Studies & Degrees in Communications
Communications Study Programs
Communications, also called communication studies, is the study of how people and organisations create, send and interpret messages. It covers face-to-face and organisational communication as well as the media: journalism, public relations, advertising, audiovisual production and digital content. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sums up the work of the field in one line: these workers use words and images to convey information and ideas.
Students combine theory with practice. Typical core courses, as in the Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Saint Louis University, are human communication and culture, public speaking, media and society and communication research. The name of the degree changes from one school to another: Communication, Communications, Media Studies, Mass Communication or, in Spain, Comunicación, Periodismo, Comunicación Audiovisual and Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree: in Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years, according to Real Decreto 822/2021. The Grado en Periodismo at the Universidad de Navarra is an example: 240 credits, four years, taught in Spanish and English in Pamplona, with 50 places. In the United States the usual route is a Bachelor of Arts in which communication is the major. At Saint Louis University the degree has 120 credits in total, of which at least 39 are for the major.
- Master's degree: official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Comunicación Política y Corporativa of the Universidad de Navarra has 60 ECTS credits, lasts 10 months and is taught in Spanish and English on the Madrid campus.
- Vocational and short programmes: the technical side of the media can be studied in vocational training. In Spain, the Imagen y Sonido family of vocational training (FP) includes higher-level qualifications such as Técnico Superior en Producción de Audiovisuales y Espectáculos and Técnico Superior en Realización de Proyectos Audiovisuales y Espectáculos. In Canada, the University of the Fraser Valley offers a post-baccalaureate programme in Digital Communication and Promotion next to its Bachelor of Arts with a Communication major.
Most degrees ask students to choose a direction. Saint Louis University has concentrations in communication studies, integrated strategic communication, and journalism and media studies, and a Madrid concentration in media production, journalism and culture. The online Grado en Comunicación of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has four specialisations: audiovisual communication, corporate communication and public relations, journalism, and advertising.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 483 active schools for communications. The United States has the most, with 194, followed by Spain with 69 and the United Kingdom with 24. Canada, France and Australia have 11 each, Argentina has 10, China 9 and Germany 8.
In Spain, the Facultad de Comunicación of the Universidad de Navarra has taught the subject since 1958 and offers bachelor's degrees in journalism, audiovisual creation, marketing and corporate communication. Saint Louis University, Madrid teaches its Bachelor of Arts in Communication in English on an American-style curriculum. The UOC in Barcelona teaches its Grado en Comunicación fully online, in Spanish or Catalan, and combines advertising and public relations, audiovisual communication and journalism in one degree.
Language is the main thing to check. Communication degrees depend on writing and speaking, so schools normally expect a high level in the language of instruction. Spanish universities teach mostly in Spanish, sometimes with part of the degree in English, while the American universities in Spain and the schools in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia teach in English.
Careers
Graduates work as journalists, public relations and corporate communication officers, advertising and social media staff, content producers and press officers for companies, public bodies and non-profit organisations. Experience counts: the BLS notes that an internship or work on a college newspaper, radio station or television station may be helpful for future journalists, and that employers of public relations specialists may prefer candidates who studied communications or business.
Official figures for the United States show a stable but not growing market. According to the BLS, overall employment in media and communication occupations is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, although about 88,500 openings are projected each year, mostly to replace people who leave. Public relations specialists held about 314,500 jobs in 2025 and their employment is projected to grow 2 percent in that period. News analysts, reporters and journalists held about 47,100 jobs, and their employment is projected to decline 6 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between communications and journalism?
Journalism is one part of communications. A communications degree also covers areas such as public relations, advertising, corporate communication and audiovisual production; some schools teach them as separate degrees and others, like the UOC, as specialisations of one degree.
How long does a communications degree take?
A Spanish grado has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. A Bachelor of Arts at an American university such as Saint Louis University has 120 credits. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
Can I study communications in English in Spain?
Yes. Saint Louis University, Madrid teaches a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in English, and the Universidad de Navarra lists Spanish and English as the languages of its Grado en Periodismo.
Can I study communications online?
Yes. The UOC teaches its Grado en Comunicación fully online, with 240 credits, in Spanish or Catalan.