Kansas Communications Degrees

School Level Program Admissions

Click to see more online programs that are taking applications for 2024.

Two of the most popular institutions in the state of Kansas are accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) - Kansas State University in Manhattan and the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Both of the Bachelor's programs in these universities focus on Journalism and Mass Communication.

There are no Master's degrees in a related field available in the state that has been accredited. Gaining this designation from the ACEJMC means that the program has defined learning outcomes for their students, have enough resources that provide plenty of opportunity for students to succeed (such as the campus library and scholarship options), and clearly publishes data on student retention and graduation rate.

Top Locations for Communications Schools and Job Opportunities in Kansas

Wichita is the largest city in the state with a population of over 392,000, with other major cities being Overland Park, Kansas City, and Olathe, and all of them have numerous career opportunities in communications. The Wichita Eagle is the biggest daily newspaper in the city and publishes at Kansas.com. Other alternative publications include weekly editions of The Wichita Business Journal and monthly editions of The PlainDealer, which focuses on local labor unions.

Much of the western portion of Kansas receives local broadcasting networks from the Wichita area, including KSNW (NBC), KAKE (ABC), and KSAS-TV (Fox). Nielsen ranks the Wichita area as the 67th-largest television market in the United States.

The locations of the universities in Lawrence and Manhattan have more limited opportunities, but there are career pathways in reporting, advertising, and public relations. Intouch Solutions is a pharmaceutical marketing agency that provides goods and services in healthcare.

There are multiple locations in the United States, including Overland Park. They routinely have media positions available, such as media directors and supervisors. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Manhattan has the fifth-largest concentration of jobs within public relations.

School Level Program Admissions
University of West Alabama Bachelor Bachelor of Arts/Science Integrated Marketing Communications
Gain hands-on multimedia experience in several areas as you study web design, social media, news writing, photography, graphic and interior design, video, and event planning.
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University of West Alabama Master Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications
Graduates of this program are prepared for management-level work with clients in advertising and communications settings.
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University of Texas Permian Basin Bachelor Online BA in Communication
Multiple tracks: Communication Studies, Strategic Messaging, Professional Communication, Sports Media.
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Drake University Bachelor BA in Journalism & Mass Communication
2 specializations in Digital Communication or Public Relations.
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American University Master Master of Arts in Strategic Communication
Program teaches you to connect creatively and strategically with audiences through targeted campaigns.
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Click to for more online communications degrees that are taking applications for 2024.

Campus-based and online Communications programs in Kansas

Kansas State University

  • B.S. and B.A. Journalism and Mass Communications

Kansas Journalism and Communications Careers, Salaries, and Associations

Across the board, public relations specialists are paid slightly lower than the national average in Kansas. They have an annual mean wage of $56,170, which is on par with some neighboring states, like Nebraska and Oklahoma, but lower than Colorado and Missouri. The Topeka metropolitan area is on the higher end of the annual salary scale with a mean figure of $66,700 in the area.

The second-most paying metropolitan area in the country is St. Joseph within Missouri and Kansas, which has an annual mean salary of $84,440. This figure is only beaten by the Washington DC area.

Journalism careers in reporting and editing are around the national average statewide, which is between the $47,000 to $51,000 figures. This is generally higher or on par when compared to neighboring states with the exception of Colorado, which is higher in both categories. Editing positions within Manhattan and Lawrence are frequent as they are the two of the top 10 locations with high concentration according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Kansas Press Association

The Kansas Press Association, based in Topeka, was created back in 1863 with a goal to improve, promote, and protect free press in the field of journalism. There are over 200 members apart of the association with numerous publications represented in the network.

Some of the service they provide include an opportunity for companies and entrepreneurs to put ads in any Kansas newspaper. They can also deal with legal matters and hold annual events that recognize the excellence within the field. The Kansas Newspaper Foundation was created in 1982 and receives donations to fund programs that will help improve the newspaper industry locally.