Grad Profiles - Boston University Advertising and Public Relations

Overview
Boston University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian university with an enrollment of about 29,000 full-time students and a faculty of more than 2,500. Its academic diversity meets the needs of one of the largest bodies of scholars in the world. Incorporated in 1869, the University today provides students with the advantages of a large, contemporary educational complex while maintaining many traditional priorities. Its sixteen schools and colleges respond to students' occupational needs and the increasingly specialized demands they face in the contemporary world. The main campus, on the south bank of the Charles River, occupies 64 acres just west of downtown Boston. The University's Medical Center is in the city's south end.

The College of Communication was founded in 1947 to provide professional education in public relations, journalism, broadcasting, and film. Graduate programs have been offered since the founding. An integral part of the central campus, the College has its own building, lending a small-college atmosphere to its programs. The University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Of the 380 full- and part-time graduate students enrolled, 185 were returning to continue their studies, while 195 were beginning programs. There were 60 international students in the entering group, and many domestic students were from outside New England. About 75 percent were women. Alumni of the College are found throughout the United States and in thirty-eight other countries practicing their communication skills in media, government, industry, social institutions, education, and private business.

The Location and Community
Boston, the largest city in New England, is a seaport whose character results from a rich blend of historical heritage, active cultural life, and contemporary growth in high technology, medicine, and business. Greater Boston, with more than fifty colleges and universities, remains an unrivaled center of learning. Within the city's compact center are the Boston Common and the Public Garden, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, galleries, Chinatown, and the Freedom Trail, along which are some of the most important landmarks in U.S. history. Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts is free for University students. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Company of Boston, and many fine chamber and jazz groups offer annual seasons, as do dance and theater companies. Boston is the home of the New England Patriots, the Red Sox, the Celtics, and the Bruins.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The College has three graduate departments: Film and Television; Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations; and Journalism. Master of Science degree programs are available in the major fields of advertising, broadcast journalism, business and economics journalism, health communication, journalism, mass communication, public relations, science journalism, television, and television management. A Master of Fine Arts is offered in the areas of film studies, film production, and screenwriting. The College also offers the following dual-degree programs: J.D./M.S. in mass communication and M.B.A./M.S. in television management. The College also offers a certificate program in advanced journalism studies.

The programs usually require three to four semesters of work, with the exception of journalism, which requires two semesters. In several sequences, a creative project may be elected in place of a thesis. In the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations, students may take a comprehensive exam in place of a thesis. Substantial latitude in course selection is permitted so that career interests can be accommodated.

Summer internships are encouraged in all programs. Few summer courses are offered. Degree candidates must complete their work in seven years from the date of first course registration, or they may be required to satisfy additional requirements.

Facilities & Resources
The College provides opportunities for students to participate actively in ongoing research projects through part-time work and assistantships in the Communication Research Center, a research division organized to accept projects that have academic merit, do not compete directly with available commercial research facilities, and are in keeping with the objectives of the College. Physical facilities include a city room with an Associated Press wire service drop and a copy desk; VDTs; photo labs with fully equipped darkrooms; radio taping, recording, and broadcast facilities; a closed-circuit TV center; complete film facilities; seminar rooms; a century-old newspaper morgue; and a reading room. The College has several computer labs and a state-of-the-art multimedia lab. The University's Mugar Library has a substantial communication collection.

Financial Aid: The University offers a limited number of financial aid programs to qualified students. These programs include the Federal Work-Study Program and College of Communication Graduate Scholarships. Graduate assistantships are available through the individual departments. The stipends for scholarships and assistantships ranged from $1000 to $8500 per semester. Various loan programs and part-time jobs are also available. Students are urged to use their own initiative in finding support, since the resources of the graduate programs are limited; possible sources of aid include state agencies and private organizations. Library references and online searches are helpful information sources.

Housing/Living Expenses: Most graduate students are advised to seek off-campus housing. The cost for room and board is estimated to be about $9795 for the nine-month academic year. The University maintains apartments for married full-time graduate students and their families.

How to Apply
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Various majors are acceptable, but a strong background in social science and the humanities is considered desirable. Scores on the GRE General Test must be filed. Television management students must file scores from the GMAT. Students applying to the J.D./M.S. in mass communication program must take the LSAT. International students must file TOEFL scores; a minimum score of 600 is required. Consideration is given to academic performance, test scores, recommendations, writing samples, and evidence of motivation in respect to the selected major. For September admission, applications with credentials must be received with the $60 fee by February 15. Early applications are encouraged. Incomplete applications cannot be reviewed. Applications may be submitted online at http://www.bu.edu/com/grad.

Who to Contact
Graduate Services
College of Communication
Boston University
640 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Telephone: 617-353-3481
800-992-6514
Fax: 617-358-0399
E-mail: comgrad@bu.edu

College of Communication Home Page

THE FACULTY
The names of the full-time faculty members are listed below in conjunction with the department in which their major responsibilities lie. The Dean of the College is Brent Baker, M.A. (journalism). The Associate Dean is Marilyn Root, Ph.D. (speech communication). The Assistant Dean is Deborah Northall.

DEPARTMENT OF FILM AND TELEVISION. Bill Lawson, M.A. (film production), Chairman; Lewis Barlow, M.A. (mass communication); Raymond Carney, Ph.D. (communications); Mary Jane Doherty, M.S. (visual studies); Stephen Geller, M.F.A. (screenwriting); Roy Grundman, Ph.D. (critical studies); Samuel Kauffmann, M.S. (film production); John R. Kelly, Ph.D. (radio, film, and television); Frederick Lewis, M.A. (creative writing); Charles Merzbacher, M.F.A. (film production); Jeremy Murray-Brown, M.A. (broadcasting); Cathy Perron, B.A. (mass communication); Garland Waller, M.S. (broadcast journalism).

Film Production. Samuel Kauffmann, Director. This two-year program provides thorough, hands-on training in all aspects of film production: scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, postproduction, and distribution. The emphasis is on narrative filmmaking. The curriculum includes courses in critical studies of film masterworks.
Screenwriting. Stephen Geller, Director. This two-year program emphasizes a non-formulaic approach to screenwriting and requires students to understand and practice the art of screenwriting, to learn the fundamentals of dramatic production, to understand various models of film structure and film history, and to comprehend the role of the storyteller and the place of the screenplay in the dramatic tradition.
Film Studies. Raymond Carney, Director. This two-year program prepares students to work as critics, historians, scholars, teachers, librarians, archivists, programmers, or exhibitors. Film studies majors, under faculty supervision, may pursue a variety of critical approaches to film.
Television Management. Cathy Perron, Director. This three-semester program is for students who have decided to pursue management careers in various telecommunications industries. There is also a five-semester dual degree program in conjunction with the Graduate School of Management.
Television Production. Lewis Barlow, Director. This three-semester program combines hands-on production experience with courses in the history and social impact of television and in television management to prepare students for careers in production, management, programming, marketing, teaching, and criticism.

DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM Robert Zelnick, LL.B. (industrial and labor relations), Acting Chair; Teresa Allen, M.A. (creative writing); Michael J. Berlin, M.A. (journalism); Keith Botsford, A.M.; Mark Carter, B.A. (government and economics); Chris Daly, M.A. (American history); Nancy Day, M.A. (journalism); Anne Donohue, M.S. (broadcast journalism), M.A. (international relations); Jonathan Klarfeld, A.B. (English); Mark Kramer, M.A. (sociology); William E. Lord, M.S. (communication); H. Joachim Maitre, Ph.D. (literature); Don McNeil, M.A. (journalism); Norman B. Moyes, Ph.D. (mass communications); Safoura Rafeizadeh, M.F.A. (graphic design); Caryl Rivers, M.S. (journalism); John Robaton, M.S. (journalism); Ellen Ruppel Shell, B.A. (biology); Douglas Starr, M.S. (science reporting); James Thistle, B.S. (communication); Peter Vandermark, B.S. (photojournalism); Michael Walsh, B.M. (music).

Journalism. Nancy Day, Jonathan Klarfeld, and William E. Lord, Co-Directors. The program in journalism provides qualified students with an in-depth understanding of the press in its various aspects—its editorial and economic functions, its relation to other social institutions, and its limitations and responsibilities. Competence in research in mass communication problems is one area of emphasis. Another is proficiency in reporting, writing and editing, and other professional practices that prepare graduates for employment in the field. Graduate students may elect the traditional research thesis or a reporting project in a specialized area, designed for publication in the form of magazine articles or as an extended newspaper series.
Broadcast Journalism. James Thistle, Director. The program provides a working knowledge of the organization and structure of broadcasting and its relationship to government, mastery of the techniques of television and radio newswriting, and a survey of the varied aspects of television news programming.
Business and Economics Journalism. This program combines journalism training with instruction in business and economics. Core courses include an introduction to business and economics reporting, advanced business writing, international business and economics reporting, and investigative techniques.
Science Journalism. Douglas Starr and Ellen Ruppel Shell, Co-Directors. This program prepares students to work as reporters, writers, and editors for scientific, engineering, or business newspapers and magazines. Students are also exposed to basic courses in audiovisual subjects, broadcast journalism, and publication management and may select advanced courses and directed-study projects in these professional areas. The three-semester, 48-credit program includes internships of the student's choice with various organizations, including a science news service, scientific and engineering newspapers and magazines, and scientific, industrial, and business institutions. In conjunction with their internships or course work, students also usually prepare a major science communication project for professional production or publication.
Advanced Journalism Studies. Nancy Day, Director. Advanced Journalism Studies is a certificate program designed for students or media professionals who wish to specialize in a particular reporting concentration. Specialties include arts, law, education, religion, political journalism, international affairs, magazine writing and publishing, multimedia journalism, the sporting world, photojournalism, and crime reporting.

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION, ADVERTISING, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. T. Barton Carter, J.D. (law), Chair; Kumiko Aoki, Ph.D. (communication and informational sciences); Janice Barrett, Ed.D. (administration planning and social policy); Tobe Berkovitz, Ph.D. (speech communication and theater); Christopher Cakebread, Ph.D. (mass communication); Cynthia Clark, M.S. (journalism); Dorothy Clark, M.S. (mass communication); Margaret DeFleur, Ph.D. (mass communication); Melvin DeFleur, Ph.D. (sociology); Edward Downes, M.S. (journalism); Michel Elasmar, Ph.D. (mass communication); Stephen Klein, Ph.D. (speech communication and persuasion); James Lengel, M.A. (education); Otto Lerbinger, Ph.D. (public relations, crisis management); Susan Parenio, M.A. (English literature); Marilyn Root, Ph.D. (speech communication); John Schulz, D.Phil. (international relations).

Advertising and Marketing. The program is designed to prepare students for successful careers in the advertising and marketing industries. It focuses on the business aspects of these professions, their strategies, and their creative activities. It stresses effective communication skills, the use of media in marketing, the principles of professional layout, and the use of computer technologies to develop tactics, presentations, and campaigns. Students get a solid foundation in communication theory. Practical experience is developed in a wide variety of internships.
Mass Communication. The mass communication program is designed to cover the broad range of professional communications studies and industries without specializing in any one area and to provide students with a strong understanding of communications theory, processes, and application along with basic writing and media skills. Through this generalist approach, students are prepared to practice in such professional areas as advertising agencies, newspapers, publishing houses, television and radio stations, and nonprofit and government agencies. The program incorporates policy, planning, and management studies.
Public Relations. The program in public relations is designed to provide professional instruction for qualified students seeking careers in public relations for business, government, and nonprofit organizations. The program has three foundations: the theory and process of communication, the administrative and policy sciences, and research findings in communication and the social sciences. These foundations are interconnected by a body of knowledge drawn from the liberal arts, particularly the social sciences, and applied to the practical decisions and programs of public relations. About one third of the program is in one of the three subspecializations—public affairs, community and national development, and public relations practice.
Health Communication. Margaret DeFleur, Director. Health communication is an area of professional practice in which communicators design a variety of messages concerning health issues in order to reach and influence a number of audiences. They assess problems, evaluate needs, and develop communication strategies in what has been called the art and technique of informing, influencing, and motivating individual, institutional, and public audiences about important health topics.

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION Writing Program. Susan Blau, Director. This all-College writing program is designed to provide an introduction to communication writing. The Writing Center is available to both undergraduate and graduate students.