Browse Skills communication studies

communication studies

🔄 Evolving ESCO reuse: cross-sector

The academic field of study that researches the processes of human interaction and communication through different media and how that communication is interpreted on a political, economic, cultural, social, semiotic, and hermeneutic level.

communication studies — the academic field of study that researches the processes of human interaction and communication through different media and how that communication is interpreted on a political, economic, cultural, social, semiotic, and hermeneutic level. McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the evolving band (SCI 50.68/100) — the skill will still matter in 2030 but the nature of the work is changing. ESCO classifies it as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill within knowledge. It is currently listed by 3 occupations in our catalogue, including communication scientist, communications lecturer, and media scientist.

Category: knowledge › journalism and reporting SCI: 50.68/100 Also known as: the study of communication, communications studies

Occupations that require communication studies

Showing top 3 of 3 occupations · ranked by India employment volume, then AI-durability.

communication scientist · 🤖 5.0/10
communications lecturer · 🤖 5.0/10
media scientist · 🤖 5.0/10

Frequently asked questions

What is communication studies?

The academic field of study that researches the processes of human interaction and communication through different media and how that communication is interpreted on a political, economic, cultural, social, semiotic, and hermeneutic level.

What category of skill is communication studies?

ESCO classifies communication studies under the knowledge category, specifically in the journalism and reporting subcategory.

Is communication studies an AI-durable skill?

McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the evolving band (SCI 50.68/100) — the skill will still matter in 2030 but the nature of the work is changing. Continue investing, but pair it with the AI-tool workflow that is reshaping the field so you evolve with it.

Which jobs require communication studies?

In our catalogue, 3 occupations list communication studies as a required or important skill. The top occupations by employment volume include communication scientist, communications lecturer, media scientist.

How transferable is communication studies between industries?

ESCO tags communication studies as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill — a signal of how portable it is when you change field.

Is communication studies the same as the study of communication?

Yes — communication studies is also known as the study of communication, or communications studies. They refer to the same underlying capability in the ESCO taxonomy.

How can I learn communication studies?

The most reliable path is to pick a job or project that demands communication studies and learn through delivery. Complement that with role-specific roadmaps and short courses. Explore the occupations below to see where this skill is used in practice.

Data: ESCO v1.2.1 (CC-BY-4.0). Durability framework informed by McKinsey Global Institute (Nov 2025). See our methodology.