Students that pursue a communication major in North Carolina join an elite academic network stemming from a long-standing collegiate history. In fact, the state was the first to open a public university in the United States, in 1795. Now, college and university campus grounds are teeming with apt pupils in hot pursuit of futures in areas of interpersonal communications, media studies and production, organizational communications, performance studies, rhetorical studies, communication media, and public relations.
Undergraduate Degrees in Communications – Choosing to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with a major in communications will give you the qualifications you need to start a career in mass media and digital communications. Whether you’re interested in journalism and independent filmmaking, or marketing and public relations, the know-how needed to reach people with a targeted message starts with a degree in communications.
Master’s Degrees in Communications – No matter your professional background or undergraduate major, you could earn a master’s in communications to prepare for a career in any number of diverse areas that include journalism, public relations, marketing, digital media and more.
Publishing
North Carolinians and tourists stream into the metropolitan “Triangle” region of Durham-Raleigh-Chapel Hill to bask in its historical magnetism and bustling economy. Local book publishers like the Ivy House Publishing Group, the Pendium Publishing House, and the Carolina Academic Press add to the literary buzz permeating the culturally-infused air here. With skillful precision in manuscript evaluation, editing, marketing, and book design, college interns and publishing professionals unite to create the masterful manuscripts adorning nearby bookshops, Flyleaf Books, the Gothic Bookshop, and Quail Ridge Books and Music.
Publishing Houses:
- Broadfoot Publishing Company
- Paintbox Press
- McFarland & Company, Inc.
Resource for Publishing Majors
Association of American Publishers
Journalism
By seizing opportunities with university papers such as the Daily Tar Heel, the NCSU Technician, and the Duke University Chronicle, student journalists can earn the clout to propel them into the big league of state journals like YES! Weekly, the Charlotte Observer, and the Raleigh News & Observer. Of course, landing reputable spots at special interest papers, the NC Catholic, the Camp Lejune Globe, the Asheville Disclaimer, or Que Pasa Mi Gente Charlotte would also be a welcome perk.
Local City Guide Circulars:
- Durham Independent Weekly
- Creative Loafing Charlotte
- Mountain Xpress
Resource for Journalism Majors
North Carolina Press Association
TV and Radio Broadcasting
North Carolina radio heads listening to WQDR-FM, WPTF-AM, and WBBB-FM continually lend their auditory support to Curtis Media Group; the largest independent radio broadcaster in the state with twenty-five locally owned and operated radio stations to their credit. When the radio turns off and the TV turns on, Raleigh-based Capital Broadcasting Company serves up visual eye candy with programming for channels WRAL-TV 5, WJZY-TV 46, and WILM-TV 10.
Local Broadcasting Companies:
- Aisling Broadcasting
- Beasley Broadcast Group
- Simmons Broadcasting
Resource for Broadcasting Majors
North Carolina Association of Broadcasters
Public Relations and Marketing
In North Carolina, businesses, organizations, and individuals in need of an image make-over turn to talented public relations and marketing mavens that matriculate from area consulting firms. The firms with the most foot-traffic hail from larger cities, such as Charlotte and Raleigh.
Charlotte PR and Marketing Firms:
- Catalyst Public Relations
- Eric Mower & Associates
- Fleishman-Hillard Int’l Communications
- Luquire George Andrews, Inc.
- Taylor
Raleigh PR and Marketing Firms:
- Capstrat
- Crossroads Public Relations
- French-West-Vaughan
- Gibbs & Soell, Inc.
- Pierson Grant Public Relations
- V.K. Fields & Co. Public Relations
Resources for Public Relations and Marketing Majors