings of film and help students understand the art of filmmaking. Editing scenes from films, television shows, and other material in a classroom setting and then examining different versions of those scenes can help students become better editors and will help them evaluate/critique their future film and television work. The course is designed for students who have edited a number of exercises and films in previous classes. It provides an opportunity for students to develop advanced editing skills, while learning advanced digital editing techniques on the Adobe Premier. This is an advanced editing class, and not a course on how to use Premier. By editing scenes from episodic television shows, and other professionally shot footage, students will learn how to select (and reject) material, where and when to cut, how to create pace, how to control what the audience sees and does not see, how to add music and effects to increase the emotional content, and how to use visual effects to enhance the impact of the material.
BUTV1 is a credit-earning opportunity for members of BUTV10 & BUTV10.com, BU's student campus channel and website. Students work with at least one of the organization's productions or administrative departments. For undergraduates, one previous, not for credit, a semester in the organization is required, except with Faculty Advisor consent. This requirement does not apply to graduate students. All students must coordinate participation and be approved by the faculty advisor. 2 credits pass/fail, either semester.
This course will provide students with the practical knowledge and skills needed to heed the call of entrepreneurship. Classes will include guest speakers from various business sectors including venture capital professionals, angel investors, accountants, attorneys, marketing experts who are skilled in launch phases of PR, as well as media entrepreneurs who succeeded against all odds. Students will also participate in the development of a core business idea, from concept through the creation of a sound business plan as a final project/presentation. 4 cr. Fall
An introduction to the techniques of producing and directing video projects, including videography, lighting, editing, sound, and special effects. Emphasis is on execution and design of both "live" on tape and postproduced works using both field and studio equipment.
Curriculum (Producing/Writing Concentration)
Please note that, as of Fall 2025, the MS in TV will be a creative producing and management program. The TV producing/writing track will no longer be offered. However, if you’re a prospective student who’s interested in writing for TV, we encourage you to apply to our MFA in Screenwriting for fall 2025.
Required courses (24 credits):
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT512 OR COMFT522) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT512 OR COMFT522) - Prereq FT 512 or FT 522. "Writing the TV Drama (or dramedy) Pilot," explores the creation and development of your very own "one-hour" Television Series Pilot. Each student will pitch a concept, write a treatment, outline and pilot script. Also, you'll create a "leave behind" document, which will consist of an overview of your series, complete with character descriptions, future episode ideas and much more. We will closely examine the ingredients of a pilot script through lectures, script analyses of successful pilots, written assignments and group workshops.
CREATIVE PROD 2
This course takes students through the process of creating non-fiction TV programming. Think talk shows, reality programs, and documentaries. How to create a concept, write a proposal, cast a program, and develop a marketing reason to do the program. It's all part and parcel of being a creative producer.
Creation of an original work in any one of four areas: producing; scriptwriting; directing/production; or a research paper. One-on-one advisor supervision throughout the entire process.
On the job professional experience in media industries: television stations, film and video production studios, networks, cable television operations, advertising agencies, digital media companies, and related corporations.
4 credits
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) – Intense writing workshop learning how to write professional sitcom scripts. Elements of character, dramatic story structure, how comedy is created, how scenes build and progress a story, formal story outlines, dialogue, the business of sitcom writing, pitching, arc, comedic premise are analyzed. The class becomes a sitcom writing team for a current hit series and writes an original class spec script to understand the process of group writing employed on most sitcoms. Also, students write their own personal spec scripts with individual conferences with the professor.
OR
4 credits
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) – Deals with the process and techniques of writing a dramatic series for commercial network and cable television. Students will select a current prime-time drama, develop A, B, and (possibly) C stories for an episode, and complete a Writer’s Draft and polished First Draft, suitable for a Writer Portfolio. Lectures will include the life of a working television writer, one-hour story, structure, genres, and character development. We will view and analyze TV series from the past and present, and focus on proper drama script format, character development and voice.
Curriculum offerings of potential elective courses (24 credits):
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT353) a 3.0 COM GPA - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) a 3.2 COM GPA - Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM FT 353; a 3.0 COM GPA Graduate Prerequisites: COM FT 707; a 3.2 COM GPA This is a class that operates as a student-run, client- driven production company. Projects include PSA's and web videos for local, national, and international non- profits. GPA of 3.0 or higher. 4 credits only. Application only. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU HUB area: Teamwork/Collaboration.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT201) COM FT 201 or Instructor Consent - Course presents the requisite strategies, processes, technology, and skills training to successfully create live multi-camera productions. Emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of the director and producer. Intended outcome is for students to demonstrate proficiency in the academic, practical, and professional components established for the course. 4 cr, either sem.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) - Deals with the process and techniques of writing a dramatic series for commercial network and cable television. Students will select a current prime-time drama, develop A, B, and (possibly) C stories for an episode, and complete a Writer's Draft and polished First Draft, suitable for a Writer Portfolio. Lectures will include the life of a working television writer, one-hour story, structure, genres, and character development. We will view and analyze TV series from the past and present, and focus on proper drama script format, character development and voice.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT512 or FT522) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT512 or FT522) - Got a funny idea for a show' Let's see if it has legs. In "Writing the Comedy Pilot," students will develop an original concept for their own half-hour, TV comedy series. This includes pitching their idea, writing a beat sheet, an outline and the pilot script. We will also create a "leave behind" pitching document that will include an overview of your series, character bios, loglines for future episodes and much more. We'll screen pilot episodes, read produced pilot scripts and see why some worked and some didn't. Then we'll do some other things.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT303) - As an omnipresent site of entertainment and information, "reality" and fantasy, "quality" and "trash," and commerce and the public interest, television requires an active, critical analysis of its texts, uses, and production of meaning. Students in this class will engage in such analysis, confronting television as a rich and contradictory site of entertainment, culture, politics, ideology, and signs. This discussion driven seminar sets aside evaluative considerations of TV in favor of theoretical and critical approaches that challenge widespread assumptions about the medium and expand our understanding of its role in our lives. These approaches, which constitute some of the dominant frameworks in Television Studies, include analyses of culture, industry, narrative, genre, images and sounds, liveness, and the television schedule. This course fulfills the additional TV Studies course requirement. Pre-req: FT303.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) - Intense writing workshop learning how to write professional sitcom scripts. Elements of character, dramatic story structure, how comedy is created, how scenes build and progress a story, formal story outlines, dialogue, the business of sitcom writing, pitching, arc, comedic premise are analyzed. The class becomes a sitcom writing team for a current hit series and writes an original class spec script to understand the process of group writing employed on most sitcoms. Also, students write their own personal spec scripts with individual conferences with the professor.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: FT353 - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) - Given its central role in the filmmaking process, examining the way films are edited can reveal a lot about the inner workings of film and help students understand the art of filmmaking. Editing scenes from films, television shows, and other material in a classroom setting and then examining different versions of those scenes can help students become better editors and will help them evaluate/critique their future film and television work. The course is designed for students who have edited a number of exercises and films in previous classes. It provides an opportunity for students to develop advanced editing skills, while learning advanced digital editing techniques on the Adobe Premier. This is an advanced editing class, and not a course on how to use Premier. By editing scenes from episodic television shows, and other professionally shot footage, students will learn how to select (and reject) material, where and when to cut, how to create pace, how to control what the audience sees and does not see, how to add music and effects to increase the emotional content, and how to use visual effects to enhance the impact of the material.
This course examines the history, evolution, and present scope of interactive media and related technologies from the perspective of design, theory, business, technology, and impact. Global trends, patterns, and themes are identified and discussed within the context in which they are created, experienced, and transformed.
An introduction to the techniques of producing and directing video projects, including videography, lighting, editing, sound, and special effects. Emphasis is on execution and design of both "live" on tape and postproduced works using both field and studio equipment.
Students may choose electives (500+ level) that are not listed below. All electives must be approved by the program director. (These courses are not offered every semester.)
*FT 707 Production is a prerequisite for this course.
**Students from both streams must pass a writing test as part of the application and as part of the first day’s writing class.
***Regarding electives: Students may petition to take other graduate-level (500+) courses offered in the College of Communication or other colleges at the University.
In addition to the Bulletin, master’s students should refer to the College of Communication Graduate Handbook for a comprehensive guide to policies, academic regulations, and resources.