What Can You Do With a Degree in Professional Communication?

Professional communication students study the best practices for conveying information on interpersonal and organizational levels. The program in communication studies is administered by the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders.

Graduating with a degree in professional communication, you will develop strong interpersonal, time management, and critical thinking skills. There are many options for career paths. You develop skills and abilities that make you very marketable in a wide variety of jobs from mass communication and media to film, music, television, journalism, public relations, and advertising, among others. Individuals holding advanced degrees in communication have additional career opportunities. Many professional communication students also pursue advanced degrees in teaching communication theory, research methodology, and practice. Professional communication teaches important life skills such as conflict resolution, building and maintaining relationships, presentation skills, rhetorical analysis, and working in diverse, global environments. It helps us become more mindful and effective communicators.

Top Employers for Brooklyn College Professional Communication Alumni (based on LinkedIn)

There is a lot of information available on LinkedIn, including profiles of more than 1,000 Brooklyn College alumni who graduated with a degree in professional communication or a related major. Join the Brooklyn College Alumni group and see where alumni are currently working, their skill sets, and their career progression. You can filter further based on employer, class year, etc.

Brooklyn College alumni with a degree in professional communication work as directors, managers, tutors, marketing advisers, communication specialists, and more. Professional communication opens the doors to careers in:

Advertising and Branding
Business and Marketing
Education
Electronic Media and Broadcasting
Entertainment Industry
Fashion and Beauty
Government / Politics / Law
Health and Science
Journalism / Publishing
Motivational and Life Coaching
Negotiation
Nonprofit and Foundations
Public Relations
Research Analysis
Social and Human Services
Sports Management

Keep in mind, this list is not inclusive of all the opportunities available to professional communication students. Use the Magner Career Center resources to your advantage to find opportunities that align with your interests!

Here are some career guides and articles that share information on the various career options:

The Power of a Liberal Arts Degree

Students are known to gain a variety of interpersonal skills as liberal arts majors, and according to an article by NACE, employers value and are seeking skills the following skills:

Global/Intercultural Fluency
Oral/Written Communications
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Leadership
Teamwork/Collaboration
Digital Technology

For more information, visit the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Benefits of a Degree in the Humanities and Social Sciences webpage about the value of a liberal arts degree.

What Is the Average Salary for Professional Communication Occupations?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates the demand for media and professional communication occupations to grow, arising from a need to create, edit, translate and disperse information using a variety of different platforms. The table below outlines occupations related to this field along with the job outlook, wage estimations and total employment for 2016 to 2026. The best approach to determining possible professional communication major salaries is to research them on websites like Indeed.com and Salary.com.

Career	Employment (2017)	Average Salary (2017)	Projected Job Growth (2016–26)
Technical Writers	49,960	$74,440	10.9%
Public Relations Specialists	233,730	$67,990	9%
Audio-Visual and Multimedia Collections Specialists	10,430	$51,290	8.7%
Media and Professional Communication Workers, All Other	21,510	$53,160	8.7%
Media and Professional Communication Equipment Workers, All Other	19,030	$77,520	7.9%

Source: 2017 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2016–26 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; 2016–26 State Occupational Projections, Projections Central, projectionscentral.com.

On-Campus Resources

There are a number of resources on campus that will help you learn more about the career options for your major by attending their events and keeping up to date on the resources available to you.

Magner Career Center

The Magner Career Center has a wealth of information on everything you need to get started in your career, help with résumés, an internships database, job fairs, etc.

They host frequent career events that may be of interest to you, which include the Media and Entertainment Panel.
For those considering law, careers check out the Pre Law page.
You can get matched with alumni that majored in professional communication at Brooklyn College to learn about their experiences, seek career advice, and develop a professional relationship.
The center's YouTube channel features videos of alumni, students, employers, and events.
HireBC offers starter, competitive internships, and even jobs postings from Brooklyn College's dedicated Job Board. Access HireBC via the Brooklyn College WebCentral Portal, under the Career Tab. Many alumni post positions with hopes of working with Brooklyn College students. Upload your résumé for higher-level positions that require an "approved" résumé.
Pamela Brown is the liaison to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Michael Sarrao is the liaison to the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts. Both can provide more assistance regarding career guidance, internships, and jobs in media. For more information or to set up appointments, visit the center's website, call 718.951.5696, or visit 1303 James Hall.

Professional Communication Program Resources

Department List of Resources
Stay up to date for professional communication major events and announcements.

Student Clubs

Brooklyn College Radio
English Graduate Students Association
New York Film & Television Student Alliance
Nightcall
Performing Arts Student Association
Riverrun
Spoon University at Brooklyn College
Stuck in the Library
Vanguard (formerly Excelsior and The Kingsman)

Off-Campus Resources

National Communication Association

The National Communication Association offers resources on career paths for both undergraduate and graduate communication students.

Vault

Vault has many "Vault Guides" to learn about careers. For example, you may want to review:

Center for Communication

The Center for Communication is a nonprofit supported by major media companies to bring more diversity to the media industry and give students access to influential figures who can speak about the business today.

Occupational Network (O*NET)

Occupational Network (O*NET) offers occupational statistics such as salaries and growth potential for all occupations. Additionally, you can search occupations by name or by your own interests, skills, abilities, etc.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Occupational Outlook Handbook gives you information on the training and education needed for the job, earning potential, expected job prospects, what you would be doing on the job and what the working conditions are like.