Academics
Emerson College boasts its “urban” Boston location as a solid locus for “networking and career-preparation,” including the “amazing alumni network,” lovingly referred to as the “Emerson Mafia.” In particular, “journalism, writing, film, marketing, and theater programs” are especially “strong,” and classes are “taught by industry professionals” who “never fail to enlighten.” Most of the classes are focused on job readiness: “You do work with actual organizations rather than discuss theories.” There are “impressive” facilities and resources, including “film and TV studio facilities and equipment” with broad “availability to students,” and “small class sizes with easy-to-reach professors, specific course material, and no meaningless busy work,” that “often work more like collaborations than lectures.” “We aren’t test takers at Emerson,” one student says, “so we don’t study. We create projects, videos, presentations, [and so on].” Professors are “passionate about the learning material,” and “are in constant discourse with the class,” “keen on showcasing global perspectives.” Emerson stresses “hands on activities, volunteer opportunities, real-time demonstrations, and frequent class discussions,” and classes “integrated with external organizations,” means students are often out in the community, “working with local nonprofits,” or navigating “creative opportunities through internships in the Boston area.” Emerson offers a “wealth of resources” on campus, including the “ArtsEmerson productions,” “Bright Lights Film series,” “Emerson Channel,” and the “EVVY Award” give “media creators” all the immersive experience they need to prepare for post-college professions. The study abroad trips are “phenomenal,” with students raving about trips to Cuba, Colombia, and the Netherlands.
Student Body
The student body is described as “small, open-minded, artsy, but with a distinct studentathlete crowd.” Emerson students “usually enter the school with a career already in mind” with some having “prior experience.” It is “rare to find people who are undeclared.” Students describe Emerson as “an art school without the label,” attracting “creative forces” who are “ambitious, driven, and self-starters.” Students “can be a little pretentious and business oriented” and “casual conversations can sometimes feel like a networking event.” Yet others stress that their “peers are collaborative and kind,” with most “extremely kind and willing to work with each other.” Everybody is generally “open to new ideas and perspectives, very accepting and friendly,” and “all very committed to their art.” One student comments on diversity: “It’s a diverse campus in sexual and gender identity, however, racial diversity is limited. There’s a range of interests, but the majority of students at Emerson are here to study some aspect of film, and so life is somewhat dominated by that.” The campus tends to be “pro-social justice,” with a “great activism community” that is “highly involved in Black Lives Matter,” “climate change,” and other hot-button political issues.
Campus Life
Students report that while Boston gives them everything they can hope for in terms of entertainment and culture, the on-campus extracurricular activities at Emerson “are innumerable and invaluable.” Emerson provides “enough resources that you can do pretty much anything you want to do”: clubs are “largely student run and provide a good amount of field experience for whatever it is you want to do.” The campus is located “right on the Boston Common,” so students enjoy “taking walks,” visiting museums, many with “free entry,” and trying out “lots of good food.” Many students “work part-time” in the city, and otherwise students “hang out in the common rooms,” “spend time working with a number of student organizations,” exploring “wonderful Common Park,” which is located close to campus. Other students like “watching NCAA games” or “attending interesting plays at the Emerson theatre.” “Emerson students are known to overcommit themselves to activities,” says one student. Another says, “It is not unusual to hear of students working on...several different shows and organizations while always taking challenging courses. Students, however, rarely complain that this affects the “quality of their lives or academic experience.”
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