Boston University College of Communication

What Boston University College of Communication does

Boston University College of Communication is one of 17 schools and colleges within Boston University, a private nonprofit research university founded in 1839 and governed by the Trustees of Boston University in Massachusetts. The College, founded in 1978 and located at 640 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, delivers higher-education programs in journalism, media production, media studies, advertising, and public relations to undergraduate and graduate students. A university-wide general education program, BU Hub, develops six core capacities (knowledge, skills, and habits of mind) across all BU undergraduates through specialty courses, interdisciplinary offerings, cocurricular learning, the Hub & Your Career initiative, and the Cross-College Challenge (XCC). The firmographic short description labels the entity a "PR agency," but the full evidence base (17 colleges, tuition-driven revenue mechanics, academic publications, accreditation context, student services portfolio) is consistent with an academic college, not a commercial agency; that classification should be treated as a data-quality artifact.

The College's core technology infrastructure is provided centrally through Boston University's Information Services & Technology (IS&T) division, branded TechWeb, which operates the campus help desk, network services, security, learning management systems, and digital infrastructure. Documented platforms include Zoom for virtual learning, Blackboard as the learning management system, Google Analytics for web analytics, and Microsoft Fabric/Power BI referenced for enterprise analytics. Student-facing digital properties include MyBU Student Portals, the Terrier Central platform (450+ student organizations), and dedicated service portals for Disability & Access Services, BU Support Pathways (with immigration legal aid, mental health, financial, and housing support for international students, faculty, and staff), and the Office of the University Provost. No public-facing API, SDK, or developer documentation is described.

The business model is a nonprofit higher-education model. Revenue is generated at the institutional level through tuition and fees (set university-wide and varying by program level and student residency), research grants and awards, donations through the giving function, and auxiliary services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed at the College of Communication level. Customer segments are horizontal: prospective and enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, plus the full BU undergraduate population consuming the BU Hub general education curriculum. Marketing and distribution operate through a multi-channel admissions infrastructure (Undergraduate, Graduate, International, Transfer, Financial Aid, Extended Education/Metropolitan College, Digital Learning, Online Education) and university publications (Bostonia alumni magazine, BU Today, The Brink research publication) plus active social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Weibo, and TikTok.

Name

Boston University College of Communication

Legal name

Trustees of Boston University

Website

https://bu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Boston University College of Communication is one of 17 schools and colleges within Boston University, a private nonprofit research university. Founded in 1978 and located in Boston, it delivers undergraduate and graduate education in journalism, media studies, advertising, and public relations, supported by the university-wide BU Hub general education program and shared IT and student services infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Communications

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAE

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYMPABACAH

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Local Broadcast Stations & Affiliates (TV & Radio)

SECONDARYEDALAOAF

Alumni Communications, Marketing & Publications

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

Keywords

• Communication education
• Journalism programs
• Media production training
• Advertising degrees
• Public relations studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Boston University College of Communication (COM), founded in 1978, is one of 17 schools and colleges within Boston University that delivers professional undergraduate and graduate education in journalism, media production, advertising, public relations, film, television, and communication studies. The college prepares students for media and communications careers through on-campus instruction at 640 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, supported by university-wide platforms such as the BU Hub general education program and digital learning infrastructure.

Product overview

Boston University College of Communication operates within the broader Boston University ecosystem. The College of Communication does not have a standalone product portfolio described in the source data; instead, students and faculty access university-wide platforms and services. Key services include: BU Hub (general education program), TechWeb IT services, Disability & Access Services, Student Leadership & Impact Center (SLIC), BU Support Pathways, and the main university portal. These are part of Boston University's integrated digital infrastructure supporting all 17 schools and colleges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BU Hub General Education Program
• Disability & Access Services
• TechWeb (Information Services & Technology)
• Student Leadership & Impact Center (SLIC)
• BU Support Pathways

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications: Northwestern's flagship journalism, media, and IMC school — the most direct peer to BU COM in terms of disciplines offered (journalism, integrated marketing, media) and target student profile (undergraduate and graduate communication students).
• University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: USC Annenberg is a top-ranked communication and journalism school with parallel programs in journalism, public relations, and communication. It competes head-to-head with BU COM for media-industry aspirants on the West Coast.
• Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications: One of the oldest and most established US communication schools, offering journalism, advertising, PR, and broadcast/digital media programs — directly overlapping COM's curriculum portfolio and applicant market.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: Columbia's journalism school is a premier peer for graduate-level media training, particularly attractive to COM graduate applicants seeking elite journalism credentials and New York media-industry access.
• Emerson College: A Boston-based private college specializing entirely in communication, journalism, and the arts. Its location, size, and mission make it one of the closest geographic and curricular peers to BU COM.
• University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication: Penn's Annenberg School offers communication and journalism programs within an Ivy League research university, making it a peer for COM students who want elite-university branding alongside communication training.
• New York University Tisch School of the Arts: NYU Tisch houses film, television, and media programs that overlap significantly with COM's media-production and broadcast offerings, and competes with COM for creative-media-oriented applicants.
• University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication: Moody College is a large US communication college offering journalism, advertising, RTF, and communication studies — a direct structural peer to BU COM within a major public research university.

Broad incumbents

• Boston University (parent institution): BU itself is the parent organization; as a 17-school R1 university, BU functions as the broad incumbent that houses COM and competes with other major private research universities for the same domestic and international student pool.

Emerging players

• Stanford University Department of Communication: Stanford's communication program is a smaller, more research-focused peer that overlaps with COM's graduate training in media studies and communication theory, especially at the master's and doctoral levels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BU_Tweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuNjAAXrEmQyxLAanISnZUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BostonUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/boston-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/bostonu
• TikToktiktok.com/@bostonu?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boston University College of Communication