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Other Communication & Journalism

Types of Degrees Other Communication & Journalism Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Communication & Journalism have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Associate’s Degree	70
Bachelor’s Degree	599
Master’s Degree	405
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Other Communication & Journalism Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Communication & Journalism emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Other Communication & Journalism program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Writing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Other Communication & Journalism careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Communication & Journalism graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 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 Other Communication & Journalism professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Avid Technology Media Composer	Video creation and editing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
LinkedIn	Web page creation and editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Communication & Journalism graduates include:

• Journalism Professor
• Speech Professor
• Speech Communication Professor
• Communication Studies Instructor
• Public Speaking Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Journalism Teacher
• Professor
• Adjunct Communications Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Media Arts Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Journalism Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Communications Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	53.4%
Doctoral degree	12.8%
Bachelor’s degree	10.8%
Some college courses	8.0%
Post-doctoral training	7.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
First professional degree	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Communication & Journalism?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.2% of Other Communication & Journalism degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	704	65.2%
Men	376	34.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	540	50.0%
Asian	40	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	101	9.4%
Black or African American	231	21.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	44	4.1%
Race Unknown	39	3.6%
International Students	81	7.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Communication & Journalism Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Communication & 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	$46,186
4 years	$56,218
5 years	$65,130

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,130 — roughly 41% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Other Communication & Journalism Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Other Communication & 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	1
Bachelor’s	2	5
Master’s	3	7

^{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 Other Communication & Journalism Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Other Communication & Journalism graduates earn a median of $56,218 four years after completion — roughly 48% 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
Communication Journalism Media	09
Communication, General	09.01
COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS	09.00
Journalism	09.04
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	09.09
Publishing	09.10
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	09.07

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.