Communications

  • Bachelor of Arts

In-Person Plus at:

  • Castleton, VT
  • Lyndon, VT

In Person Plus programs are In Person with options for cross-campus classes and flexibility for remote study.

If you can see yourself as a reporter for a major newspaper or television station, or as a sports reporter with fresh takes on television, or making waves as a social media strategist, then a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Vermont State University could be your first step. Every workplace needs leaders with strong communications skills — and our program will teach you the fundamentals for a career in public relations, television production, marketing, social media management, digital communications, content creation, cinema production, journalism, commercial production, advertising, and more. You’ll graduate with a versatile and sought-after skill set, and the qualifications you need for an adaptable career in communications.

Why Study Communications at Vermont State?

  • 98% job placement rate: 98% of program graduates land jobs within the field, many before they have graduated. From education to engineering, from healthcare to retail and manufacturing, nearly every industry has a need for skilled communicators.
  • State-of-the-art technology: You’ll have access to media labs with all the technologies and software that you need to create professional-level media: two HD studios, Black Magic cameras, Panasonic broadcast cameras, multiple Mac labs fully equipped with Adobe Creative Cloud, and a state-of-the-art video and production studio.
  • Hands-on learning in Year One: Our relationship-based program prides itself on getting you in the field as early as your first semester. This hands-on approach coupled with the experiential learning opportunities means you will graduate with a large skill set and relevant job experience.
  • Real-world opportunities: Vermont State strives to connect you to real-world opportunities woven within the coursework. These allow you to use your skills to give back to local and regional businesses.
  • Your work published or broadcasted: Students interested in journalism regularly have their work published in local and state newspapers or live on local news channels without even having to leave campus. Student produced News7 airs on the local public access channel and streams on Facebook while reaching 10,000 households across 14 towns in Vermont.
  • Career variety: Graduates from the Communications program have gone on to be journalists in active newsrooms, earned master’s degrees in film and cinema or business, founded PR agencies, won regional and national Emmys as broadcasters, and landed dream jobs at ESPN, PopSugar, and Lifetime/Hallmark.

Concentrations in Communications

Students in this program may choose to earn a general Communications degree or combine their foundational classes with one of three concentrations.

  • Cinema Studies & Production (Castleton and Lyndon Campuses)
  • Journalism
    • Multimedia Journalism Track (Castleton Campus)
    • Broadcast Journalism Track (Lyndon Campus)
  • New Media (Castleton and Lyndon Campuses)

Financial Aid for Communications Students

Vermont State University is providing a high-quality, affordable degree in Communications to students across Vermont and beyond. More than 80 percent of Vermont State students are awarded financial aid, including new students, transfer students, international students, out-of-state students, and first-generation students. Our financial aid team is here to help you explore all your options. In addition, the Communications program has multiple endowments that allow us to distribute scholarships to students in our program.

Internships & Jobs for Communications Students

At Vermont State, you’ll gain leading-edge skills for Communications jobs through internships, co-ops, career coaching, and more. Our internship placements are guaranteed to grow your professional network. Your options for internships and job preparation are nearly endless. You will have the opportunity to contribute to your field while you are still a student, and you will take on at least one internship before graduation.

Just a few of our internship placements have included:

  • Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
  • Burlington Free Press
  • Dope Jam Records
  • Edgewood Motion Pictures
  • ESPN
  • Okemo Mountain Resort
  • The Rutland Herald
  • Vermont Public Television
  • WBZ-TV Boston

Awards, too

Vermont State’s Communications program has won over a dozen Student Production Awards through the National Academy for Television Arts & Sciences, including best student newscast, for our broadcast work with News7 as well as awards from the College Broadcasters, Broadcast Education Association, the New England Society of News Editors, the New England Newspaper and Press Association, and the College Media Association. 

Minors Available in the Communications Program

Interested in adding a minor to your degree program? See minors available in the Communications program below.

  • Broadcast Journalism
  • Cinema Production
  • Cinema Studies
  • Communications
  • Journalism
See Full List of Vermont State Minors

Student Stories

A photo of Tyler Cadorette, a young man with short brunette hair and rectangular glasses wearing a suit and smiling in front of a white background

“The live aspect of News7 is a big draw for students. It sets the program apart, here in New England and across the country. I felt like I worked in a professional TV newsroom for two years. Now I work on-air as a reporter and weather anchor at WMTW-TV in Portland, Maine — a job I landed before I graduated.”

Tyler Cadorette, ‘16