<p>Female from Arizona here. What is communications like at UCSB? Will I find some decent jobs with a degree in communications right out of college or will it be difficult with this degree? Ive heard that communications is a "slacker" major so I'm just wondering...</p>
<p>Being a future communications major myself (not at UCSB), I find it a bit offending that quite some people believe that communications is a “slacker” major. I understand their concerns, since communications is interdisciplinary and a relatively “new” major (not as in the past decade, but compared to engineering it’s pretty new). Though it’s true that I’ve heard and read from a people that they chose communications because it was an easy major, it really depends on what industry you want to work in in the future and what type of education you want.</p>
<p>I don’t know about communications at UCSB, but communications is generally a pretty broad/interdisciplinary major (except for the program at Boston U, which seems pretty specific–i.e. advertising, public relations, etc.). Much of what you learn is how to critically think about media and the effect it has on society. There are often concentrations offered, in which you can learn more in depth about say, mass communications, public relations, or rhetoric (speech and debate). </p>
<p>While you take classes, or during the summer, you often get internships with agencies, magazines, TV stations, and the like. The internships and the connections that the communications department has at whatever university you attend should be invaluable and lead to a full time job, as with many majors. I think communications will do a good job of prepping you for entering the media industry either as marketing, advertising, journalism (you need grad school for this think), or public relations (etc etc). But if you are leaning towards the business end of communications more so than your interest in media, then I’d say go for a business major instead. </p>
<p>By “decent” jobs, I’ll assume you mean “good-pay”. Communications majors, because of the industry they’re entering, there is high competition and <em>not as much</em> projected growth in the industry as lets say, engineering. If you look up starting salaries, engineering and science or business fields will earn about $10k(or more?) higher than communications majors.</p>