By Nia Saunders
What was once considered one of the easiest majors at most colleges, is now seeing a rise in sophistication and superiority. Choosing the communications route in college may seem more laidback than majoring in computer science or engineering due to the lack of math and science classes. Students en route to a bachelor’s in communications are often type casted as lazy, incapable or simply just getting a degree to because of their family’s standards. However, the recent rise in potential career opportunities for communications majors has proven this old stereotype to be mistaken.
Let’s face it, communications degrees are not often bragged about. The reason for this is when people think of this major, they often associate it with journalism. The reality is although journalism is a part of the study of communications, other subjects like public speaking, business and advertising are encompassed within the major as well. Colleges who offer communications as a degree incorporate a variety of fields that students can specialize in. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, communications lead to more job opportunities than any other major, including mathematics and engineering. Most university’s offer their students the ability to study public relations, strategic communication, journalism and media production, and communication within technology.
While communications majors do open up the doors for jobs in journalism and advertising, there are other careers in which communication degree holders are more than qualified for. From the local to the federal level of government, professionals serve to write press releases, speeches, and act as communicative experts for the officials to address the public. Companies with large public followings also depend on public relations professionals to save face in the event of a crisis, whether it was the company’s fault or not. This is called crisis management and a company’s failure, or success can depend on the message written by public relations specialists that is then relayed to the public.
The rise of communications studies is just one more affect of the new digital age. In today’s economy, media plays a vital part in the success of many business. The evolving nature of advertising, crisis communication and networking is the cause for the new sophistication level in communications as a major. According to Betsy Bach, a communications professor at University of Montana, students are leaning towards the major because of the flexibility it offers. A degree in communications offers a sense of comfort for students entering the job market of today.
As opposed to the degree in previous years, concepts in communications are now more abstract for students such as multimedia, networking and mass communication. The age of technology has made these concepts extremely relevant and is now information which a student with ambitions in any career would want to obtain. The wide range of experience and skills along with the extent of coursework also attributes to the appeal of communications as a major.
Education and development within communications has seen a recent incline. With the use of technology, advertising and media creation it is only expected to increase, both in enrollment and sophistication. The wide range of job opportunities and skill sets that are offered through this major will be sure to change the forthcoming perception of a communications degree.
Sources
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-schmitt/communication-studies-ris_b_6025038.html
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-reasons-communications-underestimated-major
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