What can you do with a communications degree?

Wondering whether a communications degree is still valuable in the age of AI? It’s a fair and valid question.

We all know that AI can now spit out words and images in seconds. And it’s true that careers in communications are changing quickly. But communications has never been simply about producing content.

The real skill? Knowing what’s worth saying, who needs to hear it, how to influence different audiences and how to make good decisions as platforms, technology and expectations keep changing.

That’s what you’ll learn at Deakin University.

Sure, AI can produce comms at extraordinary speed. But the challenge is deciding whether that content is accurate, appropriate, original, ethical – and worth someone’s attention.

In other words, AI makes human judgement more important, not less.

More than knowing how to use the latest tools, tomorrow’s communicators will need to know how to:

• think critically and strategically
• understand audiences and cultural contexts
• recognise bias and misinformation
• make ethical decisions
• protect privacy and intellectual property
• know when human experience and expertise should remain central.

The technology will keep changing. The need for intelligent, responsible communication won’t.

We tracked the careers of more than 2,000 Deakin communications graduates (PDF, 3.4MB). The results show that clear, influential communicators remain in demand across industries – whether they’re starting out or moving into leadership. But one field stood out: marketing.

‘Marketing Specialist’ was the top occupation recorded – with seven of the top 10 occupations in marketing. And careers in marketing can take many different forms. Think launching global brand campaigns, shaping how governments communicate with millions of people or building the profile of a sporting organisation.

And remember, communications and marketing are valued in every sector. Our graduates work across:

• professional services
• education
• media and telecommunications
• retail
• government
• healthcare
• manufacturing
• arts and recreation
• financial services.

They’ve also gone on to work with organisations including Geelong Cats, NAB, Cotton On Group, Seven Network and Telstra – while others are freelancing or self-employed.

A communications degree doesn’t lock you into one industry, employer or job title. It builds capabilities that span roles, sectors and fields.

Communication becomes increasingly important as you progress in your career. Our research found that one in eight Deakin communications graduates holds a leadership or managerial role, with chief executives or managing directors among our top 10 occupations.

And there’s a good reason for that. Leading people means explaining ideas clearly, building trust, influencing decisions and bringing people with you. Exceptional communication is at the heart of all these skills.

In a world of misinformation, synthetic content and competing claims, trusted journalism – and the ability to verify, question and communicate clearly – is becoming more critical.

We need journalists who can question what we’re being told and help us understand what’s really happening.

At Deakin, employability is built into your degree from day one – connecting what you learn with how communication works in the real world.

Depending on your course and specialisation, that can include:

• working on real industry briefs
• building a professional portfolio
• pitching ideas
• completing internships
• taking part in work-integrated learning
• creating work you can show prospective employers.

The goal is to graduate with work you can show, experiences you can talk about and the professional judgement to keep developing your career.

You’ll learn in an industry-standard media environment, including Deakin’s newsroom and creative media lab, with academics who are experts in their fields.

Deakin is also ranked #1 in Victoria for facilities and resources – and #1 for course satisfaction.

You don’t have to choose one narrow path from day one.

Deakin’s major and minor model allows you to explore different disciplines and build a degree around what interests you. That means your studies can reflect your ambitions, allowing you to graduate with your own unique mix of knowledge, perspectives and capabilities.

With the Bachelor of Communication, you can specialise in areas including advertising, digital and social media, journalism and public relations – while building a broader understanding of audiences, media systems, culture and communication strategy.

At postgraduate level, the Master of Communication lets you deepen your expertise through areas such as digital communication and strategic communication. You can explore topics ranging from sports media to law, ethics and advanced brand communication.

The tools will change. So will the platforms, roles and expectations.

What matters is having the judgement and adaptability to keep up. That means building capabilities such as AI literacy, verification, ethical decision-making, audience insight, cultural intelligence, multi-platform storytelling and technical confidence.

At Deakin, our focus is on preparing you to navigate change and equipping you with capabilities that can travel beyond Australia. In our research, Deakin communications graduates were living or working across 21 countries.

And your communications career could take you there, too.