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Media Arts

Types of Degrees Media Arts Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Media Arts have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	352
Associate’s Degree	413
Bachelor’s Degree	6,490
Master’s Degree	3,917
Doctor’s Degree	93

What Media Arts Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Media Arts build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Media Arts graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Media Arts emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Media Arts careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Media Arts graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Media Arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Media Arts graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.6%
Master’s degree	34.2%
Doctoral degree	7.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.6%
Some college courses	2.7%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Media Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.2% of Media Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,125	63.2%
Men	4,157	36.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Media Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,326	47.2%
Asian	645	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,598	14.2%
Black or African American	1,040	9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	42	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	473	4.2%
Race Unknown	313	2.8%
International Students	1,837	16.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Media Arts Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Media Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$30,213
4 years	$40,945
5 years	$47,545

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,545 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Media Arts Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Media Arts. 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	7	5
Bachelor’s	19	21
Master’s	21	11
Doctoral (Research)	2	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 Media Arts Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Media Arts graduates earn a median of $40,945 four years after completion — roughly 8% 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
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	09.07
Radio and Television	09.0701
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other	09.0799
Speech Communication and Rhetoric	09.0101
Advertising	09.0903

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.