• Interpersonal & Small Group: Investigates the methods of communications in human relationships with an emphasis on verbal and nonverbal interaction in interpersonal and small-group settings.
• Organizational Studies: This highly interdisciplinary approach looks at communication in the environment of networks and organizations, analyzing aspects such as negotiation and conflict resolution.
• International & Intercultural: This field examines communications across cultural, social, economic, and political boundaries; it is theory-heavy and focuses on the methods and institutions of communications in a global context.
• New Media & Information Design: This field fuses creativity and critical analysis of new media, studying the presentation of media communications through audience analysis and design research.

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Master's Degree: 2 years to complete
• Doctoral Degree: 3-5 years to complete

There is strong competition for careers in the most creative and lucrative fields in communications. The higher your credentials reach, the greater the impression you will make when seeking employment and promotion. Though an associate degree will provide a foundational, survey-style overview of the communications discipline, a bachelor's degree will broaden that range of knowledge even further, while also allowing you to pursue more specific expertise in areas that appeal to you and suit your ambitions. In order to contend for even entry-level career options in the communications industry, it is recommended that you finish your undergraduate career with at least a bachelor's degree.

A bachelor's degree will take approximately four years to earn. Over the course of your studies, you may find yourself drawn to a particular facet of communications and desire to further your academic career by achieving your master's degree. A master's is typically an investment of another two years; it involves more intensive, guided courses and seminars as well as a large, comprehensive final project.

Though certifications do not seem to play a large role in developing a legitimate foundation in communications, it is nonetheless advisable to affiliate yourself with communications organizations in the interest of networking and staying relevant. The National Communications Association is a primary resource for ambitious individuals entering the world of communications studies.

• Mass Media and Society: This is a fundamental class in a communications studies program of study, and bachelor's and associate students can expect to see this within their first year. The course provides a general survey of the media in America, including its history and regulation.
• Organizational Research and Ethics: Master's and doctoral students are more likely than most to have this course in their academic schedule. The inquiry process, interpersonal relations, and responsibility to society are hallmark traits of the class.
• Communication Theory: Again, this is a class that only the most advanced students in communications studies will likely encounter. It focuses on how the language of the media intersects with the basics of human communication.
• Public Relations: This field can easily be considered a major or specialization unto itself. Nevertheless, all communications students can benefit from this course's concentration on communication by way of advertising and marketing. 
• Publishing: Yet another interesting course you'll experience in communications studies is the nature of publishing. Even though the field has taken a significant downturn, electronic and desktop publishing continue to exert influence.

In order to answer this question, you will need to determine the type of degree that you would like to pursue. Online degrees for associate and bachelor's candidates can likely proceed through their entire program without having to appear in person. Master's and doctoral students, on the other hand, may need to appear on site in order to defend their theses and dissertations. 

Communications is a compilation of a broad array of disciplines; therefore, it transfers well into a variety of career avenues. Human resources, for example, is a lucrative and rewarding career option that is suited to the communications major because of the need for expert mediation and advising skills. Another career closely linked to the communications graduate is marketing. Communications and marketing share a focus on psychology and persuasive technique. Communications majors also excel as educators and often find fulfilling careers as community college professors. Since students of communications studies have a foundation in rhetoric and effective methods of imparting information, they are ideally equipped for leading lectures and guiding classes through curriculum.