International Communication

Types of Degrees International Communication Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international and intercultural communication graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	135
Master’s Degree	69
Undergraduate Certificate	31
Graduate Certificate	14
Basic Certificate	7

What International Communication Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, international and intercultural communication majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for International and Intercultural Communication Majors

International and Intercultural Communication majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for International and Intercultural Communication Majors

international and intercultural communication majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for International and Intercultural Communication Majors

As you progress with your international and intercultural communication degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in International Communication?

This major is dominated by women with about 79% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of international and intercultural communication majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	11
White	43
International Students	72
Other Races/Ethnicities	4

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in International and Intercultural Communication, too. About 53.3% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do International Communication Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

International and Intercultural Communication majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $55,530 to $78,090 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to International Communication

Some degrees associated with international and intercultural communication may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to international and intercultural communication have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Some College Courses	1.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	59.9%
Master’s Degree	26.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.5%
Doctoral Degree	5.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.4%

Online International Communication Programs

In 2020-2021, 39 schools offered a international and intercultural communication program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	6	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	10	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in International Communication Worth It?

The median salary for a international and intercultural communication grad is $68,440 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 72% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $570,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to International Communication

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to international and intercultural communication.

Major	Number of Grads
Public Relations	5,216
Advertising	4,918
Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication	4,203
General Organizational Communication	2,013
Other Public Relations, Advertising, & Applied Communication	1,553
Communication Management and Strategic Communications	1,397
Sports Communication	729
Health Communication	410
Technical & Scientific Communication	217
Political Communication	187

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Bill Koplitz under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.