Communications refer to the methods and approaches for effective delivery of a message to a person or group. It is a personal skill that is needed in almost all careers. You will always need to deliver a message, express your opinion, negotiate an agreement or defend your position. Communication can be achieved using a variety of ways which can be visual, auditory or physical. Studying communications will help you develop solutions and overcome barriers to effective communication whether it is having a different language, cultural differences or presence of disabilities.

What does a communications student learn?

Communications students learn how to deliver a message effectively, how to reach the public and how to communicate in difficult situations. The following list shows the courses that are commonly offered in a communications degree program:

1. Communication Theory: this is an introductory course that presents the main principles and factors controlling the effectiveness of communication. It integrates topics from various disciplines including psychology, sociology, semiotics and anthropology.
2. Public Relations: it may also be called corporate communications. It refers to the efforts to maintain a favorable public image of a company, organization or a famous person.
3. Interpersonal Communication: it refers to the communication between two people who are related to each other in some way including colleagues at work, family members or a worker and his/her clients.
4. Mass Communications: this course focuses on delivery of messages to the public or large groups of people. It is usually related to the use of different types of media as the television, newspapers, internet, social media or public speeches in conferences and events.
5. Research Methods: the course presents the research tools used to study and develop new methods of communication. Research can also focus on a target audience as a certain community or people of certain age to determine the best methods for effective communication. This is an area of high interest as it affects the performance of companies, politicians and organizations.
6. News Writing and Reporting: news is a unique type of content compared to other writings. News affects daily life and gaining the trust of the audience is always a challenge as you have to keep yourself unbiased and unaffected by external pressure from people of interest.
7. Speech Communication: delivery of an effective speech is not a simple task. It requires much preparation and training. Some speeches have changed how the world looks as the speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now I have the communications degree…where can I work after graduating?

Communication skills are required for almost all careers in the job market. Whatever a company, organization or person is doing, they still need to deliver their message and maintain good public image. The following career options are available for communications graduates but there are always more choices that can be found:

1. Public relations specialist: the role of this position is to ensure that the message and objectives of an organization are delivered in a proper way. He/she is also responsible for responding to concerns, inquiries or objections raised by the public. PR specialist writes press releases and organizes press conferences.
2. Meeting/Event Planner: the role of this job is to ensure that all the arrangements related to an event are done in the right way. He/she should make sure that the right time is booked for the event, important people are invited and that the agenda covers the objectives of this event. Organizers sometimes get involved in presenting the people in the event or making interviews.
3. Media planner: the role of this position is to understand the current choices of the audience and the recent trends. Media planners set the programs or items that will be broadcasted on a certain media and plan the placement of the advertisements in the most effective way.
4. Human resources specialist: effective communication represents the core of the functions of human resources professionals. They need to communicate with current and prospective employees. They also need to make sure that the objective and view of the organization is delivered to all employees in addition to training or personal development courses.
5. Reporter: communication skills are essential to reach the resources for the news and deliver any type of news including sports, political or business news.
6. Health educators: they work on educating people about diseases, medications or hazards of some materials. The job of health educators is about delivering an educational message to the largest possible number of people and to respond to coming inquiries.
7. Brand Manager: the role of a brand manager is to establish the reputation of a product or service. They supervise campaigns, promotions and public relations activity to increase the sales of the brand. They are also involved in other activities as determining the price, product packaging or presentation and the way products are delivered to the customer.

Should I choose a communications degree?

This program is mainly focused on the development of personal skills in an organized and scientific way using several proven ways. Communications graduates develop a group of skills as Research and analytical skills, visual design, public speaking, presentation and problem solving.