Key Takeaways:
- Journalism focuses on writing, editing, and ethical reporting, enabling careers in online blogs, politics, entertainment, or sports.
- Digital media involves creating content for electronic devices, emphasizing concise language, bullet points, and working with open sources.
- Public relations specialists manage client relationships, handle media inquiries, and create communications strategies, offering a promising job outlook.
Before you send off graduate school applications, take a look at some of the top concentrations for Master’s in communications degrees. While you can work in many fields with just a bachelor’s in communications, a graduate degree can help you find work in a specialized field. You should always think about your career goals and choose a concentration in a subject that can help you accomplish your goals. We have another great article that breaks down all the things you can do with a communications degree.
Journalism
Though traditional journalism outlets like newspapers and magazines faltered in recent years, choosing a concentration in journalism can still help you work in writing and editing. There’s plenty you can still do with a journalism degree. You might work for an online blog that posts articles on local news, politics, entertainment or even sports. A journalism concentration will let you take classes on ethics that teach you how to accurately report the news, but you’ll also take classes to learn how to edit your work and evaluate your sources. Your college may even let you do a journalism internship.
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Related Resource: Online Master’s in Communication: Top 30 Values
Digital Media
Digital media is a term that refers to any type of media designed or created for reading on an electronic device like a tablet or phone. Writing for one of these sources is significantly different than writing for a traditional news outlet. You need to know how to use bullet points and headers to get your point across, how to use simple language and how to create short paragraphs. A concentration in digital media will include courses on trademarking your work and working with open sources.
Marketing
One of the top career options for those with a communications degree is in marketing. Marketing specialists handle the advertising campaigns for clients like nonprofit organizations and large corporations. Some of the classes that you take will talk about the importance of focus groups, which will give you an idea as to how the general public feels about a campaign before it goes live. Other courses will focus on traditional marketing methods like television commercials and banners, but you can also take classes on online marketing techniques that are suitable for both online and offline businesses.
Public Relations
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a public relations specialist is around $56,700 a year. The BLS also found that this job field will add nearly 15,000 new jobs in the coming years. That is why public relations is one of the more popular concentrations for Master’s in communications degrees and why more colleges now offer this concentration. A public relations specialist is similar to a marketing specialist because you’ll work with some of the same clients and may do a lot of marketing. A PR specialist can also field questions from the general public, do interviews, write press releases, create speeches and handle social media accounts for clients.
Broadcasting
If you want to work in front of the camera, consider choosing a concentration in broadcasting. Broadcasting teaches you the importance of properly presenting yourself to others. You learn how to act in front of a camera, how to speak in a clear manner that others can understand and how to feel comfortable with the spotlight on you. A broadcasting concentration can also teach you more about working behind the camera, including writing the reports that others read, editing the footage that you shoot and producing reports.
Communications is a large field that includes a variety of different fields. With a degree in communications, you might work for an online magazine, an advertising firm or a PR agency. With concentrations for Master’s in communications degrees available in topics like broadcasting, public relations and digital media, you should select one that will help you achieve your career goals.