Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Communications Professor
What communications professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a communications professor?
Teach public speaking. From there, the day usually includes teach communications courses, coach public speaking, and advise student media. Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a communications professor working full time.
- Teach public speaking.
- Give speech feedback.
- Meet the student newspaper staff.
- Teach a media studies seminar.
- Hold office hours.
- Code social media posts for a study.
- Grade papers.
Where communications professors work
Faculty work in classrooms, media labs and offices.
Hours and schedule
Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach communications courses
- Coach public speaking
- Advise student media
- Conduct research
- Mentor students
- Develop courses
- Serve on committees
Tools you’ll use every day
- Video and audio equipment
- Editing software
- Learning management systems
- Survey tools
- Social media analytics
- Presentation tools
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Practical, popular subject
- Creative projects
- Media lab work
- Flexible schedule
What’s hard
- Competitive tenure track
- Grading speeches and papers
- Fast-changing media
- Adjunct-heavy field
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love public speaking
- I follow media closely
- I give good feedback
- I like creative projects
- I want to teach
- I’m willing to do grad school
Not sure? Take the free Communications Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect student privacy
- Follow research ethics
- Respect student press freedom
- Follow campus safety