2023-2024 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Catalog

Communication, Online MA


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The Master of Arts (MA) in Communication at UCCS offers students the opportunity to engage in advanced study and to develop graduate-level expertise for addressing complex communication problems in modern organizations and social systems. The mission of our graduate program is to help students develop an array of scholarly, personal, and professional communication skills suitable to a variety of contexts by connecting communication knowledge, theory, and research capacities to real-world situations. In addition, our program seeks to instill in students a passion for intellectual and theoretical discovery that transcends career objectives and course expectations. 

Learning Outcomes: Honoring Our Mission

Upon graduation, all of our students will demonstrate these competencies:

  • Describe communication as an area of study, and communication theories and processes that have contemporary application.
  • Evaluate communication theory, data, and information relevant to communication problems in work, community, or global contexts.
  • Use primary or secondary research and data effectively and ethically to analyze, gain insight, and/or provide a solution to a communication issue, problem, or question.
  • Present ideas or information creatively, effectively, and ethically in an oral format.
  • Produce written communication that is a clear, persuasive, professional, and ethical synthesis of ideas and information.

Program of Graduate Study

Thesis and non-thesis options are available. See below for course requirement details.

With both plans, no more than 6 credit hours of graduate course work may be transferred from other universities to fulfill the degree requirements for the MA in Communication. With both plans, only 3 credit hours of COMM 9500 Independent Study, and 3 credits of COMM 6020 Communication Research Practicum, may be applied to the degree requirements as electives.

Course Requirements


Plan I: Thesis - 33 credit hours


  • Three core courses.
  • Five elective courses (chosen from list below).
  • One graduate-level course from outside the department.
  • 6 credit hours of thesis ( ).

Plan II: Non-thesis - 33 credit hours


  • Four core courses.
  • Six elective courses (chosen from list below).
  • One graduate level course from outside the department.
  • COMM 6050 (Communication Capstone).

Admission Requirements


There are multiple application processes to the Communication, MA. Please see the Communications web page on graduate applications at https://www.uccs.edu/comm/application-process, and the UCCS Graduate School web page at http://www.uccs.edu/graduateschool/prospective-students/admissions.html for full admission information.

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