Master of Arts in Communication

In this Page:

The Master of Arts in Communication is a generalist degree designed to enhance students’ intellectual and professional growth through the understanding and practice of effective communication. The degree is structured both to build a solid foundation and to allow students to specialize in one of three areas:

1. Communication Management
2. Technical Communication
3. Doctoral Preparation

General Degree Requirements

Students have two options for completing the M.A. degree in Communication: the professional track and the academic track. The academic track requires a thesis or a substantial writing project or projects; the professional track does not. Students are discouraged from pursuing the academic track unless there is a compelling reason for doing so.

Comprehensive Exams

All students must pass a comprehensive examination at the end of the program.

Without an Undergraduate Degree in Communication

Students whose bachelor’s degrees are not in communication are required to take an additional two courses. These courses do not count toward the 36 or 37 credit hours required for the degree; they are taken in addition to the required hours.

CMMU 4031 Perspectives on Communication
CMMU 4200 Persuasion

Professional Track Course Requirements -- 36 Credit Hours Total

At least 30 credit hours must be at the 5000 or 6000 level; 6 hours (2 courses) may be at the 4000 level. The requirements for coursework are as follows.

CMMU 6013 Introduction to Graduate Work in Communication (3 credit hours)

This course is recommended to be taken the first semester of graduate coursework; it is offered only in the fall semester.

Methods Courses (6 credit hours):

Students must complete two methods courses. At least one of the methods courses should be selected from the following courses in the Communication Department. Most of these are offered every other year.

CMMU 5011 Research Methods: Quantitative
CMMU 5022 Critical Analysis of Communication
CMMU 5221 Research Methods: Qualitative
CMMU 6205 Empirical Research Methods for Communication and Technical Communication
The second methods course may be taken outside of the Communicaton Department with the approval of the student's advisor

Graduate Seminars (12 credit hours):

Students must take 4 graduate seminars (12 credit hours) from the Communication Department. Graduate seminars are 5000- or 6000-level courses in which there are no undergraduate students. The same course may fulfill a methods and seminar requirement. Introduction to Graduate Work in Communication does not count as one of the graduate seminars.

Electives (15 credit hours):

At least 3 of the five elective courses must be at the 5000 or 6000 level; the remaining 2 may be at the 4000 level. At least 3 of the 5 electives must be Communication courses; the remaining 2 electives may be taken from outside of the Communication Department. Students must receive permission from the interim director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz, and their advisor to take coursework outside the Communication Department.

Academic Track Course Requirements -- 36 oR 37 credit hours total

The academic track is for those studentts who plan to pursue a Ph.D. after completing their M.A. degree. The academic track is distinguished from the professional track in that it requires completion of a substantial academic writing project or projects. The writing project(s) may be a thesis, convention paper(s), or essays submitted for publication to academic journals. The academic track requires the completion of 36 or 37 hours of coursework. At least 30 of these hours must be at the 5000 or 6000 level; 6 hours (2 courses) may be at the 4000 level. The requirements for the coursework are as follows.

CMMU 6013 Introduction to Graduate Work in Communication (3 credit hours)

This course is recommended to be taken the first semester of graduate coursework; it is offered only in the fall semester.

Methods Courses (6 credit hours):

CMMU 5011 Research Methods: Quantitative
CMMU 5022 Critical Analysis of Communication
CMMU 5221 Research Methods: Qualitative
CMMU 6205 Empirical Research Methods for Communication and Technical Communication
The second methods course may be taken outside of the Communicaton Department with the approval of the student's advisor

Graduate Seminars (12 credit hours):

In addition to the above core requirements, students must take 4 graduate seminars (12 credit hours) from the Communication Department. Graduate seminars are 5000- or 6000-level courses in which there are no undergraduate students. The 4 courses must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Electives (12 credit hours):

At least 2 of the 4 elective courses must be at the 5000 or 6000 level; the remaining 2 may be at the 4000 level. At least 2 of the 4 electives must be Communication courses; the remaining 2 electives may be taken from outside of the Communication Department. Students must receive permission from the interim director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz, and their advisor to take coursework outside the Communication Department.

Thesis (4 credit hours) or Academic Writing Project:

Students must either present a major paper for publication (no additional course credits) or complete a thesis for 4 credit hours. Thesis credits may substitute for one elective course requirement. Please review the Thesis Guidelines.

Options for Specialization

The Communication Department has developed three options for students who wish to create an area of focus or specialization within the M.A. degree -- communication management, technical communication, and doctoral preparation. Students may choose to develop one of these options as they select their electives, or they may pursue a general course of study by selecting electives across the three areas of specialization. Any of the options may be pursued by students in the professional track; the doctoral preparation specialization is recommended for students in the academic track.

Communication Management

Communication management is an area of knowledge and skills concerned with the processes involved in managing communication--creating, accessing, and delivering communication services within organizational contexts. The area of communication management provides opportunities for the development of communication skills and knowledge by professionals in public, corporate, and not-for-profit organizations. Information-service providers, account executives, multimedia and telecommunications professionals, audience-research specialists, human resource specialists, strategic planners, operations managers, trainers, Internet service providers, and anyone who must manage communication resources for an organization can advance their careers through a specialty in communication management.

The following are among the courses that can be used as electives to develop a specialty in communication management:

CMMU 5111 Theories of Leadership
CMMU 5151 Group Communication
CMMU 5240 Organizational Communication
CMMU 5255 Negotiations and Bargaining
CMMU 5260 Communication and Conflict
CMMU 5500 Health Communication
CMMU 5620 Health Risk Communication
CMMU 5635 Principles of Public Relations
CMMU 5640 Advanced Public Relations
CMMU 5665 Principles of Advertising
CMMU 5681 Communication Issues in Trial Court Practices and Processes

Technical Communication

Technical communication is the field concerned with creating documents (electronic as well as paper) that integrate words and images in ways that help individuals achieve their specific goals for using documents at work, school, and home. Technical communication is the act of bringing together prose, graphics (including illustration, photography, video, and quantitative displays), typography, and page design for purposes of instruction, explanation, persuasion, and decision making. A specialty in technical communication is available for students who want to develop their skills in technical communication but who also want the breadth available from coursework in many areas of communication.

A total of 12 credit hours are required for the specialty in Technical Communication, as follows :

CMMU 5405 Technical Communication: Writing
CMMU 5505 Technical Editing
CMMU 5510 Usability Testing or CMMU 6205 Empirical Rsearch Methods for Communication and Technical Communication

Plus one elective, chosen only from the following list:

CMMU 5300 Multimedia Authoring
CMMU 5410 Science Writing
CMMU 5510 Usability Testing
CMMU 5605 Rhetorical Theory for Technical Communication
CMMU 5681 Communication Issues in the Trial Court Process
CMMU 6205 Empirical Research Methods for Communication and Technical communication

Students who develop a specialty in technical communication also may choose to receive a Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Communication, which requires 12 credit hours (4 courses). Students are allowed to complete this Certificate as part of the M.A. program if they desire.

Doctoral Preparation

The specialty in doctoral preparation is for those students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. after completion of their M.A. degree. Individuals who earn a Ph.D. typically engage in teaching and research as university professors, but the degree also may be pursued to increase marketability in the corporate world in areas such as consulting and training.

Recommendations for Degree Elective Courses

The following are among the courses that can be used as electives to develop a specialty in doctoral preparation:

CMMU 5015 Communication and Civility
CMMU 5021 Perspectives on Rhetoric
CMMU 5025 Philosophy of Communication
CMMU 5031 Perspectives on Communication
CMMU 5041 Theories and Methods in Interpersonal Communication

Any 6000-level courses are considered appropriate for the Ph.D. track because of the seminar format of these courses.

Key Academic Policies

Grade Requirements

Students must receive a grade of B or higher in all courses that are applied to the M.A. degree. Students who earn a grade lower than a B have two options: (1) They may retake the course, in which case the grade counted for the course and computed in the GPA is the average of the two grades for the course. This average grade must be a B if the course is to count toward the degree. Students may re-take a course only once. (2) They may request permission to substitute a different course for the one in which a grade lower than a B was earned. Such students must prepare a written request for the substitution explaining what course they wish to substitute and why the course is an appropriate, relevant substitute. The request is submitted to the interim director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz, whose decision about whether to approve the substitution is final.

This policy concerning minimum grades in courses supersedes the policy of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which is less stringent.

Assignment of Advisors

Students are assigned a faculty advisor at the time they are admitted to the M.A. program. This advisor is a temporary advisor only. Students are encouraged to select someone else as their advisor if another faculty member is better able to help them achieve their academic and professional goals. Students may change advisors at any time during their program by completing the Form for Declaring and/or Changing Graduate Advisors. The form should be submitted to the interim director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz.

Course Transfers

A maximum of 6 hours of relevant graduate coursework may be transferred from another university. Students cannot receive credit for transferred courses in which less than a B grade was earned. Coursework transferred from another university must be approved by the interim director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz, and recorded on the "Request for Transfer of Credit" form, which may be downloaded here or is available from the Graduate School in room 700 of the CU Building.

Time Limits for Completion of Degree

Students have seven years from the date of the beginning of their coursework to complete all requirements for the M.A. in Communication. Students who do not believe they will be able to complete the degree within the seven-year period must write a letter to the interim director of the M.A. program in Communication, Barbara Walkosz, requesting that he petition the Graduate School for an extension. The letter should clearly set forth the reasons for taking longer than seven years to complete the degree and should indicate how long an extension on the limit is required. Students may not request an extension longer than one year. Students who do not register for three consecutive terms must be re-admitted to the program. Re-admission requires that students submit Part I of the graduate admission form to the Communication Department; they may also be required to re-submit the application fee. Those who have not been active for more than four years must complete the full application process.

Funding Support for M.A. Students

Teaching Opportunities

A limited number of teaching opportunities are available for M.A. students in the Communication Department. Typically, students will teach Presentational Speaking (CMMU 2101), although students may teach other classes according to their expertise and Departmental needs. The pay is $3216 per course per semester. Although every effort will be made to provide teaching opportunities for students, they are not guaranteed and are dependent on the instructional needs of the Department.

Minimum Requirements

Selection of the academic track in the M.A. program
Demonstration of satisfactory progress on a thesis or other writing project(s)
Grades of A or A- in all graduate classes in communication completed at UCD
Active observation of a class for one semester to become familiar with the course content and effective pedagogical strategies and attendance at any pedagogical training offered by the Communication Department

Application Procedures

The application consists of a letter of support from the student’s advisor.
The letter must be submitted to the director of the M.A. program, Barbara Walkosz, by October 1 for teaching in the spring semester and by April 1 for teaching in the fall semester.
If there are more eligible students interested in teaching than there are positions available, the graduate committee will select the students from the eligible applicants. Two criteria will be used in selecting from among the eligible applicants: Seniority in the program and prior teaching in the Department.
Barbara Walkosz's information is: 303-556-6719, Plaza Building, Room 102-H, Barbara.Walkosz@cudenver.edu

Graduate Grants

Need-based financial aid is available to graduate students in the form of graduate grants through UCD’s Financial Aid office.To be eligible for a graduate grant, students must:(1) Complete a financial aid application though the Financial Aid office by April 1 (submitting the application as soon after January 1 as possible is recommended); (2) Be a Colorado resident; (3) Register for a minimum of 4 credit hours of coursework; and (4) Have a Pell-grant-eligible estimated family contribution.Any graduate student who meets these criteria will automatically be considered for a graduate grant.For more information, call the Financial Aid office:303-556-2886.

Travel Funds

The Communication Department has some funds available for graduate students.Graduate students who present papers at out-of-state conferences approved by the Department chair are eligible for $300 in travel funds per conference, subject to the availability of funds.

The National Communication Association (NCA) offers travel grants for students of color who have papers or panels accepted for an NCA convention.Grants in the range of $250 are awarded to students who need financial assistance to attend the convention and whose departmental or university funding is insufficient to cover the costs.Nominations of students should be made by faculty and should include a letter of support from the Department chair, which should verify that the nominee is a student and that the funding available from the Department or the University will not cover the student’s convention costs.The deadline for nominations is typically in early October. For more information, contact the National Communication Association:202-464-4622.

Additional Information

Additional information about the M.A. program in Communication may be obtained from the interim director of the M.A. program in Communication:

Professor Barbara Walkosz, Graduate Advisor
Department of Communication
Plaza Building, room 102-H
303-556-6719
Barbara.Walkosz@ucdenver.edu