Some colleges push students that can't make it into more selective programs (usually the theatre programs) into the communications major. So the communications major ends up being seen as a dumping ground for the can't-hack-its. That isn't how it is at all (or even most) colleges but I think it leads to the major getting a bad rap.

In the past it was the classic MRS degree. The communications majors seemed to be mostly very pretty girls with no specific career goal except maybe newscasting or other on-camera announcing jobs.

However, the world has caught up with the field and now there is much more to communications than TV and radio. I would say that it is a valid career field now when it wasn't 25 years ago.

Communication BA with specialty in Organizational Communication (& Marketing/Business Minor) & MA. GASP! From large state schools. Now work in Consulting/Finance (and well compensated) with a heavy helping of Business Development. As someone earlier said, if I knew I would have found my way into finance, I probably would have just majored in business but I truly enjoyed communication, as evidenced by the MA.
I find English, and History degrees as equally judged.

Frankly, you can major in basket weaving (as my parents used to say) as long as you have hustle, and a work ethic. 10+ years out of school, no one cares what you did in college, they care about what you are doing for them now.

As someone who works in communications I would recommend studying liberal arts and then pursuing a career in communications. No reason to turn your undergrad degree into trade school and study of English, economics, history etc will ultimately make you a better communicator

Good for business. Communications plus a few finance / investing seminars can set you on your way.

It's a good degree that gives you flexibility and freedom to chart your own path rather than be pigeon holed into whatever you were thinking of majoring in when you were 18 years old.

Anonymous wrote:Because it's easy.

Signed,
Communications major who got to make silly videos and watched I Love Lucy for 4 years

Me again. I landed a job in non-profits after graduation. Got an MBA with marketing emphasis a few years later (part-time at night) and worked way up into senior positions. I'm now a VP and do pretty well.

Anonymous wrote:Marketing, public relations, journalism, speech writing, media production....

I'm not sure why they get a bad rap at all, actually,

These are different than a "communications " degree.

Marketing, public relations, journalism, speech writing, media production....

I'm not sure why they get a bad rap at all, actually,

I've never been given shit for it. But I would agree it is a pretty generic liberal arts degree. Like most other liberal arts degrees, you have to hustle to turn it into money.

I'm in marketing/sales and have done well for myself, but it isn't a sure payout. Been out of school 10 years and started at a shitty PR firm making 22K. Jumped ship fast and went to sales support, making 36K. Moved to marketing a year later and bumped to 45K in 2007. Have moved up in the company and now am making 165K running operations across several divisions. However, many of my counterparts with similar degrees and who had a similar career path are still hanging out in that sales support role making around 50K. They are fine with that and weren't as hungry for growth.

On the other hand, my boss also has a communication degree, has done very well for himself in sales and then sales management, and is now poised to be the next CEO of the company (currently right hand man running the largest division, hasn't gotten an advanced degree but was identified as high potential). Making probably 700K. We are in a lower cost of living area than DC, I should mention.

My DH is an engineer, and I always say that was a great choice because he enjoys it, he isn't interested in climbing the ladder or management, and he can make 95K pretty easily without having to hustle. For those of us who aren't STEM-minded though, nothing to be ashamed of in a communication/poli sci/english/psychology/etc degree and it certainly is what you make of it.

If I could go back and do it over again, I'd probably do a business undergrad degree, but I had no idea how much I would come to enjoy business and what all is involved. Once you're a few years out of college, especially with a liberal arts degree, your work experience matters so much more than your degree in my experience.

Actually, these programs vary widely, as do the students who major in communications. I know several recent grads who studied communications and who got great jobs after college. One works on social media for a professional sports league, another works for an NPR affiliate on the station's website, and a third does online marketing for a foodie media business. All three students are bright, creative and intrepid. (And, FWIW, all happen to be young women.)

AFAIK graduating with a degree in communications it just says you're a college grad. It's about as rigorous as a degree in General Studies.

what sorts of jobs does this degree qualify you for?

Because it's easy.

Signed,
Communications major who got to make silly videos and watched I Love Lucy for 4 years

Seems like an interesting and legitimate subject of study, why are communications majors subject to such mockery?