Master's of Arts (MA) in Communication

• If you're having trouble with the application system, wondering how to submit documents, or have any technical questions, please contact graduateadmissions@ucdenver.edu. 
• Student finances covers billing, financial aid, and scholarships.
• Learn more about the cost of attendance and funding options.
• International admissions handles visas.
• International applicants need to get their transcripts evaluated and meet English language requirements. International admissions can answer questions about these requirements.

If you have questions about your statement of purpose or whether you meet the admission requirements, contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

Maybe! But please make sure you understand the total cost of the program and your living expenses in Denver before you apply and that you have a plan for how you will cover all those expenses.

You can apply for an application fee waiver if you meet any of the listed criteria or if you can demonstrate “financial hardship.” There will be a section where you can upload supporting documentation of your status. Requests for waivers must be submitted at least 1 week before the application deadline. 

Please note that members of the military, registered members of federal recognized American Indian tribes or Alaska Native entities, and CU Denver alumni will automatically have their fees waived when they submit their application; additional steps are not required. Once you select the appropriate status, the system may take a day or two to apply the waiver.

Sometimes we do admissions past the posted deadlines. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) before applying to check if space is available.

In some cases, you could start out in "non-degree" status. You would take the Introduction course if you start in the Fall or the Methods course if you start in the Spring. This option allows you to preview the program before applying to the MA. Up to 9 credits completed in non-degree status would be applied to your MA if you are admitted to the program. Admission in "non-degree" status does not guarantee admission to the MA program. Please contact the DGS to discuss this option before you pursue it.

If you can't fulfill all the admission requirements, you can consider starting out in "non-degree" status. You would take the Introduction course if you start in the Fall or the Methods course if you start in the Spring. This option allows you to preview the program before applying to the MA. Up to 9 credits completed in non-degree status would be applied to your MA if you are admitted to the program. Admission in "non-degree" status does not guarantee admission to the MA program. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to discuss this option before you pursue it.

You could also choose to earn a certificate in non-degree status and never apply to the MA -- if you want to go that route, please contact the person who supervises the certificate you're interested in.

An academic writing sample should demonstrate your ability to make and defend an argument and to use and cite research to support it. Normally this paper is a minimum of 8 pages double-spaced.

We recommend that you choose your strongest research paper from a Communication course. If you don't have a Communication research paper, please submit your strongest research paper from any discipline.

If you don't have access to a research paper you wrote, you can write a 5-8 page (double spaced, plus a Works Cited list) paper on one of the following topics:

1. Analyze the relationship between social media and political discourse in the context of a recent election or political campaign, drawing on relevant communication theories and research to discuss the challenges and opportunities for democratic engagement.

2. Investigate the role of media representation in shaping public perception of recent anti-trans legislation, focusing on a specific bill in one US state. Apply communication theory to discuss the implications and potential strategies for promoting equality.

3. Explore the communication strategies used in crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on a one public health campaign in a specific country or region.

4. Analyze the impact of digital storytelling and narrative engagement on the Black Lives Matter movement, focusing on a specific social media campaign or viral story. Drawing on relevant theories and research, discuss how activists use storytelling to mobilize support and create social change.

5. Investigate the influence of media framing and agenda-setting on public perception of climate change, focusing on a recent environmental disaster or international climate conference. Analyze the role of communication in shaping attitudes, policy decisions, and collective action related to environmental sustainability.

6. OR pick another topic of your choice and ask the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) if it will be effective.

For each topic, make an argument and support it with evidence from Communication research and theory and by analyzing the case, text, or object you choose. Use APA style and include in-text citations and a Works Cited list.

Your Statement of Purpose letter should include the following:

1. Describe your academic experience and specific interests in the field of Communication. Consider discussing what you enjoyed learning about in your favorite course in Communication, what you loved about working on a particular project, or what you are most excited to learn more about, and why. If applicable, also describe your professional experience in Communication.

2. If your undergraduate GPA is below 3.25, explain why you believe you are ready for graduate school now.

3. Explain your career plans and how an MA in Communication would help you achieve those goals.

4. Explain why you are particularly interested in the CU Denver Department of Communication. Consider these questions and provide specific answers:

   • What does the program offer that attracts you?

   • How could faculty members' areas of expertise support your research interests?

   • Which faculty expertise areas do you have experience studying and which do you want to learn more about?

   • Who might you ask to be your advisor?

To answer these questions effectively, research our program and department by reading through this website, talking to current and former students, and talking to the Director of Graduate Studies and other faculty. 

Learn about our graduate faculty by looking at a few of their publications. If you don't have free access through a library, check if the work is published open-access or if the scholar has posted a pdf on their website, or you can email any scholar and ask them for a pdf of an article they've written.

Please view a sample letter from a successful applicant -- note that the specific details in this letter demonstrate that this applicant has thoroughly researched the program and has clearly explained how it will help them achieve specific interests and goals.

The admissions committee always looks at applications as a whole, and an applicant's GPA is just one part. If you are committed to pursuing an MA in Communication, a low GPA from your BA is usually not a problem. You can explain the circumstances, such as a change in major or personal issue (details not required), and how you've worked to move past those challenges, in your Statement of Purpose. For example, you can mention that you have earned As and A-s in your Communication courses, even if your grades in other disciplines are lower. Or you might refer to your work experience after your BA to offer evidence that you are ready for graduate school.

If you have a lower undergraduate GPAs, you could also choose to take one of our courses as a non-degree student (see below) to find out if an MA in Communication is the right fit for you; a good choice would be Introduction to Graduate Studies, the required introductory course for all MA students. Doing well in this course would provide good evidence that you are prepared for graduate study, though it is not a guarantee of admission to the program. 

Graduate Education requires that students with GPAs under 3.0 are admitted provisionally. This means that the student is required to earn a minimum B+ average their first semester in order to stay in the program. If we admit you, we believe you can achieve that and will help you get there.

Having a BA in Communication is not required to apply.

However, if you don't have much prior training in any humanities or social sciences discipline, you’d likely need to do some extra reading on your own to catch up. 

No, you do not need to find an advisor before you apply.

In your statement of purpose, you should mention one or more faculty members who you might want to take classes from and/or ask to advise you, but you do not need to contact them beforehand.

International applicants need to get their transcripts evaluated and meet English language requirements (scroll down on that page to "How to Apply" and click on each tab: "Apply Online," "Transcripts & Test Scores," "English Language Proficiency"). International admissions can answer questions about these requirements and about student visas. If you have questions about the evaluation, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu or read the FAQs.

You will be notified by e-mail of the graduate admission committee's decision. If 6 weeks have passed since your application was submitted and complete (including all letters of reference and required documents) and you have still not heard anything from the communication department or graduate education, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Learn more about the cost of attendance.

If you maintain residency in particular Western states you may qualify for Colorado in-state tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program.

The department offers a limited number of assistantships.

You may be able to transfer in up to 12 credits at the MA level earned at institutions outside the CU system, as long as they were not applied to a completed degree, subject to Graduate Education policies and approval from the Communication program.

Learn more about becoming a non-degree graduate student. If you are in "non-degree" status, you will typically not be eligible for financial aid, student loans, most scholarships, or tuition assistance while taking coursework as a non-degree student.

Earning credits before degree admission

You can register as "non-degree" and then later apply to the MA. If admitted, we will accept up to 9 credit hours of eligible courses taken in non-degree status for credit towards the MA.

Earning a graduate certificate as a non-degree student

You may complete graduate certificate programs (eg. the Strategic Communication certificate) as a non-degree student; those who decide to enroll in the MA program following completion of a certificate may transfer up to 12 hours of those credits to their master's degree. Additional non-degree graduate credits earned beyond those explicitly required for a graduate certificate may not be counted toward the MA degree. If you are already enrolled in the master's program, the certificates can be completed as part of, or in addition to, the coursework required for the degree. Use the Application for Non-Degree Admission to become eligible to enroll in courses for a certificate program.

If you were previously admitted to the Communication MA Program but did not complete your degree, you can be readmitted to the program at the discretion of the department. If you have not been registered for more than one (1) year [i.e., three (3) terms] at CU Denver you should contact the Director of Graduate Studies to be considered for readmission.

Courses from more than 7 years ago need to be validated via syllabus review and/or a student examination; courses completed more than 10 years ago are not accepted for credit.