Skills for Wherever You Want to Go in the Professional World
A communication degree offers countless potential career pathways. Your direction simply depends on what you want to do. The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online Bachelor of Arts in Communication program teaches you transferrable “soft” skills valued across the professional spectrum, including:
- Written communication
- Verbal communication
- Critical thinking
- Collaboration
- Research
What You Need to Succeed
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the U.S. Department of Labor, Forbes, Indeed, LinkedIn, and others have all touted the importance of the soft skills listed above. Though these abilities are in demand and highly valued, more and more employers are finding their candidates lack them. That won’t be you, however, with a BA in communication.
Aspiring Students Are Saying They Want These Jobs
We reached out to potential online BA in communication students—maybe even you—about what kind of career they’d like to get out of this degree after graduation. Here we’ll show you the jobs most cited by prospective students, how much you can make in these roles, and how to get the most out of our program by choosing one of four specialty tracks and courses based on your interests.
Public Relations
If you’re a communication student interested in public relations, you’re a strong candidate for our Strategic Messaging track, which includes courses such as Advertising Strategies, Public Advocacy, Social Media, and Organizational Communication.
Potential career: Public relations manager
Median annual earnings: $125,620*
Sports Communication
For students curious about sports communication, we strongly recommend our Sports Media track, which features highly relevant courses including Social Media, Sports Broadcasting, Sports Communication, and Current Topics in Sports Communication.
Potential career: Broadcaster
Average annual base salary: $53,048 (per Indeed)
Additional education, certification, or licensure may be required.
Sports Management
Our Professional Communication track suits sports management enthusiasts best, as the courses help you hone the valuable business skills you’ll need. You may also benefit from the Sports Media track mentioned above. Can’t decide? Not a problem. You can mix courses from multiple tracks to create a degree that works for you.
Potential career: Athletic director
Average annual base salary: $63,851 (per Indeed)
Additional education, certification, or licensure may be required.
Corporate Communication Leader
If you’re interested in spearheading a corporation’s communication strategy, you should take our Professional Communication track, featuring courses such as Group Leadership and Organizational Communication.
Potential career: Communications manager
Average annual base salary: $76,138 (per Indeed)
Additional education, certification, or licensure may be required.
Editing
If you’re looking to pursue a career as an editor, we suggest our general Communication Studies track, in which you’ll enjoy courses such as Media Writing and Social Media.
Potential career: Editor
Median annual earnings: $73,080*
Teaching
Many of our BA in communication students get teacher-certified. Our course Communication and Instruction will help you develop strong classroom communication skills, and courses such as Intercultural Communication will help you develop the critical skills you need to be successful in the classroom.
Potential career: High school teacher
Median annual earnings: $62,360*
Marketing
Take our Strategic Messaging track to build your marketing expertise through courses such as Advertising Strategies, Public Relations, and Crisis Communication.
Potential career: Marketing manager
Median annual earnings: $138,730*
Psychology
Communication is certainly a crucial part of any career related to psychology. As a communication student interested in that field, you may want to minor in psychology. You’ll find classes such as Interpersonal Communication particularly beneficial.
Potential career: Mental health counselor
Median annual earnings: $49,710*
*Per BLS.gov. Additional education, certification, or licensure may be required.
More Pathways for Your Communication Degree
Do you consider yourself entrepreneur material? Depending on your interest, you’ll benefit most from courses in either our Strategic Messaging track or Professional Communication track. Entrepreneurship is a non-traditional path that starts with ambition and often requires a significant investment of time and finances. The solid communication skills that our program provides can help you beat the odds and cultivate your own success.
Many UTPB students use their BA in communication as a springboard to graduate school. You can meet virtually with one of our senior faculty members, who’ll help prepare you for a variety of master’s degree programs and develop a course schedule around your professional goals and interests. Any BA in communication program track is suitable preparation for graduate studies.