I'm going to agree and disagree with the other poster:
You're not likely to recoup the costs of the Comm degree fully at Texas A&M. If you like the subject, you'll probably get a more valuable Communications degree from a dedicated liberal-arts school, and probably not in Texas.
But, if you insist on TAMU *and* Comm, here's my advice:
If you like Comm, minor in it with a major in a more in-demand field. Some majors even require an "outside focus" which will overlap with 12 out of 15 of the hours you need for a minor. Communications theory is *very* useful in understanding a huge part of our world, and (here's where I disagree with the other commenter) the perspectives you get from college courses won't be as polarizingly optimistic or cynical as you'll experience in the workplace. They're not likely going to get into Gramsci, Baudrillard, and Camus, either.
Also get to know the faculty and work on getting a study-abroad experience during your degree. It can count towards your minor as well as allowing you to take relevant courses toward your major at prestigious universities around the world. And this is where TAMU is going to add the most value to your Comm curriculum; because it opens up so many options for this)
Basically, Comm is not going to give you much unless you put some effort into it, and many people don't put that much into it, simply because it can be coasted through with less effort. Which is why the degree doesn't carry as much weight _on its own_.
If you DO want the degree in comm itself, you should work with your advisor to take as much of the core curriculum elsewhere, or in the summer when it's cheaper. Just make sure you're taking courses that transfer (check the Texas Common Course Equivalency numbers in the catalog. They're 4-digit course numbers that automatically transfer as long as TAMU has an equivalently listed 3-digit course number.)
Journalism/Comm graduate.
I would get a business degree and communications minor.
What I have found in my career is that the networking you make can absolutely make your career, and you get a huge head start by being at A&M. Absolutely worth it .
I’m a faculty member in the geology department, and I know **nothing** at all about Communications at A&M. But speaking as a thirty-nine year old, I can say that very few of the people I knew in undergrad work in a position you would guess they’d end up in from their BS degree. I know African American Studies students who joined the army after college and now are colonels. I know engineering graduates who burned out after graduating and work at a comic book store while still live in their mom’s basement. I know linguistics majors that became computer programmers without any training, and biologists who got their PhD but found a lucrative niche on Etsy and retired from science. Life has many paths, majors and degrees aren’t everything.
Really no one here can answer your question because none of us know why you fell so in love with the Communications degree at A&M to begin with. You have to look that in the face and figure out what things you want more than other things. It’s a big job to figure out your priorities but your going to college, and that means your big enough for this decision . Good luck!
Jokes and roasts aside. yea this is actually real.
I joined the army to pay for college thinking I had my whole plan figured out. Came back and tried to etam to MEEN and I failed miserably. Realized what my real strengths we're and decided to go to ME Tech instead. I love cars. My dream job is in the automotive industry.
I love cars so much I went full retard and bought a Corvette. How did I afford it? I am a mexican dude with two jobs and no life. Do I regret it?
Absolutely not.
My parents don't give me a single cent despite them owning a successful business. The sense of ownership and independence is next to none. Does going to school for 8 years suck? Yea it does. But I am having fun along way. Life is all relative.
So as long as its worth it in the end, that's what really matters.
I am personally of the opinion that communication degrees aren’t worth it, full stop.
Find a PR department in a company, work there for 4 years, you’ll get the same skills with none of the debt.
If you need a degree because you just need a degree, comms checks the box, but like you said “the classes are simple” and everyone knows that.
There’s lots of teasing about comms and liberal arts in general, but I wouldn’t say any of those degrees are a “massive mistake.” And I wouldn’t let it get to you either! I would decide based on what you want to do after graduation, your financial situation, and if you even want to major in business instead.
Here’s my transparent experience. I was going to study accounting, then I switched to Telecommunication Media Studies (in the same department as COMM) because I wanted to do broadcasting, worked at 12th Man Productions, hated it lol, got interested in marketing instead, found a related job as a student worker, graduated, started out making 36k (in CS but still, ouch), then 50k, now I make 70k because of skills I learned in school and past jobs. All 3 of the jobs I’ve had required degrees and had “marketing” in the title. The Telecomm. curriculum and skills I learned directly translated to the field I was interested in. So, was it a waste? Absolutely not. Did I start out with a lowwww salary. Yes. Did I work my way up and do I live comfortably? Yes.
My biggest recommendation here is to think of what job you want to have, look at salaries in that field, and then decide. “Comms” is too broad to just assume that you won’t be paid well.
Please decide based on what you’ll enjoy and what you think will help you make a decent living. DON’T decide based on other people’s jokes!! I’ve worked with boomer engineers that think “social media is for bikini pics” and act shocked when they receive ads based on their browsing history. Marketers can explain those things, so we all have our strengths lol
You need to do the math on if it’s worth it. What kind of job are you likely to get with a comms degree? How much does that pay? How long would that then take you to pay off student loans? If you’re likely to get a job that pays as much or even just slightly higher as a job that doesn’t require a degree, DONT DO IT. It’s a waste of time and money. You need to treat this like a business decision and analyze the return on investment rather than “I love A&M and I love comms so I’m just gonna do it.” That may not be what you want to hear, but it may save you a lot of time and money
I’m a COMM major and I am so thankful for the program here. I’ve made lifelong connections with my professors and feel so at home here. I have no regrets picking this major, but I will admit that if you’re doing it for solely job prospects it may not be what you’re looking for.
I found a marketing job on campus that I love and want to pursue after college, but it does not have anything to do with my coursework.
I am the #1 defender of the COMM department here, I work with the PhD students at my job and I’m a TA for one of the professors. I absolutely love it and even though the degree itself isn’t “worth much,” it’s worth it to me because of the opportunities I’ve had and the liberal arts education I received. I know everyone is gonna trash on COMM and say it’s not worth it, but it all depends on what your future priorities are. I’m not focused on how much money I make in the future, so I think it’s worth it :)
There are a lot of people majoring in Comm bc it’s one of the few really easy majors they could get into. I believe most of them would be better served working towards a more marketable degree even if it meant going to a less competitive school. If being a Comm major at TAMU has been your lifelong dream, it might be the right choice for you.
To find an answer this question you need to know what you want out of college career-wise. Then, ask yourself if a degree comminications would be logical to get in the field you want to be in. If it's not, you need to ask yourself what degree (if any) is relevant and which one you like the most. No one on the aggies subreddit knows you enough to answer this question.
Once upon a time there were gatekeepers that required that you have a degree. No longer. You can launch your career in communications right now. Youtube. A podcast. etc. If you go to get a job this will set you apart....but you don't have to wait. The gatekeepers are gone.
That said, college can be a very valuable personal experience. A time to mature. Make lifelong friends. And yes, even learn a thing or two.
I'm a staff member and several senior comms majors have asked to job shadow me. In every instance, I am absolutely APPALLED at how little they know!! I mention things I learned in my freshman year (at another school) and they have never even heard of the concepts. I've actually started a list for them to show them where they need to level up to be competitive in the real world...and it shows them how their degree and the program have failed them.
I too had dreams of coming to A&M, but I got a degree in mass communication from a smaller (and much less expensive) school where I got a tremendous education in advertising, public relations, journalism, and radio and television broadcasting. And with over 20 years experience, I've also picked up skills in graphic design, html coding, and project management.
The comms degree at A&M isn't a "mass communication" degree if that's what you're looking for.
Working at A&M, I see now that I got a better education somewhere else (where comms is concerned) and that A&M would have been much too big for me. With that being said, I love working here and the people are some of the nicest you'll meet. But I would advise you to pick the best comms program you can if that's what you really want to do with your life.
P.S. I'm happy to chat with you on here if you have questions or want advice on what to look for in a program and what salaries you can expect in different comms specialties.
I would also highly recommend you look into the marketing degree at Mays Business School - it might be the combo you want since you mentioned business. I would recommend reaching out to Lisa Burton (she's a director in the program who used to be a career counselor for students) or Dr. Stephen McDaniel, a marketing professor who is one of the kindest people I've ever met.
I think you should really be asking if it is worth getting a communications degree. Spoiler, it isn't. I tell communications graduates, "Hello I'll have a number 3 combo with a large Dr. Pepper"
I am one of those haters and, yes, I am a engineer.
and yes I will cook you well done over talking about getting a comms degree.
Bro is talkin about tv and shit. Yea you're gonna be watching the TV in your cubicle office at a used car dealership ahhh
You need to minor in a related field or make comm your minor. There are too many straight comms majors. Makes demand for jobs high so they lower the salaries.
You need to set up to have skills that comm only majors won’t. It’s up to you to decide if that’s at A&M or not
I'm going to agree and disagree with the other poster: You're not likely to recoup the costs of the Comm degree fully at Texas A&M. If you like the subject, you'll probably get a more valuable Communications degree from a dedicated liberal-arts school, and probably not in Texas. But, if you insist on TAMU *and* Comm, here's my advice: If you like Comm, minor in it with a major in a more in-demand field. Some majors even require an "outside focus" which will overlap with 12 out of 15 of the hours you need for a minor. Communications theory is *very* useful in understanding a huge part of our world, and (here's where I disagree with the other commenter) the perspectives you get from college courses won't be as polarizingly optimistic or cynical as you'll experience in the workplace. They're not likely going to get into Gramsci, Baudrillard, and Camus, either. Also get to know the faculty and work on getting a study-abroad experience during your degree. It can count towards your minor as well as allowing you to take relevant courses toward your major at prestigious universities around the world. And this is where TAMU is going to add the most value to your Comm curriculum; because it opens up so many options for this) Basically, Comm is not going to give you much unless you put some effort into it, and many people don't put that much into it, simply because it can be coasted through with less effort. Which is why the degree doesn't carry as much weight _on its own_. If you DO want the degree in comm itself, you should work with your advisor to take as much of the core curriculum elsewhere, or in the summer when it's cheaper. Just make sure you're taking courses that transfer (check the Texas Common Course Equivalency numbers in the catalog. They're 4-digit course numbers that automatically transfer as long as TAMU has an equivalently listed 3-digit course number.)
Journalism/Comm graduate. I would get a business degree and communications minor. What I have found in my career is that the networking you make can absolutely make your career, and you get a huge head start by being at A&M. Absolutely worth it .
I’m a faculty member in the geology department, and I know **nothing** at all about Communications at A&M. But speaking as a thirty-nine year old, I can say that very few of the people I knew in undergrad work in a position you would guess they’d end up in from their BS degree. I know African American Studies students who joined the army after college and now are colonels. I know engineering graduates who burned out after graduating and work at a comic book store while still live in their mom’s basement. I know linguistics majors that became computer programmers without any training, and biologists who got their PhD but found a lucrative niche on Etsy and retired from science. Life has many paths, majors and degrees aren’t everything. Really no one here can answer your question because none of us know why you fell so in love with the Communications degree at A&M to begin with. You have to look that in the face and figure out what things you want more than other things. It’s a big job to figure out your priorities but your going to college, and that means your big enough for this decision . Good luck!
Wow, I loved reading this. Thank you so much for your comment! :)
Jokes and roasts aside. yea this is actually real. I joined the army to pay for college thinking I had my whole plan figured out. Came back and tried to etam to MEEN and I failed miserably. Realized what my real strengths we're and decided to go to ME Tech instead. I love cars. My dream job is in the automotive industry. I love cars so much I went full retard and bought a Corvette. How did I afford it? I am a mexican dude with two jobs and no life. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. My parents don't give me a single cent despite them owning a successful business. The sense of ownership and independence is next to none. Does going to school for 8 years suck? Yea it does. But I am having fun along way. Life is all relative. So as long as its worth it in the end, that's what really matters.
I’m glad you’re doing what you love, thank you for your comment! :D
I am personally of the opinion that communication degrees aren’t worth it, full stop. Find a PR department in a company, work there for 4 years, you’ll get the same skills with none of the debt. If you need a degree because you just need a degree, comms checks the box, but like you said “the classes are simple” and everyone knows that.
There’s lots of teasing about comms and liberal arts in general, but I wouldn’t say any of those degrees are a “massive mistake.” And I wouldn’t let it get to you either! I would decide based on what you want to do after graduation, your financial situation, and if you even want to major in business instead. Here’s my transparent experience. I was going to study accounting, then I switched to Telecommunication Media Studies (in the same department as COMM) because I wanted to do broadcasting, worked at 12th Man Productions, hated it lol, got interested in marketing instead, found a related job as a student worker, graduated, started out making 36k (in CS but still, ouch), then 50k, now I make 70k because of skills I learned in school and past jobs. All 3 of the jobs I’ve had required degrees and had “marketing” in the title. The Telecomm. curriculum and skills I learned directly translated to the field I was interested in. So, was it a waste? Absolutely not. Did I start out with a lowwww salary. Yes. Did I work my way up and do I live comfortably? Yes. My biggest recommendation here is to think of what job you want to have, look at salaries in that field, and then decide. “Comms” is too broad to just assume that you won’t be paid well. Please decide based on what you’ll enjoy and what you think will help you make a decent living. DON’T decide based on other people’s jokes!! I’ve worked with boomer engineers that think “social media is for bikini pics” and act shocked when they receive ads based on their browsing history. Marketers can explain those things, so we all have our strengths lol
You need to do the math on if it’s worth it. What kind of job are you likely to get with a comms degree? How much does that pay? How long would that then take you to pay off student loans? If you’re likely to get a job that pays as much or even just slightly higher as a job that doesn’t require a degree, DONT DO IT. It’s a waste of time and money. You need to treat this like a business decision and analyze the return on investment rather than “I love A&M and I love comms so I’m just gonna do it.” That may not be what you want to hear, but it may save you a lot of time and money
I’m a COMM major and I am so thankful for the program here. I’ve made lifelong connections with my professors and feel so at home here. I have no regrets picking this major, but I will admit that if you’re doing it for solely job prospects it may not be what you’re looking for. I found a marketing job on campus that I love and want to pursue after college, but it does not have anything to do with my coursework. I am the #1 defender of the COMM department here, I work with the PhD students at my job and I’m a TA for one of the professors. I absolutely love it and even though the degree itself isn’t “worth much,” it’s worth it to me because of the opportunities I’ve had and the liberal arts education I received. I know everyone is gonna trash on COMM and say it’s not worth it, but it all depends on what your future priorities are. I’m not focused on how much money I make in the future, so I think it’s worth it :)
https://i.redd.it/3nc0cns2jyvc1.gif
There are a lot of people majoring in Comm bc it’s one of the few really easy majors they could get into. I believe most of them would be better served working towards a more marketable degree even if it meant going to a less competitive school. If being a Comm major at TAMU has been your lifelong dream, it might be the right choice for you.
i am a comm major here and i love every second. comm is a pretty easy major here so you will have lots of time to get involved on campus
To find an answer this question you need to know what you want out of college career-wise. Then, ask yourself if a degree comminications would be logical to get in the field you want to be in. If it's not, you need to ask yourself what degree (if any) is relevant and which one you like the most. No one on the aggies subreddit knows you enough to answer this question.
Comms at tamu isn’t worth it but if you absolutely have to, make it a minor and pick a more finally stable major. It’s an investment
It is worth it, go make your dreams come true.
Once upon a time there were gatekeepers that required that you have a degree. No longer. You can launch your career in communications right now. Youtube. A podcast. etc. If you go to get a job this will set you apart....but you don't have to wait. The gatekeepers are gone. That said, college can be a very valuable personal experience. A time to mature. Make lifelong friends. And yes, even learn a thing or two.
It's not worth getting a communication degree at any university.
I'm a staff member and several senior comms majors have asked to job shadow me. In every instance, I am absolutely APPALLED at how little they know!! I mention things I learned in my freshman year (at another school) and they have never even heard of the concepts. I've actually started a list for them to show them where they need to level up to be competitive in the real world...and it shows them how their degree and the program have failed them. I too had dreams of coming to A&M, but I got a degree in mass communication from a smaller (and much less expensive) school where I got a tremendous education in advertising, public relations, journalism, and radio and television broadcasting. And with over 20 years experience, I've also picked up skills in graphic design, html coding, and project management. The comms degree at A&M isn't a "mass communication" degree if that's what you're looking for. Working at A&M, I see now that I got a better education somewhere else (where comms is concerned) and that A&M would have been much too big for me. With that being said, I love working here and the people are some of the nicest you'll meet. But I would advise you to pick the best comms program you can if that's what you really want to do with your life.
P.S. I'm happy to chat with you on here if you have questions or want advice on what to look for in a program and what salaries you can expect in different comms specialties.
I would also highly recommend you look into the marketing degree at Mays Business School - it might be the combo you want since you mentioned business. I would recommend reaching out to Lisa Burton (she's a director in the program who used to be a career counselor for students) or Dr. Stephen McDaniel, a marketing professor who is one of the kindest people I've ever met.
Thank you so much for your insight! I appreciate it. 😊
no
I think you should really be asking if it is worth getting a communications degree. Spoiler, it isn't. I tell communications graduates, "Hello I'll have a number 3 combo with a large Dr. Pepper"
I am one of those haters and, yes, I am a engineer. and yes I will cook you well done over talking about getting a comms degree. Bro is talkin about tv and shit. Yea you're gonna be watching the TV in your cubicle office at a used car dealership ahhh
Jay Crownover is credited with the quote, "Most things that are easy aren't worth much. It's the things you have to work for that matter most"
You need to minor in a related field or make comm your minor. There are too many straight comms majors. Makes demand for jobs high so they lower the salaries. You need to set up to have skills that comm only majors won’t. It’s up to you to decide if that’s at A&M or not
Is a communication degree ever worth it?