Blog #10: Final Thoughts

Hello, seniors of Centennial High School. As your time in high school is rapidly coming to a close, you are left with some pretty big decisions to make about your future. I hope that from reading this blog, I have provided you with some perspective on what you may want to do. I firmly believe that a major in communications is a wonderful option for those of you who are creative and innovative, who want to be challenged academically, and who want flexibility when it comes to their academic courses throughout college as well as their opportunities when searching for careers after graduation. In this final blog post, I wanted to highlight some of the most important aspects of this blog as a whole as well as provide some more information on the opportunities that you will have with a degree in communications.

Image Credit

In this blog, I have discussed the various paths that you can take at the University of Maryland to getting a degree in communications. You can choose to focus on general communications studies, public relations, rhetoric, or social influence. I have also discussed the various internship and networking opportunities that are offered as a result of majoring in communications. In addition to this, there are fun things like study abroad programs that you will be able to take advantage of as a communications major which will expand your knowledge about yourself, the world, and your career!

Image Credit

Majoring in communications gives you several options after you complete your undergraduate degree. You can choose to continue your higher education in communications by going to graduate school, or you can enter directly into the work force. I hope that this blog has convinced you that careers in communications are nothing if not relevant. Communications majors have the opportunity to work in expanding fields such as social media and public relations. These are fields which really shape the world we live in today. They are constantly changing and evolving, making them interesting and motivating to be a part of. When you have a degree in communications, the professional world is really your oyster when it comes to choosing a career. Any field that you are interested in will have room for a communications major!

When I found communications, I found a field that I am incredibly passionate about. I am excited about my future in the world of communications. I hope that you will find the same comfort in your experience with the communications major, best of luck! (417 Words)

Works Cited

http://www.comm.umd.edu/

http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/arts-humanities-careers/communications/

Blog #9: Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Well, students of Centennial High School, if you have been keeping up with the blog until this point, you have learned about the academic and professional benefits that come along with majoring in communications. Now it is time to talk about my favorite part about being a communications major: study abroad. Studying abroad has become an increasingly important part of the college experience. The benefits of studying abroad are really endless and they are incredibly significant. According to a study conducted by the University of California, 97% of study abroad students found employment within 12 months of graduation, 84% of study abroad alumni “felt that their studies abroad helped them build valuable skills for the job market”, and 80% of study abroad alumni claimed that their study abroad experience allowed them to better adapt to diverse work environments. So what does this have to do with majoring in communications? In a communications major, studying abroad is encouraged! In fact, communications majors at the University of Maryland have a global competency requirement that they have to meet in order to graduate, and the easiest way to meet that requirement is by studying abroad.

Image Credit

At the University of Maryland, you have several options as far as studying abroad goes. You can do an exchange program, where you go to another country and basically have University of Maryland equivalent courses. You can do an extended studies program, which is studying abroad during your spring, summer or winter breaks. Or, you can do what I did and you can study abroad through a Maryland approved program that is not directly affiliated with the University but you can still get academic credit for it. For my study abroad experience, I went on Semester at Sea and studied international communications. Semester at Sea is sponsored by the University of Virginia, and on it I took classes like intercultural communications, development communications, and international mass media. On this program I got to go to twelve different countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, all while learning about international communications! This experience allowed me to learn about myself, my field, and the world. It is an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything, and it was all made possible due to the fact that I decided to major in something like communications where I was encouraged to do so. (386 Words)

Works Cited

http://globalmaryland.umd.edu/offices/education-abroad

“What Statistics Show about Study Abroad Students.” University of California,
What Statistics Show about Study Abroad Students.

 

Blog #8: Communications Majors Around the Country

As seniors at Centennial High School in Howard County, Maryland, I know that several of you are interested in attending the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland is a great school with a wonderful communications program, which I have provided information about in my previous blog posts. But what about those of you who are not interested in attending an in state school? Can you still major in communications! The answer to this question is simple: absolutely! There are hundreds of colleges around the country which offer degrees in communications, including top- ranked universities such as Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, New York University and the University of Southern California.

Image Credit

One of my best friends, CJ Rehborn, just graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina with a degree in communications. CJ grew up in Pennsylvania, and she knew that she wanted to go to school out of state. I decided to interview her to gain some perspective on what majoring in communications is like out of state. She told me that, “by majoring in communications I was able to take a variety of different courses and learn a lot about things I was interested in. I am glad that I majored in communications, and I loved doing it at the College of Charleston because it allowed me to explore a new city while I got my degree”.

Communications is becoming an incredibly popular major around the country, and it is growing in demand to the point where the vast majority of colleges now offer a communications program in some capacity. This is great because it means that you are not limited to the colleges that you apply to if you want to major in communications! Any state that you want to go to school in will have a school with a communications major. You can choose a big school, small school, city school, or country school. Once again, your options really are endless! As of right now, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications states that there are 117 schools in the United States that have accredited communications programs. That means that there are 117 schools who have been academically recognized and had their curriculum approved. If communications is something that interests you, pursuing that interest is a possibility no matter where you decide to attend school. (414 Words)

Works Cited

http://www.acejmc.org

“Best Colleges Offering Degrees/Majors in Communication & Media Studies :
Nationwide.” College Factual, http://www.collegefactual.com/majors/
communication-journalism-media/communication-media-studies/rankings/top-ranked/.

Rehborn, Cassandra. Interview. 04 May 2017.

 

Blog #7: The Perks of Being a Communications Major

As I have mentioned in my previous blog posts, the greatest thing about the communications major is the versatility of it. Being a communications major allows you to challenge yourself academically while still allowing yourself to be social and creative. According to an article written on World Wide Learn, “a major in communications teaches you to combine a convincing argument with the appropriate medium to effectively deliver your message. It’s the modern marriage of theory and application”. At Centennial High School, you have spent your school time divided between academically challenging math and science courses as well as artistically challenging English and fine arts courses. In a lot of ways, this balance in coursework is one of the best parts of high school. So why give that up in college if you don’t have to? Communications courses range from topics including rhetoric, public policy, and communication theory to film, social media, and public relations. A communications major provides you with the flexibility to create your own curriculum and cater to your own interests. Who wouldn’t want that in a major?

Image Credit

Majoring in communications also provides you with several networking opportunities both within and outside of your university. Communications courses tend to be extremely interactive, allowing you to get to know both your classmates and professors. Communications majors also are provided with access to communications internships and career fairs that allow them to interact and network with professionals from their field of choice.

One of the biggest perks of being a communications major is that the things you learn about in class are visible in your everyday life. In your basic communications theories classes, you will learn about theories that can help you personally improve and understand the ways in which you communicate with others. Should you choose to take rhetoric and public policy courses, you will learn how and why our political climate is shaped and molded which you can apply to your understanding of current events. If you choose to take media courses, it will help you understand why the news is covered the way it is and how you should interpret it,

In short, there are countless benefits to majoring in communications. The possibilities are endless! (391 Words)

Works Cited

“Communications Major Guide.” World Wide Learn, http://www.worldwidelearn.com/
online-education-guide/business/communications-major.htm.

Jansen, Gabrielle. “The Perks of Being a Comm Major.” HerCampus,
http://www.hercampus.com/school/saint-marys/perks-being-comm-major.

Blog #6: Public Relations: The Newest Business Necessity

So, you are interested in communication studies, but you are unsure if you are really interested in pursuing social media or mass media and news after graduation. What other opportunities does a degree in communications studies offer you? Public relations. Public relations, commonly referred to as PR, is one of the fastest growing sub- categories of businesses worldwide. According to the Public Relations Society of America, public relations can be defined as “a strategic communications process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”. Typically, public relations specialist deal with the press and the public in order to create, mold, and maintain a company’s public image and reputation. With the rise of mass media and social media, it has become increasingly important for businesses to build a more personal relationship with their clients and for businesses to maintain an image or reputation that is desirable to the public. In order to do this, businesses in nearly all industries have created public relations departments.

Image Credit

Public relations is one of the fastest growing communication fields, and it is also one of the highest paying jobs that communications professionals can have. Mordecai Lee, a communications professor at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee wrote an article titled “The Return of Public Relations to the Public Administration Curriculum”. In this article, he describes how public relations is making a major comeback in academics as well as in the professional world. He states that there have been several recent cases of public relations being the subject of academic literature as well as several university curricula, which is “a prime example of the growing demand for public relations specialists”. Should you decide that you wish to attend school in- state, The University of Maryland is a prime example of how public relations is growing in the academic world. The public relations track at the University of Maryland is the most popular track for communications students. The public relations curriculum at the University of Maryland has been nationally recognized and has an incredible reputation. If public relations is a field which interests you at all, then you will be in extremely good hands at the University of Maryland. (361 Words)

Sources

Lee, Mordecai. “The Return of Public Relations to the Public Administration
Curriculum?” NASPAA, http://www.naspaa.org/JPAEMessenger/Article/v15n4-lee.pdf.
Accessed 15 Mar. 2017.

Public Relations Society of America. PRSA, Inc., http://www.prsa.org/.