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Political Communication

Types of Degrees Political Communication Majors Are Earning

Those studying Political Communication may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	67
Master’s Degree	144

What Political Communication Majors Need to Know

Studies in Political Communication develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Political Communication graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Political Communication emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Political Communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Political Communication careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Political Communication graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Political Communication professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Political Communication graduates include:

• Speech Instructor
• Journalism Instructor
• Journalism Teacher
• Speech Professor
• Rhetoric Professor
• Journalism Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Communications Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Communications Media Professor
• Lecturer
• Communication Arts Lecturer
• Adjunct Instructor
• Media Arts Professor
• Communication Skills Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Political Communication graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	45.8%
Bachelor’s degree	35.6%
Doctoral degree	10.6%
Post-doctoral training	6.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Political Communication?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.6% of Political Communication degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	132	62.6%
Men	79	37.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Political Communication graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	130	61.6%
Asian	17	8.1%
Hispanic or Latino	16	7.6%
Black or African American	13	6.2%
Two or More Races	9	4.3%
Race Unknown	1	0.5%
International Students	25	11.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Political Communication Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Political Communication graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,317
4 years	$55,248
5 years	$64,495

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,495 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Political Communication Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Political Communication. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Political Communication Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Political Communication graduates earn a median of $55,248 four years after completion — roughly 45% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Speech Communication and Rhetoric	32,944
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	19,636
Communication, General	11,299
Journalism	9,378
Mass Communication/Media Studies	8,694
Advertising	4,308
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	4,077
Public Relations/Image Management	4,061
Communication Management and Strategic Communications	1,956
Organizational Communication, General	1,789
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other	1,296
Sports Communication	1,202

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.