What Can You Do With A Communications Degree?

communication studies

Good communication is the key to success. It is necessary for harmonious functioning among human beings. Majoring in communication studies gives you a wide range of careers to choose from once you earn your degree. What you do with your degree is completely up to you. With an associates degree or bachelors degree in communications, you can reach for the stars. Graduating with a degree in communications will present opportunities you had no idea were available with this type of degree, including everything from advertising and campaigning to marketing and even publishing and writing. Why? If you have the basics of communications down and you take courses to delve deeper into the subject, you’re sure to graduate a well-rounded and knowledgeable individual who is capable of knowing the ins and outs of how to reach out to multiple types of audiences.

Areas of Communication

It is common knowledge that there are various types of communication that we as human beings use on a daily basis. From letters to telephone calls to emails, our ways of communicating with one another are constantly growing. Below is a list of a few different areas of communication that we encounter every day.

Advertising – verbal or nonverbal communication; includes television and radio commercials and political campaigns to spam emails and pesky credit card letters offering pre-approved rates

Education – verbal or nonverbal communication; in the classroom or online

Sales – verbal or nonverbal communication; offering products or services to fulfill your needs and desires

Writing – nonverbal communication; includes everything from sales ads to educational pieces like textbooks and news articles

How to Get Your Bachelors Degree in Communications

Communications, or communication studies, is a broad field that encompasses a wide range of topics. Many colleges and universities offer bachelors degrees and/or masters degrees that fall under this particular category. Studying communications will lead to your decision on what career path you choose in life. Most schools will also help you find a job in your desired field, as well. If you have not yet chosen a specific higher education school to attend, take a look at these highly recommended universities to see if they fit your plans. Remember, always apply to at least three schools just in case you are not accepted at your first choice. It is always more beneficial to put out multiple applications, even if you happen to get accepted to more than one.

The University of California, Berkeley was ranked the number one school in communication studies on the QS World University Rankings list of 2013. Financial aid for students in need at the university has been available since 1897, and the financial aid office is still helping students with their ambitions to graduate from one of the United States of America’s top universities. Their Communications and Mass Media Studies program takes both analytical and historical approaches to the field of communications. Students are also encouraged to take a course or two in the social sciences to broaden their experiences and connect the social sciences to communications and media studies.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) was also one of the top rated schools on the QS World University Rankings list of 2013 for their Communications and New Media program. Students aiming to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in this program are required to take courses related to communications research and theories based around communication and new media. If you’re looking for a great study abroad opportunity, why not get your degree in Singapore at one of the best communications schools in the world?

The University of Amsterdam also offers a highly rated communication studies area, and this university is located in the Netherlands. Get a uniquely cultural experience by attending this well-recognized university for your degree in communications. This university offers a bachelors degree and 4 options for masters degrees in the field of communication sciences.

Careers in Communications

Once you obtain whatever level degree you set your mind to, job opportunities open up everywhere. A degree in communications can take you places you never thought possible. These are just some of the careers available to people who have earned a communications degree.

Career Possibilities for a Bachelors Degree in Communications

A bachelors degree typically takes approximately 4 years to complete, but it is possible that it may take longer, depending on whether you attend the school full time or if you transfer to another school that may not accept some of your completed credits. If you’ve finally done it, you finally got your bachelors degree, these are some entry level job titles you may qualify for.

Public Relations Professional

With your bachelors degree in communication studies, it is possible to gain an entry level position as a public relations professional at a PR firm. Firms often offer beginners the opportunity to partake in multiple pubic relations programs and assist with multiple clients at once. Public relations professionals can work as assistant account coordinators and/or assistants to account executives in addition to other positions and responsibilities.

Generally, beginning your career as a public relations professional can earn you between $30,000 and $34,000 to start.

Event Coordinator

communications bachelors degree

If you have excellent organizational skills in addition to advanced communication skills and you enjoy arranging public and private get-togethers, then perhaps you will be interested in a position as an event coordinator. Event coordinators, as the title suggests, are responsible for putting together everything from major to minor details of business or private social gatherings. As an event coordinator, you will be responsible for accurately communicating with other venues and companies involved in making an event the best it can be. Event coordinators are in charge of computing budgets for each event and seeing that the spending for the event does not exceed the determined budget. As such, you will offer clients choices of caterers, and you will book musicians. Event coordinators give their all to make sure each client has the most pleasurable experience and successful event as possible, whether it’s a fairytale wedding or a Sweet 16 birthday party or something as large as a business conference. The level of knowledge and experience in communications can make or break your success as an event coordinator.

Event coordinators can make an average of $36,000 annually or more, depending on the number of clients they take on each year and the size of each event.

Office Manager

Maybe organizing events isn’t your thing. If you were the person who always took control in group projects in school, then maybe an office manager is a better occupation for your personality type. If you find it easy to take charge and oversee that business operations run smoothly, you would most likely enjoy being an office manager. Office managers are skilled communicators and oversee business projects to make sure each person is doing his or her part to provide clients with the best results possible. It is an office manager’s responsibility to make sure supplies needed to perform work daily are constantly fully stocked, delegating individual responsibilities, responds to client comments and complaints, and more.

The average office manager salary is around $40,000 a year.

Higher End Career Opportunities in Communications

If you continue your education after receiving a bachelors degree in communications and media studies, aiming for a masters or doctorate, your horizons will be expanded and more career options will become available to you.

Corporate Communications Specialist

If you’re looking to get involved in creating advertisements, newsletters and brochures for a company, then perhaps you should look in to a career as a corporate communications specialist. They also put together annual business reports to show progress or decline in particular areas of a business. They research campaign tactics to determine the most successful and how they can apply those tactics to the companies they work for. Corporate communication specialists are expected to be particularly creative and quick to make effective decisions.

A career as a corporate communication specialist can earn you on average $61,000 annually. With more experience and working in the right location, you can even make around $95,000 each year. Washington, D.C., is a great place to advance your career in corporate communications.

Television Producer/Director

If you’re interested in broadcast media, then check out positions as a television producer and/or director. The world needs news, and households across the globe watch news televised on a daily basis. A communications degree is a huge help when aiming for the world of television production. Producers do everything from coming up with new programs and pitching them to a variety of networks to see who will accept a contract for a new show to planning and organizing budgets for television programs. For this reason, good communication is imperative if you’re looking to sell an idea to broadcast to millions of viewers across the globe.

Annual salary for a television producer can be over $67,000 a year.

Marketing Director

A marketing director displays leadership abilities by heading the marketing department of a company. Experience and knowledge in communications and advertising is highly recommended. Marketing Directors also assume responsibility for creating annual marketing plans and seeing that the plans are carried through successfully. They communicate with other department leaders to make sure clients of the company receive the best possible service so that their company receives more business to lock in job security.

Marketing directors can make around $75,000 annually, and those with more experience and developed knowledge and talent are capable of earning over $100,000 a year.

Companies that Hire People with Communications Degrees

If you have a degree in communications and are on the prowl for a job that will put your knowledge to use, check out this list of companies that offer jobs with opportunities for you to utilize your degree.

Spiral Design Studio, LLC – located in Cohoes, NY and in business since 1989; marketing and graphic design firm

Pero Family Farms, LLC – in Delray Beach, FL, since 1908; agricultural organization raising and providing fruits and vegetables while preserving the environment

Coca-Cola Company – established in Atlanta, GA, in 1886; produces and markets variety of cola products across the globe.

Group Health – based in Seattle, WA, founded in 1947; dedicated to providing top quality health care at affordable prices

So, as is evident, majoring in communication studies will provide you with many career options to choose from. Please note that they are not limited to the options listed here. This is just a starting point for you to discover the opportunities that a communications degree can offer.