A communications degree is one of the easier majors academically, with lower math requirements and moderate reading loads. But the practical skills it demands — public speaking, media production, persuasive writing — are harder to develop than most students expect. The challenge is not in the coursework. It is in building competencies that actually make you employable.
You are looking at communications and wondering whether it is a real major or a punchline. The reputation is well-known: it is what athletes major in, it is the backup plan, it is the degree you get when you do not know what else to do. Some of that reputation is earned. But the actual question you need answered is whether this major will prepare you for anything, or whether four years of moderate coursework will leave you with a degree that means nothing in the job market.
The honest answer is that communications is as valuable as you make it. The coursework itself is not going to push your intellectual limits the way chemistry or philosophy would. But if you use the program to build real skills — media production, data-driven PR, corporate communication, content strategy — you can graduate with more practical employability than many harder majors provide.
The Workload Reality: Hours Per Week
Communications majors typically spend 10 to 15 hours per week on coursework outside of class. This is among the lowest of any college major1. The reading loads are moderate, the math requirements are minimal, and exams are often less technically demanding than in other fields.
But production courses change this picture. If your program includes video production, audio production, or multimedia storytelling, those courses can consume 15 to 25 hours per week on their own. Editing video is time-intensive in a way that reading a textbook is not. These courses are where communications students experience the highest workload.
Group projects are constant. Communications programs emphasize teamwork because the industry requires it. You will work in teams for campaigns, presentations, productions, and case studies. The coordination overhead is substantial even when the intellectual difficulty is moderate.
Internships are effectively a workload requirement. Most competitive communications jobs require internship experience, and many programs build internships into the curriculum. Managing a 15-hour-per-week internship alongside coursework creates a real time crunch that GPA alone does not reflect.
The Toughest Courses (and Why They Trip People Up)
Communication Research Methods is the hardest course in most communications programs. It covers survey design, content analysis, basic statistics, and research ethics. Students who chose communications to avoid quantitative work find this course jarring.
Media Law and Ethics requires close reading of legal cases, memorization of First Amendment doctrine, and application of legal principles to hypothetical scenarios. The analytical rigor is higher than most other communications courses and catches students off guard.
If you struggle with Research Methods, take it seriously — this course teaches the analytical thinking that separates employable communications graduates from those who cannot get past entry-level roles. Employers want people who can measure the impact of their work, not just produce content.
Public Speaking / Presentational Communication is not intellectually hard, but it is emotionally demanding. Students with public speaking anxiety find this course genuinely difficult in a way that has nothing to do with intelligence. The skill is learnable, but the discomfort is real.
Advanced Writing courses (feature writing, technical writing, copywriting) expose weak writing skills that students did not realize they had. Writing for a specific audience, format, and purpose is a professional discipline that is harder than free-form essay writing.
What Makes This Major Harder Than People Expect
The skill-based components are deceptively challenging. Writing a press release that actually reads like a press release, editing video with professional pacing, designing a campaign strategy with a real client — these are applied skills that require practice and refinement. You cannot study your way through them the night before.
The communications students who get hired are the ones with a portfolio, not just a degree. Start producing real work — blog posts, video projects, social media campaigns — outside of class by sophomore year. A portfolio of original work is worth more than a 4.0 GPA in communications.
The technology learning curve is constant. Communications tools change rapidly. The editing software, analytics platforms, social media algorithms, and content management systems you learn as a freshman may be outdated by graduation. You are expected to learn new tools independently throughout your career, and the best programs expect that adaptability from you now.
The subjectivity of evaluation can be frustrating. What makes a campaign creative, a press release effective, or a video compelling involves professional judgment that professors apply differently. Unlike math, where answers are right or wrong, communications grades depend heavily on the evaluator's standards.
The speed of platform change also means that your professors may not be current on every tool. Some communications faculty are deeply embedded in industry practice. Others are researchers who may not know the latest social media algorithm changes or content management system updates. Learning to fill knowledge gaps independently and staying current through industry resources is an expected competency, not something the program always teaches explicitly.
The presentation skills component is harder than it sounds. Most communications courses include formal presentations, pitches, or media appearances. Students who are comfortable in front of groups handle this easily. Students with public speaking anxiety find that communications demands this skill repeatedly, in nearly every course, with higher stakes each year.
According to NCES data, communications and journalism are among the top 10 most popular undergraduate majors in the United States1. This means you are graduating into an extremely competitive job market where a degree alone does not distinguish you from tens of thousands of other graduates.
Who Thrives (and Who Struggles)
Students who thrive are self-starters who treat the major as a platform for building skills rather than a path to a credential. They are extroverted, comfortable with ambiguity, and proactive about seeking internships and freelance opportunities. They write well and enjoy producing creative work under deadlines.
Students who struggle chose communications because it seemed easy and had no plan beyond getting the degree. They avoid the production and research courses in favor of theory-light electives. They graduate without a portfolio, without internship experience, and without distinguishing skills.
Students who pair communications with a second skill set (data analytics, a foreign language, graphic design, coding) are dramatically more employable than those who treat communications as a standalone credential.
How to Prepare and Succeed
Start building a portfolio before you declare the major. Write blog posts, produce short videos, manage a social media account with real followers. These projects give you material for class assignments and job applications simultaneously.
Take Research Methods and Statistics willingly, not reluctantly. These courses teach you to think critically about claims and measure the impact of communication strategies. Every hiring manager in PR, marketing, and corporate communications wants someone who can read data.
Pair your communications degree with a minor or certificate in something specific: data science, graphic design, Spanish, computer science, or public policy. The combination of communications skills plus domain expertise creates a profile that stands out in an overcrowded field.
Get internship experience every summer. The communications field values proven ability over academic credentials. An internship at a PR firm, newsroom, or marketing department teaches you more about the profession than any course and builds the professional network you need for your first job.
Learn analytics tools. Google Analytics, social media analytics dashboards, and basic data visualization tools are expected competencies in modern communications roles. Students who can show campaign results with data earn significantly more than those who can only describe their work qualitatively.
FAQ
Is communications really that easy?
Academically, yes — it is lighter than most STEM, business, and social science majors. But the practical skills required for success (writing, presentation, media production, strategic thinking) take real effort to develop. Students who coast through the coursework without building skills graduate with a degree that does not differentiate them. According to BLS, media and communication occupations earn a median of $67,1502, but the range is wide.
Do I need to be a good writer for communications?
Strong writing is the single most important skill in communications. If you are not a strong writer now, you need to become one. Every communications career path requires clear, effective writing. Students who enter the major as weak writers and do not improve are at a serious disadvantage in the job market.
What is the hardest communications course?
Research Methods is the most technically demanding. Media Law requires the most memorization and analytical reasoning. Advanced production courses (video, audio, multimedia) are the most time-intensive. Which one is hardest for you depends on whether your weakness is quantitative thinking, legal analysis, or time management.
Can I get a good job with just a communications degree?
Yes, but not with just the degree. You need internship experience, a portfolio of work, and ideally a secondary skill set. Communications graduates who have these things work in PR, corporate communications, marketing, content strategy, journalism, and media production. Those who graduate with only the degree compete for entry-level positions with very low barriers to entry.
How does communications compare to marketing or journalism?
Marketing is more quantitative and business-oriented. Journalism is more writing-intensive and deadline-driven. Communications is broader, covering elements of both plus organizational communication, public relations, and media studies. If you want a specific career path, marketing or journalism may be more focused. If you want flexibility, communications provides breadth. NCES data shows all three remain popular undergraduate choices1.
- Communications Degree Guide — Overview
- Is It Worth It?
- Career Paths
- Salary Data
- Requirements
- Internships
- Best Colleges
Footnotes
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National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Undergraduate Degree Fields. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cta ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Media and Communication Occupations. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/home.htm ↩
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Public Relations Specialists. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm ↩