College of Arts and Sciences

Communication

Advance your written, oral, and visual communication skills for the modern world.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Accelerated degree option
Modality: On-campus

Duration: 4 years
Credits: 120

Median annual salary for communication degree recipients nationwide:: $65,000 Median annual salary for communication degree recipients nationwide. View career outcomes.

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Why study communication at UMass Dartmouth?

At UMass Dartmouth, you will gain the tools and techniques to advance your writing, communication, and critical thinking abilities. Our communication program provides students with the 21st century skills to critically engage with a variety of audiences, both digitally and face-to-face. In an AI-driven world, communications skills are essential in today’s competitive job market and can lead to many rewarding careers.

Launch your career

Median annual salary for communication degree recipients nationwide

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

90%

of graduates are employed or enrolled in further education

Source: AY 2025 NACE Data Collection of Undergraduate Alumni

What can I do with a communication degree?

Every industry needs professionals with strong communication and critical engagement skills, especially in an AI-driven world. Communication graduates are in demand for roles such as:

Business communications specialists
Editors
Public relations specialists

Writers
Social media managers
Radio and television announcers

Journalists
Marketing specialists
Web publishers

Curriculum

As a communication major, you'll learn to:

Create written texts using appropriate materials and theories in communication and rhetoric
Communicate ideas orally within multiple contexts
Use information design principles to produce texts appropriate for an audience, purpose, and context
Evaluate the historical and/or cultural contexts of communication practices and describe their ethical, social, or environmental implications
Evaluate messages from a variety of media and technologies using methodologies in communication and rhetoric

You'll take classes like internet communications and culture, sports writing, organizational communications, copywriting, speech writing, document design, and more. There are multiple internships available to communications students, spanning across different industries and areas of interest.

Student spotlight

Lauren Wood '27

Hometown: Seekonk, MA
Major: Communication

Accelerated degree options

Get a head start on your future. Accelerated degree options can help you earn graduate or professional credentials sooner while saving time and tuition.

3+3 with UMass Law: a fast track to a law degree

Enrollment in the 3+3 joint degree program with UMass Law offers an accelerated pathway to an undergraduate and law degree, enabling qualifying students to substitute the first year of law school for the final year of their undergraduate program, thereby earning both a bachelor’s degree from UMass Dartmouth and a Juris Doctor from UMass Law in six rather than seven years.

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Accolades

UMass Dartmouth is a nationally ranked R2 research university that combines the resources of a major university with a personalized educational experience. Ranked among the top 15 public research institutions with fewer than 10,000 students and in the top 17% nationally for return on investment, UMass Dartmouth is recognized for advancing research, social mobility, and career-ready education.

Nationally Ranked Discovery Across Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences brings together nationally ranked programs, accomplished scholars, and research with measurable impact. Its faculty includes eight Fulbright Scholars and has secured more than $14 million in grants over three years, creating opportunities for students to learn through research, creative inquiry, and community engagement.

Frequently asked questions

Have questions about the Communication BA program? Here you will find answers to common questions about admissions, curriculum, career outcomes, and student experience.

UMass Dartmouth’s communication degree program prepares students to be an engaged and effective 21st century communicator. Students will gain skills in digital media, public speaking, strategic communications, website design, and content creation.

Communication graduates are in-demand for many fields and roles, such as:

PR specialists
Reporters
Marketing
Sports journalism
Social media
Medical communications
Media relations

The communication program focuses on multimedia messaging and strategy, while the English program focuses on analyzing literature and developing critical writing skills. Both majors heavily include reading and writing, but the communication program specializes in areas such as business, public relations, and journalism. The English program specializes in areas such as producing and analyzing complex texts.

Communication majors study language and rhetoric to develop their written, oral, and visual communication skills. Students will apply communication concepts and theories to real-world problems and issues within one or more communication industries.

With a communication degree, you can work in almost any field. Industries that hire communication professionals include: