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Communications department chairperson education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a communications department chairperson. Communications department chairpeople usually study communication, english, or graphic design. 68% of communications department chairpeople hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 60 real communications department chairperson resumes to see exactly what communications department chairperson education sections show.

The most common colleges for communications department chairpeople are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.

There are also many online communications department chairperson courses to help get the education required to be a communications department chairperson.

What education do you need to become a communications department chairperson?

What degree do you need to be a communications department chairperson?

The most common degree for communications department chairpeople is bachelor's degree, with 68% of communications department chairpeople earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a communications department chairperson?

You should major in communication to become a communications department chairperson. 23% of communications department chairpeople major in communication. Other common majors for a communications department chairperson include english and graphic design.

Most common colleges for communications department chairpeople

Communications department chairpeople often get their degrees at Western Washington University, University of Missouri - St Louis, and Martin University. Here are the most common colleges for communications department chairpeople in the US based on their resumes.
Communications department chairperson common collegePercentages
Western Washington University9.09%
University of Missouri - St Louis9.09%
Martin University4.55%
Houston Baptist University4.55%
Bob Jones University4.55%

Best majors for communications department chairpeople

RankMajorPercentages
1Communication23.1%
2English7.7%
3Graphic Design7.7%
4Education7.7%
5Management5.1%

Best colleges for communications department chairpeople

The best colleges for communications department chairpeople are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.

A communications department chairperson with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for communications department chairpeople. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become communications department chairpeople.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for communications department chairpeople

Advertising disclosure

1. English for Effective Business Communications

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In this course, we will delve into some business topics that illustrate how all company departments and teams need to work together to be successful. We will have some interesting topics learning vocabulary and ideas about human resources, management, and marketing. All of these departments need to work well together to avoid confusion and to be productive and efficient. We will also cover the very important topic of balancing our work tasks and our life outside of work. You will also learn...

2. Automize Monthly Report Creation with Power Automate

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Imagine you're working in a large company and part of your job is to send reports to other departments about employee absence from work in the past month. Basically, it is a repetitive and boring manual task that repeats every month and takes a lot of your time. However, you can easily automate it with SharePoint and Power Automate! In this beginner-level guided project "Automize Monthly Report Creation with Power Automate", we will create a SharePoint Site and a SharePoint list with data about...

3. Moodle: From Novice Teacher to Expert Online Educator

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The definitive guide to creating Engaging Online Courses in Moodle for any student, including School, College & Business...

4. Moodle 3.0x Masterclass: Complete Educator's Guide to Moodle

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4.3
(624)

Moodle Tutorial for Educators - Learn Moodle to create WORLD CLASS online courses. Leverage Moodle 3 like a BOSS!...

5. Strategies for Senior Housing Communities during COVID-19

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SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, poses a high risk for senior housing communities and the people who live and work there. The COVID-19 response has largely focused on nursing homes, leaving independent living communities serving older adults in the United States with fragmented guidance on how to respond to COVID-19 challenges. This course provides comprehensive instruction and resources for property owners and managers, senior housing staff, service coordinators and providers,...

6. Music Education for Teachers

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In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

7. Communication Skills for Professionals

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4.6
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Learn the Top 5 essential communication skills that every professional should put into practice...

8. The Ultimate Guide to Professional Event Planning Management

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4.4
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Learn techniques to become an amazing event planner. You'll get all the skills you need for event management & planning...

9. Program Communications Management in ClickUp

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By the end of this guided project, you will be fluent in creating Program Communications artefacts for the Identification/Planning Phase for diverse programs. You will utilise a logical diagramming plan in an agile environment to develop the solution. This will enable you to identify and classify the required components for communication management. Furthermore, it will help develop a structural model for learning about the field of Program Management. If you are interested in building up the...

10. Communication Skills Masterclass - Your Communication Guide

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4.5
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Communication Skill For Business Communication & Effective Communication In Workplace & Relationships...

11. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)

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4.4
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Informational content for educators and parents to learn about teaching and understanding exceptional children...

12. Intuitive Curriculum Development: Make it Easy to Understand

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4.2
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A Time-Tested and Research Based Approach To Making Difficult Concepts Easy To Understand...

13. R Programming Hands-on Specialization for Data Science (Lv1)

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4.5
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An in-depth course on R language with real-world Data Science examples to supercharge your R data analysis skills...

14. Introduction to Learning and Development

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4.5
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Become a confident people development practitioner and knowledgeable in Human Resource Development...

15. NLP communication techniques

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4.4
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Neuro-Linguistic Programming, NLP communication, communicate more effectively, better listen, understand and influence...

16. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management

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Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...

17. The Complete Nonverbal Communication Course - Body Language

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Nonverbal Communication for Business, Public Speaking and Life - Display Confidence and High Self Esteem...

18. Communication Skills - 7 Communication Courses In 1

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Master Communication Skills: Learn Persuasion, Negotiation, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence & More!...

19. Effective Communication Skills: Be a Better Communicator!

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NEW UPGRADED COURSE: Learn proven, effective communication skills, how to question, listen actively & overcome problems...

20. Financial Planning & Analysis: Building a Company's Budget

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Learn the Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Position Your Career for Success!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for communications department chairpeople

The most affordable schools for communications department chairpeople are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for communications department chairpeople are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for communications department chairpeople.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for communications department chairpeople

The hardest universities for communications department chairpeople to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for communications department chairpeople are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for communications department chairpeople based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for communications department chairpeople

The easiest schools for communications department chairpeople to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a communications department chairperson without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for communications department chairpeople.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

Average communications department chairperson salary by education level

According to our data, communications department chairpeople with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $169,682 annually. Communications department chairpeople with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $124,236.
Communications department chairperson education levelCommunications department chairperson salary
Master's Degree$124,236
Doctorate Degree$169,682

Communications department chairperson education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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