Graduate Programs
Master’s Degrees +
More than 70 students are earning master of arts degrees at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in two degree programs: newsgathering and mass communication research.
Newsgathering +
The newsgathering option is designed for students with limited academic or professional experience in news reporting and writing. It prepares students to work in a wide variety of professional settings including newspapers and magazines, broadcast and cable media outlets, online publishing, and corporate communications. Students in the newsgathering program select an emphasis in print, broadcast or a combination. Newsgathering students complete internships at radio, television, and award-winning daily newspapers along Colorado’s Front Range. The program culminates with a professional project. Students complete a minimum of 36 graduate semester hours and should be able to finish the degree in two years
Mass Communication Research +
The mass communication research option offers an opportunity for critical reflection on contemporary media structures, performance, policy, and practice. It provides graduate-level study in communication theory, research methods and relevant realms of culture, law, history, politics, and ethics. The research track is designed for students interested in an in-depth study of media or for those who wish to enhance an undergraduate or professional media background. The program is especially recommended for students desiring to continue their studies toward a PhD and for professionals seeking to teach at the college level or develop an area of reporting specialization. Total required hours: 33. Prerequisites: None, unless students wish to update their knowledge in specific areas or lack background in the course of study they choose to pursue.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Environmental Policy +
In collaboration with the university’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Environmental Policy, the school offers students the opportunity to earn both the master’s degree in journalism, with an emphasis in environmental journalism, and the Certificate in Environmental Policy. The time to complete the degree and the certificate is estimated to be about two years.
Deadlines for Master’s Programs +
The domestic application deadline is February 1. International applications must be submitted by December 1. Applications received after February 1 will be considered on a space-available basis.
Doctoral Degree in Communication +
The PhD in communication offered by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication is dedicated to interdisciplinary inquiry into the social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of media, nationally and internationally, historically and in contemporary societies.
Because of the centrality of communication and media in social and individual life, media theory and research draw from a wide range of fields and disciplines, including political science, sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, history, linguistics, economics, anthropology, business, psychology, literature, law and public policy. The interdisciplinary nature of media studies is reflected in the research interests of the graduate faculty and in the curriculum, in which students take a significant portion of their course work outside the school and receive training in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In general, the curriculum within the school focuses on the following areas: the range of theories, disciplines, and methodological approaches that have contributed centrally to the field of media studies; the institutional and cultural sources of meaning; the history and development of media industries and systems; and the relationship of media to other social institutions.
Doctoral students in the media studies program must take 42 hours of course work, pass the written and oral comprehensive examinations at the conclusion of course work, and prepare and defend a dissertation. The course work includes a two-semester Proseminar (6 hours), which is required of all first-year doctoral students in the program; 15–18 hours of electives within the school; 12–15 hours of electives taken outside the school; and 6 hours of methods (the qualitative and quantitative methods courses offered within the school).
Applicants to the PhD program in media studies are expected to hold the master’s degree or equivalent graduate work. In exceptional cases, applicants without a master’s degree may be considered for admittance.
Deadlines for Doctoral Programs +
The domestic application deadline is January 1. International applications must be submitted by December 1. Applications received by the school after January 1 will not be considered.
