Studies & Degrees in Mass Communication
Mass Communication Study Programs
Mass communication is the study of how information, news, entertainment and advertising reach large audiences through the media: newspapers and magazines, radio, television, film, websites, social networks and streaming platforms. The subject looks at how messages are produced, how media organisations work, how audiences respond, and which laws and ethical rules apply. It also trains students to produce media themselves: to write, record, film, edit and publish.
As a degree title, mass communication is used mostly in the United States, South and South-East Asia and the Gulf. Elsewhere the same content is taught under names such as media and communication, communication studies or journalism. Whatever the name, a programme usually combines a common core (media theory, writing, research methods, media law and ethics) with a chosen track such as journalism, broadcasting, advertising or public relations.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. This is the main qualification. Many US universities organise it as a communication or mass communication major with concentrations. The Department of Communication Studies of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), for example, offers bachelor's and master's degrees in communication and mass media, with specific degrees in communication management, public relations, broadcasting, journalism and sports communication. The College of Media & Communication of Texas Tech University lists six undergraduate programmes, among them advertising, journalism, creative media industries and public relations. In the European Higher Education Area a bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits.
- Master's degrees and doctorates. Master's programmes go deeper into one field, such as strategic communication or media research, or prepare for a doctorate. Texas Tech, for instance, teaches media and communication at bachelor's, master's and doctoral level.
- Short programmes. Summer and study abroad programmes let students take one or two communication courses for credit without enrolling in a full degree.
In the United States, programmes in journalism and mass communications can apply for accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), which is recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Accreditation is voluntary; ask each school whether its programme holds it.
Where to study mass communication
SpainExchange lists 18 active schools for mass communication. Eleven are in the United States and two in the United Kingdom; Spain, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and the Philippines have one each.
The US schools include UAB, Texas Tech University, Purdue University (whose Brian Lamb School of Communication offers a BA in Communication), Temple University (whose Klein College of Media and Communication has nine undergraduate programmes), the University of Maine, Black Hills State University, Talladega College, Susquehanna University, the University of Bridgeport and the University of California, Berkeley. In the United Kingdom the list includes the University of Sunderland, whose media centre has a virtual studio, a television studio and a radio studio, and the University of Gloucestershire. Elsewhere it includes Kathmandu University, which has a Department of Languages and Mass Communication, the University of the Philippines Diliman, Abu Dhabi University, Griffith University in Australia and, in Spain, UIBS / Barcelona Business School. Forum-Nexus Study Abroad, based in Miami, runs multi-country summer programmes in Europe.
Most of the listed schools teach in English. Because the work is built on language, a high level in the language of instruction matters more here than in many other subjects. Compare schools by the tracks they offer, their studios and student media, and the internships they arrange.
Careers
Graduates work in news media, broadcasting and digital publishing, in advertising and public relations agencies, in the communication departments of companies, public bodies and non-profit organisations, and in social media and content production. Typical first jobs are reporter, producer, copywriter, public relations or communications officer and social media manager.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics groups these jobs as media and communication occupations, whose workers use words and images to convey information and ideas. It projects little or no change in overall employment in this group in the United States from 2025 to 2035, with about 88,500 openings each year, mostly to replace people who leave. The picture differs by job: employment of public relations specialists is projected to grow 2 percent, while that of news analysts, reporters and journalists is projected to decline 6 percent. Both jobs typically require a bachelor's degree, and the Bureau notes that experience on a college newspaper, radio station or television station may help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mass communication and journalism?
Journalism is one part of mass communication. A mass communication degree also covers broadcasting, advertising, public relations and media research, and students usually choose one of these as a track.
Is mass communication the same as communication studies?
Not exactly. Communication studies also covers interpersonal and organisational communication, while mass communication concentrates on the media and their audiences. Many universities teach both in the same school.
Do I need a degree to work in the media?
In the United States, journalists and public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Practical experience in student media or internships also counts.
In which language is mass communication taught?
Most schools in the SpainExchange list teach in English, because most are in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries where English is the language of higher education.