What Can You Do With a Communications Major?

Your communications major could land you in many different careers after graduation. Here's a look at the fields you could go into as a communications major.

As a communications major, I am often asked what I am studying to do. Many people, including those who are just beginning to study communications, wonder what exactly a degree in communications can prepare you for. Unlike, say, an education or pre-medical program, both of which prepare students for fairly specific career paths, a communications program can prepare students to work in any number of fields. Here, I will try to decipher some of these different paths and talk about a few of the many different types of communications careers.

Public relations

One of the more common communications careers, public relations personnel at various types of companies and organizations work to maintain and improve the public image of the entity they work for. Public relations offers one of the widest arrays of jobs in communications, as nearly every type of company has a public face and voice to be maintained and shared, from small summer-stock theaters to the White House.

Related: What You Should Know About Majoring in Public Relations

College admission

If you’ve already started your college search, you have probably talked to at least a few college admission counselors recently. Admission counselors are representatives from colleges and universities whose job it is to share the school with prospective students and help them through the college application and decision process. They are often the representatives at college fairs, the ones who visit individual high schools to talk to students, and the ones you are most likely to meet with when you visit a college.

High school college and career counseling

Similar to a college admission counselor, high school college and career counselors help students with the transition to college; however, they represent a particular high school rather than any prospective college(s). These counselors often coordinate visits from college admission counselors; help students prepare for AP, ACT, and SAT testing; and can guide students with all the paperwork that comes with applying for college, from admission applications to the FAFSA.

Journalism

When people hear “communications” in regards to college majors, they often think of journalism and other roles in the media. If you read articles in newspapers or on many websites, you are reading the work of journalists. Journalists are writers that can work for any number of organizations, from newspapers and TV stations to websites that report on everything from world events to the newest technology.

TV and radio

As we move away from the more writing-based jobs, we take a look at careers you may not realize colleges usually consider as “communications”: TV and radio. These also get lumped in the “media” category. Depending on what students study in school, they can work in TV and radio in an array of capacities, such as news anchors or other on-air talent, audio or video engineers, producers, or any number of other behind-the-scenes jobs. Keep in mind though that when it comes to TV and radio careers, most deal with that behind-the-scenes work, and competition for being the on-air “talent” is fierce!

Related: 4 Great Public Universities for Studying Journalism

Social media

In an age where nearly everyone has a social media presence, companies large and small are no exception. Depending on the size of a company or business, they may hire only one part-time social media representative or they may have a whole team of several full-time employees. These employees often keep track of a company’s various social media pages, work on their website, send out newsletters to customers and patrons, and even help with other marketing efforts on radio or television, depending on the nature and size of the company.

Teaching

Everyone needs to know how to communicate well, and there will always be a need for teachers to show them how. Teaching communications can vary in its setting, whether it be in a public speaking course in a high school or a bachelor’s program at a college or university. When it comes to the latter, teachers are usually required to have a master’s degree or higher in order to teach.

Related: Can I Be a Teacher Without Getting a Teaching Degree?

As you can see, there are plenty of fields in which a recent college graduate with a degree in communications can work. Keep in mind, however, that this list is by no means comprehensive. If you want to look into other career paths in communications, looking at job descriptions and qualifications for jobs that sound interesting to you is a good place to start, as well as talking to your communications professors about what they do when they are not teaching. You can also try interning or shadowing in a communications field you are considering. Though there are many different career paths for those studying communications, from public relations and social media to journalism or college counseling, only you can decide what area of communications is best for you.

Explore great colleges and universities to pursue your Communications degree using our College Search tool.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About Emily Rogan

Emily Rogan is a student at Morehead State University, where she's studying Communications and Theater. When she's not in school, she is an actor, musician, singer, and writer.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Grace College

Winona Lake, IN


Kyla McClain

Kyla McClain

High School Class of 2024

I found CollegeXpress when you partnered with Bold.org for a scholarship. I found your website, put my information in, and got connected. I only wanted to stay in North Carolina [for college] and not move far from home, but you all opened a door up for me. I started researching colleges you suggested for me. On your social media platforms, you also give really good test-taking tips that I used and suggested others to do the same. It helped me a lot on my exams, so thank you.

Leah Maciel

Leah Maciel

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me with all aspects of applying for college. The website is extremely easy to navigate and gives access to so many resources. I was able to research all of the colleges I was interested in, find out any information I wished to know about, and keep them organized in a list. I've also been able to research scholarships and save them as resources for later. I've used many websites in my college and scholarship search, and CollegeXpress has by far been my favorite one to use.

Fernando Ponce

Fernando Ponce

High School Junior

College is a way of life that helps us find out who we are as a person, and CollegeXpress is a great way to stay connected with our future, even for students with little time on their hands due to the challenges of high school we face.

Priscilla Yeboah

Priscilla Yeboah

High School Student

I was afraid and timid throughout my search for colleges, but I finally found the college that was fit for me and luckily I got accepted. One of the most influential things that helped me was the articles and advice on CollegeXpress. They've helped me a lot and benefited me as a senior to make the right choices in life. Thank you!

Monica

Monica

High School Class of 2023

Being a sophomore in high school, I never really worried about college. I thought it wasn't important to worry about until senior year. Through this program opportunity I came across, I realized how important it is to start looking at colleges early and start planning ahead. CollegeXpress has opened my eyes to what colleges require, what colleges are near me, and what they offer. The daily emails I get from CollegeXpress really help me look at the different options I have and what colleges I fit into. Without this website, I would not be taking the time out of my day to worry about what my future will be nor what opportunities I have. I could not be more grateful for such an amazing and useful website. It's thanks to CollegeXpress that not only me but my family now know how much potential I have in to getting into these colleges/universities that we thought were out of my reach.