Boston University College of Communication

What Boston University College of Communication does

Boston University College of Communication (COM) is a constituent academic college of Boston University, a private nonprofit research university headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. COM offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across four core departments: Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations, Journalism, and Film & Television. The college delivers roughly 11 degree program tracks spanning BS, MS, MA, MFA, and PhD levels, including specialized programs in Media Ventures (media entrepreneurship), Emerging Media Studies, Cinema & Media Production, Screenwriting, and Television. COM serves undergraduate students, graduate students, international students, and ROTC cadets/midshipmen under the broader BU umbrella.

The college's underlying technology footprint consists of digital learning platforms and online education infrastructure (including partnerships with edX), academic management systems, and the university's broader research and communications infrastructure. Boston University research output includes the BU-designed Sound Shield, a sound baffle that allows airflow while blocking 94% of sound, which was recognized by Fast Company as a 2026 World Changing Idea. BU's libraries house more than 2.4 million physical volumes and over 45,000 current unique serials, and the university's Medical Campus supports 2,900+ faculty and nearly 3,800 students, providing auxiliary scale that COM students can access.

COM's revenue model is embedded within Boston University's four-stream structure: tuition and fees (primary), federal and private research grants, alumni gifts and donations, and auxiliary services (housing, dining, athletics). The college does not separately disclose tuition rates or its own revenue figures. COM's go-to-market is a traditional higher-education admissions motion: direct recruitment through admissions offices for undergraduate, graduate, international, and transfer students, supplemented by online/blended programs through Metropolitan College and global study abroad programs spanning 15+ countries. Customer concentration is diffuse across individual student enrollees, with no enterprise-anchor customers; key institutional partnerships include Boston Medical Center (primary teaching affiliate), the Sargent College clinical network (1,200+ affiliations nationwide), the BU Consortium of eight public school districts, and three U.S. military ROTC programs.

Name

Boston University College of Communication

Legal name

Trustees of Boston University

Website

https://bu.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Boston University College of Communication (COM) is an academic college within Boston University offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in journalism, advertising, public relations, film & television, and emerging media studies. It serves undergraduate, graduate, international, and ROTC students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Communication & Media Studies

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Communication education
• Journalism programs
• Media studies
• Film television production
• Advertising public relations

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate and graduate tuition, along with associated fees for various programs and degrees
2. Research Funding and Grants: Federal and private research grants supporting academic research activities across disciplines
3. Gifts and Donations: Alumni giving and donor contributions to support scholarships, research, and institutional priorities
4. Auxiliary Services: Revenue from housing, dining, athletics, and other student services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boston University College of Communication (COM) is an academic unit offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs (BS, MS, MA, MFA, PhD) dedicated to training professional communicators. The college spans four core departments — Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations, Journalism, and Film & Television — with specialized programs including Emerging Media Studies, Cinema & Media Production, Media Ventures, Screenwriting, and Television.

Product overview

The College of Communication (COM) at Boston University is an academic unit offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in communication and media fields. The college provides professional training across four core departments: Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations, Journalism, and Film & Television. Programs range from undergraduate minors and majors (BS/BA) to graduate degrees (MS, MA, MFA, PhD). The college does not operate as a product-based company with commercial offerings; it is strictly an educational institution providing academic degree programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College of Communication (COM)
• Advertising (COM)

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% sound blocking with airflow - BU-designed sound shield recognized by Fast Company

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BU Consortium (8 Public School Districts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1977Collaborative agreement with Boston, Brookline, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lexington, Newton, and Somerville public school districts to enhance educational quality for preparation and professional development of education professionals.
• Boston Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary teaching affiliate of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Provides clinical training opportunities for medical students and residents.
• Sargent College Clinical NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical network of more than 1,200 affiliations across the country, with 500 in Greater Boston, providing fieldwork opportunities for health and rehabilitation sciences students.
• U.S. Army ROTCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerArmy ROTC program at Boston University preparing cadets for service as military officers with scholarship support.
• U.S. Navy ROTCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNaval ROTC program including Marine Corps options, preparing midshipmen for commissioned service.
• U.S. Air Force ROTCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAir Force ROTC (Detachment 355) program preparing cadets for officer service in the U.S. Air Force or Space Force.
• Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState mental health facility associated with the Medical Campus for training and clinical education.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications: Newhouse is one of the most recognized communications schools in the U.S., offering dedicated programs in journalism, advertising, public relations, television/radio/film, and media studies — closely paralleling BU COM's structure and target student segments.
• University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication: Moody College is a top public-university counterpart to BU COM, offering programs in advertising, journalism, communication studies, radio-television-film, and public relations. It competes for the same high-achieving communication students and serves a similar research-and-teaching mission.
• University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts: USC's cinematic arts school is a direct peer for BU COM's Film & Television, Cinema & Media Production, and Screenwriting programs, competing for the same graduate filmmaking talent and producing graduates who enter overlapping industry pipelines.
• University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication: UPenn Annenberg is a top-tier private-university communication school offering doctoral, undergraduate, and graduate programs in communication and journalism — directly comparable to BU COM in terms of research intensity, selectivity, and program breadth.
• Emerson College: Emerson is a private college entirely focused on communication, media, and the arts — offering programs in journalism, film, marketing communication, and performing arts. It is the closest "pure-play" peer to BU COM and competes head-to-head for the same prospective communication students.
• Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: Columbia's Journalism school is the premier graduate journalism program in the U.S., competing with BU COM's journalism offerings for top-tier applicants and producing graduates entering the same media industry roles.
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: NYU Tisch is a leading arts and media school within a major private research university, offering graduate and undergraduate programs in film, television, and emerging media that directly overlap with BU COM's film/TV and screenwriting offerings.
• USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: USC Annenberg is a leading private-university communication school offering programs in journalism, public relations, communication management, and broadcast journalism — directly overlapping with BU COM's program portfolio and serving a similar graduate and undergraduate applicant pool on the U.S. coasts.
• Northwestern University School of Communication: Northwestern's School of Communication is one of the most direct comparables to BU COM, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across journalism, media, film, and communication studies within a top-tier private research university. Both schools serve similar student segments with research-led teaching and benefit from parent-university brand strength.

Broad incumbents

• Boston University itself (parent institution): Boston University is the parent organization governing BU COM and operates 300+ programs of study across multiple schools and colleges — a broader incumbent in the same higher-education ecosystem that hosts the subject and on which COM depends for brand, faculty, and infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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