Many people wonder if a degree in communications will help prepare them for a career in public speaking. The answer to this is: Absolutely. Many communications classes focus on public speaking, creating speeches, research, organizing information and so on. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of a communications degree in relation to public speaking.
See our ranking of the Top 20 Best Online Communications Degree Programs.
Public Speaking Careers
There are a number of jobs that utilize public speaking. You may wish to work as a spokesperson for a company or a brand. Even government agencies employ these professionals to speak on behalf of other people in power when an announcement needs to be made. The goal of this job is to effectively communicate with the public, informing them of what they need to know and being able to listen to and respond to questions effectively as well.
What Knowledge Is Needed?
In order to be a good public speaker, you need to know a number of things. One is how to effectively write a speech. There is a process you go through to communicate the message you are trying to give. Then, you need to properly organize information so it is received how you have intended. There is research that will need to go into a speech whether it be a statistic or important dates. As the person speaking, you need to know how to connect with the audience by making eye contact, knowing how fast or how slow to speak and then lastly, how to answer questions that you don’t know are coming. Forbes has a great article containing 12 public speaking tips.
A Communications Degree and Public Speaking
Depending on the university that you attend, there will be various public speaking classes that will benefit you. Typically, you spend a good portion of the semester learning the process of writing a speech. You may even study some of the great public speakers of our time. At the end of the semester, your ‘test’ may often be to give a speech on a topic of your choosing. You will be graded on things like your presentation, research, and ability to answer questions.
If you are planning on taking communications classes at a university in preparation for a career in public speaking, this is a great path to take.