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Communication Science Major

Communication Science

5,220 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,904 Master's Degrees Annually
#83 in Popularity

Types of Degrees Communication Science Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 5,130
Master’s Degree 2,036
Doctor’s Degree 48
Undergraduate Certificate 43
Associate Degree 18
Graduate Certificate 16
Basic Certificate 7

What Communication Science Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, communication science 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 Science Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Skills for Communication Science Majors

A major in communication science prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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

Abilities for Communication Science Majors

A major in communication science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • 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.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Communication Science Major?

People with a communication science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Audiologists 20.3% $75,920
Health Specialties Professors 25.9% $97,370
Speech-Language Pathologists 17.8% $77,510

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Science?

5,130 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
96% Percent Women
36% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 96% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 254
Black or African American 169
Hispanic or Latino 1,249
White 3,142
International Students 55
Other Races/Ethnicities 261

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Communication Science. About 1.1% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with communication science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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 science have obtained the following education levels.

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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) 0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.1%
Bachelor’s Degree 3.0%
Master’s Degree 47.4%
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. 7.8%
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. 1.2%
Doctoral Degree 33.4%
Post-Doctoral Training 5.8%

Online Communication Science 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) 3 1
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 12 3
Bachelor’s Degree 14 3
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 72 2
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 27 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

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

Major Number of Grads
Speech Pathology & Audiology 7,968
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 6,775
Audiology/Audiologist 1,010
Other Communication Disorders Sciences & Services 237

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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