Discover Options

Discover Options: Communications + Arts

For complete information on assessing yourself, choosing majors, and exploring careers, review our starter tips to Discover Options in all careers as well as the specialized tips on this page.

Careers in Communications

Careers that focus on communications are available to all UCSB students and offer flexibility to acquire knowledge and experience in many different specialty areas.

 Examples of communication career paths include publishing, journalism, marketing, advertising, telecommunications, and public relations.

Because this area of work typically revolves around sending or receiving some type of message, careers in communications often utilize skills in written and verbal communication, analytical thinking, and creative problem-solving.

Check out the below videos to familiarize yourself with some distinguishing features of communications work.

Learn More

Interested in a career in writing, take a look at this article, Forbes - Careers in Writing.

Careers in the Arts

The modern workforce presents a range of creative careers rooted in an appreciation of our unique sense of identity, originality, and expression, and the creation of space, products, and experiences.

Examples of careers in the arts that UCSB students pursue include: entertainment management, digital/social media strategy, film and media production, web/graphic design, advertising, performing arts, museums, and more. Careers in the arts include not just the work that goes into the “creation” of original work, but also the work that ensures its success, such as marketing, business administration, and legal support.

Due to the high level of creativity needed when directly working in the arts, these careers often involve skills in creative problem-solving, concept generation, and project management. 

Watch the videos below to gain more insights on careers in the arts:

Academic Preparation

Most careers related to Communications + Arts can begin with a foundation in a number of different educational areas. Based on your Self-Assessment of interests, personality, strengths, and values, consider a major or minor at UCSB that relates to your goals.

Here are a few academic programs at UCSB to consider that offer majors and minors to help you prepare for a career in Communications + Arts:

• Art
• Communication
• Comparative Literature

• English
• Film and Media Studies
• History of Art and Architecture

• Music
• Theater and Dance
• Writing

Learn More

See how majoring in Philosophy helped UCSB alum and NBC News Correspondent, Katy Tur, launch her career in news journalism.

Strategies for Exploration

When exploring careers in Communications + Arts, consider whether you want to pursue a path that serves as a “specialist” in a specific skill, trade, or specialty area, or whether you want to pursue a “generalist” path that broadly serves many creative responsibilities. While you do not need to decide on this right now, this consideration will eventually impact the type of experience you gain, the jobs you target, and the additional education or training you seek out.

For example, a common decision that many creative professionals face is the choice between working for an agency that provides a specialized service (e.g., working for an advertising agency), and working for a broad creative team that works in-house within an organization (e.g., working for the marketing team within a banking organization).

Each role varies in its level of “specialization” versus “generalization.”

Which role best suits you?