Is a Communication degree more valuable than an English degree?

Students who want to pursue liberal arts further investigate the advantages of pursuing a Communications or English degree. Many elements of the Communications and English disciplines overlap, and choosing between the two can be confusing. This dilemma can be readily solved by determining a career of interest, but many high school students are not able to decide about their future career choices during graduation.

Here is an overview of the differences between the majors, skills acquired through both the disciplines and ideal job prospects for both the majors.

Communication Vs English Discipline

Communications degree is pretty universal when you think about it. From the traditional structure of verbal, and written communication to more complex concepts like mass communication and social media. 

This means that a communications degree can offer a wide range of career options.

It focuses on effective communication through a variety of means, including print, web, social media, mass media.

There are various types of communications degrees, and at every degree level, there are a number of specializations available like political and health communication, mass media, journalism, public relations, entertainment production, marketing, event planning and many other fields that revolve around transmitting, sharing and exchanging ideas.

The discipline is interested in the influence of messages on human behavior. Also, audience engagement is an important function of the discipline, and many people today use more technical communication channels. The communications discipline requires its practitioners to keep up with the ongoing and emerging trends and capture and maintain the attention of people. 

Whereas English majors allow students to involve in a variety of subjects within one major depending on the program they choose. For example, English majors can concentrate in the study of literature from various cultures and historic time periods, they can also portray their creative skills while studying works of great writers of fiction.

Skills acquired through Communication and English majors

As we have discussed that communications are the study of human interaction and expression. Communications majors usually graduate with 

• Creative problem-solving techniques 

• Comprehensive research skills technical 

• Analytical skills

They apply the concepts they have learnt to:-

• Create media content

• Crafting corporate messages for business communications, 

• Market products and services 

• Analyzing the relationship between communication and society

Communication degree programs are also known for providing students with excellent skills in speaking, writing, thinking critically, using evolving technology, and interacting productively with other people.

 Those pursuing English majors learn how to:-

•  Express ideas in verbal and written forms

•  Analyze varying perspectives on different subjects 

•  Work well in teams as well as autonomously

They also use critical thinking skills and know-how to back up their viewpoints with information that is gained through extensive research. It’s no secret that most English majors really like reading and writing. People doing their majors in English develop skills that involve tactful communication consisting of both oral and written communication.

Job prospects in Communications V/S English degrees

Job prospects through Communications Degree

• Business reporters- They are journalists who work for online and print publications. They cover trends related to business in the country including financials, important company news, etc. They earn an average salary of about $43,490 per year and  $20.91 per hour

• Copywriters- They are responsible for developing and writing for brands in a way that appeals and attracts their audience. Depending on their skills and talent, they might write blogs, advertising campaigns, and even brand slogans, marketing emails, brochures, and even more. Their average salary is about $62,170 per year.

• Brand Strategist- They have the responsibility for developing strategies for positioning brands in a unique way. They might directly work with an organization to achieve the goals of a brand. Some of these goals might also include gaining visibility, repositioning a brand’s image. They earn an average salary of about $135,900 per year and a job outlook of 8%.

• Marketing coordinator- They are responsible for the organization and execution of various marketing activities. Their day to day responsibilities include Monitoring budgets by comparing and analyzing the actual results with plans and forecasts. They also track product line sales and costs by analyzing sales, expenses, and new business data. They earn an average salary of about $50,600 per year and have a 7% faster job outlook.

An English Degree puts forth a lot of different career options in front of you, namely - 

• New Reporter- This includes all types of information media, like television, radio, and newspapers. They generally provide information to the public on current issues and events and can be liable for news ranging from local to national to global. Although they work in a newsroom or studio, their duties also involve a lot of fieldwork as they have to gather information from everywhere. The average salary is $38,870. However, the career trajectory starts in a small market and then steps upward to larger metro areas.

• Freelance Writer- You can make a living through freelancing and find plenty of jobs for English majors with no experience. As a freelance writer, you can choose your own working hours, assignments, and work at your own pace. If you know how to write, then this is a perfect platform to earn immense money. The average salary is $40,000.

• Advertising Manager- If you want to earn plenty of money with an English major, then a job in advertising is the best option. The career demands you to put in a lot of effort and requires you to develop every aspect of advertising, from budgets to conceptions to execution. You will need to create long and short-term plans, and meet the clients to sell your services. The average salary is $127,560 and the job has a consistent growth of 9% between 2014 and 2024.

• Lawyer- This career requires extensive legal education, but majoring in English is an excellent start before law school. Lawyers have to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds at many different levels of education. The average salary is $118,160 and the career growth is 6%, just under the national average.

Conclusion

Hence students should choose their major based on the subject that provides them with opportunities and flexibility for the long term. Hope this article helped you sort your dilemma. You are now ready to conquer the world. Good luck!