Career Opportunities

The Communications program at Penn State Harrisburg provides the opportunity for students to prepare for a variety of positions in a number of career fields. Opportunities exist within print and broadcast journalism, public relations, advertising, video production, and telecommunications.

Job Titles

In journalism, graduates may find opportunities as writers, reporters, editors, videographers and photographers at newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and on-line publications on the Internet. Within public relations, graduates can work in organizations, institutions, and companies where they will contribute to the planning, development, and execution of communications for the organization. Advertising includes artists, graphic designers, writers, researchers, designers, managers, and others. In telecommunications, similar positions exist at both the local and national media levels. These opportunities include program production, direction and videography, and opportunities such as programming, administration, customer service, advertising sales, and audience and marketing research. Additional opportunities for Communications professionals also exist within government, education, industry, and business.

Career Outlook

According to the most recent projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment outlook varies by specific career area. Employment for Communications majors in the areas of broadcast journalism and print journalism is expected to be very competitive. Entry-level positions in public relations, advertising, marketing, and sales are expected to be competitive, but the number of available positions is expected to increase. Expanding opportunities will also stem from the growth of the World Wide Web and Web-based companies. Opportunities will be best for students who incorporate internships or other related work experiences into their education and for those who get practical experience working for student media, such as a campus newspaper, magazine, radio or television station.