Communications Teachers, Postsecondary

Career Overview

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Also Known As

Communication Instructor
Communication Professor
Instructor
Professor

Alternate Job Titles

Adjunct Communications Faculty Member
Adjunct Communications Instructor
Adjunct Instructor
Adjunct Lecturer
Adjunct Professor
Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
College Faculty Member
College Professor
Communication Arts Lecturer
Communication Arts Professor
Communication Instructor
Communication Lecturer
Communication Professor
Communication Skills Instructor

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

English Language
Education and Training
Communications and Media
Psychology
Computers and Electronics
Sociology and Anthropology
Customer and Personal Service
Philosophy and Theology

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Instructing
Writing
Active Learning
Learning Strategies
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Complex Problem Solving

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

Oral Comprehension
Oral Expression
Speech Clarity
Written Expression
Written Comprehension
Inductive Reasoning
Speech Recognition
Deductive Reasoning
Near Vision
Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

Intellectual Curiosity
Social Orientation
Dependability
Cooperation
Empathy

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

Relationships
Achievement
Independence
Recognition
Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Creative Cloud software
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Google Docs
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft PowerPoint

Tools & Equipment

Audio compressors
Audio mixers
Audio monitors
Audio speakers
Broadcast cameras
Broadcast mixing boards
Carousel slide projectors
Channel frequency tuners
Compact digital cameras
Compact disk CD players
Computer data input scanners
Computer laser printers
Computer projectors
Conference telephones
Desktop computers

Work Environment

E-Mail
Freedom to Make Decisions
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Contact With Others

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$47,100
Median	$77,800
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$160,210

Workers Employed Nationally: 29,260