MS in Marketing Communication Research
Boston University - College of Communication
Key Information
Campus location
Boston, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 semesters
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 30,525 / per semester *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Aug 2024
* tuition fee
Introduction
Data is the new universal language, and virtually every industry needs to understand it to succeed. Will you harness its potential -- and your own?
STEM eligible. No GRE Required.
Boston University’s Master of Science in Media Science: Marketing Communication Research (MCR) prepares you with instruction in advanced research methods to gain consumer insights, predict purchasing behaviors, evaluate the impact of media consumption, and analyze consumer decision-making processes about brands, services, products, and even political candidates. Over three semesters, students master quantitative and qualitative methods, tools, and techniques to better understand audiences -- their values, likes, needs and wants -- and match that understanding to communication strategies.
Coursework includes Contemporary Mass Communication, Communication Theory, Communication Research, Advanced Communication Research, Sampling Design, and Measurement Techniques, and Technical Writing for Communication Research, Communication Writing. MCR students are also given the option to supplement the core requirements of their master of science degree with a sequence of courses focusing on social media analytics and, when successfully completing this sequence, to earn a Certificate in Data Analytics in addition to their master’s of science degree.
Students combine this curriculum with learning opportunities outside of the classroom, such as research with professors, internships, and participation in student-led agencies such as AdLab and PRLab.
The MS in Media Science: Marketing Communication Research (MCR) prepares you to succeed in the burgeoning fields of marketing research and consumer insights research. These are fields that offer lucrative entry-level positions, ranging from marketing research and consumer data analysis to market planning, data visualization, and analytics, among others.
Teachers, Researchers, Mentors
COM boasts faculty steeped in both research and practice, large in number, and diverse in expertise. They are internationally recognized thought leaders in the fields of advertising, consumer insights, public relations, media law, psychology, political communications, design, and more.
Faculty members serve as mentors for students by working alongside them in conducting original research. Together, they leverage the technology at COM’s Communication Research Center, COM’s primary research hub to examine communication phenomena, and the state-of-the-art social media tools offered at the Zimmerman Family Social Activation Center. Faculty staff also assist students in landing internships and fellowships to position them for success after graduation.
Purpose Driven
COM stands out from our peers. Our faculty offers a mix of researchers and practitioners who endorse a cross-discipline, hands-on approach to learning. Our location lies at the heart of an electric, media-savvy city.
But it may be COM’s shared values that matter most. We believe that communication requires diversity, critical thinking, and creative expression. We believe that communication must be grounded in truth, authenticity, effectiveness, and purpose. We believe that communication builds understanding among people and across society.
Admissions
Curriculum
The MS in Media Science with a concentration in Marketing Communication Research consists of a minimum of 48 credits. Marketing Communication Research students will complete 8 required courses (listed below) and 4 electives.
Requirements (8 total courses; 32 credits):
- COM CM 703 Basic Media Writing
- COM CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals
- COM CM 710 Media Theory
- COM CM 722 Communication Research
- COM CM 723 Advanced Communication Research
- COM CM 724 Sampling Design and Measurement Techniques
- COM CM 730 Marketing Communication
- COM CM 824 Technical Writing for Communication Research
*All students in the Specialized Marketing Communication Research concentration 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.
Electives (students must choose 16 credits)*:
- COM CM 501 Design Strategy and Software
- COM CM 523 Design and Interactive Experiences
- COM CM 526 Int Mrktg Strat
- COM CM 531 Media Disruption
- COM CM 535 Political Campaigns
- COM CM 539 Health Campaigns
- COM CM 714 Professional Presentations
- COM CM 7XX Social Media Management
- COM CM 809 Graduate Internship
- MET CS 544 Foundations of Analytics and Data Visualization
- MET CS 555 Foundations of Machine Learning
- MET CS 688 Web Mining and Graph Analytics
*Students in the Marketing Communication Research concentration must take four electives (i.e., 16 credits). At least 8 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.
Program Outcome
- Theory-driven scientific methods for solving client problems and making actionable recommendations.
- How to take client problems, design research projects, execute the designs, collect data, analyze data, translate analyses into a story to which the client can relate, and make actionable recommendations that a client can implement. Ways to touch, analyze and translate data into stories.
- Preparation for a position as a research analyst or research manager in a marketing research company or the research department of firms specializing in media, advertising, public relations, marketing communication research, political campaigning, health communication, and international communication.
- Use of SPSS (the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Students get hands-on experience by carrying out actual analyses using real data sets. Techniques covered include descriptive statistics, correlation and regression, t-tests, ANOVA, and factor analysis.
- How to create 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.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Benefit from Boston
One of BU’s greatest resources is its location. Consistently ranked among the most livable cities in the world, Boston is “America’s college town,” a city rich in history while remaining on the cutting edge. Boston is a Top 10 U.S. media market, and home to some of the world’s best agencies, media companies, and leading employers -- offering boundless opportunities for internships and careers.