Public Speaking Degree: Career Options for Graduates with a Degree in Public Speaking

Published Sep 14, 2009

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Public speaking degree programs provide graduates with a diverse range of career options, including sales executive, human resources manager, speechwriter, and public affairs official. If you're interested turning your way with words into a career in public speaking, read on to find out more about the job possibilities associated with the various degree levels.

Associate's Degree in Public Speaking Career Summary

Associate's degrees in public speaking prepare students to effectively utilize verbal and non-verbal communication in one-on-one and group settings, with particular emphasis on professional communications. Degree programs prepare students for entry-level positions in a broad range of communicative fields, including sales, marketing, government, advertising and education. Common post-graduation job titles for public speaking associate's degree holders include public affairs officer, speechwriter, political administrative assistant, and translator. Some students transfer their public speaking associate's degree credits to a 4-year bachelor's degree program in a similar field of study.

Bachelor's Degree in Public Speaking Career Summary

Individuals interested in professional careers in speech communications may want to pursue a bachelor's degree in public speaking. In order to help students narrow their career options in this field, many degree programs offer areas of specialization like argumentation and persuasion, along with different types of communication, such as interpersonal, organizational or cultural communication. Public speaking bachelor's degree holders can pursue careers as human resources managers, campaign advisers, community advocacy specialists, labor relations executives, inside sales representatives or marketing directors. Some students also use public speaking bachelor's degrees as a springboard to a graduate education in law or politics.

Master's Degree in Public Speaking Career Summary

Master's degrees in public speaking prepare students for doctoral studies or careers as part-time faculty positions at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Graduates of public speaking master's degree programs may also pursue careers in speech communications research, public policy advocacy and political advisement. Public speaking master's degree students programs are fully educated on such speech-related concepts as rhetoric and conflict. Many degree programs offer assistant professorships to prepare aspiring speech teachers for their post-graduation careers. Typically, public speaking master's degree students must complete an in-depth thesis dissertation on a theme relevant to contemporary speech communications.