School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Comedic ArtsBFA
Program starts in the fall. Review deadlines.
Become a comedic triple threat. Learn how to write, perform, and produce comedy that tells a story, relates to the world around you, and connects with audiences of all kinds.
At a Glance
- Learn from faculty who have spent their careers in comedy, visual and performing arts, and literature.
- Work with students across departments in the School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies.
- Perform with student-run comedy troupes; work on a late-night student TV show; and write comedy for television, stage, and online productions.
- Study at Emerson College’s Los Angeles campus during your junior year.
Launch Your Career in Comedy
Good comedy makes us laugh, think, and understand the world around us. As the nation’s first BFA in Comedic Arts, Emerson’s cross-departmental program explores comedy as both an artform and a craft. Drawing from performance, writing, literature, media, and production, you’ll gain the skills to create original work and understand the cultural forces that shape it.
You’ll write, perform, produce, and analyze comedy from every angle. Study comedic traditions from Shakespeare to sketch, stand-up, television, film, and digital media. Learn alongside faculty from across Emerson’s arts and liberal arts programs while developing your own creative voice and point of view. The program produces innovative comedic minds—people who generate new ideas, bring them to life, and understand the role comedy plays in today’s society.
The work continues well beyond the classroom. Join one of 12 student-run comedy troupes, perform live and filmed sketch comedy, take part in ComEx, Emerson’s student-produced late-night comedy competition—and connect with industry professionals through workshops and events hosted by The Center for Comedic Arts. During your junior year, you’ll study in Emerson Los Angeles, where guest speakers and site visits provide a closer look at the entertainment industry. You’ll graduate with a portfolio of creative work; professional experience; and a network of fellow comedians, writers, performers, and producers ready to help you create what’s next.
Get directly involved in the comedy world.
Emerson owns more theatre and performance spaces than any institution in Boston. As a Comedic Arts major, you’ll have access to some of Boston’s most stunning venues, including rehearsal studios in Paramount Center, right in the heart of Boston’s Theatre District.
Outside of the classroom, you’ll be writing and performing at standup shows, helping produce sketches and TV shows, and collaborating with other comedic minds. Comedic Arts students develop their skills through internships with theatre and film companies, TV networks, and comedy studios. You’ll build a resume full of production credits, shows performed, scripts written, sketches produced, and more.
In your junior year, you’ll head to Emerson Los Angeles, located in the heart of the entertainment capital, where you’ll live for a semester, taking classes; attending guest lectures; and visiting studios, networks, and writer’s rooms. In Los Angeles, you’ll get a chance to network with industry professionals and gain real-world experience performing with and learning from faculty and alumni who have established careers in comedy.
Tour Emerson
Come see all Emerson has to offer. Learn about campus life, explore classrooms, residence halls, creative spaces, and more from our student ambassadors.
Apply for the Comedic Arts BFA
We’re looking for seeds of comedic talent. Show us you’re funny. Applicants will need to submit one creative sample that showcases their comedic talent. Performance or production samples should be between 3 and 5 minutes, and written samples should include just the first 5–10 pages. Make sure you indicate your role in creating the piece.
Creative samples can include:
- Stand-up;
- Sketch;
- Short film;
- Podcast;
- Webisode;
- Audio or sound clip;
- Screenplay or teleplay;
- Short story.