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Corporate Communications Major

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Corporate Communications

59 Master's Degrees Annually
#258 in Popularity (Master's)
$73,090 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Corporate Communications Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many business/corporate communications graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 59
Graduate Certificate 58

What Corporate Communications Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to business communications and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Business Communications Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in business communications should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • 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.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Business Communications Majors

When studying business communications, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • 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.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Business Communications Majors

Business Communications majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • 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.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Corporate Communications Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with business communications:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Business Professors 18.0% $83,960
Copy Writers 7.6% $62,170
Technical Writers 10.9% $71,850

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communications?

59 Master's Degrees Annually
76% Percent Women
44% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 76% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of business communications majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 1
Black or African American 19
Hispanic or Latino 5
White 21
International Students 10
Other Races/Ethnicities 3

Geographic Diversity

Business Communications appeals to people across the globe. About 16.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Germany
  • South Korea
  • Vietnam

How Much Do Corporate Communications Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that business/corporate communications students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $52,121 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $51,413 (25th percentile) and $52,828 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to business communications.

Salaries According to BLS

Business Communications majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $69,480 to $75,500 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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.

Median Salary for a Corporate Communications Major  ( 69480 to 75500 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with business communications require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to business communications have obtained the following education levels.

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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) 1.7%
Some College Courses 7.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 10.3%
Bachelor’s Degree 42.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 1.2%
Master’s Degree 11.8%
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. 0.4%
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. 0.2%
Doctoral Degree 24.5%

Online Corporate Communications Programs

In 2020-2021, 67 schools offered a business communications program of some type. 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) 1 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 3 1
Bachelor’s Degree 6 3
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 11 4
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Corporate Communications Worth It?

The median salary for a business communications grad is $73,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 83% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $663,800 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to business communications.

Major Number of Grads
Business Administration & Management 131,555
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 31,701
Accounting 19,309
Human Resource Management 12,117
General Business/Commerce 9,137
Finance & Financial Management 5,784
Marketing 4,011
Management Information Systems 2,766
International Business 2,007
Entrepreneurial Studies 1,823
Taxation 1,350
Hospitality Management 1,341
Real Estate 1,280
Other Business, Management & Marketing 1,073
General Sales & Marketing 537
Construction Management 466
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing 180
Business/Managerial Economics 162
Insurance 143
Telecommunications Management 23

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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