undergradly.
Major · Communication

A catchall communication credential covering specialized PR and ad tracks

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other (CIP 09.0999) is the catchall code universities use for specialized PR, ad, or applied-communication programs that don’t fit a named CIP. About 1,004 bachelor’s-track students complete it across 44 institutions, with five-year earnings around $62,227.

Schools offering
44
Annual completions
1,004
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$62k

About this major

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other (CIP 09.0999) is the catchall code universities use for specialized PR, advertising, or applied-communication programs that don’t fit a named sub-discipline. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in organizational communication, public relations, and advertising not listed above. In practice, this code houses integrated marketing communication, strategic communication, and interdisciplinary PR-and-applied-communication programs that don’t map cleanly to Advertising (09.0903), Public Relations/Image Management (09.0902), or Communication Management (09.0909). Specific program content varies considerably by institution, so the course catalog and major requirements at your target school are the only reliable guide.

The major fits students drawn to persuasion-driven communication, comfortable with both writing and visual storytelling, and interested in working at the intersection of brands, audiences, and messaging. It rewards strong writing, an instinct for what motivates audiences, and comfort moving between strategy and execution. The career ladder runs from coordinator and account-assistant roles through specialist and account-executive titles into management and director-level work — driven mostly by portfolio depth and relationship-building rather than additional credentials.

One grounded observation about scale and distribution: 1,004 students complete this CIP across 44 institutions, with Penn State’s main campus producing 319 graduates (roughly 32% of national output) — a concentration that signals this catchall masks a small number of distinctive programs rather than a uniform credential. Earnings come in at $62,227 in five-year tracked wages overall, with bachelor’s graduates at $62,267 and associate’s at $54,879. Common destinations include account coordinator and account executive at PR or advertising agencies, social-media and content manager roles at brands, internal communications specialist work at corporations, and marketing-communications coordinator roles at nonprofits and trade associations.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

No federal crosswalk data available for this major yet.

Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$62k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$55k

Bachelor's

$62k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to persuasion-driven communication and comfortable working between strategy, writing, and visual storytelling, you’re willing to investigate the named curriculum at your target school carefully (since the 09.0999 code masks distinctive programs), you write strongly enough to make the cut at competitive agencies and in-house teams, you’re building a portfolio of writing samples and campaign work alongside coursework, and you’re comfortable with the bachelor’s-degree norm at hire. Bachelor’s graduates in this packet earn $62,267 in five-year tracked wages, broadly in line with named PR and advertising majors at $62,000-plus.

Think twice if your target school offers Advertising (CIP 09.0903), Public Relations/Image Management (09.0902), or Communication Management and Strategic Communications (09.0909) as named majors with defined curricula — those are three to four times the size of the catchall, with clearer employer recognition. Reconsider if you want a credential that signals a specific specialty on a resume, since 09.0999 masks what you actually studied. Also pause if you can’t commit to building a portfolio outside coursework — the field hires on writing samples and campaign work, not just on the degree.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 319 319
Utah Valley University Orem, UT 0 115 115
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL 0 75 75
DePaul University Chicago, IL 0 70 70
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK 0 56 56
Pepperdine University Malibu, CA 0 51 51
Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR 0 49 49
Butler University Indianapolis, IN 0 36 36
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA 0 34 34
Suffolk University Boston, MA 0 25 25
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Advertising

3,875 completions/yr

Public Relations/Image Management

3,305 completions/yr

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

2,997 completions/yr

Communication Management and Strategic Communications

1,438 completions/yr

Organizational Communication, General

1,262 completions/yr

Sports Communication

766 completions/yr

Health Communication

118 completions/yr

Technical and Scientific Communication

71 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in organizational communication, public relations, and advertising not listed above. In practice, that means specialized programs — for example, integrated marketing communication, strategic communication tracks, or interdisciplinary PR-and-applied-communication programs — that universities slot into 09.0999 because they don’t map cleanly to Advertising (09.0903), Public Relations (09.0902), or Communication Management (09.0909). Specific program content varies considerably by institution, so the course catalog at your target school is the only reliable guide.
How does this compare to Advertising or Public Relations as named majors?
Advertising (CIP 09.0903, 3,875 completions) and Public Relations/Image Management (09.0902, 3,305 completions) are roughly three times the size of this catchall and have well-defined curricula targeting agency, in-house creative, and PR-specialist roles. Communication Management and Strategic Communications (09.0909, 1,438 completions) sits between them as an integrated communications path. If your target school offers one of those named majors instead of 09.0999, the named major typically signals a more standardized curriculum and clearer employer recognition.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Bachelor’s graduates in this packet earn $62,267 in five-year tracked wages, with five-year medians overall at $62,227 — broadly in line with named PR and advertising majors. Common destinations include account coordinator and account executive at PR or ad agencies, social-media or content manager roles at brands, internal communications specialist at corporations, and marketing-communications coordinator at nonprofits or trade associations. Pay typically starts in the mid-$40,000s and reaches the $60,000-$80,000 range with three to five years of experience.
Why does Penn State produce so many of these graduates?
Penn State’s main campus alone produces 319 graduates — roughly 32% of national completions in this CIP. That happens when a single large institution houses a specialized integrated-communications or strategic-communications program under the 09.0999 code. Other top producers (Utah Valley, Loyola Chicago, DePaul, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine) each have their own program-specific curricula. The concentration tells you that this CIP code masks a small number of distinctive programs more than a single uniform credential.
Is the bachelor’s the right level for this field?
Yes for entry-level PR, advertising, and communications work — the field is overwhelmingly bachelor’s-degree at hire. The packet shows associate’s graduates at $54,879 versus bachelor’s at $62,267, a meaningful gap reflecting the bachelor’s-only norm in agency and corporate communications hiring. Master’s degrees (often in strategic communication or integrated marketing) are common for senior strategist and communications-director roles but rarely required at entry.