• MA in Communication (Online)

Students can pursue the MA in Communication fully online. The online degree offers convenience, flexible schedules, ease of work-life balance, and earning career enhancing credentials while keeping a full-time job. There is no emphasis option currently available for our online degree program.

• MA in Communication (Mountain Campus)

Students pursue their degree in residence at Flagstaff’s stunning Mountain campus, enrolling in a mix of select online courses with in person classes and learning opportunities. Be a part of the Flagstaff community in one of the “best college towns in the nation.” Competitive funding is available for some Flagstaff resident students including teaching assistantships and tuition assistance.

Students completing their degree on the Mountain campus have the option of adding a specialized emphasis to their MA degree. Please note that an emphasis is not required. There are two emphasis options: Documentary Studies and Strategic Communication.

• MA in Communication - Documentary Studies Emphasis.

This option is offered face-to-face only. Students who pursue the emphasis in documentary studies will take a course of study that prepares them to create professional documentary work. Students engage in intensive research and fieldwork while obtaining professional production skills in storytelling. Documentarians produce stories that give shape and meaning to our understanding of culture, social life and history.

• MA in Communication - Strategic Communication Emphasis.

This option is offered face-to-face only. The emphasis in strategic communication equips students with the strong communication and promotional skills needed to manage the reputation of important clients. Students take three emphasis courses in Crisis Communication, Social Media Analytics and Management and Mass Communication and Human Behavior.

• Accelerated Master of Arts in Communication
  • BS (Strategic Communication, Advertising emphasis) – MA (Communication, Strategic Communication emphasis). For more detailed information please look at this PDF document (BS_StratComm_ADV_MA_Comm_StratComm_F23).
  • BS (Strategic Communication, Advertising & Public Relations double emphasis) – MA (Communication, Strategic Communication emphasis). For more detailed information please look at this PDF document (BS_StratComm_Double_MA_Comm_StratComm_F23).For additional information please contact Janice Sweeter.
  • BS (Strategic Communication, Public Relations emphasis) – MA (Communication, Strategic Communication emphasis). For more detailed information please look at this PDF document (BS_StratComm_PR_MA_Comm_StratComm_F23).
  • BS (Creative Media & Film, Media Studies emphasis) – MA (Communication, general/no emphasis). Reflects catalog changes for AY 2023-24. For more detailed information please look at this PDF document (BS_CMF_ms_MA_Comm_Doc_F23).
  • BS (Creative Media & Film, Documentary emphasis) – MA (Communication, Documentary Studies emphasis). Reflects catalog changes for AY 2023-24. For more detailed information please look at this PDF document (BS_CMF_Doc_MA_Comm_Doc_F23).

Application deadlines

We review applications twice each year (in the fall and spring semesters) for admission for the next regular semester (spring and fall) for online-only MA, accelerated (BS-to-MA), and graduate certificate students.  For on-campus MA students, applications are only reviewed once each year, in the spring for admission for the fall semester.

The MA in Communication application deadlines:

Spring admissions are for online, accelerated, and graduate certificate students only. All on-campus admissions for the MA in Communication (except for accelerated students) are for fall admission only. For spring admission, all materials DUE by October 1. For fall admission:

• Preferential deadline for admission: All materials DUE by February 15.
• Final deadline for admission and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship: All materials DUE by February 15.
• General application (non-GTA) final deadline: All materials DUE by April 1.

Applicants who meet the preferential deadlines will be given early consideration and prioritization. Applicants who meet the preferential deadline but who are not admitted after the preferential pool is assessed will be considered again in the context of the full pool of applicants.

Graduate Certificate in Communication Studies application deadlines:

• For spring admission: all materials DUE by October 1
• For fall admission: all materials DUE by July 1

Graduate Certificate in Science Communication application deadlines:

Please contact Peter Friederici at Peter.Friederici@nau.edu Be aware that all application materials are due by these dates. If you have questions about the program or the application process, contact email us at comgrad@nau.edu.