Introduction

Strategic Communication has been defined as the management function that entails planning, research, publicity, promotion and collaborative decision-making to help any organization's ability to listen to, appreciate and respond appropriately to those persons and groups whose mutually beneficial relationships the organization needs to foster as it strives to achieve its mission and vision. The Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication is designed to provide students with the principles and theories that guide the work of public relations practitioners in commercial, public and nonprofit contexts.

Non-degree students who enroll in the MA program following completion of the certificate may transfer up to 12 hours of credits earned for the certificate into credits for the MA degree. The certificate also is designed for students enrolled in a CU Denver's master's program, including the Department of Communication's MA program. For such students, the certificate can be completed as part of or in addition to the coursework required for the master's degree.

Recipients of the Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Communication are ineligible to complete this certificate.

Application Procedures and Additional Information

• Students should declare interest in completing the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication by emailing Dr. Hamilton Bean at hamilton.bean@ucdenver.edu.

• Students who intend to complete the Graduate Certificate in Health Communication must apply here. There is no application fee for currently enrolled students. 

• After completion of the required courses, students must submit the Graduate Certificate Completion Form to Dr. Hamilton Bean. Once confirmed, no physical certificate will be mailed to you, but it will be noted on your final transcript.

Additional information about the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communication may be obtained from Dr. Hamilton Bean, Department of Communication, Student Commons Building, 1201 Larimer Street, Suite 3010, 303-315-1909, Hamilton.Bean@ucdenver.edu.

These program requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their Strategic Communication advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.

Graduate Education Policies and Procedures apply to this program.

Certificate Requirements

1. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credits from approved courses.
2. Students must complete all courses at the graduate level (5000 or above) to fulfill the requirements of the certificate.
3. Students must earn a minimum grade of B (3.0) in all certificate courses taken at CU Denver and must achieve a minimum cumulative certificate GPA of 3.0. Students cannot complete certificate or ancillary course requirements as P+/P/F or S/U.
4. All of the credit hours for the certificate must be earned from faculty at the University of Colorado Denver.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete the following required courses: 1		9
COMM 5051	Advanced Strategic Communication
COMM 5240	Organizational Communication
COMM 5939	Internship
Complete a three credit hour graduate level elective course from the College of Arts & Media, School of Business, the School of Public Affairs, or the Anschutz Medical Campus. 2		3
Total Hours		12

¹

Students may be permitted to take courses other than those listed above to fulfill the requirements for the certificate if those courses fit their professional goals better. Requests for approval for substitute courses, including an explanation for the substitution, must be made in writing to Dr. Hamilton Bean.

²

The elective must be approved in consultation with the Department of Communication.

To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.