Communication & Journalism

Types of Degrees Communication & Journalism Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many communication & journalism graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	82,134
Master’s Degree	12,991
Associate Degree	7,439
Basic Certificate	3,716
Undergraduate Certificate	1,663
Graduate Certificate	804
Doctor’s Degree	685

What Communication & Journalism Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, communication & journalism 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 Communication & Journalism Majors

Communication & Journalism 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.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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 Communication & Journalism Majors

When studying communication & journalism, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Communication & Journalism Majors

Communication & Journalism majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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.
• 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.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Communication & Journalism Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with communication & journalism:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	4.7%	$66,040
Community Health Workers	17.9%	$39,540
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Health Educators	14.6%	$54,220
Media and Communication Workers	10.0%	$48,330
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Public Address System and Other Announcers	2.6%	$27,720
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Talent Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Writers	10.9%	$71,850

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication & Journalism?

The major attracts more women than men. About 64% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communication & journalism majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3,654
Black or African American	8,546
Hispanic or Latino	13,633
White	46,825
International Students	3,417
Other Races/Ethnicities	6,059

Geographic Diversity

Communication & Journalism appeals to people across the globe. About 4.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Communication & Journalism

Some degrees associated with communication & journalism may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to communication & journalism have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	8.0%
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)	2.5%
Some College Courses	8.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	54.6%
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	10.6%
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.	0.6%
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.	1.4%
Doctoral Degree	0.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.4%

Online Communication & Journalism Programs

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)	366	16
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	1,396	138
Bachelor’s Degree	468	154
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1,548	284
Post-Master’s	62	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	262	8
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	6	2
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Communication & Journalism

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to communication & journalism.

Major	Number of Grads
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities	511,953
Social Sciences	190,792
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	51,926
English Language & Literature	50,299
History	31,255
Foreign Languages & Linguistics	29,738
Theology & Religious Vocations	26,672
Philosophy & Religious Studies	19,301
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	15,254

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 Josh Hallett under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.