Emerson College in Boston has exceptional programs in comedic arts, communications, communication disorders, visual and media arts, performing arts, journalism, marketing communication, political communication, public relations, sports communication, creative writing and writing, literature and publishing.
Emerson College is the only college in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. Established in 1880 as a small regional school of oratory, Emerson has evolved into a diverse, coeducational, and multifaceted institution that educates students to assume positions of leadership in communication and the arts. Emerson is forward thinking, grounded in academic excellence, and committed to advancing the scholarship and creative work that brings innovation, depth, and diversity to those disciplines. Emerson has always been at the forefront of instruction in communications and the arts. Students are taking classes taught by industry professionals while engaging in hands-on projects to put what they learn in the classroom into practice.
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Contact & Visit
Campus Visits Contact
120 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116-4624
Experience College Life
Freedom Trail; USS Constitution
Boston Public Garden, Swan Boat rides
Red Sox baseball at Fenway Park
Newbury Street Shopping District
Boston is one of the country's best college towns and the Emerson campus is located right in the heart of the city's Theatre District. Many of Boston's cultural and historic sites are nearby or easily reached by subway, which stops at Emerson's front door.
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9:00 am-5:00 pm EST
617-824-8600
Dates: Year-round
Times: Varies
Average Length: 1 hour
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Admissions
Admissions
Overall
From The School
Emerson College accepts the Common Application or our Emerson Application and requires an application supplement. Admission is competitive. The college looks for students who present academic promise in their secondary school record, recommendations, and writing competency, as well as personal qualities as seen in extracurricular activities, community involvement, and demonstrated leadership. Emerson is a test optional institution. Applicants may choose not to submit SAT and/or ACT scores unless they feel as though it assists in the review of their application.
Successful candidates typically have four years of English and three years each of mathematics, science, social science, and three years of a single foreign language. The application deadline for September admission is January 15 (Early Action, November 1), and for January admission it is November 1. Transfer applicants should apply by March 15 for September admission, or by November 1 for January admission.
Prospective students are encouraged to visit campus. Tours and information sessions may be scheduled online at www.emerson.edu/ugvisit or by contacting the Admission Office at 617-824-8600 or admission@emerson.edu.
Overview
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Deadlines
Early Decision — November 1
Early Action — November 1
Regular — January 15
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Academics
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From The School
Academic Programs
Emerson offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies programs in communications and the arts. All undergraduate students take part in a robust curriculum including general education and liberal arts courses with advanced, specialized classes that are specific to individual departments and academic programs. Internships for academic credit are available to juniors and seniors, and the College's Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies offers first-year seminars, independent study options, and innovative courses that cut across academic disciplines. In addition, students can cross-register for courses with the seven-member ProArts Consortium (Berklee College of Music, Boston Architectural College, Boston Conservatory, Emerson, Massachusetts College of Art, New England Conservatory and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts).
Majors and Degrees Offered
Undergraduate students can earn a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, depending on which major they select. Twenty-five (25) majors are available throughout the departments of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Communication Studies, Journalism, Marketing Communication, Performing Arts, Visual & Media Arts, Writing, Literature & Publishing and Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies. Students can also minor in several areas, including business, comedy, dance, entrepreneurship, eSports, fiction, hearing and deafness, history, literature, music appreciation, philosophy, photography, poetry, political science, publishing, psychology, radio, sociology, and women's and gender studies.
Emerson is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and operates on a two-semester calendar.
Faculty and Class Information
Graduation Rates
Majors
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BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES.
Business/Commerce, General.
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies.
Marketing, Other.
Marketing/Marketing Management, General.
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COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
Advertising.
Broadcast Journalism.
Communication and Media Studies, Other.
Communication, General.
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other.
Journalism, Other.
Journalism.
Mass Communication/Media Studies.
Political Communication.
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Publishing.
Radio and Television.
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other.
Speech Communication and Rhetoric.
Sports Communication.
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COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects.
Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician.
Recording Arts Technology/Technician.
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EDUCATION.
Drama and Dance Teacher Education.
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness.
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS.
Creative Writing.
English Language and Literature, General.
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HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services, Other.
Communication Sciences and Disorders, General.
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist.
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LEISURE AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
Theatre/Theater.
Writing.
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VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS.
Acting.
Cinematography and Film/Video Production.
Directing and Theatrical Production.
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General.
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other.
Film/Cinema/Video Studies.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other.
Musical Theatre.
Playwriting and Screenwriting.
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology.
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism.
Visual and Performing Arts, General.
Visual and Performing Arts, Other.
Students Say
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Post-Bachelor's certificate
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Tuition & Aid
Tuition & Aid
Overview
From The School
Tuition, Room, Board and Fees
Basic expenses related to attending Emerson for the 2019-2020 academic year are $48,560 (tuition), $18,400 (double room and board), and $872 (Student Services Fee).
Financial Aid
Emerson is committed to offering its students an excellent education at an affordable price. They have consistently set their tuition below their nearest competitors and are seen as a superb value in higher education. Students have all of the benefits of living in a world-class city, working with state-of-the-art equipment and in beautiful facilities, and learning from faculty who are top in their fields. The Office of Financial Aid will make every effort to help students finance the cost of their education. Emerson offers several types of financial assistance programs: need-based grants, employment, low-interest loans, merit scholarships, and alternative payment plans to help make an Emerson education possible. Each year, approximately two-thirds of the students receive some form of financial assistance. The College makes every effort to help students finance their education and provides need-based support packaged in awards that typically combine grant and scholarship, loan, and college work-study aid.
To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) and CSS PROFILE forms. More information can be found online at www2.emerson.edu/financial_aid or by contacting the Office of Student Financial Services at 617-824-8655 or finaid@emerson.edu.
Dates
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FAFSA
Forms CSSProfile
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Expenses per Academic Year
Available Aid
Need-Based College/University Scholarship or Grant Aid from Institutional Funds
Need-Based Federal Pell
Need-Based Private Scholarships
Need-Based SEOG
Need-Based State Scholarships
Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
State Loans
Financial Aid Rating
Student Body
Student Body
Overall
From The School
In addition to the myriad of activities and events in Boston, student life at Emerson revolves around the more than 80 student-run organizations. These include radio stations, TV networks, publications, performance groups, service clubs, spiritual and cultural organizations, non-residential fraternities and sororities, professional societies, and intercollegiate and recreational athletics. Information about the specific organizations on campus can be found at www2.emerson.edu/student-affairs/campus-life/student-engagement-leadership.
Student Body Profile
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Campus Life
Campus Life
Overview
From The School
Location
Emerson's campus is located across from historic Boston Common in the heart of the city's thriving Theatre District, and offers multiple theaters, television and film studios, and cutting-edge technical facilities for students. Emerson's connection with Boston's media, theater, and arts industries, as well as government, hospitals, and businesses, provides many opportunities for student internships and professional growth.
Emerson is home to 14 varsity sport teams, and over 100 student organizations including performance groups, student publications, and honor societies. More than two thirds of the students are housed on-campus, some in learning communities such as the Writers' Block, Film Immersion, and Performing Cultures.
Campus Facilities & Equipment
Emerson has the highest quality equipment, including sound-treated television studios, digital editing labs, audio post-production suites, industry standard software, a professional marketing research suite, and an integrated digital newsroom for aspiring journalists. Additionally, an 11-story performance and production center houses a theatre design/technology center, makeup lab, and costume shop. The College's Paramount Center opened in 2010 and includes a 560-seat theater, black box, scene shop, film screening room, and sound stage. Emerson is also home to the Robbins Speech, Language and Hearing Center, which provides evaluation and treatment for children and adults with communication challenges and serves as the primary clinical training facility for the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Off-Campus Opportunities
Internships are popular with Emerson students and hundreds of opportunities exist throughout Boston and in major cities across the country, including exclusive placements in Los Angeles, home to our residential study and internship program.
Emerson's relationship with Los Angeles is long-standing, but Emerson Los Angeles (ELA) is a state-of-the-art facility that houses classrooms, residential space, faculty offices, an auditorium, screening room, event spaces, studios and more. It solidifies Emerson's commitment to their Los Angeles program and to creating opportunities for students and alumni on the west coast. The internship program enrolls approximately 200 students, mostly seniors, during both the fall and spring semesters. Emerson students who participate in the ELA program gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue their chosen fields before launching their post-graduate lives on the west coast.
In addition to ELA, Emerson owns a restored 14th-century medieval castle, Kasteel Well, which is home to their semester abroad program in The Netherlands. The castle is a national historical monument that provides living accommodations, classrooms, a resource center, and related facilities. Emerson also sponsors a semester in Washington, D.C. and, Beijing (at Communication University of China University), along with our Global Pathways Summer Programs in more than 16 locations including London, Prague, and Greece.
Campus Life
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Sustainability
Data provided by Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS®, as of March, 2024.
Campus Security Report
The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.
Please visit The Princeton Review’s page on campus safety for additional resources: http://www.princetonreview.com/safety
The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/