Communication Arts Major: Cinema and Media Arts Option (B.A.)

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

Students choosing the Cinema & Media Arts Option study the creative media industries with a focus on developing professional skills and knowledge relating to careers in film, television and radio. Courses cover topics such as narrative, screenwriting, audio and video production, film history and criticism, documentary, and audience research methods. Students may elect to take an internship in the area of cinema and media arts to help fulfill requirements for the Option.
 
 For more information, contact Jeff Klenotic, program coordinator or contact the UNH Manchester Office of Admissions, (603) 641-4150.
 
 

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits
Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH
Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*
Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement: Yes

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major 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 2
Select three courses from area A, two from area B, two from area C below.28
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 courses from 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 507
Relational Violence
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 522
Graphic Design I
CA 523
Graphic Design II
PSYC 762
Counseling
Total Credits12
B. Communication Practices: Organization, History, and Policy
Select two courses from 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
PHIL 565
Philosophy Through Film
Total Credits8
C. Communication Practices: Theory and Research
Select two courses from 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

Cinema and Media Arts Option Requirements

The option in Cinema and Media Arts consists of 24 credits as distributed below. Courses may be used toward the Communication Arts Degree requirements as well as the Cinema and Media Arts option. Courses applied to the option must be completed with a minimum grade of C- and overall GPA of 2.0. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 12 credits at UNH Manchester.

Cinema and Media Arts Option
Requirements
Select three courses from the following:12
CA 500
Media Writing
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 1
CA #519
Advanced Screenwriting
Select two courses from the following:8
CA 501
Internship/Communication in the Urban Community 1
CA 502
Image and Sound
CA 527
History of Film
CA 550
Special Topics in Communication Organization, History, and Policy 1
PHIL 565
Philosophy Through Film
Select one course from the following:4
CA 612
Narrative
CA 615
Film History/Theory and Method
CA 618
Documentary
CA 795
Independent Study 1
Total Credits24
1

 Topic must be related to cinema and media arts.

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 at least one Area A course and one Area B course. Students must also have completed the prerequisites for the particular capstone course they seek to take. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and CA program coordinator. 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
 
 
 
 

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
 1-2
ENGL 401 First-Year Writing 4
CMN 455 Introduction to Media Studies 4
Discovery Course 4
Elective 4
 Credits17-18
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 Credits129-130

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.