Graduate Programs

You know the kind of work you want to do next. Emerson helps you sharpen it, shape it, and take it further.

Our graduate programs are built for writers, artists, communicators, scholars, makers, and professionals ready to deepen their expertise and expand their impact. Here, you’ll learn from faculty with deep field experience, collaborate with ambitious peers, and build the skills, body of work, and confidence to make your next move.

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Master’s Programs

Whether you’re sharpening your craft, changing directions, or chasing the next big version of your work, Emerson’s master’s programs help you move with intention. You’ll build deeper expertise, make meaningful connections, and gain practical experience you can take directly into your field.

In-Person Programs

Communication Disorders MS
Creative Writing MFA
Film and Media Art MFA
Political Communication MA
Publishing and Writing MA
Sports Communication MA
Strategic Marketing MA
Theatre Education and Applied Theatre MA
Writing for Film and Television MFA

Online Programs

Business of Creative Enterprises MA – Online
Digital Communication Leadership MA – Online
Journalism and Media Innovation MA – Online
Media Industries MA – Online
Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing MFA – Online

Certificate Programs

Ready to add a new skill to your toolkit, sharpen what you already do well, or take your work in a new direction? Emerson’s graduate certificate programs offer a focused, flexible way to keep growing. Offered through the Professional Studies Department, these four-course online and hybrid programs can stand alone as a graduate credential or count toward a related Emerson master’s degree.

Digital Content Management Graduate Certificate
Political Communication Graduate Certificate
Sports Communication Graduate Certificate
Alumni Spotlight

  • Natalie Lemle

    Creative Writing MFA ’24

    Natalie Lemle ’24 was still a Creative Writing MFA student at Emerson when Simon & Schuster acquired her debut novel, Artifacts. Now published, the novel marks a major milestone in a story shaped by Emerson workshops and editing classes.

  • Artistic Inspiration

    After building a career in the art world and founding the art advisory art_works, Lemle turned to Emerson College’s Creative Writing MFA. Emerson provided the flexibility to pursue her creative ambitions alongside her company and raising a family, while connecting her with a collaborative community of writers, publishing professionals, and fellow multi-disciplinary creators.

  • Sharpening Her Craft

    At first, Lemle wasn’t ready to share Artifacts widely, choosing instead to focus on short stories. But through workshops, faculty mentorship, and peer feedback, she sharpened her sense of narrative craft and revision—skills she would bring back to the novel as it continued to take shape.

  • A Passion Realized

    In 2023, Simon & Schuster picked up Lemle’s manuscript, and in May 2026, Artifacts was officially published. The novel—an archaeological mystery that explores memory, cultural heritage, and the ethics of the art market—brought readers into the same world that had first sparked Lemle’s imagination. “The Emerson community was so supportive when I got the agent, when the book sold…it felt like they were invested in part of it.”

  • The Next Chapter

    Publication is just the beginning. Since completing her MFA, Lemle has continued working on a second novel, drawing once again from the art world that has long fueled her imagination.