Graduates of a program in communications develop many skills throughout the completion of an undergraduate degree, including the ability to write effectively resulting in a number of writing intensive courses within a communications degree curriculum. While there are many different options for career paths after graduation, communications majors will utilize writing in every one, making this one of the top transferable skills to develop during school.
Communications Degree Overview
An undergraduate degree in communications is designed to help prepare graduates for a diverse set of roles and career paths. Communications programs are designed to help build a foundation in skill and knowledge for human communication, interpersonal and organizational communication, cultural competencies, the history of communication, communication research, and ethics and legal issues in communication environments. Students will complete general education, English and literature, business, and information technology courses in addition to communications major coursework.
Many communications degree programs also offer options for completing additional coursework in a specialization within the curriculum. Examples of popular concentration options include mass and electronic media, business communication, communication and technology, marketing and sales, and cultural studies in communication. In each of these concentrations, writing is likely to be a part of the requirements.
Writing Intensive Communications Courses
Courses that require completion of several writing projects begin at the very start of a degree program. One of the first courses a communications major will complete is a beginning sequence in composition or writing foundations, often requiring a number of essays and research papers. At the intermediate level, students often complete courses in professional writing, often including the development of various proposals and business communications. Oral communication courses at this level also require a lot of writing in the form of outlining, research, and presentation notes.
Advanced courses in a communications degree curriculum also often focus heavily on writing tasks. In courses such as media and society, mass media studies, communication theory, and language in social contexts or linguistics, students will likely work on long research projects and other writing assignments. Advanced technical writing, advanced professional writing, and research methods in communications will also be writing intensive.
Career Paths in the Communications Field
A communications degree opens up possibilities to work in almost every type of industry in the workforce. Options include media and journalism, advertising, human resources, general business, education, health care, technology and manufacturing, government, and human services. Whether responsible for completing reports or for disseminating information through various written media, communications specialists will draw from skills gained in degree completion. Writing intensive courses will provide skills for specialists in each of these industries.
Possible positions for communications graduates include corporate trainer and training material development, public information writer, publicity manager, media analyst, script writer, editor, copy writer, news writer, announcer, sales coordinator, speech coach, teacher, marketing specialist, creative director, human resources specialist, and recruiter. Additional information on position requirements in the communications field can be found at the National Communication Association.
In all types of positions in every industry, effective written communication skills are beneficial. The writing intensive courses with communications degree completion are one of the major contributors to building the skills graduates need to be successful in all types of positions within the communications career possibilities.
