What can you do with an MA in Communication?

Students who complete our program receive offers to PhD programs or accept positions related to communication management, marketing, health communication, and public relations, among others, in a variety of corporate and non-profit organizations. The National Communication Association offers profiles of alumni in a wide range of careers.

 

Typical job titles for Communication MA graduates

• Assistant Professor (PhD also required)
• Career Coach
• Communication Specialist
• Communication Strategist
• Communications & Brand Consultant
• Communications Director
• Communications Project Coordinator
• Community Resource Coordinator
• Company Owner
• Consultant
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Director of Marketing and Communications
• Education Training Consultant
• Executive Coach
• Freelance Copywriter
• Manager of Cultural Affairs
• Marketing and Communication Specialist
• Marketing Manager
• New Media Coordinator
• Operations and Project Manager
• Product Marketing Manager
• Professional Development Associate
• Project Manager
• Public Affairs Officer
• Public Relations Manager
• Public Relations Specialist
• Regional Spokesperson
• Regional Vice President
• Resource Coordinator for Diversity Engagement
• Senior Account Manager
• Senior Financial Analyst
• Senior Director of Education Programs
• Site Manager
• Strategic Planning & Operations Manager
• Student Success Advisor

 

Positions held by CU Denver Communication MA program alumni

 

Job Title	Organization
Assistant Director of Operations	University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’s Center for Innovative Design and Analysis
Assistant Professor	Oakland University
Assistant Professor	Public Relations at University of Alabama
Assistant Professor	Colorado Christian College
Associate District Manager	ADP (HR)
Associate Product Manager	Epsilon
Business Analyst	City and County of Denver
Business Analyst	Devetry
Career Coach	Ama La Vida
Communication Specialist	National Aeronautics and Space Industry
Communications and Engagement Director	South Yuba River Citizens League
Communications Director	Public Trust
Content Writer	National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Deputy Chief Customer Officer	Colorado Governor's Office of Information Technology
Director of Admissions and Marketing	Genesis (Healthcare)
Director of Communications	Abiding Hope Church
Director of Communications	Blue Bench (non-profit)
Director of Marketing and Communications	Western States Arts Federation
Equity and Inclusion Specialist	University of Washington
ESOL Coordinator	University of Colorado Denver
Instructor	Communication and ESL Academy CU Denver
Instructor and Media Lab Coordinator	International College Beijing
Instructor and Media Lab Manager	Virginia Technical University
Learning Specialist	Operational Readiness Implementation Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Manager	Cultural Affairs for the City of Santa Monica (CA)
Manager of Corporate Communications	Pinnacol: Colorado workers' compensation
Manager of Product Marketing	Splunk
Marketing and Communications Manager	Girl Scouts Louisiana East
Marketing and Communications Specialist	Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Denver City and County
Marketing Manager	Technology Response Team, LLC
Marketing Specialist	Fullspeed Automotive
Owner	Aspire Tours
Patient Experience Advisor	Press Ganey
Project Analyst	Davita
Project Manager	Kettering Health Network (OH)
Public Relations and Communication Manager	Boy Scouts of America, Pathway to Adventure Council
Regional Vice President	Sales Force
Resource and Grants Coordinator	Community Care Collective
Special Events Manager	Junior Achievement
Strategic Communications Manager	Alto-Shaam, Inc
Student Success Coach	Purdue University School of Management
Vice President of Integration	US Fertility
Writing Coach and Adjunct Professor	Colorado School of Mines

 

Check out some profiles of our alumni and a flyer highlighting some of their accomplishments.

Program Overview

Our MA program is a 33-credit (11 courses) generalist degree designed to enhance students' intellectual and professional growth in communication research and practice. Students can focus exclusively on communication theory and research, or they can choose to also mix in applied skills (primarily in elective courses). The Communication department is a community of learners, scholars, and teachers who are committed to our shared mission: “cultivating the ability to use communication to create a more equitable and humane world.” 

Four Required Courses

The two required introductory courses focus on communication theory (COMM 6013) and research methods (COMM 5221), respectively.

Students also take two 6000-level seminars that cover specific topics of communication research and theory in faculty areas of expertise (for example: Critical Media Studies; Communication, Culture, and Technology; Environmental Communication). 

See MA Degree Requirements for more information.

Seven Electives

The remaining 21 credits (7 courses) are electives, which can include a variety of courses, travel study, and/or internships.

Some students choose electives that enable them to complete certificates in Strategic Communication or Digital Studies. Some of the elective courses that have been offered recently related to strategic communication include: Advanced Strategic Communication; Organizational Communication; Intercultural Communication; Communication and Conflict; and Negotiations and Bargaining. It is also possible to just complete the Strategic Communication certificate on its own without earning the MA degree by enrolling as a "non-degree" student. CU Boulder, another campus in our CU system that is around 30 miles northwest of CU Denver, offers MAs in Corporate Communication and Strategic Communication Design. CU Denver students may be able to take some of the courses from those programs as electives.

Other students focus their electives in Health Communication. Some of the elective courses that have been offered recently in these areas include: Designing Health Messages; Rhetorics of Medicine & Health; and Health Communication. 

Other elective courses that have been offered recently include: Food as Communication; Communication, China, & the US; Queer Media Studies; Dynamics of Global Communication; Communication, Prisons, and Social Justice; and Communication and Sport.

See What courses should I take? for more information.

Program Format

We offer some courses online and others in-person, so the program cannot be completed solely online. Most seminars and required courses are offered in-person on weekday evenings (Mondays-Thursdays) 5:00 pm - 7:50pm, while electives are typically offered during weekdays or as asynchronous online courses.

MA program learning outcomes

At the conclusion of our program, students will be able to:

• Use Communication concepts and theories to solve problems in professional, personal, and community/civic life 
• Select and use appropriate methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data to answer Communication research questions 
• Communicate ethically and effectively; extemporaneously, in writing, and across digital platforms
• Identify, critique, and evaluate research from across major fields of Communication

Faculty

Our faculty members have expertise in: Media and Cultural studies; Environmental Communication; Health Communication; International and Intercultural Communication; qualitative methods in Communication; Rhetoric; and Organizational Communication, and on a range of specific topics including China-US communication; sport; law and American culture; sexuality, queer, and gender studies; biopolitics; national security; globalization; social justice; conflict, mediation, and negotiation; food studies; prisons; Latina/o/x studies; Islam and religion; and more.

Learn more and apply

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 the Graduate School. The Graduate School handles all the bureaucratic and technical aspects of the admissions process and transfer credits. Student finances, including billing, financial aid, and scholarships is in a separate office. International admissions handles visas. 

For specific Communication MA application instructions, deadlines, and requirements, click the button below:

Communication MA application instructions

To learn more about the COMM MA program, download a program flyer, and read this interview about the program with Dr. Hamilton Bean. For questions about anything specific to this program, contact Amy Hasinoff, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), by email or set up a 15-minute phone or Zoom meeting.