Emerson College Top Questions

Classes are fun, but some professors take their subject way too seriously. For example, I have found that the general education (history, science, music, lit, etc.) professors feel as though everyone should be majoring in their subject. Clearly no one comes to Emerson to take history courses, but I feel like the gen ed professors think that we do. However, sometimes I do feel bad for them because most of them are brilliant and could actually be teaching their subject at a "real" college. While I do not know many people here that whole-heartedly enjoy their gen eds, I do know people that absolutely love their major-focused courses. Well, with exciting courses like the TV Sitcom, who could blame them?

this all depends on the class. For example, last semester (my first semester!), I was in a class of 75 or 80 students. Coming from a high school class of 12 students, this was CRAZY overwhelming. Of course the professor couldnt make a personal connection with each of us, and I soon found myself struggling in that class. I made a point to go up to the professor after class, introduce myself, and make sure he knew who I was and where i was coming from. I need to be more than just a name on a paper. Like I said, this mostly depends on the size of the class. I would say about 3/4 of my classes so far have been very personal and student-oriented. for the most part, the professors I've had have really made an effort to get to know me. I rarely ever spend time with them outside of class, unless I need something verified or I have a question. Academic requirements are fair, not too stressful. Emerson is DEFINITELY gearing students towards careers after college. Alot. They teach us about the work force and the opportunities of today, they tell us about the realities of getting work in our certai field, they teach you skills specific to an actual CAREER in that field. its VERY career-oriented.

In general professors at Emerson are very knowledgeable and genuinely care about your education. Every time I have gone to a professor for outside help they have been more than understanding and are always willing to provide one on one assistance. Class participation is usually very common, however many students believe that only their opinions are the right ones and become competitive when it comes to intellectual discussions. Currently my favorite course is Theater into Film, where we examine adaptations of theater productions into films and how to look at these works from different standpoints. The most unique class I've taken at Emerson is undoubtedly Love and Eroticism-- the title says it all. It's an interdisciplinary course about the way we view love and eroticism in Western culture. Some required readings were The Philosophy of Sex and The New Psychology of Love. Emerson requires a wide variety of courses in addition to courses within your major. The downside is that you're only allowed to take a limited number of departmental courses at a time, but the upside is that you can choose from a number of options a course that you're truly interested in. One of Emerson's greatest attributes is also one of it's weaknesses. The school is phenomenal for getting students jobs after graduation, especially within the film industry. Emerson has fantastic connections with well known studios, theaters, newspapers, and so on. This also means that courses are less about education itself and more about how to land that perfect internship.

classes for writing majors and liberal arts classes are not challenging at all. i feel like i get increasingly stupid for each moment i spend in those classes. film majors and theatre majors are inspired and challenged though. it's all geared toward getting a job. not learning to acquire knowledge.

Some professors know me and others don't. The class sizes are really small, which makes the entire situation really personal and awesome. I love classes that take a subject that is unusual and make it relevant, like my History of Burlesque class. Most people at Emerson are very intelligent and can be competitive, but most people know that with their majors, it is unlikely that they will ever get their "big break".

Almost all of my classes have been small enough for the teacher to learn my name. That's a really great thing about Emerson. Even in my lecture classes, which are never more than 50 students, I feel like a contributing member of the class. There are some really cool classes: I took Exoticism my first semester and was enthralled, I'm taking an amazing Research Writing class currently, and I highly reccomend getting into Intro to Visual Studies (with Cher Knight, she's fantastic). Professors often encourage their students to go on little field trips... my psych teacher told us she would love to meet us for coffee, and my exoticism teacher invited us every month to go look at open galleries with her. They're always accessible and easy to talk to, and easy to communicate with through email. Class participation is incredibly common. Students here want to be heard, and they want good grades. I don't feel a competitive atmosphere in my department (Writing Literature, and Publishing). Emerson can be described as limited, which really bothers me. It's great to be here if you're absolutely positive about what you want to do, but it's hard to be here if you're unsure. It's difficult pursue any kind of Spanish Study (which is strange because this is a communications school), it's hard to study outside of your major, and the Study Abroad programs only go to two places (L.A. and The Castle).

Classes at Emerson are great. Professors are diverse and well learned in thier field. My favorite classes are my theatre classes, but that is just because its my major. Academic classes have very liberal arts focuses in them and are well worth your time. Emerson's attendance policy is 3 absences and then for every other absence your grade drops 10 points, so that kind of sucks. The most unique class I have taken was one on world cultures and idenitities; our broad topics and our professor made this class quite interesting. Everything you do at Emerson is geared towards working in your field in the real world and this is obvious in the classroom.

I started out this school year Undeclared. I wasn't sure what I wanted, and Emerson is a terrible school if you don't know what you want. All the classes are extremely specialized, and you can't even get into many classes unless you have a declared major. I was deciding between marketing and writing, so I had to go to my academic adviser and beg him to put me in some classes so I could try these and figure out which one I wanted. If I hadn't asked him, I wouldn't have been able to try any of these majors. In conclusion, if you don't have a specific major in mind and know EXACTLY what you want to do with your life (who does?), do not go to school here. They're mean to those that aren't declared.

Professors most definitely know our names. It would not bode well for them if they didn’t considering our class sizes are typically comprised of 15 students. I have spent a great deal of time with some of my professors discussing ideas I have for papers or projects and getting feedback from them. My favorite class is definitely my Newsgathering class. My professor is currently a copy editor for the Boston Globe, and he sends us on assignments that push us outside of our limits. I’ve noticed a trend of procrastinators here, but students do study. Class participation is not just common, but it is the norm. Typically, the classes I don’t like are the ones that are lecture-based, but those are far and few between. Emerson students are innately competitive—between other people and themselves. My most unique class thus far is Love and Eroticism because it covers philosophy, religion, mythology, and various cultures. I’m majoring in Print Journalism, and there are a plethora of resources, teachers, courses, and clubs related to my major. Emerson is unique because it gears students towards getting a job and appreciating learning for its own sake. There is a balance between the two. While professors guide students, there is definitely a sense that students have the freedom to try their own pursuits and explore their options.

All of my professors know my name, the classes are so small and tend to be based on conversations so everyone has a voice. My favorite class is American Women Writers. We read all contemporary authors and discuss their work thoroughly through critical analysis. I honestly don't have a least favorite class. I picked my classes carefully, discussed it with my academic adviser and made sure to sign up for all of my classes as soon as I could. Students study a lot--usually late at night. Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. everyone is focused on studying. Class participation is not only common, it is necessary. Everyone is welcoming to others opinions so it is easy to express yourself freely. Intellectual conversations do not stop in the classroom. Even on Friday and Saturday nights at parties it is not uncommon to find yourself in an intense conversation about the war or the economy. Students are very competitive. It's cut-throat in the major classes. This encourages people to study harder, work better and improve themselves. The most unique class I've taken is Local Action/Global Change. It was focused on improving first the Boston community and then taking the changes we'd come to conclusions on and project them globally. My major is Print Journalism and my minors are Political Science and Publishing. My department is very involved. The professors are in the field as editors and writers and anchors. It is extremely easy to contact professors outside of the classroom, whether it be through e-mail or office hours. They're always more than willing to give you their time. Emerson's academic requirements are unique. Everyone must take an interdisciplinary course, a speech communication course, an ethics course, and a science society course. They are all based on improving communications. Emerson's education is geared towards learning the skills necessary for your hopeful career, while basing much of it on communication.