should i major in business or communications

#Should i major in business or communications how to#

As a communications major, you’ll be taking a broad range of classes including marketing, sociology and business as well as more traditional communications classes like media studies and journalism. Coursework for this major is very similar to coursework for related majors such as public relations, advertising and journalism.

#Should i major in business or communications how to#

What is a communications major?Ī communications major is a major designed to teach you about effective communication and how to apply it to fields like media, law and business. Some areas may be heavily populated by a certain ancestry, where knowing the language can be very beneficial in getting a job.Do you enjoy talking to people and figuring out what makes them tick? Are you an outgoing person who is comfortable connecting with diverse groups of people and getting your message across effectively? If you answered yes to these questions, then being a communications major might just be for you. Additionally, living in a country like the United States means coming into contact with different backgrounds and heritages daily.

Being able to speak another language is a key asset in today’s world that strives to be globally connected. Working in public relations may mean being in contact with people all around the world. Similarly, a psychology minor provides the same kind of insight on the way people think, to better influence your public’s attitudes. A sociology minor provides detailed insight on the way people behave, which can be used to better construct your tactics of reaching a public. Sociology/PsychologyĪs a PR pro, you are tasked with influencing attitudes and changing behaviors of your public. There is virtually no field in which one would not be able to benefit from understanding the business basics such as management, accounting, or economics. Business/Managementīusiness and/or management provides general knowledge on the way a business functions. Being able to design can be especially useful when working in a small firm. Having graphic design knowledge will make it easier for you to work with a designer or maybe even cut out the middle man entirely. The public relations department often works directly with the graphics department. Creative writing skills would be useful for materials such as brochures, postures, advertisements, etc. PR pros should have good grammar and superb writing skills overall to use for press releases, blogs, social media, etc. Good writing skills are an essential part of public relations, as the field is very writing intensive. You will gain interviewing skills and experience in finding stories, as well as knowledge of how the newsroom works. Knowing exactly what a journalist is looking for will make your pitching process a lot easier. A journalism minor will provide you with experience of what it is like to be on the opposite end. PR pros constantly work hand-in-hand with various journalists, creating relationships to pitch story ideas and landing placements. Because the line is blurred between the two, a marketing minor provides knowledge on how to differentiate the two as well as how they work together, since many firms provide integrated communications services.

Marketing is sometimes referred to as paid public relations. There are many similarities between public relations and marketing, with the main difference simply being money. These skills will contribute to your success as a well-rounded communicator. Studying general communications will educate you on the history, theories, and practices of communications. Although public relations is considered a track in the communications field, some schools offer it as its own field of study. CommunicationsĬommunications is the foundation of public relations. The following eight fields each result in different competencies that will benefit any PR professional: 1. Adding a minor expands your horizons by increasing your skillset before you enter the workforce, even helping to ward off indecisiveness within the field. These many different possible directions can be multiplied through choosing a minor. Just the switch from agency to in-house can be a whole new world. Being that it is very vast, you are not confined to one type of work. The public relations field is known for its endless possibilities.