Communication Arts Major (B.A.)

https://manchester.unh.edu/program/ba/communication-arts-major

Communication Arts majors explore the creativity, artistry, and impact of human communication. The program offers a rich variety of learning experiences, including:
 
  • Working with cutting-edge digital media in state-of-the-art sound and video production studios and a high-definition editing suite with full Adobe creative cloud access.
  • Discovering how communication theories and practices shape personal identity, social skills, professional relationships, and human relations.
  • Enhancing your media writing, social media, public relations, and strategic communication skills.
  • Exploring the history of media using a super-tech screening room with surround sound.
  • Developing hands-on research activities, creative media projects, and internship experiences that link students with businesses, nonprofits, and the community.
To complete the major, students can take courses from across the Communication Arts curriculum, or they may choose to focus their coursework in one of four suggested areas of study: Advertising and Public Relations*, Cinema and Media Arts*, Digital Media*, or Human Relations*.
 
A degree in Communication Arts prepares students for today’s communication-driven society. The program offers students the knowledge and skills they need to succeed as professional communicators, media artists, and entrepreneurs working in a variety of careers. Our alumni have gone on to work in fields such as radio, television, film, web, digital video, corporate communications, journalism, public relations, social media, advertising, sales, strategic communication, audience research, counseling, conflict mediation, human resources, and more. A Communication Arts degree also creates pathways to careers in government, social services, public education, and community affairs, where employers seek graduates who can think creatively and communicate effectively to a variety of audiences and constituents.
 

Communication Arts faculty bring exceptional expertise to the classroom and are actively engaged in their own creative and scholarly work. They regularly share their knowledge with audiences around the state, the country, and the world. Some are also experienced professionals who bring current, real-world knowledge from the workplace to the classroom. In addition to classroom instruction, the program also provides students with exceptional access to experiential learning opportunities (internships, community-based research, service learning, and media production projects) that occur within real-life settings.

*

Advertising and Public Relations, Cinema and Media Arts, Digital Media, and Human Relations are Degree Options that appear on the official UNH transcript and diploma. The specific requirements for each Degree Option are presented elsewhere in this catalog. Students are encouraged to contact the Communication Arts program coordinator or their academic advisor to discuss whether a Degree Option is the right choice for them.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 128 credits and satisfy the University's Discovery Program and foreign language requirements. Communication Arts (CA) majors must complete 10 courses (40 credits) and maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 in the major. Transfer students must complete at least 20 credits in the Communication Arts major at UNH. Communication Arts majors may use up to two CMN and/or CA courses toward both the Communication Arts major and UNH Discovery Program requirements.

I. Required Core Courses 1
CMN 455Introduction to Media Studies4
CMN 456Propaganda and Persuasion4
CMN 457Introduction to Language and Social Interaction4
II. Selected Coursework
Select three courses from area A, two from area B, two from area C 228
Total Credits40
1

Students must earn a "C" or better in each course to satisfy CA degree requirements.

2

Students must earn a "C-" or better in each course to satisfy CA degree requirements.

A. Communication Practices

Select three of the following:12
CA 450
Introduction to Public Speaking
CA 500
Media Writing
CA 501
Internship/Communication in the Urban Community
CA 502
Image and Sound
CA 508
Conflict in Relational Communication
CA 512
Screenwriting
CA 514
Fundamentals of Video Production
CA 515
Advanced Video Production
CA 517
Fundamentals of Audio Prod
CA 518
Advanced Topics in Digital Media Production
CA 519
Advanced Screenwriting
CA #520
Special Topics in Applied Communication
CA 522
Graphic Design I
CA 523
Graphic Design II
PSYC 762
Counseling
Total Credits12

B. Communication Practices: Organization, History, and Policy

Select two of the following:8
CA 527
History of Film
CA 531
History and Organization of Advertising
CA 532
Typography I
CA 536
LGBT Images and Perspectives
CA 538
Gender
CA 539
Communicating in Families
CA 540
Public Relations
CA 542
Social Media for Organizations and Business
CA 550
Special Topics in Communication Organization, History, and Policy
COMP 560
Ethics and the Law in the Digital Age
ENGL 534
21st Century Journalism: How the News Works
Total Credits8

C. Communication Practices: Theory and Research

Select two of the following:8
CA 610
Communication Technologies and Culture
CA 612
Narrative
CA 615
Film History/Theory and Method
CA 618
Documentary
CA 720
Seminar
CA 795
Independent Study
Total Credits8

Capstone Requirement

The capstone requirement will be satisfied in a student's senior year by completion of a specific four-credit capstone course at the 600 or 700 levels. Students may not enroll in a capstone course until they have completed all three CA program core courses (CMN 455 Introduction to Media Studies, CMN 456 Propaganda and Persuasion, and CMN 457 Introduction to Language and Social Interaction) and all CA Area A and Area B requirements. The capstone course can also fulfill an Area C course requirement.

The capstone experience offers seniors an opportunity to synthesize and apply knowledge and skills gained throughout their communication arts major coursework. The capstone course requires students to conduct an original research study, a creative media project, an internship, community-based research, or an advanced service learning project in communication arts under the close supervision of a communication arts faculty member. Students are strongly encouraged to share their capstone projects with the larger UNH community through participation in the Undergraduate Research Conference, a presentation in the Brown Bag lunch series, publication in the UNH undergraduate journal Inquiry, or presentation in some other public venue. Students should work closely with their advisors to make sure the capstone requirement has been satisfied.

Courses that satisfy this requirement include, but are not limited to:

Capstone Courses
CA 612Narrative4
CA 615Film History/Theory and Method4
CA 720Seminar4
CA 795Independent Study4

 For more information, contact Jeff Klenotic, program coordinator or contact the UNH Manchester Office of Admissions, (603) 641-4150.

This degree plan is a sample and does not reflect the impact of transfer credit or current course offerings. UNH Manchester undergraduate students will develop individual academic plans with their professional advisor during the first year at UNH.

Sample Course Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
UMST 401
or UMST 402
 First Year Seminar
or Transfer Seminar
 1
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing 4
CMN 455 Introduction to Media Studies 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
 Credits17
Spring
Quantitative Reasoning 4
CMN 456 Propaganda and Persuasion 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Second Year
Fall
Foreign Language 4
CMN 457 Introduction to Language and Social Interaction 4
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
 Credits16
Spring
Foreign Language 4
Major Elective 4
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
 Credits16
Third Year
Fall
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Spring
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Fourth Year
Fall
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
Spring
Major Elective 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
Elective 4
 Credits16
 Total Credits129

Upon completion of the Communication Arts program, students will be able to:

  • Analyze how creativity, artistry, narrative, identity, persuasion, and ethics shape messages and relationships produced within a variety of social, organizational, and industry contexts.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and skills that give them expertise and proficiency in areas such as human relations, social media, digital video, audio production, graphic design, writing, and speaking.
  • Know the history of communication practices and understand how media technologies and messages have impacted societies, cultures, organizations, and businesses.
  • Effectively research and creatively explore communication practices, experiences, and trends using high quality sources of information, multiple modes of inquiry, and multiple presentation formats.
  • Identify professional interests or career paths by working with the Internship and Career Planning Office and by engaging with communication settings outside the classroom through internships, service learning, field trips, and independent studies.