When it comes to communications degrees in Connecticut, most people think about broadcast journalists who report the news, but communication covers a broad range of career fields including interpreters, video editors and public relations specialists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations professionals earned a median income of $54,170 in 2012 and will see a steady increase in the number of jobs available over the next decade. Connecticut offers many opportunities for communications majors. The state’s capital of Hartford boasts a high salary for marketing communications specialists, and the following programs provide a solid education that helps propel students into rewarding careers.
Capital Community College
Academic Media Technology
Capital Community College was founded in 1992 as a merger between two former technical schools in Connecticut’s urban capital city of Hartford. Students who study here can choose from 35 associate degrees and 27 certificate programs. The school’s Academic Media Technology department wants to prepare students for careers in the communications industry by helping them achieve the following educational objectives: competent use of relevant equipment and technology to communicate effectively; appropriate written and verbal communication; an understanding of the way that media influences modern American society as well as the importance of free expression; and application of technical and critical thinking skills.
Associate Degree in Communications Media
Capital Community College’s Associate Degree in Communications Media awards an Associate in Science degree to students seeking communications degrees in Connecticut and covers a broad range of topics designed to prepare students for a bachelor’s program at a four-year institution. Students will gain theoretical knowledge of media communications while participating in hands-on assignments and internships at local media outlets. The program requires a total of at least 62 credits divided into 26 credits of general education, 27 credits of communications core classes and nine credits of “flex electives.” The flex electives enable students to specialize in a topic such as photojournalism or prepare to enter a bachelor’s program at another school. Students will meet with their advisers to discuss specific elective courses. Along with learning about broad topics within the communications industry, students who enroll in the associate’s program at Capital will learn how to use relevant technology and equipment.
Accreditation
Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Capital Community College
950 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: (860) 906-5000
Email: mbies@capitalcc.edu
Website
Central Connecticut State University
Department of Communication
Originally founded in 1849 as a normal school or teacher training facility, Central Connecticut State University has been offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs since the implementation of its restructured educational charter in 1983. Today, the school boasts rankings in Princeton Review’s lists of the best northeastern colleges as well as the best value colleges in America. Students who wish to pursue communications careers will find an in-depth course of study within Central Connecticut State University’s Department of Communication as the department offers a comprehensive bachelor’s program designed to help students develop strong communications skills while utilizing applicable technology.
B.A. Communications
Central Connecticut State University’s B.A. Communications program prepares students for entry-level positions in a wide range of media and other communications fields. Along with the general bachelor’s program in communications, students will choose one of four emphases to further specialize in a field relevant to media communication. The emphases include Media Production and Performance, Media Studies, Organizational Communication, and Public Relations and Promotions. Media Production and Performance focuses on the production of media communication; Media Studies allows students to study the theoretical impact of media; Organizational Communication enables students to become organizational speakers and communicators; and Public Relations and Promotions prepares students for careers in promotional fields. Regardless of the emphasis chosen, students will complete 39 credit hours of communications courses to be divided between core classes and electives associated with each emphasis along. To graduate, students will also fulfill all general education requirements necessary to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Central Connecticut State University
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050-4010
Phone: (860) 832-2690
Email: baruffilik@ccsu.edu
Website
Eastern Connecticut University
Department of Communication
Eastern Connecticut University is a culturally diverse school originally founded in 1889 that continues to offer a variety of academic programs, an ideal student to faculty ratio and ample opportunity to students seeking communications degrees in Connecticut. The school ranks as number 108 on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best regional institutions in the north for 2014, and its Department of Communication continues the tradition of academic excellence by offering a Bachelor of Science in Communications program that helps students develop the technical and communication skills needed to pursue a variety of media positions and related careers.
Communication Major: BS Degree
Students looking for a comprehensive communications program will find valuable instruction at Eastern Connecticut State University. The Department of Communication strives to help students understand the importance of mass media while giving them practical instruction on a variety of equipment and relevant technology programs. The Communication Major: BS Degree program requires a total of at least 120 hours, and courses are divided into general education requirements, core communication credits and electives as determined by academic advisement. Required core courses within the department cover several important subjects in the media industry including interpersonal communication, an introduction to mass media, and communication theory. All communications students will also complete an internship worth three or six credit hours. In order to qualify for the program, students need to hold a minimum 2.0 grade point average or GPA by their sophomore year; after initial acceptance, students need to maintain a 2.5 GPA to continue the program.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Eastern Connecticut University
Communication Building, Room 242
83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
Phone: (860) 465-5201
Email: halej@easternct.edu
Website
Manchester Community College
Communication Department
Manchester Community College is one of the largest community colleges in Connecticut and offers technical training and associate degree programs that serve the academic needs of more than 16,000 students each year. As one of 150 schools selected to compete for the prestigious Aspen Prize in 2015, Manchester takes education seriously and designs its degree programs to help students prepare for a wide range of careers including those related to communications. The school’s Communication Department offers an associate degree in the field that encourages practical application of communication theory, and those who pursue this program will gain significant media experience.
Communication, A.S.
Communication degree programs typically focus on mass media and journalism, but the program offered by Manchester Community College offers students a broader educational perspective through which they can build successful careers in a variety of relevant fields. Educational objects include several specific an general ideas such as developing strong copywriting skills, utilizing video editing software, developing effective presentations and understanding how mass media affects society. The Associate in Science program requires between 63 and 65 credit hours divided into general education classes and communications core courses, and students also will complete an internship as well as a work experience course worth up to six credits toward the degree. Communication coursework covers topics such as filmmaking, electronic publishing and photo journalism. Upon completion of the program, students will have earned an associate’s degree in communication and be eligible to enter a bachelor’s program at a four-year school or enter the workforce as an entry-level communications professional.
Accreditation
Board of Governors for Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Manchester Community College
P.O. Box 1046
Manchester, CT 06045-1046
Phone: (860) 512-2687
Email: rkagan@mcc.commnet.edu
Website
Quinnipiac University
Department of Media Studies
For a small private college located at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park, Quinnipiac University boasts several major distinctions including the following: 11th best regional university in the north by U.S. News and World Report; one of the best business schools according to The Princeton Review’s 2014 report; and one of the best overall schools of the 650 colleges surveyed by Forbes Magazine in 2013. Quinnipiac University’s Department of Media Studies offers several programs at the undergraduate and graduate level designed to help students develop into competent and assertive media professionals, and students searching for communications degrees in Connecticut will appreciate the school’s commitment to academically challenging programs.
BA in Communications
Under the direction of the School of Communications, Quinnipiac University’s Department of Media Studies offers a BA in Communications program that rests on several educational objectives: to develop appropriate communication skills; to demonstrate effective critical-thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills; to understand the importance of research as well as how to conduct and analyze research appropriately; and to understand the relationship between media and the intended audience. The program requires 39 credit hours of major core curriculum covering topics such as media and society, media histories and trends, and communications law and policy. In addition to the major requirements, students must also adhere to general education requirements as set forth by the university. Keeping in line with Quinnipiac University’s commitment to offering interesting and stimulating academics, the department offers a host of electives not typically found in other programs. Topics include the holocaust, song and dance, and popular culture in the media among others.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Quinnipiac University
School of Communications
275 Mount Carmel Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
Phone: (203) 582-8200
Email: Danielle.Reinhart@quinnipiac.edu
Website
Sacred Heart University
Communication & Media Studies
Celebrating its 50th year as of 2013, Sacred Heart University already outranks a number of much older institutions and has been included on several prestigious listings by U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review. As an independent Catholic university, the school combines religious influence with technologically advanced instruction to provide a culturally significant academic environment to nearly 7,000 students who enjoy small class sizes among other benefits. Students who pursue communications degrees will find the master’s program offered by Sacred Heart University’s Communication & Media Studies department to be both challenging and pertinent to an advanced career in the field.
Master’s Degree in Communication
Communication professionals can pursue a wide range of careers, and Sacred Heart University has prepared their Master’s Degree in Communication program accordingly. Students who pursue an M.A. in communications here enjoy the benefit of choosing from one of three concentrations to enhance their program: digital multimedia production or DMP, digital multimedia journalism or DMJ and corporate communication and public relations or CCPR. Whichever track students choose, all graduate candidates will experience in-depth instruction on modern media theories along with practical, hands-on experiences designed to enhance the degree program and give students insight into the real world of media communication. The master’s program requires at least 48 credit hours divided into 24 general communications core credits, 12 credits of concentration classes and an additional 12 credits to be determined by individual specialization. In addition to the course requirements, students will also complete an internship and a capstone portfolio project under faculty advisement.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
Contact
Sacred Heart University
Administration Building 220
5151 Park Avenue
Fairfield, CT 06825
Phone: (203) 365-4716
Email: pillop@sacredheart.edu
Website
Communication professionals continue to play an integral role in the workplace, and those who pursue a degree in communications have a better chance of finding successful employment thanks to their broad training and hands-on internship experience. From technical two-year colleges to four-year universities, the aforementioned schools offer communications degrees in Connecticut that will help prepare students to meet the challenges of today’s highly technical communications industry.
