Bachelor’s in Communications Degree
Bachelor’s in Communications Degree
journey today.
Interpersonal and organizational communication is the foundation of human societies. As a communications degree major at Grand Canyon University, you will explore the principles and best practices of communication exchanges. The BA in Communications is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU. It examines interpersonal and organizational communications, with an emphasis on the latter to help prepare you to pursue your professional objectives.
You will be immersed within an academically stimulating learning environment that encourages you to tackle communication challenges head-on and work toward personal and professional growth. This program examines effective communication strategies across different settings and situations while addressing professional ethics.
The comprehensive curriculum in this bachelor’s in communications degree program offers numerous opportunities for thoughtful reflection and skills development.
GCU’s online learning platform can provide greater accessibility to your coursework, which may offer more convenience and flexibility as you pursue higher education. As an online student, you can enjoy interactions with peers and instructors, and the same quality of instruction as our on-campus students.
In addition to the digital format, this degree in Communications is available via in-person classes for those who seek a traditional on-campus college experience. As an on-campus student, you will be immersed within our faith-based campus environment, which offers numerous and ongoing opportunities to reaffirm your faith through worship activities, peer groups and community service initiatives.
This degree program integrates a research-based approach into the curriculum, which is designed to provide you with a thorough framework for achieving your personal and professional goals. Beyond having opportunities to become an effective communicator and presenter of ideas, you will be taught key advocacy and conflict-resolution skills. This will involve exploring small group exchanges, public relations fundamentals, critical thinking skills and ethical decision-making.
Some of the core concepts that are integral to the communications degree program include the following:
The principles and elements of argumentation and advocacy
The fundamentals of public relations
Conflict and negotiation communication in interpersonal, organizational and international contexts
Communication research design, implementation and interpretation
The Christian Perspective on Persuasion and Influence
As a private Christian university, GCU emphasizes the role of ethics in decision-making and business leadership. You are encouraged to explore the Christian worldview and understand how it applies to everyday situations. The instructors will help guide you in considering how to become an effective servant leader.
Some of the additional core competencies you will examine as a communications major include the following:
Examine Powerful Communication Skills To Inspire and Influence
GCU strives to graduate work-ready professionals who are fully equipped to apply best practices in communications across a variety of settings and industries. You will be expected to develop foundational skills that are applicable to a wide range of professional functions, including public relations, sales and marketing, human resources and political communications.
Some of the skills you will be taught in this degree program include the following:
How to improve relational quality through communications
How to thoroughly analyze the effectiveness of a communications campaign
The implementation of communications theories in everyday situations
The development of leadership skills
Skills taught in a communications degree program can help enhance career paths across many fields and areas of expertise. Regardless of your career direction, you can continue to develop and apply your communication skills in diverse situations and settings.
An in-person or online communications degree can help lay the foundation for pursuing careers across various fields, industries and roles including:
Public relations specialist
Public relations manager
Broadcast announcer
Radio disc jockey
Media and communication worker
$66,320
Median annual wage for media and communication occupations as of May 20231
Our instructors are qualified individuals who are knowledgeable in their fields. We prioritize the quality of our education with the intention of preparing our graduates to tackle modern challenges across every industry. GCU is proud to be continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about earning your bachelor’s degree in communications with our answers to these frequently asked questions.
A communications degree can be either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on the college that offers it. One of these is not necessarily better than the other; rather, it depends on your particular goals and learning preferences. A BS degree typically focuses on numbers and analytical skills, while a BA degree emphasizes critical thinking and exploring ideas. GCU offers a BA in Communications degree that teaches effective practices in small and large group communication, ethical considerations, public relations and conflict and negotiation techniques.
Depending on your career goals and interests, you may find a bachelor's degree in communications to be worth it. If you are looking for a career in media, marketing or any career that deals with client service, like human resources or public relations, a communications degree may be a strong option.2 These degrees teach valuable professional skills that overlap with a variety of careers, focusing on strong written and oral communication abilities and how to construct and organize common business practices that can benefit all employees and stakeholders.
Earning a traditional or online bachelor’s degree in communications allows you the opportunity to develop the essential skills in effective communication. Whether you are building brand visibility, creating awareness of a public health crisis, maintaining strong relationships with your clients, teaching the next generation or developing short and long-term business plans, your degree in communications may help you throughout your career.
There are many career paths you can pursue with a degree in communications. Encompassing a variety of occupations from public relations specialists to technical writers, the median annual wage for those in a related media and communication field is approximately $66,320 as of May 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1 If you are interested in a career that focuses on human relations and interpersonal communications, public relations and fundraising managers had a median annual wage of $130,480 in May 2023, according to the BLS.3
Whether you pursue an on-campus or online communications degree, you’ll experience some courses that are more challenging than others. These challenges offer opportunities for intellectual and personal growth. In addition, you may be able to choose an emphasis program that allows you to focus on the area you are most passionate about. This can include broadcasting and new media, human relations and interpersonal communications or the political arena. If you love to talk, write and help people, you should consider a degree in communications.
Start Communicating With Purpose
Use a communications degree to pursue a variety of careers across industries.
1 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Media and Communication Occupations as of May 2023, retrieved Aug. 7, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates in media and communication occupations, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
2 Keiling, H. (2024, April 18). 16 Top Jobs for Graduates with Communications Degrees. Indeed. Retrieved Aug. 7, 2024.
3 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Public Relations and Fundraising Managers as of May 2023, retrieved Sept. 23, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as public relations and fundraising managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.