Communication Sciences
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Types of Degrees Communication Sciences Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many communication sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 11,434 |
| Master’s Degree | 9,211 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 1,045 |
| Graduate Certificate | 291 |
| Associate Degree | 153 |
| Basic Certificate | 148 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 16 |
What Communication Sciences Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, communication sciences 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 Sciences Majors
Communication Sciences majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- 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 Sciences Majors
communication sciences majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- 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 Sciences Majors
Communication Sciences majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
- 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 Sciences Major?
People with a communication sciences 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 Sciences?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communication sciences majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 462 |
| Black or African American | 562 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,145 |
| White | 7,541 |
| International Students | 131 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 593 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Communication Sciences, too. About 1.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- Canada
- Saudi Arabia
- China
- South Korea
- India
How Much Do Communication Sciences Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences have a median salary of $24,407 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $21,528 (25th percentile) and $27,163 (75th percentile).
It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to communication sciences.
Salaries According to BLS
Communication Sciences majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $80,700 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Communication Sciences
Some degrees associated with communication sciences may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for communication sciences careers below.
| 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 Sciences Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 374 schools offered some type of communication sciences program. 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) | 5 | 2 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 2 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 33 | 7 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 31 | 5 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 317 | 7 |
| Post-Master’s | 8 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 93 | 1 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 72 | 2 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 4 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Communication Sciences Worth It?
The median salary for a communication sciences grad is $82,210 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 106% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $846,200 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Communication Sciences
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Majors Related to Communication Sciences
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to communication sciences.
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.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Ghozt Tramp under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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