Online bachelor's degree programs in mass communications

John Powell, the American composer, once observed: "Communication works for those who work at it." And anyone who's ever been paid to help promote a product, service or idea will tell you that's true. Committed communications professionals are known to agonize over every word, image, frame of film footage, piece of music and video technique they use. And they're just as careful when planning a media campaign. The goal of these painstaking efforts is to target an audience as precisely as possible.

While innate talent and creativity can help you learn to communicate like a professional, there are specific techniques that also help with the process: That's where online bachelor degree programs in mass communication, business communication or communications and technology can assist.

What to expect from online bachelor's degree programs in mass communication

While curricula for communicatons and technology degrees and business communication bachelor's degrees vary from college to college and can include numerous areas of specialization, such as multimedia and visual communications, core coursework is probably going to be similar and fall into the following broad categories:

• Marketing communications
• Mass communications
• Organizational communications
• Public relations
• Speech
• Communication in theory and practice

Specific communications and technology degree coursework might include the following upper-level classes:

• Communicating across cultural divides
• Communicating with teams
• Communications law
• Electronic publishing
• Interpersonal communication
• Video production and editing
• Website design and development
• New media production
• Working with online communities

Good communication is central to the success of all businesses. While the skills you learn from a bachelor's degree in mass communication can be applied to many professional situations, business communication bachelor degree programs focus most coursework directly on business application. So, choose a degree program based on the specific professional objectives you see in your future.

Communications specialists: Career outlook

Most medium-to-large size organizations employ communications specialists or PR agencies to craft their public messaging. The demand for talented and creative individuals tends to be steady and very competitive. Common professions for people holding communications and technology degrees, or business communications bachelor's degrees can be found through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The following mean annual salaries are for May 2009:

• Advertising and promotions managers: $97,670
• Marketing managers: $120,070
• Sales managers: $111,570
• Public relations managers: $101,850
• Authors and writers: $64,560
• Editors: $58,440
• Film and video editors: $63,680
• Graphic designers: $47,820
• Technical writers: $65,610

A higher education requires a substantial investment of both time and money. So, it is important to make an informed choice about whatever degree program you choose to pursue. Browse the schools and programs listed below to request additional information from those that interest you. And feel free to request information from as many colleges as you want; there's no obligation.

You can also learn more about undergraduate degrees programs that are similar to business communications bachelor's degrees through WorldWideLearn's Guides to Majors in Communications, Majors in Marketing, and Majors in Advertising .

The more you know, the better your prospects will be for choosing a degree and career that is right for you. The future is now, seize the day and make it your own.

• Online Bachelor Programs