University of Colorado Colorado Springs' Department of Communication - Online Master of Arts in Communication

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) offers an online Master of Arts in Communication through its Department of Communication, which is within the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. This program features two emphasis options in Professional Communication and Applied Media Studies. The Professional Communication emphasis option focuses on organizational, strategic, and leadership communication, while the Applied Media Studies emphasis focuses on analyzing media’s effects and applying critical lenses to communication technology, popular culture, multiculturalism, gender, and other issues that intersect with interpersonal, group, and mass communication.

This program has both a Capstone and a Thesis track. The Capstone track requires students to complete a professionally oriented project that synthesizes all of the concepts, skills, and principles they have learned in their coursework, and to also write a reflective final paper. The Thesis track requires students to complete a work of original scholarship that investigates an issue in organizational communication or media studies. Students of the Capstone track complete a course that guides them through the process of researching, designing, and executing their project, while the Thesis track pairs students with a faculty chair and other faculty advisors who provide guidance as students conduct independent research and analysis.

The curriculum for this program consists of 9-12 credits of course coursework (depending on which track students choose), 15-18 credits of electives, one 3-credit course outside of the Department of Communication, and either the 3-credit capstone course or 6 credits of thesis work. Core courses for this program cover topics such as communication theories in contemporary contexts, research for problem solving, and data-driven insights. After the core courses, students craft a personalized course of study through electives in areas such as communication for teaching and learning, leadership and organizational change, virtual training, integrated marketing communication, crisis communication, entertainment theory and research, multicultural diversity in the workplace, gender and leadership, crisis communication, emerging communication technologies, challenges in radio and television media, communication competence across contexts, and critical analysis of popular culture.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is regionally accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC).