Corporate Communications
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Types of Degrees Corporate Communications Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many business/corporate communications graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 860 |
Master’s Degree | 59 |
Graduate Certificate | 58 |
Basic Certificate | 47 |
Associate Degree | 5 |
What Corporate Communications Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, business communications majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Business Communications Majors
Business Communications majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Skills for Business Communications Majors
business communications majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Abilities for Business Communications Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a business communications student include the following:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
What Can You Do With a Corporate Communications Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with business communications:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Business Professors | 18.0% | $83,960 |
Copy Writers | 7.6% | $62,170 |
Technical Writers | 10.9% | $71,850 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communications?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of business communications majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 101 |
Black or African American | 85 |
Hispanic or Latino | 182 |
White | 405 |
International Students | 40 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 47 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Business Communications. About 4.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- Germany
- South Korea
- Vietnam
How Much Do Corporate Communications Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in business/corporate communications made a median starting salary of $38,394 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $35,169 (25th percentile) and $43,083 (75th percentile).
One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to business communications.
Salaries According to BLS
Business Communications majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $69,480 to $75,500 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Corporate Communications
Some careers associated with business communications require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for business communications careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.7% |
Some College Courses | 7.5% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 42.6% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 1.2% |
Master’s Degree | 11.8% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.4% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.2% |
Doctoral Degree | 24.5% |
Online Corporate Communications Programs
In 2020-2021, 67 schools offered a business communications program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 3 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 6 | 3 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 11 | 4 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Corporate Communications Worth It?
The median salary for a business communications grad is $73,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 83% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $663,800 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Corporate Communications
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Majors Related to Corporate Communications
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to business communications.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Business Administration & Management | 416,590 |
Accounting | 99,265 |
Finance & Financial Management | 57,778 |
General Business/Commerce | 56,042 |
Marketing | 52,916 |
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods | 43,382 |
Human Resource Management | 28,787 |
Business Support & Assistant Services | 19,119 |
Hospitality Management | 17,689 |
Management Information Systems | 13,680 |
Entrepreneurial Studies | 11,319 |
International Business | 9,101 |
Real Estate | 6,547 |
General Sales & Marketing | 5,923 |
Business/Managerial Economics | 5,667 |
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing | 5,191 |
Other Business, Management & Marketing | 4,822 |
Construction Management | 3,846 |
Insurance | 1,809 |
Taxation | 1,547 |
Telecommunications Management | 55 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Joi Ito under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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