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Broadcast Journalism

Types of Degrees Broadcast Journalism Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Broadcast Journalism may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	72
Bachelor’s Degree	633
Master’s Degree	38

What Broadcast Journalism Majors Need to Know

Studies in Broadcast Journalism build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Broadcast Journalism graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Broadcast Journalism emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Broadcast Journalism program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Broadcast Journalism careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Broadcast Journalism graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Broadcast Journalism professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Broadcast Journalism graduates include:

• Communication Studies Professor
• Journalism Instructor
• Communications Professor
• Communications Instructor
• Rhetoric Professor
• Media Arts Professor
• Communication Instructor
• Speech Communication Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Journalism Teacher
• Lecturer
• Communications Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Journalism Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Broadcast Journalism graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	48.4%
Bachelor’s degree	13.3%
Doctoral degree	11.4%
Some college courses	10.3%
Post-doctoral training	7.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.6%
First professional degree	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Broadcast Journalism?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 42.8% women and 57.2% men among Broadcast Journalism graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	324	42.8%
Men	433	57.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Broadcast Journalism graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	470	62.1%
Asian	8	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	99	13.1%
Black or African American	101	13.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.9%
Two or More Races	41	5.4%
Race Unknown	8	1.1%
International Students	23	3.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Broadcast Journalism Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Broadcast Journalism graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,675
4 years	$49,199
5 years	$57,526

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,526 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Broadcast Journalism Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Broadcast Journalism. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Broadcast Journalism Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Broadcast Journalism graduates earn a median of $49,199 four years after completion — roughly 29% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Journalism	09.04
Business and Economic Journalism	09.0405
Cultural Journalism	09.0406
Journalism, Other	09.0499
Journalism	09.0401
Photojournalism	09.0404
Science/Health/Environmental Journalism	09.0407
Communication, General	09.0100
Mass Communication/Media Studies	09.0102
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	09.9999
Radio and Television	09.0701
Speech Communication and Rhetoric	09.0101

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.