Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUCSP
speciality: Communication
What is a Communications degree?
Communications is a universal degree, which explores the traditional forms of communication such as verbal, physical, visual and written communication but also extends beyond that to cover mass communication and social media. There are different types of communications degrees depending on the degree level.
Overall, Communications focuses on teaching effective communication through social media, web, print, mass media and verbal communication. However, there are two types of Communications degrees that exist. For instance, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in the US is focused on preparing students for careers that are connected to writing, marketing, promotions, journalism and public relations. In contrast, Bachelor of Science in Communications is dedicated to the technology used in the science behind modern communication and prepares students for careers in production or sound engineering.
A Communications degree teaches students about how media and communication influences cultures, societies and people’s identities. It involves a significant amount of critical writing and research and covers different disciplines such as journalism, public relations, entertainment production, marketing, event planning and so many more disciplines, which are somehow connected to exchanging information and conveying messages. There are also different specialization options associated with this degree, including political communication, mass media, journalism, health communication, etc.
It is worth noting that a Communications degree has many intersection points with psychology, sociology, linguistics and in some cases politics.
Benefits of a Communications degree
The main benefit of a Communications degree is its universal nature. It applies to almost any subject or professional setting. For example, some of the top careers in the field of Communications include announcers, art directors, editors, broadcast and sound engineering technicians, reporters, correspondents, broadcast analysts, technical writers, writers and authors, interpreters, translators, etc. Therefore, it keeps students’ career options open and doesn’t require them to have a predetermined career path that they want to follow.
Communications degrees prepare students to make an impact from the start of their careers unlike other degrees, which require further training. This is possible thanks to the multitude of professionally accredited degrees in Communications, which develop students’ abilities based on the established standards in the field. Moreover, there are many Communications courses, which offer work placement opportunities that enable students to gain the required professional skills before they have even started their career.
Another benefit associated with Communications degrees is the fact that they develop students’ written and verbal communication skills significantly.
A major advantage of Communications over other degrees is that in most cases there are no prerequisites required to study Communications.
Communications degree structure
The duration of a Communications degree varies depending on the country and degree level. For example, Higher Education Institutions in the UK offer 3-year Bachelor’s courses. In some cases, the course may extend to four years if students are given the opportunity to spend a year abroad or in industry between the second and third year through a sandwich course. Bachelor’s degrees in Communications in the US usually take around four years to complete.
Over the duration of a Bachelor’s Communications degree, students are expected to learn and be able to apply the established communications theories by developing the technical skills required to work in a professional setting. In the first year of their studies, students learn predominantly how media and communication influences cultures, societies and people’s identities. Optional modules may introduce them to professional communication, journalism, documentary, film-making, marketing, etc. In addition to the introductory topics, this degree allows students to learn about more complex areas of communications such as interpersonal relations, brand management and linguistics at a later stage. For instance, the second and third years enable students to get a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts related to media and culture and develop practical skills in research and communications. Additionally, students may have the opportunity to take optional modules and pursue their interests in different areas related to Communications such as gender, race, youth, culture, digital media, political communication, public relations, etc.
The most common duration of a Master’s degree in Communications is between 1 and 2 years depending on the mode of study (full-time or part-time) and country.
PhD and MPhil degrees in Communications require students to dedicate anywhere between 3 and 6 years to their studies depending on the mode and country of study.
1 Student Reviews
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Social Communication10 Aug, 2022
ManuelaCinema na PucI started on Puc in 2017.5 at age of 18. At the beginning, you have to complete a basic cycle that includes three areas: jornalism, marketing and cinema. But they certainty don’t care that much about cinema. The best subjects I took while I was studying were after that basic cycle and in another courses like Design. In Puc you can take lessons from another courses and I think that It’s great for the development of the student. For a brief moment I even wanted to go study Desing but I gave up when I realized I would have to start all over again. Then the pandemic came and Puc handled things really great. We had online classes and I didn’t delayed my graduation thanks to that. But we missed the campus a lot during that times. The PUC campus it’s one of the greatest i’ve ever seen. Not only because of the structure but because of the great vibe and stimulation it has. We have a great library with a lot of books and great space do study. The professors were great and attentive! In special, Patricia Machado was the best professor I ever had. It’s very important for me as a woman to see women teaching. That was inspiring for me.
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I met a few international students on campus party’s and they seemed very happy for me. Rio and São Paulo are great city’s for people that age. I personally love Rio because we have beaches and a lot of night life.
I graduated in 2022.1 and I’m already working. I don’t know if I will work with film production for much longer but right now it’s giving me the chance to live by my own and I love that. If I could choose, I don’t know if I would have done Social Comunication. But it’s not because it was PUC, it’s just that I wanted to do something more practical and the course is more about theories and reading. They changed the study outline this year actually. So if you go to PUC to study Social Comunication it will be 80% different from what I did. And that its great because it seem better and they maintained the good teachers.
In the end, i would definitely say that I was an amazing experience.Programme: Social CommunicationDegree: Bachelor'sGraduation: 2022Delivery Type: On CampusCampus: Sao Paulo
