Emerson College

Yes, Emerson College offers several online degree programs alongside its traditional programs. With five online degree programs, students can complete coursework entirely online. Emerson has several online graduate degree programs across diverse disciplines, such as creative enterprises, communication disorders, and writing for film and television. Additionally, Emerson offers online certification programs, like content strategy and digital marketing. 

In short, yes, online degrees awarded at Emerson College are respected by employers. To determine if a school is legitimate and respected, students should always look at its accreditation status. Accreditation is given to colleges and universities meeting the educational requirements to award degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

At OnlineU, we only include accredited online colleges and universities on our site. 

Emerson is accredited by The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a voluntary, non-governmental membership accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. 

Variety of Programs in the Arts

Emerson’s vision statement is to “educate leading professionals in the arts and communication; to inspire generations of students to think boldly and creatively; and to make sure that all we do—as students, faculty, and staff—brightens the cultural, social, political, and civic life around us.” With this in mind, Emerson offers several online and traditional programs in the arts for students looking to further their expertise in this area. 

Nondenominational Institution

Emerson is a nondenominational institution, which means they accept students from different Christian denominations. The school hosts the Center for Spiritual Life, a multifaith hub for religious and spiritual programs, support, and education. Online students who are close to one of Emerson’s campuses can access spiritual counseling, Wisdom Wednesdays, mindfulness resources, and more.

Data from College Scorecard, which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, shows what degrees provide the highest financial returns. At Emerson, the five fields of undergraduate study at the bachelor's level that provide the highest median earnings for graduates are as follows: 

(1) Marketing at ~$53,700 

(2) Public relations, advertising, and applied communication at ~$46,500

(3) Journalism at ~$45,300 

(4) Communication and media studies at ~$42,100

(5) Teacher education and professional development in specific subject areas at ~$41,500

Although Emerson doesn’t offer online bachelor’s degree programs, the school has online master’s degrees in these fields of study. Some examples include a Master of Arts in Business of Creative Enterprises and a Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing & Publishing. 

Another helpful way to gauge a degree's worth at a particular school is to look at its salary score. OnlineU’s proprietary Salary Score ranks colleges by how much their alums earn compared to graduates across the country with the same degree. Emerson’s salary scores are 76 out of 100 for bachelor’s and 38 for master's degrees. 

According to College Scorecard data, Emerson’s acceptance rate is 41%. This percentage indicates that Emerson is competitive but not overwhelmingly selective with its admission process. 

One way Emerson may be more accessible to some students is that college entrance exam scores from the SAT and ACT are considered but not required. Students admitted into Emerson typically had the following scores: an SAT Critical Reading score between 610 to 690, an SAT Math score between 580 and 690, and an ACT Composite score between 27 and 31. 

To be admitted into Emerson’s online degree programs, students must complete the online application process. Some of Emerson’s programs have rolling admissions, while others have deadlines that applicants must keep track of. 

Here’s a checklist of items to submit for undergraduate applicants to Emerson:

• Emerson’s online application or the Common App
• High school transcripts and a school record
• First marking period grades and midyear report
• Secondary school counselor evaluation
• At least one teacher evaluation
• SAT or ACT test scores (optional)
• A creative sample (if chosen degree program requires it)

Graduate applicants must select their online degree program and complete the application process for their chosen program.