Tennessee Communications Degrees

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

There are a total of five institutions in the state of Tennessee that have accredited programs from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). Many of the universities offer various Bachelor's degrees in the disciplines of Journalism, Advertising, and Public Relations. All schools are located in different areas across the state of Tennessee.

While there are many options available to prospective students, those looking for accredited graduate degrees will have to look elsewhere. The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, the institution's main campus location, has the largest enrollment of the five schools on the list. The University of Memphis has an additional online option, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.

Top Locations for Communications Schools and Job Opportunities in Tennessee

Two major metropolitan areas to keep an eye on when looking at potential communications jobs are Nashville and Memphis, who both have over 640,000 residents. The former is the capital city of the state and is known for its presence in country music. In comparison, Memphis has roots in the rock-and-roll music genre.

Many job positions exist within the promotion of musical events, covering the lifestyle and entertainment scene in these locations, and marketing for music groups and labels. In terms of journalism and reporting, The Tennessean is a daily newspaper publication based in Nashville and covers 39 counties in the central portion of the state and an additional eight counties in Kentucky.

Public Relations in Tennessee

There are plenty of experienced public relations agencies in the Nashville location. One example is Blue Kite Marketing, which emphasizes digital solutions for brand improvement and consumer engagement.

Services Blue Kite offers include the development of a strategic marketing plan to create a mission and set of goals for the client's organization to follow, leadership aid for content creation in marketing, and utilizing platforms such as e-mail, social media, and websites in order to provide the best ways to reach out to the potential audience. Local clients they have worked with include law firm Raybin and Weissman and EZR Management.

Click to for more online communications degrees that are taking applications for 2024.

Campus-based and online Communications programs in Tennessee

Tennessee Journalism and Communications Careers, Salaries, and Associations

Over 2,200 workers within advertising sales agents are represented in the state of Tennessee according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Much of this employment comes in the Nashville and Chattanooga metro areas.

When looking into Chattanooga, the city and suburban areas hold the highest concentration of jobs within the state, and it is the sixth-highest metropolitan area in the country. This ranks just under locations such as San Jose in California, Greensboro in North Carolina, and New York City. Annual salary estimates across the state are at $55,120.

Right around the national average of employment, there are around 2,100 workers within the public relations industry across the state of Tennessee. The estimated salaries are around $65,800 annually, which is less than the national average across the country. It is, however, higher than the majority of states in the Southeastern location and is on par with North Carolina ($65,600).

The best locations for PR specialists are within the South Central region of the state and the Nashville metropolitan area as salaries near the $70,000 estimation annually. Popular PR companies in the Nashville location include 2911 Media, Kaleidoscope Media, and Lovell Communications.

American Marketing Association – Knoxville Chapter

The American Marketing Association (AMA) has chapters in Nashville and Knoxville in the state of Tennessee. The Knoxville association joined the AMA network in 1989 with leading professionals helping others to develop various marketing skills or communication engagement with clients.

Examples of events sponsored by the association include conferences that bring together professionals to discover the latest innovations in the industry, and mingling sessions and luncheons to create further networking opportunity. Award ceremonies give recognition to the best talent in the industry on a local level.