Unsteady trends in the world of distributed content require professionals who can adapt with the times. Launched four years ago to help answer that call, Bentley’s Creative Industries major sent off its first graduates in May.

Students tap resources in the Media and Culture Labs and Studio for experience using Photoshop and operating a movie camera. They study innovative businesses like Netflix and Amazon, take courses that cover globalization and supply chains, and learn how to produce a film. Program faculty are from the English and Media Studies and the Information Design and Corporate Communication (IDCC) departments.

James Purdy ’17 (pictured above) applied his skills to develop a series of videos for the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center.

“I was able to understand creative briefs, provide thoughtful insight into clients, and bring my creative talents forward to deliver high-quality content to an audience,” says Purdy, who credits IDCC professor Michael Goldberg as a particular mentor. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this project without my major.”

One standout experience for Sarah Egner ’17 was serving as an event production intern at the fast-growing, Boston-based Rugged Races.

“They put on 5K obstacle-course races like Tough Mudder,” she explains. “I got to travel all over the U.S.”

In June, Egner joined Monotype as a business development representative. Monotype is best known as a font and type foundry, whose portfolio includes Helvetica and other big names. They also help other companies develop brand presence and consistency.

“I’m excited to be working for a creative, innovative company but still able to apply the business skills and mindset I gained from Bentley,” she says. “That’s a good analogy for who I am: business at the core, with some appreciation for creativity and the arts as well.”