Obtain advanced media-related knowledge, skills, and proficiencies for strategically creating, managing, and evaluating media performance.
Utilize theory and cutting-edge research findings in developing and executing effective media strategies and evaluation approaches for media content and practices.
Demonstrate research and professional knowledge, skills, and proficiencies that lead you to excel in the following areas: media design and content creation, message development and dissemination, and analysis and evaluation of media performance.
Demonstrate comprehensive media-related knowledge, skills, and proficiencies for pursuing advanced academic study—particularly doctoral programs—in the field of communication, with specialized foci on media effects and processes, health communication, political communication, marketing communication research, and media and message design and evaluation.
A degree in Media Science requires that students take 4* section requirements (16 credits; listed below), 4 concentration requirements (16 credits; listed below), and 4 electives.
Requirements: The MS in Media Science program requires a minimum of 12 courses (48 credits) and a non-credit final degree requirement.
Requirements (8 total courses; 32 credits):
4 credits
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.
OR
4 credits
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.
OR
4 credits
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. - Health Campaigns involves the principles and practices of designing media campaigns to promote health behavior change, whether related to smoking and alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, physical activity and diet, condom use, public safety, and environmental issues. It centers on how health organizations and initiatives can achieve their goals for population-based health behavior change by strategically creating, distributing, and evaluating media campaigns and media messages. At the nexus of communication and public health, this course uses theory and persuasive elements as a basis for designing and implementing health media campaigns and media messages via different media, including traditional media, new media, and social media. With this foundation, students are tasked to evaluate extant health media campaigns and campaign messages and design their own original health media campaigns and campaign messages.
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.
4 credits
CM 703 Begins a graduate level, two-semester immersion in American English communication writing. Portfolio finale serves as a bridge assignment to CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals in the spring semester. Introduces basic communication writing formats, including news releases, social media, features, profiles. Emphasizes interviewing, target marketing and publication options. Stresses tenets of plagiarism across media. Strong focus on creating quality copy in American English, which necessitates extensive work in grammar exercises and brainstorming workshops, quizzes, presentations, class participation, collaborative projects. Students fine-tune their writing and speaking skills as they analyze and rewrite their own copy.
4 credits
Serves to provide an in-depth understanding and proficiency in communication writing and transmedia storytelling skills across a wide variety of off and online formats, including news releases, social media, features (off and online), Q & A interviews, websites, broadcast PSA's, slide shows, videos. Stresses plagiarism prevention, collaborative workshops, reading aloud, media strategies, editing, and interview techniques. Extensive writing and rewriting. Develops comprehensive writing skills for media professionals. Both semesters. Prerequisite CM 703, unless waived via writing placement test or consent of the instructor.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
*All students in Media Science will take COM CM 703 in the fall semester and COM CM 707 in the spring semester. There is one exception—students who are waived out of COM CM 703 will take COM CM 707 in the fall semester. These students who are waived from COM CM 703 will be required to take an additional 4 credits of electives to meet the overall requirement of 48 credits.
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.
4 credits
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.
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
4 credits
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.
Var credits
Graduate Prerequisites: one semesters of graduate study. - Students are placed in public relations, advertising, or communication departments of business, educational, philanthropic, or governmental institutions. Fifteen hours per week of supervised work. Students with a comprehensive report evaluating internship experience at end of semester. 2 or 4 cr.
4 credits
Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - Course credits slated for students writing a thesis.
*Students in Media Science must take four electives (i.e., 16 credits). At least eight of these 16 credits must be from this list. The other 8 credits can be from this list or can be other 500-level or higher courses at BU.
**If students take COM CM 535 as a requirement, they can take COM CM 539 as an elective. Also, if students take COM CM 539 as a requirement, they can take COM CM 535 as an elective.
***Students in Media Science can take ONLY one of these three courses, whether it counts as a requirement or as an elective.
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