Communication Studies Associates, Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Minnesota

As home to major public broadcasting networks, influential book publishers, and a host of historic newspapers, the North Star state is a great place for communications majors to work. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development projects that job opportunities for Media and Communications workers will rise almost 8% between 2010 and 2020, considerably better than other states. In addition to traditional media roles, the skills honed during a communications major will be valuable for jobs in corporate communications and other openings in the state’s key health care, tourism, and technology sectors. The Minneapolis-St. Paul region has one of the highest concentrations of major corporations in the U.S., and while many opportunities will be concentrated in the Twin Cities, areas such as Duluth, Rochester, and Bloomington are also worth exploring.

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.

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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.

TV and Radio Broadcasting

Minnesota has a national presence in public radio, thanks to St. Paul-based American Public Media, the second largest producer and distributor of public radio programming in the country and home of iconic programs such as A Prairie Home Companion. St. Paul is also the headquarters for Minnesota Public Radio, which operates a 43-station regional network and boasts close to a million listeners each week—the largest audience of any regional public radio network, according to the Columbia Journalism Review. MPR stations have earned more than a thousand broadcast and journalism awards, according the company. In total, more than 200 AM and 280 FM stations serve the state, as well as more than 400 television stations. Minneapolis-St Paul is the 15th largest television market in the country, according to Nielsen. The quality and quantity of broadcasting outlets makes for a healthy employment outlook: according to the Minnesota labor department, job opportunities for Broadcast News Analysts will rise 8% between 2010 and 2020. Opportunities for Radio and Television Announcers will grow 2%, better than most other states, which are experiencing a precipitous decline.

Resources and Professional Associations for TV and Radio Broadcasting:

Minnesota Broadcasters Association

Print Publishing

Minnesota enjoys a rich literary tradition, having served as the birthplace of several famous writers (including F. Scott Fitzgerald), the setting for the Paul Bunyan stories, and the inspiration for the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The state is also home to award-winning literary presses, multi-national children’s book publishers, and some of the nation’s largest publishers devoted to mind-body-spirit topics. Minneapolis is the site of The Loft, which bills itself as the nation’s largest and most comprehensive literary center. While jobs for editors are declining, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development projects that jobs for writers and authors will rise 8.5% between 2010 and 2020 — which means an independent writing career could be an option for communications majors to consider.

Book and Magazine Publishing Companies:

  • Lerner Publishing Group
  • ABDO Publishing Group
  • Capstone Publishers
  • Milkweed Editions
  • Coffee House Press
  • Fedogan & Bremer
  • Graywolf Press
  • Kar-Ben Publishing
  • Llewellyn Worldwide
  • Lost Hills Books
  • New Rivers Press
  • University of Minnesota Press

Book Publishing and Writing Associations and Resources:

Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development projects that jobs that in Public Relations and related industries will rise in the years to come. Openings for Advertising and Promotions Managers are forecast to rise 6% between 2010 and 2020, while jobs for Marketing Managers are expected to rise almost 10%, jobs for Public Relations and Fundraising Managers 9%, and jobs for Public Relations Specialists over 13%. The state even has its own association for young advertising professionals, Ad2, which caters to the under-30 crowd with both social and educational events.

PR and Advertising Firms:

  • Campbell Mithun
  • Carmichael Lynch
  • Weber Shandwick
  • Periscope
  • Fallon Worldwide
  • Carmichael Lynch Spong
  • Martin|Williams Advertising
  • Exponent
  • Fleishman-Hillard International Communications
  • Himle Rapp & Company, Inc.
  • Karwoski & Courage
  • LaBreche
  • Lola Red PR
  • Maccabee
  • Padilla Speer Beardsley
  • Pocket Hercules
  • Red Wing
  • Firefly Publicity
  • Beehive PR
  • Kohnstamm Communications
  • Northstar Counselors, Inc.
  • Risdall Advertising Agency Interactive

Professional Associations for Advertising and Public Relations Professionals:

Journalism

The Twin Cities are served by two top daily papers, the Star Tribune and Saint Paul Pioneer Press, as well the alternative weekly City Pages. 25 daily papers and 15 Sunday papers serve the state as a whole, according to 2009 data from the US Census Bureau. While the number of journalism jobs has been declining for the past several years, online start-ups have emerged to help fill the void, including the hyperlocal site 55423.info, FailedMessiah.com (which covers news from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community), and HealthNewsReview.org, a watchdog for health care journalism.

Local Newspapers and Guides:

  • Star Tribune
  • St. Paul Pioneer Press
  • Finance and Commerce
  • MinnPost.com
  • Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
  • Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • City Pages
  • Albert Lea Tribune
  • Austin Herald
  • Brainerd Dispatch
  • Crookston Times
  • Duluth News-Tribune
  • Duluth City Guide
  • Fairmont Sentinel
  • Faribault News
  • Fergus Falls Journal
  • Hibbing Tribune
  • Mankato Free Press
  • Marshall Independent
  • Moorhead Forum
  • New Ulm Journal
  • Owatonna People’s Press
  • Red Wing Republican Eagle
  • Rochester Post-Bulletin
  • St. Cloud Times
  • Virginia Mesabi News
  •  West Central Tribune
  • Winona News
  • Worthington Globe

Journalism Associations: