COURSE CURRICULUM

University of Colorado Denver offers a flexible and career-focused Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a curriculum designed to help students build practical communication, analytical, and leadership skills for modern professional environments. The program includes a unique core structure that allows students to customize their academic experience or follow one of six popular pathways: Media and Cultural Studies, Strategic Communication, Community Service and Public Affairs, Global and Intercultural Communication, Health Communication, and Inquiry and Analysis. Students complete 39 credit hours in communication while developing skills in storytelling, professional presentations, critical thinking, research, writing, and adapting communication strategies across different media platforms. Coursework covers subjects such as Communication and Communities, Health Communication, Designing Health Messages, Global Communication, Media Studies, Communication Citizenship and Social Justice, Intercultural Communication, and Researching and Writing in Communication. Students also have the opportunity to strengthen their qualifications by earning certificates alongside their bachelor’s degree in areas including Global and Intercultural Communication, Health Communication, Mediation, Strategic Communication, and Digital Studies. The program concludes with an exit course that prepares students for careers or graduate education through options such as Advanced Strategic Communication, internships, thesis or project work, travel studies, and senior seminars like Transitioning from College to Career or Queer Media Studies. In addition to communication courses, students complete the CU Denver Core Curriculum, which includes English, mathematics, arts and humanities, sciences, and cultural diversity studies, along with College of Liberal Arts and Sciences core courses focused on reasoning, psychology, scientific writing, and public health. The curriculum emphasizes real-world learning experiences such as internships and study abroad opportunities, helping students gain professional exposure and practical experience. Graduates are prepared for careers in media, business, public relations, healthcare communication, government, nonprofit organizations, and many other communication-centered industries.