Spotlight on Communication Arts

With expert faculty, a vast network of internship opportunities, and a focus on hands-on learning, the communication arts program at UNH Manchester gives students the skills and experience to turn their passions into professions.

“This degree is a spring board for our students to pursue any career they choose,” says Barbara Jago, associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication Arts & Sciences. “When any employer is looking to hire, the ability to communicate is at the top of the list of needs.”

UNH Manchester offers four different tracks within the communication arts major: Advertising and Public Relations, Cinema and Media Arts, Digital Media and Human Relations. Graduates have gone on to pursue a wide variety of careers including event planning, human resources, media production, sports management, public relations and graphic design.

“This major allows a tremendous amount of flexibility,” says Associate Professor Jeffrey Klenotic, adding that this allows students to pursue their dreams in an array of fields.

For Angela Marsh ‘08, internships at Concord TV and JBC Communications in Portsmouth were her first steps into the media field.

“I really got to do everything,” Marsh says. “I was working behind the camera, climbing up on roofs and really getting into crazy production stuff.”

From there, Marsh utilized UNH’s alumni network to land an interview with Atlas Media Corp., where she’s had the opportunity to work on shows like “Hotel Impossible” and “How to Survive the End of the World.”

“What’s most engaging to me is it never gets stagnant, and you never get bored because you’re always moving on to something new, and you’re always learning and growing,” Marsh says.

This is one of the reasons the communication arts program is so keen on pushing what Klenotic calls “the fundamentals.”

“Particular tools change constantly. There are industries that develop, like streaming video for example, that don’t even exist when you get your degree,” he says. “We try to emphasize the fundamentals of writing, video production, editing skills, web design, graphic design. We have social media courses, public relations courses, but we also focus on teaching our students basic interpersonal skills, which I think really benefits our students when they’re talking to potential employers.”

Jago echoed Klenotic’s sentiment, citing the program’s evolving curriculum as beneficial both professionally and personally for students.

“We assess the program constantly to ensure it continues to be useful for students,” Jago said. “It’s not just about getting jobs. I want everyone who graduates from our program to have a well-rounded education so that they can use what they’ve learned not just in their careers, but throughout the rest of their lives.”