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Before you apply

If you’re considering applying to any MA program, we recommend that you start with this excellent 30-page guide (created by another university) about choosing and applying to graduate schools.

Before you apply to our program, please review these pages with more information about our program:

Apply to the COMM MA program

Application Deadlines

Fall Admission

February 15 

February 15 is the priority deadline for Fall semester start and full consideration for Teaching Assistantships and scholarships, if any are available.

July 1

Applications will also be considered until July 1.

Spring Admission

October 1

October 1 is the priority deadline. Teaching Assistants are typically only hired to start in the Fall.

December 1

Applications will also be considered until December 1.

Summer Admission

April 15

Applications from BMA students will be considered until April 15.

Other applicants who are interested in Summer admission can contact the DGS.

What you need to be admitted to the MA in Communication

Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university

A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or above is preferred but not required. Applications are evaluated as a whole, so students with a lower undergraduate GPA can demonstrate their preparedness for graduate study in Communication in other ways -- please see the guidance below in the Help section.​

 The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required. However, students may submit GRE scores to support their application if desired. 

 Some students may be contacted for a phone interview about their interests and preparation for graduate study in Communication.

What to include in your application

All applications are submitted online and are evaluated by the admissions committee as a complete package.

All students:

Two letters of recommendation, preferably from university faculty

An official transcript from every college or university attended

A resume or curriculum vitae

An academic writing sample; ideally showing the ability to make and defend an argument and to use and cite research to support it. Minimum 8 pages double-spaced. Most students choose their strongest paper from a Communication course. If you don't have a Communication paper, please submit your strongest research paper from any discipline. If you don't have access to a research paper you wrote, you can contact the DGS, who can provide you with an essay prompt instead.

$50 application fee for U.S. citizens, $75 application fee for international students (non-refundable). You may qualify for an application fee waiver.

Statement of purpose (aka "letter of application" or "cover letter"). The statement should be 2-3 double spaced typed pages (around 500-800 words) and should highlight your past experience and your specific interest in the program.

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.

    • To answer this effectively, thoroughly research the department by reading through this website, talking to current and former students, and talking to the Director of Graduate Studies and other faculty. Review the MA program requirements and all the other information on the MA page. Look into the research interests for all the Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, as well as any other full-time staff with PhDs. Read a few articles or books from the faculty members that interest you -- you can ask any scholar for a PDF of an article they've written for free if you don't have access through a library.

    • 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?

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.

International students:

International credential evaluation

Proof of English language proficiency

  • Applicants using a standardized test to establish English language proficiency need scores at or above the following levels:
    • TOEFL: 80 with particular subscore minimums (18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking, and 20 in Writing)
    • IELTS: 6.5 with 6.0 or higher in each subsection
    • Duolingo: 85 in each section and 105 overall

Apply to the COMM MA program

Get help with applying

The application process involves a number of different offices and departments that can help you with technical questions about applying or submitting documents. Which office you should contact depends on what your question is:

  • To get general information about being a graduate student at CU Denver, including living in Denver, academic programs, and student resources, fill out this form to request information from Graduate Education.
  • Graduate Education handles all the bureaucratic and technical aspects of the admissions process, including the application system, documents, and transfer credits. If you're having trouble with the application system, wondering how to submit documents, or have any technical questions, please check the How to Apply page or contact graduateadmissions@ucdenver.edu.
  • Student finances, including billing, financial aid, and scholarships is in a separate office.
  • 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.

We invite applicants to set up a brief conversation with Dr. Amy Hasinoff, the Communication department's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) by phone or Zoom to ask questions about the program -- anything not covered in the list above -- before applying. This is recommended but not required.

Common Application Questions

If you have questions about your statement of purpose or whether you meet the admission requirements, contact the DGS.

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

You can apply for an application fee waiver if you meet any of the listed criteria or if you can demonstrate “financial hardship.” Please fill out the online Application Fee Waiver Form to apply. 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.

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

In some cases, students start out in "non-degree" status. Those students typically take the Introduction course (COMM 6013) if they start in the Fall or the Methods course (COMM 5221) if they start in the Spring. This option allows prospective students 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. See below for more information, and please contact the DGS to discuss this option before you pursue it.

Some students who can't fulfill all the admission requirements start out in "non-degree" status. Those students typically take the Introduction course (COMM 6013) if they start in the Fall or the Methods course (COMM 5221) if they start in the Spring. This option allows prospective students 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. See below for more information, and please contact the DGS to discuss this option before you pursue it.

Also, some students 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.

Most students choose their strongest paper from a Communication course. If you don't have a Communication 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 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.

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. Applicants often explain the circumstances, such as a change in major or personal issue (details not required), and how they’ve worked to move past those challenges, in their Statement of Purpose. For example, some students mention that they have earned As and A-s in their Communication courses, even if their grades in other disciplines are lower. Other applicants refer to their work experience after their BA to offer evidence that they are ready for graduate school.

Some students with lower undergraduate GPAs 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 them; a good choice would be COMM 6013, the required introductory course for all MA students. Doing well in this course would provide good evidence that a student is 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. 

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.

Policies and processes

Students are notified by e-mail of the graduate admission committee's decision concerning their admission. If 6 weeks have passed since one of the deadlines and you still have not heard anything from the communication department or the graduate school, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Learn more about the cost of attendance.

Students who maintain residency in particular Western states 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. Non-degree students are typically not eligible for financial aid, student loans, most scholarships, or tuition assistance while taking coursework as a non-degree student.

Earning credits before degree admission

Students 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

Students may complete graduate certificate programs (eg. the Strategic Communication certificate) as non-degree students; 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. For students 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.

Students who were previously admitted to the Communication MA Program but who did not complete their degree can be readmitted to the program at the discretion of the department. Students who have not been registered for more than one (1) year [i.e., three (3) terms] at CU Denver 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.