Communications vs. Marketing Degree: How Do You Choose?

By Leslie Doyle  |  01/26/2026

People often lump the terms “marketing” and “communications” together. Although there are important parallels between the two, communications and marketing are distinctly different professions.

For starters, marketing deals with who a target audience is, while communications involves how to influence that audience. Marketers spend a good deal of time conducting market research to better grasp who their ideal customer is. They gain in-depth insights about potential customers, learning everything from their lifestyle and consumer preferences to their spending habits and what might spur them to take action.

Once equipped with this information, marketers develop messaging that communications professionals can apply as they craft messages. Communications professionals write copy for:

• Radio and TV advertising
• Social media
• Blogs
• Direct marketing
• In-store promotions
• Email
• Other channels

These narratives are designed to compel the audience to take a desired action, such as buying a new car or signing up for a streaming service.

Understanding Marketing

Marketing is more than direct advertising. It involves the dialogue used to build relationships with potential and existing customers.

According to inbound marketing provider HubSpot®, “Marketing aims to deliver standalone value to prospects and consumers through content, with the long-term goal of demonstrating product value, strengthening brand loyalty, and ultimately increasing sales.”

Effective marketing also helps organizations to build trust and brand loyalty. Value marketing is a way of building a meaningful connection between an organization and its audience.

Brands may tap into the values and principles of their target market to align their own values with the values of their customers. These interactions involve more than directly promoting product or service. In essence, they sell a brand promise.

For example, in an era where younger consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment, more brands are demonstrating value by highlighting their commitment to sustainability.

For instance, the brand promise of Patagonia® is “We’re in business to save our home planet.” The company’s “Don't Buy This Jacket” initiative was among the most memorable sustainable campaigns.

Understanding Communications

Marketing and communications are closely connected, but communication goals may vary. Communications involves disseminating information and marketing messaging to external or internal audiences. External audiences may be:

• The general public
• The media
• Existing and potential customers

External communication is often designed to:

• Build an organization’s reputation
• Strengthen alliances with vendors, partners, and stakeholders
• Sell products and services

Internal communications are typically designed to:

• Foster connections between an organization and its employees
• Set expectations for employees
• Create a positive working environment

According to the Academy to Innovate HR, internal communications is one element of many companies’ talent retention programs. The clothing brand H&M, for example, encouraged employees to share stories to build a sense of belonging and connectedness among disparate teams.

The Synergy Between Marketing and Communications

Many marketing efforts involve analysis and strategy. Marketing professionals are responsible for developing and executing strategies that support business and sales goals. However, their job doesn’t end there.

It’s common these days for marketing departments to gather in-depth metrics and track the effectiveness of their outreach. By analyzing this data, they can continually improve the tactics they use to reach and communicate with potential customers.

Communications professionals use this marketing analysis to develop content that drives their target audience to take an action. The “call to action” will vary, depending on the product and the phase of a sales cycle. Early in the sales cycle, for example, a company might encourage prospective customers to request pricing, obtain product details, or ask for a product trial.

Communications professionals are responsible for all written and oral communications that drive these customer actions. Their work might involve writing CEO speeches, product descriptions, or social media copy. While communications professionals are given a lot of creative freedom in the prose they develop, they work closely with marketing pros to help them reach specific targets.

Choosing Between a Communications or Marketing Degree

If you’re interested in business, sales, and strategies, a marketing degree may be the right choice for you. Marketing programs prepare students to conduct consumer research, analyze customer behavior, and develop and execute business strategies. This field is analytical in nature, helping students to continually evaluate and hone business strategies.

A communications degree helps students to excel at different types of written and verbal communication, such as corporate communication. They gain an understanding of topics such as mass communication theories, digital media trends, public speaking, and communication ethics.

Earning a Marketing Degree

A bachelor’s degree in marketing provides students with knowledge that's applicable to nearly any industry seeking to reach and influence a target audience. A marketing program usually helps students to learn how to develop and execute successful marketing strategies.

Courses taught in such a program familiarize marketing students with key concepts in advertising and promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and related disciplines. Typically, the foundations of a marketing program also cover topics such as branding, digital marketing, and social media marketing.

Since marketing managers are often tasked with managing budgets, many marketing degree programs also offer courses in accounting and business basics.

Typical Marketing Degree Program Goals

A bachelor’s degree in marketing confers key skills such as learning how to:

• Conduct market research to understanding consumer behavior
• Develop marketing strategies
• Analyze marketing techniques
• Apply marketing principles to support business goals
• Understand how marketing aligns with management, financial, and information systems

Marketing students often learn about media theory. This area of study examines how mass media affects how we perceive information and respond to it.

Marketing Degree Specializations

Marketing majors may also choose to specialize in a particular marketing area to gain expertise in different aspects of the industry such as:

• Brand management
• Content marketing
• Corporate communication
• Digital marketing
• Public relations

Marketing concentrations will immerse students in learning about specific industries (retail marketing, for example) or a marketing discipline (such as search engine optimization or email marketing). Having a concentration gives marketing students the practical experience to help guide them in choosing their career path.

Pursuing a Communications Degree

A bachelor’s degree in communications offers foundational knowledge in communication theory as well as digital tools, persuasive communication, and journalism. Students also learn about differences in how to communicate across various channels, such as public relations, advertising, and social media. Students discover how to approach everything from personalized communication to outreach on a mass scale.

Communications professionals need to be adept at using an increasing number of digital tools, so programs often offer hands-on experience with a range of technologies. In addition, it’s common for students in communications degree programs to learn about the role of communication in conflict resolution.

Typical Communications Degree Program Goals

In an undergraduate program, communications students learn to:

• Understand and employ communications concepts
• Analyze and interpret marketing messages
• Apply ethical principles to communication
• Influence public discussion
• Develop content that supports business goals

Students may also have the opportunity to examine how to create content that is inclusive across different populations.

Communication Degree Specializations

Communications professionals may be generalists and write a wide range of print and digital marketing materials. Others are highly specialized and hone their craft in a particular area. For example, some might be expert at writing advertising copy while others build writing skills in email marketing.

Many communications programs offer concentrations in areas such as digital communication and strategic communication. Gaining exposure to these areas of specialization help communications students to discover their areas of strength to build on and achieve their future career goals.

Questions to Ask Before Pursuing a Degree

If you’re interested in a role where you can flex your strategic thinking and creative muscle, you may enjoy learning about communications or marketing. Marketing and communications professionals share many attributes so at first it may be a bit confusing trying to decide which is for you. The choice of which degree path to take depends a lot on the individual student.

You’ll want to choose a career that you’re passionate about, so some self-reflection may be necessary to make the decision. Key questions that you might ask yourself in making the choice include:

• What sounds more interesting – learning about consumer behavior or crafting a story?
• Do you excel at the high-level thinking necessary to create a marketing vision?
• Are you excited by the idea of influencing customers?
• Would you rather be the person who develops a strategic communications plan or implements it?
• Do you have a flair for writing?
• Do you have a strong command of language?
• Would you prefer a role that involves a lot of collaboration or one that's a mix of teamwork and individual contributions?

Researching Online Marketing and Communications Degrees

If you’re considering online marketing and communications degrees, you'll want to do some research before choosing which program matches your professional goals. No matter which direction you choose, there are some key questions to ask admissions counselors. For example:

• What makes your marketing or communications degree program stand out?
• Are marketing and communications courses taught by practitioners in their respective fields?
• What practical skills will I learn in the program?
• What type of technology do you use in the program?
• Does the university offer opportunities to network with other marketing and communications professionals?
• How does the program support students in balancing life, work, and academic responsibilities?
• How will the program prepare me to meet my career goals?

Marketing Career Paths

Students who are studying marketing can choose from a wide range of career paths. For example, some marketing graduates may be drawn to brand management while others are interested in media relations. Common career options for marketing graduates include:

• Social media marketing coordinators – Build, manage, and track paid and organic communications via social media platforms and stay up to date on evolving social media trends
• Marketing assistants – Handle administrative tasks such as consolidating market research data and distributing press releases
• Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists – Continually analyze and improve online content to improve its search engine ranking
• Marketing analysts – Gather data through surveys, competitive analysis, and other means to understand consumer behavior and gauge the performance of potential marketing campaigns
• Digital strategists – Analyze consumer behavior and develop marketing strategies that drive online traffic and engagement
• Marketing managers – Oversee the day-to-day activities of producing marketing materials and often manage entry-level marketing team members
• Public relations specialists or public relations managers – Manage organizational reputation through media relations, interviews, events, and other outreach efforts
• Product marketing managers – Develop and execute a strategy for a specific product or series of products

However, career paths may vary based on individual background, location, and employer needs. The roles listed are examples and not guaranteed.

Essential Marketing Skills

Most businesses that sell a product or service require a range of marketing and communications professionals. Career prospects for marketing majors range from entry-level positions to managerial marketing roles.

Marketing professionals are often tasked with high-visibility projects, such as managing external communication strategies or overseeing a product launch. To thrive in their careers, they need a wide range of abilities, which may include:

• Interpersonal communication as well as organizational communication skills
• Analytical skills for data-driven decision-making
• High-level abstract thinking and critical thinking for strategic planning
• Project management skills to execute campaign development
• Flexibility to adapt to market changes

Communications Career Paths

What’s nice about communications careers is that they exist in so many diverse industries, giving students the chance to pursue different career goals. Virtually any type of business, government agency, or nonprofit organization needs communications professionals with strong analytical and creative skills. Communications graduates may pursue roles as:

• Copywriters – Writing compelling copy for various channels such as TV ads, brochures, web copy, and blogs
• Corporate communications managers – Shaping the public image of an organization, often working closely with C-level executives to understand and share their vision
• Brand managers – Creating strategies to build an organization's brand, including ensuring its visual identity and messaging are consistent across all communications channels
• Editors – Revising written materials to ensure they are clear, technical and grammatically accurate, as well as in line with an organization’s brand and editorial guidelines
• Internal communications managers – Developing communications designed to engage employees, building loyalty and enthusiasm around an organization’s mission and goals
• Technical writers – Writing user guides and other documentation to support the use of technical and other complex products or services

As communications channels continue to evolve, we may see new types of communications career paths emerge. For example, the role of many communications professionals shifted radically as social media became more ubiquitous. Similarly, consumer-driven content is presenting new opportunities for brands to engage with their customers online.

Essential Skills for Communications

Successful careers in communications require multiple abilities, including:

• Strong interpersonal and market research skills to gather information about products, brands, and business strategy
• A tech-savvy mind to leverage an ever-increasing number of communications tools
• Verbal communication skills
• Persuasive writing skills
• Critical thinking skills to interpret strategic messaging
• Creative skills to generate different ways of engaging target audiences
• Project management skills to juggle multiple initiatives with ease

Today’s communications roles require not just communications expertise but soft skills such as building relationships with peers, subordinates, and customers. For example, communications professionals at a high-tech company might need to interview product managers, collaborate with brand managers, and work closely with designers and user experience professionals.

Digital marketing knowledge is a must-have in the communications field. Content developers need to be proficient at writing:

• Website copy
• Emails
• Social media content
• Landing pages

Professional Growth Opportunities in Marketing Roles

As marketing professionals expand their knowledge through a master’s degree, they may be interested in pursuing leadership positions such as:

• Creative directors – Creating and articulating the creative vision of a product or organization and how it will be demonstrated through visual elements like digital and print design
• Marketing directors – Overseeing marketing teams and budgets, leading organizational messaging and strategic planning, and adapting to market trends

Professional Growth Opportunities in Communications

There are various growth opportunities for people who demonstrate effective communication strategies, strong interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities. Common career options for communications leaders include:

• Communications officers – Guiding organizational communications between a company and its internal and external audiences, including prospective customers
• Managing editors – Managing the day-to-day operations of a publication or site, including developing story ideas, overseeing staff, and providing high-level direction
• Directors of media relations – Shaping public perception of an organization and its brand, including supervising outward public relations and managing crisis communications efforts

Whether you decide on seeking a future in communications or marketing, you’re likely to encounter a dynamic discipline that is continually growing and challenging you. These ever-changing fields present numerous opportunities to create innovative work.

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication at APU

For adult learners who want to develop communication skills transferable to different job markets, American Public University (APU) offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Communication. In this degree program, students will study topics such as intercultural communication, public speaking, and social media and society. Other courses include mass communication, communication research skills, and communication theory.

For more information about this bachelor’s degree in communication, visit APU’s arts and humanities degree program page.

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