Prospective Students - Graduate

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Areas of Study and Research

Students earn the master of arts degree at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in two programs: Newsgathering and Mass Communication Research. The school also offers a PhD in communication.

Degrees Offered

MA
MA: 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 media outlets, online publishing and corporate communications.

Students in the Newsgathering program select an emphasis in Print, Broadcast, or a combination of both. Newsgathering students complete internships at radio, television and award-winning newspapers along Colorado's Front Range.

MA-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.

PhD
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.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.

Journalism and Mass Communication Admissions Requirements
MA applicants must:

1. Hold at least a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
2. Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75.
3. Have a GRE verbal score of at least 500. International applicants must have a TOEFL score of at least 550.
4. Provide three letters of recommendation. International applicants must provide four letters of recommendation.
5. Provide a 500-word Statement of Purpose.
6. Provide a resume.
7. On the application form's specialty box, choose one of these options:

   Mass communication research
   Mass communication research with environmental emphasis
   Newsgathering broadcast
   Newsgathering broadcast with environmentalal emphasis
   Newsgathering print
   Newsgathering print with environmental emphasis
   Newsgathering print and broadcast
   Newsgathering print and broadcast with environmental emphasis
   

PhD applicants must:

1. Have a GRE score of at least 1,100 on verbal and quantitative combined.
2. Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25 and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in previous graduate work, if any.
3. Applicants to the PhD in media studies ordinarily are expected to hold a master's degree or to present evidence of other relevant graduate study. In some instances, applicants without a master's degree or other graduate work may be admitted.
4. Provide three letters of recommendation. International applicants must provide four letters of recommendation.
5. Provide a 700-word Statement of Purpose.
6. Provide a resume.
7. Provide a writing sample.
8. On the application form's specialty box, choose Communication (Media studies).

Financial Support Available
MA – A few graduate assistantships are available. Applicants who wish to be considered should submit a letter which includes detailed professional or academic qualifications and a resume by February 1 to the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Applicants are chosen based on experience and the specific skills needed for available assistantships each semester.

PhD – Those admitted to the PhD program are awarded graduate assistantships, including tuition waiver and a stipend.

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline MA, February 1 PhD, January 1 International application deadline December 1 Financial assistance application deadline February 1   Spring admission No   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at Boulder
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Armory 113E
478 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0478
Phone 303-492-5008
Fax 303-492-0969
e-mail: sjmcgrad@colorado.edu
web site: www.colorado.edu/journalism/