Gone are the days of going into journalism to work the beat for the local newspaper. Print newspapers are going, going, gone out of business. Contemporary teens don’t dream about getting a paper route to deliver to make money. Nevertheless, the need for communications majors is still strong. Media sources changed but opportunities for communication majors increased.
Teenagers now dream of becoming a social media influencer by amassing viral popularity to become an overnight, Internet sensation. To create this success requires the ability to communicate and attract attention in the digital space of social media.
Getting your Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications or Online Master’s in Communication is the doorway to a career in many areas that include advertising, broadcasting, film, digital media, public relations, promotion, and marketing. The B.A. degree in communications is the type of liberal arts major that many law schools accept if you want to become a lawyer since communication is a large part of what an attorney must do.
The Balance notes the top ten careers for communications majors, ranked by salary-earning potential as reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, are:
- Brand Manager (annual salary $71,149): A brand manager is responsible for communicating the brand’s message effectively across all media and customer touchpoints.
- Business Reporter (annual salary $63,221): Business reporters are financial analysts who create reports for cable television and online systems about general economic conditions and give stock market advice.
- Sales (annual salary $63,000): Sales positions are now more about effective communications than manipulation and hard-selling prospects. Consumers want to be guided, not “sold.”
- Human Resource Specialist (annual salary $61,920): Many of the job duties of a human resource specialist involve communication such as creating job placement ads, policy manuals, training programs, and newsletters.
- Public Relations Specialist (annual salary $61,150): As a PR person, you can work for a company’s marketing department, an advertising agency, or even start a public relations firm taking care of the PR needs of multiple clients.
- Educator (annual salary $55,220): Educators are needed to teach in a virtual classroom setting at all levels.
- Instructional Designer (annual salary $55,150): In this position, you design course curricula and training programs.
- Content Creator (annual salary $54,489): Content marketing is expanding. There is an insatiable demand for quality content creation.
- Social Media Manager (annual salary $50,986): This is a marketing position. The work involved is to leverage social media to enhance brand awareness.
- Media Planner (annual salary $50,021): This job entails selecting the best mix of media channels to help a marketing and advertising campaign reach a specific target audience.
There is plenty of freelance work available to improve your communication skills, such as writing press releases. You can do freelance work even before you get your degree while you are still studying. You can work from home or anywhere with a decent Internet connection.
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, Florida |
| 2 | Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina |
| 3 | Columbus State University | Columbus, Georgia |
| 4 | Florida International University | Miami, Florida |
| 5 | Indiana University East | Richmond, Indiana |
What are the best schools to get a BA in Communications?
Excited? Let‘s see which are the best schools to get an online degree in communications. We evaluated each undergraduate communication program for tuition cost, time to complete the program, and any discounts offered.
Here are our top choices for the best online Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree:
University of Central Florida
School Overview
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University offers a BS in Communication Studies that can be completed by taking online courses. The courses are offered in eight-week sessions. Students take 12 credit hours per semester. Students complete this program in six semesters.
Students on a tight budget, who are residents of North Carolina, can get an associate’s degree at an inexpensive community college. Then, a student can transfer to this school. In this way, a student can complete a BS degree for the lowest possible cost. If this is your plan, be sure to check that all the course credits you earn at a community college are transferrable ones.
School Overview
Columbus State University
Columbus State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication that is designed for broadcasters, journalists, aspiring filmmakers, public relations professionals, advertising execs, and social media influencers. Students choose from a selection of four concentrations, which are communications, film production, integrated media, or public relations.
School Overview
Florida International University
Florida International University offers an online program to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts degree. This program teaches skills in interpersonal and business communications, conflict resolution, leadership, and team building. This degree program is an excellent choice if you plan to continue studying to get a master’s in business administration (MBA), a master’s in education or public administration (MA), or if you plan to go to law school.
School Overview
Indiana University East
Indiana University East offers two communication degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. The core curriculum is the same but the specializations differ. This program is designed to accommodate those who transfer in with at least 60 semester hours of credit, such as students who have an associate degree from a qualifying community college. However, they also welcome students at the beginning of their college careers.
School Overview
University of Maryland
University of Maryland Global Campus offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. Under this program, students learn interpersonal communication skills and group presentation skills. They learn how to professionally manage communications while following ethical, financial, and legal compliance rules and regulations.
School Overview
University of Missouri
University of Missouri offers an online program to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. This school accepts up to 60 transfer units from a qualified community college. This program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. This degree leads to a career in advertising, content marketing, copywriting, corporate communications, digital communications, marketing, promotion, public relations, sales, and brand awareness management on social media.
School Overview
University of Texas
University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Communication program. This program accepts up to 90 transfer credits from acceptable institutions. A student can take the core education courses, which qualify for transfer, at a low-cost school and then transfer in to complete a B.A. degree at this school. The courses last eight weeks and there are six start times each year.
School Overview
University of Memphis Global
University of Memphis Global offers a BA degree in communication studies. This school has a unique Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s program that allows honor students to earn up to 12 double credits that simultaneously qualify for both an undergraduate and graduate degree.
School Overview
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota offers an online course program for those seeking a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. The career paths for a graduate with this degree include corporate communications, event planner, health services management, marketing, media relations, politics, public relations, public affairs, publication design, sports marketing, becoming a social media influencer, or website designer.
School Overview
University of Texas – El Paso
University of Texas – El Paso offers an online degree program to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational and Corporate Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Media Advertising. This program is designed for those seeking a career in public relations and media relations.
School Overview
Arizona State University
Arizona State University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Communication. You have to take 40 classes to earn the degree. Each class lasts seven and one-half weeks. This program has both a liberal arts foundation and a focus on social science.
School Overview
University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree that has self-paced, enroll-at-anytime, online courses. There is no requirement to follow any academic calendar. You can customize your degree with a specialization that you choose for your minor. The specializations available are advertising, digital analytics, digital journalism, public relations, social media strategy, and strategic communication.
School Overview
Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies as an online program that focuses on the study of human interactions. This program includes training in informatics and interpersonal communication skills. There is cross-cultural awareness training, effective listening, conflict resolution, and an exploration of family dynamics. This degree leads to a career as a presentation specialist, advertising executive, brand manager, corporate trainer, or social media coordinator.
School Overview
Bellevue University
Bellevue University offers an undergraduate degree program that can be taken online to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a specialization in mass media, organizational presentations, or strategic communications.
School Overview
Colorado State University
Colorado State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts with courses in communications, economic theory, the humanities, political science, and sociology. The tuition is high; however, US News ranks this school #11 and many others rank this school in the top ten for online schools in America.
School Overview
Brandman University
Brandman University offers an online program to earn the degree of a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media. This program is designed for interdisciplinary studies that lead to a career in advertising, journalism, public relations, and broadcast media.
School Overview
University of Arizona
University of Arizona offers a communication major (B.A.) that teaches students communication skills that are useful for professional careers in media, broadcast journalism, public relations, and sports marketing.
School Overview
Drexel University
The ability to communicate clearly, ethically and with relevant purpose is an invaluable skill, especially in today’s ever-changing media landscape. As you pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications, you’ll learn how to develop and deliver a message in a variety of formats to a wide range of audiences.
Whether you pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Communication or a Bachelor of Science in Communication, you’ll gain broad theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on experience as you work toward a future in public relations, journalism, technical writing, and countless other areas in which communication skills are essential. The field of communication is rapidly growing, and Drexel students are prepared to lead the charge and succeed in a culturally diverse world where ideas and technology change constantly.
School Overview
Mississippi College
Mississippi College is a Christian university. This college offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) undergraduate degrees in communication. The B.A. degree requires a student to complete twelve credit hours of courses in foreign languages. The B.S. degree does not have this requirement. A general degree is offered or students may choose to specialize in journalism, interpersonal and public communication, public relations, or sports media. Students may also take a minor in theater.
School Overview
We are ready to help you! To get the help you need, contact us if you have questions about any of the programs that we reviewed. We will help you choose the program that suits you the best.
Our Ranking Methodology
We compared the tuition based on the cost per credit, times the total required credits necessary to earn a degree. When calculating the total tuition cost, we took into account any discounts for taking more credits at an accelerated pace. We used total tuition to make a fair comparison between the online schools. However, please note the full cost to attend a school may be more than just the tuition, so check with the school about their other costs and fees.
If you see a mistake in our rankings, let us know. If there is a correction we need to make or a school you think we should include, but did not, please send us an email about it.
