DEGREE
Bachelor of Arts
CAREER IDEAS
Advertising Executive, Communication and Media Consultant, Journalist, Lobbyist, Market Research Analyst, Media Writer, Press Secretary, Public Relations Practitioner, Social Media Manager, Speech Writer, Sports Information Director, Theatre & Media Director, TV or Radio Broadcaster, Writer/Author
Manhattanville College’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communication Studies degree program marries flexible training in communication with industry-relevant contemporary media studies, ensuring students know the tools for communicating with various audiences and how to use them. Manhattanville communication studies majors are challenged to become experienced professionals with expansive career opportunities. Employers in every industry, from healthcare organizations to venture capital firms to government agencies, have a message to convey. At Manhattanville, you’ll gain practical internship and project experience demonstrating to future employers that they can trust you with that message. Just 30 miles from New York City’s countless news and media outlets and international business dealings, as a communications studies major at Manhattanville College, you’ll be as close as ever to shaping that message as an industry leader in advertising, public relations, and beyond.
Communication Degree Overview
Communication studies majors at Manhattanville benefit from career-oriented approaches to learning and close hands-on experience preparing them to confidently enter many industries and connect to specific audiences and the general public.
Manhattanville allows undergraduate students interested in social media, advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, and a variety of fields to develop the practical knowledge and technical skill to fuel their aspirations. Strengthened by marketable professional skills and internship experience with top employers, students gain excellent job opportunities after graduation in New York City and across the globe.
From managing corporate communication to designing press releases as an independent consultant, the career opportunities you prepare for as a communication studies major are exciting and dynamic.
Communication Studies Requirements and Curriculum
The B.A. in Communication Studies degree curriculum is rich with hands-on experience, from on- and off-campus internships to student-run campus media.
Core major courses span foundational communications theory and the history of the field. To support core courses, faculty-led projects and student-selected electives in multiple sub-disciplines allow communications majors at Manhattanville to evolve into informed and engaged citizens ready for a variety of careers.
Requirements for the bachelor’s degree in communication program include:
- 10 courses in core communications studies courses including senior capstone
- Student-selected writing, media production, and communications elective courses
- First Year Program and general education courses
- One credit-bearing internship
Review requirements details for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies program.
Communication Studies Courses
Courses in the communication studies major and minor programs introduce students to the entirety of the discipline’s perspective and practices, including interpersonal, intercultural, small group, public, and mass communication.
Courses you may take include:
- Introduction to Communication & Media
- Communication & Media Theory
- Public Speaking
Students choose to spend a number of elective course credits in sub-fields of communication studies intersecting with various areas of society and culture such as media writing, multimedia production, business, tech, history, and performance.
You may be excited to choose electives such as:
- Social Media
- Journalism I & II
- Commercial Photography
- Broadcasting & Podcasting
- Theory of Game Design
- Documentary Media
- Sport Communication & Media
- Public Relations
- Advertising
Communications Internship and Capstone Project
An integral component of the B.A. in Communication Studies degree curriculum is meaningful work experience gained through credit-bearing internships and a senior capstone project.
In collaboration with faculty instructors, students in the communications degree program create a tailored portfolio as part of their capstone experience. You’ll learn how to professionally present your accomplishments and provide future employers with examples of real projects you have undertaken, from press releases to composed papers. Throughout the capstone semester, you’ll meet and learn from guest lectures in key career development areas.
Communication studies majors tackle real-world problems in an integrated internship experience. Through working in actual corporate communications settings, discover connections upon which you can build a career. Manhattanville’s Center for Career Development provides resources to assist students in locating internship opportunities that match their career goals.
Explore the Center for Career Development’s student career support resources and learn about student internship opportunities.
Faculty
Justin Capalbo
Michael Castaldo
Alexis Romero Walker
Steffi Shook
Affiliated Faculty
Jeff Bens
Gillian Greenhill Hannum
Geoffrey Kidde
David Lugowski
Adjunct Faculty
Mark Beech
Cynthia Brosnan
Jeanne Christie
Kevin Czerwinski
Leo Kivijarv
Chris McGilvery
John Proctor
Please contact any of the above faculty or the Division Chair for more information.
Division Chair: Amy Bass, Amy.Bass@mville.edu, (914) 323-5127
Degree Outcomes and Careers
Practical Career Preparation
With a modern perspective rooted in digital and media studies, Manhattanville’s B.A. in Communication Studies degree program emphasizes meaningful career preparation in media history, theory, criticism, media law, ethics, and digital production.
Backed by a rich interdisciplinary foundation, student-led projects, and internship experiences, communication studies majors develop skills to carry them throughout the many phases of their careers and develop mentor-mentee relationships with influential faculty and local employers.
Graduates of the communication degree program at Manhattanville have worked as interns or become full-time employees at top companies such as:
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Review the latest career outcome data for recent Manhattanville graduates.
Communications Studies Major Career Opportunities
Graduates of the communications studies major program are prepared to successfully navigate our increasingly media-connected world. Depending on their interests and aspirations, students may immerse themselves in entry-level career pursuits or pursue graduate studies in fields such as:
- Advertising
- Social Media
- Public relations
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Film and television
- Radio and podcasting
- Print and online media
- Corporate communications
Well-rounded professionals skilled in communication studies are in high demand across the job market, wielding their public relations and verbal and written communications skills in nearly every industry and sector.
You could craft and execute enticing email marketing campaigns; write, proofread, or strategize written content in print and online media; contribute to live local, national, or international broadcast news; or create and distribute public relations statements for a variety of public or private entities.
Communication Major Clubs and Organizations
Foster your hobbies and interests through student clubs and activities. Whether the goal is civic engagement, professional networking, creative projects, taking the lead, or just having fun, Manhattanville’s student organizations shape your time here in Purchase, New York.
Explore a complete list of student clubs, activities, and resources.
Minors and Related Degrees
Communication Studies Minor
Enhance your choice of a different Manhattanville major with a minor in communication studies to further your technical skills in public relations and advertising tactics and written and verbal communication.
Review minor in communication studies requirements.
Related Major and Minor Programs
Manhattanville’s extensive programming in fields like digital production, creative writing, and media communication ensures students begin their professional lives with a multidisciplinary, contemporary perspective and a practical toolkit for deftly confronting the communication issues of the future.
Enhance your instruction in any secondary area by choosing a double major or minor in programs such as:
Manhattanville Admissions and Aid
If you are ready to command the attention of any audience and create and deliver messages that influence people and change the world for the better, now is your time to join us at Manhattanville.
Take a peek at Manhattanville admission deadlines and requirements and financial aid opportunities. For any help along the way, contact a member of the Admissions team.
Apply to the B.A. in Communication Studies at Manhattanville College
Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies degree program at Manhattanville College learn the broad strokes of foundational communications principles and tailor their learning to their ideal career path.
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