If you’re a high school student interested in marketing or entertainment, New York City offers one of the most exciting environments in the world to explore those interests. As a global centre for media, advertising, fashion, music, film, publishing, and business, NYC gives students direct exposure to industries built around creativity, storytelling, branding, and audience engagement. Marketing & entertainment programs in New York for high school students can help you move beyond simply consuming media to understanding how campaigns, brands, and productions are actually created.

Imagine spending your summer developing marketing strategies for mock brands, learning how social media campaigns are designed, exploring music or film production, or collaborating on creative projects with students who share your interests. These programs blend creativity with business thinking, helping students understand both the artistic and strategic sides of the entertainment world.

Studying these subjects in New York adds another layer to the experience. Students may visit media companies, attend industry workshops, explore cultural landmarks, or learn in close proximity to some of the world’s largest entertainment and advertising organizations.

Why should I consider marketing and entertainment programs in New York?

Of course, not all programs offer the same level of mentorship or meaningful engagement. Finding the right program can make a major difference in both your confidence and your understanding of the industry.

Across New York City, universities, creative institutes, and educational organizations offer exceptional marketing and entertainment opportunities designed specifically for high school students. Whether you’re interested in media strategy, filmmaking, music business, branding, or digital content creation, these programs can help you build skills while exploring potential future careers in creative industries.

To help you explore the best opportunities, we’ve compiled a list of 15 Marketing & Entertainment Programs in New York for High School Students.

For adjacent opportunities, have a look at business summer programs in NYC. For more options, consider summer programs in New York State.

15 Marketing & Entertainment Programs in New York for High School Students

1. NYU Career Edge’s Integrated Marketing: Innovation and Strategy

Location: NYU School of Professional Studies (SPS), New York, NY
Cost: $2,579/course; optional housing fees: $684
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective; limited enrolment per course
Dates: Multiple 1-week sessions between June and August
Application deadline: International: March 14th | Residential: April 29th | Commuter: June 12th
Eligibility: Students worldwide who have completed grades 9, 10, or 11; a transcript and a short essay are required for applying

This program places you at NYU SPS to study marketing through the lens of branding, communications, and campaign strategy while learning how companies position products and engage audiences. The course introduces you to both tactical and strategic marketing concepts, including audience targeting, messaging, and integrated campaigns.

You will also examine how marketing teams collaborate with media, advertising, and communications departments in professional settings. Classes are supplemented by guest speaker sessions and agency visits around New York City, helping you connect classroom ideas to real industry workflows. The short, intensive format also gives you exposure to university-level learning without requiring prior experience.

Why it stands out: It lets you dive into marketing theory through agency visits and industry speakers integrated directly into the curriculum, providing structured exposure to NYC’s marketing ecosystem.

2. Immerse Education’s New York Marketing & Entertainment Summer School

Location: Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through the bursary programme
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective, small cohorts of around 7 participants per class
Dates: Two-week summer sessions
Application deadline: Rolling admissions across multiple cohorts
Eligibility: High school students around the world, ages 15-18

Immerse Education’s Marketing & Entertainment summer program introduces you to the entertainment and marketing industries through workshops, company visits, and collaborative projects in major global business hubs. In New York, you will explore how branding, media, storytelling, and entertainment intersect inside real professional environments. You will work on practical assignments and attend sessions with industry professionals, and build communication, presentation, and networking skills.

The structure is heavily discussion-based, focusing on how entertainment companies market products, talent, and experiences to audiences. You will also receive one-on-one career coaching and complete a final presentation summarising your project work and observations. You can find more details about the application here!

Why it stands out: You gain direct exposure to entertainment and marketing workflows while building a project portfolio and professional network in a major global media hub.

3. The Met High School Internship Program

Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; $1,100 stipend
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 1st – August 7th
Application deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 and 11 living and studying in NY, NJ, or CT

This internship places you inside one of the world’s largest museums, where you will work with departments connected to education, digital media, curatorial projects, visitor engagement, and communications. Depending on placement, you may contribute to exhibition support, educational content, archival work, or audience-facing programming.

The structure can offer you insight into how large cultural institutions balance creative, operational, and marketing responsibilities. You will also participate in “Teen Fridays” and professional development sessions focused on communication and workplace collaboration. 

Why it stands out: You gain paid, behind-the-scenes experience at a globally recognised cultural institution while working directly with museum professionals.

4. Summer Shakespeare @ Stella Adler Studio of Acting

Location: Stella Adler Studio of Acting, New York, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 22 students selected
Dates: July 6th – August 7th
Application deadline: June 1st
Eligibility: NYC high school students with financial need and an interest in theatre

This five-week acting intensive focuses on performance training through Shakespearean theatre, voice work, movement, and ensemble rehearsal. You will attend studio-based classes, developing technical acting skills and learning how performers interpret classical texts for modern audiences.

Rehearsals are collaborative and fast-paced, requiring you to work closely with instructors and fellow actors to prepare scenes and performances. Throughout the program, you will strengthen stage presence, vocal delivery, and script analysis skills in a conservatory-style environment. The training culminates in a final staged production of an abridged Shakespeare play.

Why it stands out: You receive structured conservatory-style theatre training at no cost while performing in a full production at the end of the program.

5. NYC Public Schools Arts Office’s Summer Arts Institute (SAI)

Location: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, New York, NY
Cost: Free; meals and transportation included
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective; audition-based
Dates: July 6-31
Application deadline: March 9th
Eligibility: NYC public school students entering grades 8-12

SAI is a month-long conservatory-style program where you will specialise in an artistic discipline such as theatre, film, dance, visual arts, or music while working in a professional studio environment. Your schedule revolves around rehearsals, workshops, guided practice, and collaborative creative projects led by artists and instructors actively working in the field.

Beyond technical training, you will also explore how entertainment industries function through performances, venue visits, and artist talks. The program encourages consistent creative output, helping you build discipline and confidence within your chosen area. At the end of the session, you will present your work publicly through a performance, screening, or exhibition. 

Why it stands out: It lets you train in a focused arts discipline while working directly with professional artists and organisations across New York City.

6. New York Film Academy ’s 1-Week Filmmaking Camp for Teens

Location: New York Film Academy, New York, NY
Cost: $1,725
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions between July and August
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students worldwide, ages 14-17

NYFA’s filmmaking camp covers the fundamentals of visual storytelling through a condensed curriculum consisting of activities in writing, directing, shooting, and editing. Over the course of a week, you will explore how filmmakers use different tools and techniques in pacing, framing, lighting, and sound to create a film.

The curriculum covers the fundamentals of story structure as well as the technical basics of camera operation and post-production. You will also take on crew responsibilities on classmates’ projects, which can help you understand how real, collaborative film sets operate. The final output will be your own non-dialogue film.

Why it stands out: It takes you through the whole process of creating and presenting a short film in the course of a week.

7. Columbia University Pre-College (Summer Residential): Marketing & Communications Track

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,837 for a three-week residential session
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Session A: June 29th – July 17th | Session B: July 21st – August 7th | Session AB: June 29th – August 7th
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders to current 12th graders, ages 15 and up, in the U.S. and abroad

Columbia’s summer pre-college option stands out among the many marketing & entertainment programs in New York for high school students by letting you enrol in college-level courses across disciplines, including marketing and communications, while living on an Ivy League campus. Marketing and communication courses cover topics such as branding, consumer behaviour, messaging strategy, and media communications through seminar-style classes led by university instructors.

You will spend several hours daily in class, engaging in workshops, lectures, and college-prep activities designed to mirror undergraduate academic life. Outside academics, the residential structure gives you access to campus events, libraries, student resources, and organised activities throughout New York City. 

Why it stands out: It combines Ivy League academics with a fully residential NYC experience while offering coursework specifically tied to marketing and communications.

8. School of The New York Times NYC Summer Academy

Location: New York Times Building, New York, NY
Cost: Day: $6,195 | Residential: $7,695 + $50 application fee (non-refundable)
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Small classes; selective depending on track
Dates: Multiple two-week sessions between June and August
Application deadline: Priority: February 27th; Round 1 Regular: March 13th; Round 2 Regular: April 10th; Rolling Admissions starting from April 13th
Eligibility: Students worldwide entering grades 10-12 and graduating seniors, ages 15 and up

This program introduces you to journalism, digital media, business communication, and storytelling through classes taught by working journalists and industry professionals. Depending on your chosen track, you will study media branding, audience engagement, reporting, multimedia production, or business strategy within the context of modern newsrooms and the media industry.

Classes are small, allowing for discussion-based learning and closer interaction with instructors. The program can help you prepare for future studies and career opportunities in communications, journalism, media marketing, or digital content careers.

Why it stands out: You study inside an active global newsroom while learning directly from journalists and media professionals working in the industry.

9. Fashion Institute of Technology Precollege: Advertising, Marketing & Communications Courses

Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NHY
Cost: Workshops: $235 – $440 | 10-day courses: $550
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Open enrolment; limited seats
Dates: Multiple summer sessions
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Domestic and international students in grades 9-12

FIT’s Precollege program lets you study advertising, fashion marketing, merchandising, cosmetics branding, and event planning while learning directly from industry professionals. Classes are practical and industry-focused, introducing you to how brands position products, analyse trends, and market to different consumer audiences. As the campus is located in Manhattan’s Fashion District, you will study within walking distance of major fashion houses, showrooms, and media companies connected to the industry.

Some courses also explore the relationship between branding, retail strategy, and visual presentation in fashion-driven markets. Certain tracks focus heavily on portfolio development and creative presentation, which can help if you are considering design or business school applications later on. 

Why it stands out: It is one of the few programs offering specialized marketing tracks focused specifically on fashion, cosmetics, retail, and branding inside New York’s Fashion District.

10. NYC Ladders for Leaders

Location: Various businesses, nonprofits, and agencies across New York City’s five boroughs
Cost/Stipend: Free; stipend of up to $17/hour
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 450+ students placed annually
Dates: Six-week summer program
Application deadline: March 13; applications open in January
Eligibility: NYC high school juniors and seniors, ages 16-19, authorised to work in the U.S.

Ladders for Leaders places you in paid internships across media companies, nonprofits, government agencies, and corporate offices throughout New York City. As an intern, you may assist with marketing campaigns, social media planning, audience outreach, client communication, or administrative projects connected to communications and branding.

The program is structured around real workplace experience rather than classroom instruction, giving you exposure to professional expectations early on. The experience can help you strengthen both your resume and understanding of workplace dynamics before college.

Why it stands out: You get access to a paid professional experience at real NYC organisations alongside structured workplace training before your internship begins.

11. Emma Bowen Foundation Internship Program

Location: Multiple U.S. locations, including New York
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship with compensation set by host organization
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: ~150 fellows place/year
Dates: Minimum eight continuous weeks; typically begins in May or June
Application deadline: May 15th
Eligibility: High school seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA who will be at least 18 before the internship begins; applicants must be planning to attend a four-year U.S. college, and must be U.S. citizens/permanent residents

The Emma Bowen Foundation connects you with paid internships at major media and entertainment companies, such as ESPN, NBCUniversal, Bloomberg, Paramount, and Lionsgate. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to social media campaigns, audience engagement strategies, PR support, digital content planning, or communications projects inside active media organizations.

The program is structured around long-term career development rather than short-term shadowing, which means you may continue working with the same company across multiple summers. The experience can expose you to the workplace culture within large media and entertainment brands while helping you build professional contacts early on. 

Why it stands out: You work in a real media company through a multi-year fellowship structure that can continue throughout college, rather than a short-term simulation programme.

12. Apollo Theatre Production Internship

Location: Apollo Theatre, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Orientation: July 1-3; Internship: July 7th – August 15th
Application deadline: April 7th
Eligibility: Rising seniors residing in the five boroughs of New York City

At the Apollo Theatre, you will train directly with production teams to understand how live entertainment is built behind the scenes. The internship rotates you through departments like lighting, sound engineering, videography, and stage production, helping you see how technical crews coordinate performances from rehearsal to execution. You will assist with tasks such as camera setup, sound mixing, lighting boards, and production logistics while learning how timing and cue systems function during live events.

The environment is collaborative and fast-moving, giving you a realistic introduction to production workflows inside a historic performance venue. Throughout the program, you will interact with professionals working across technical theatre and live entertainment operations. 

Why it stands out: You gain hands-on production experience inside one of New York’s most historically important live entertainment venues.

13. Hearst High School Media Internship @ The Paley Center for Media

Location: The Paley Center for Media, New York, NY
Stipend: $17/hour + travel reimbursement
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6th – August 6th
Application deadline: March 30th
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th-grade students legally authorized to work in the U.S.

This five-week internship is one of the more media-focused marketing & entertainment programs in New York for high school students, introducing you to media literacy, digital storytelling, and entertainment industry careers through workshops, mentorship, and production-based projects. During the program, you will meet journalists, producers, media executives, and digital creators while visiting newsrooms, podcast studios, and television production spaces around New York City.

The curriculum focuses on building communication skills through opportunities in interviewing, public speaking, writing, research, and audio production. You will also interact with college interns and mentors who offer guidance on higher education and media career pathways. 

Why it stands out: You create an original podcast while learning directly from professionals working across journalism, broadcasting, and digital media.

14. Teen Council @ Museum of the Moving Image

Location: Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria (New York), NY
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: 15-20 students/year
Dates: November – May
Application deadline: October 17th
Eligibility: Local students in grades 10-12 who are at least 15 years old

Teen Council gives you the opportunity to help shape youth programming at the Museum of the Moving Image, which is dedicated to film, television, gaming, and digital media. Throughout the year, you will collaborate with museum educators, filmmakers, programmers, and performers while planning screenings, workshops, and public events for teen audiences.

The program will also introduce you to curation, event planning, and audience engagement, helping you understand how media institutions develop programming from idea to execution. Sessions are collaborative and project-based, often involving discussions around film culture, storytelling, and creative industries. 

Why it stands out: It lets you actively help plan public-facing media events while working with professionals inside a major moving-image museum.

15. All Stars Project Development School for Youth

Location: Various sites in the U.S., including in NYC
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid internship accessible after program completion
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Open to all qualifying NYC youth
Dates: 10-week school-year program + a paid summer internship
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: NYC residents, ages 16-21, who are legally authorized to work in the U.S.

The Development School for Youth combines professional training with direct placement into paid internships across marketing, communications, entertainment, and media-related industries.

During the school year, you will attend workshops focused on public speaking, interviewing, networking, workplace communication, and professional presence while interacting with executives from companies like Paramount, JPMorgan Chase, and EY. After completing the training phase, you will move on to a paid internship where you will gain hands-on experience inside a professional workplace. 

Why it stands out: It combines structured career development training with a paid internship, creating a direct pathway into NYC’s media and business sectors.

Turn Creative Interests Into Career Direction

Creative industries become clearer when you move from watching campaigns, films, performances, and media projects to understanding how they are planned and produced.

The 15 marketing & entertainment programs in New York for high school students featured here offer exposure to branding, filmmaking, theatre, journalism, production, and digital storytelling.

From NYU strategy classes to Apollo Theatre production work, Met internships, and podcast projects, these experiences can help you test your strengths and interests.

Explore our Career Exploration blogs for expert guidance on career paths, subject choices, work experience, and practical steps to shape your future with confidence.