Say Goodbye to the Fries: Graduate Careers in Media,Cultural and Communication Studies

Abstract

This article addresses the paucity of systematic data on graduate careers in the arts and humanities in the broader context of enduring public and policy debates about the benefits of education to society, the relation between public and private good that is derivable from education, and the specific disciplinary angle that can be brought to bear on these questions from media, cultural and communication studies. We report findings from a survey of ten years of graduates from Queensland University of Technology's courses in media, cultural and communication studies, which indicate very high employment levels and generally positive accounts of the relevance of courses to working life. A major insight that can be drawn from the research is that media, cultural and communication studies deliver capabilities, skills and orientations that are themselves strongly aligned with the kinds of transferable generic attributes that facilitate transition into the workplace.