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PR & Applied Communication

Types of Degrees PR & Applied Communication Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing PR & Applied Communication may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	37
Bachelor’s Degree	3,064
Master’s Degree	966
Doctor’s Degree	6

What PR & Applied Communication Majors Need to Know

Coursework for PR & Applied Communication develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that PR & Applied Communication graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing PR & Applied Communication emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a PR & Applied Communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to PR & Applied Communication careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, PR & Applied Communication graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by PR & Applied Communication professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for PR & Applied Communication graduates include:

• Campaign Manager
• Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Communication Arts Professor
• Speech Instructor
• Communications Instructor
• Communications Faculty Member
• Communication Professor
• Communication Studies Instructor
• Media Arts Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Public Speaking Professor
• Rhetoric Professor
• Journalism Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.9%
Master’s degree	34.3%
Doctoral degree	7.3%
Post-doctoral training	4.5%
Some college courses	4.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in PR & Applied Communication?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.8% of PR & Applied Communication degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,089	75.8%
Men	988	24.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,344	57.5%
Asian	139	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	754	18.5%
Black or African American	360	8.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	161	3.9%
Race Unknown	77	1.9%
International Students	229	5.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do PR & Applied Communication Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of PR & Applied Communication graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 PR & Applied Communication Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for PR & Applied 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
Associate’s	3	0
Bachelor’s	12	11
Master’s	15	10

^{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 PR & Applied Communication Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, PR & Applied 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
Mass Communication/Media Studies	8,694
Advertising	4,308
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
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	1,080
Broadcast Journalism	757

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.