BA Mass Communication

Hands-on media production is one of the strongest features of CMU’s Mass Communication program. Students have access to two Mac Lab classrooms, a multi-camera television studio, an audio production studio with multitrack capability, field-production equipment and post-production software, while CMU’s partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS supports access to professional-level studio equipment. Practical learning continues outside the classroom through television, radio, newspaper, magazine, photography, internships and real public-facing media work.

Students can turn these facilities into professional experience through:

• Two Mac Lab Classrooms: CMU uses Macintosh computers in all computer-based Mass Communication courses, giving students hands-on digital-production experience during class. The current catalog also advises majors to consider access to related print and web publication software.

• Adobe InDesign: MASS 352 – Print Design and Production for Editors specifically introduces and uses Adobe InDesign, alongside typography, digital design, press-ready PDFs, page production and CMYK printing.

• Professional TV Studio: Through CMU’s Rocky Mountain PBS partnership, students have access to a multi-camera television studio with professional production equipment. MASS 372 – TV Studio Production develops skills in multi-camera production, live editing, videography, graphics, audio manipulation, nonlinear editing and scriptwriting.

• Audio Production Studio: CMU operates an audio-production studio with multitrack session capability, supporting students interested in radio, audio storytelling, announcing and production. MASS 261 – Audio Announcing and Production lets students create programs and formats for both traditional and emerging audio distribution.

• Field Production Equipment: MASS 271 – Video Production provides hands-on experience using broadcast-quality field-production equipment while students work on videography, scripting, graphic layout and nonlinear editing.

• Documentary & News Production: In MASS 357 – Documentary and News Producing, students work as producers, researchers, interviewers, writers, videographers and on-camera or voice talent while creating original stories for broadcast, print and web.

• CMU-TV: Students can work for the university’s student-operated television station, producing news and sports programming that is broadcast on campus television and livestreamed on YouTube. This provides experience with real deadlines, production teams and public-facing broadcasts.

• KMSA Radio: Students can gain radio experience through KMSA, CMU’s student-operated and student-managed full-service radio station, which broadcasts music, specialty shows, news and sports throughout the year.

• The Criterion: CMU’s student newspaper gives students practical experience in reporting, editing, photojournalism, web design, opinion writing and social-media news, while publishing both in print and online.

• Horizon Magazine: Students produce a professional-level magazine, contributing through writing, photography, page design, illustration and social-media management. CMU reports that Horizon has repeatedly received the Society of Professional Journalists’ regional Mark of Excellence recognition.

• Practicum Experience: MASS 397 provides supervised practical experience with student media, and further practicum study can involve student media outlets or CMU Sports Information.

• Required Internship: Every Mass Communication major must complete an internship before graduation. CMU lists previous placements with organisations including Associated Press, USA Today.com, MTV, Fox News-TV, KCNC-TV, KKCO-TV, Denver Broncos, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Olympic Training Center, across broadcasting, journalism and public relations.

• Real-World Interviewing: In 2026, Mass Communication students conducted a formal interview with Colorado Governor Jared Polis, with students researching questions and working on studio visuals and audio—an example of the program providing real public-facing journalism experience.

• Senior Portfolio: MASS 493 – Senior Project Portfolio helps students identify and prepare their strongest journalism, production, PR and digital-media work to demonstrate their professional skills to prospective employers.

The degree is deliberately broad, preparing graduates to move between journalism, broadcasting, public relations, social media and digital content as the media industry changes. Strong career matches include Social Media Director/Media Strategist, Journalist or Freelance Journalist, Television Producer/Content Producer and Public Relations or Communication Specialist, with additional routes into photography, videography, radio, advertising and digital-media production.

CMU supports the move from student to media professional through:

• Alumni & Career Services: Students can access career exploration, workshops, career fairs, employer visits and individual guidance to develop career plans and make employer connections. CMU also uses Handshake for internship and job opportunities.

• Required Industry Experience: The mandatory MASS 499 internship means students complete professional media experience before graduating rather than entering the job market with classroom learning alone.

• Internship-to-Employment Potential: CMU states that students who complete paid internships are 2.4 times more likely to secure employment related to their degree. This is a university-wide internship statistic rather than a Mass Communication graduate-employment rate.

• Rocky Mountain PBS Partnership: The program’s relationship with Rocky Mountain PBS provides access to professional-quality TV and audio-production resources, strengthening preparation for broadcasting and production careers.

• Professional Media Network: CMU’s published internship history includes placements with Associated Press, MTV, USA Today.com, television stations, radio stations, professional sports organisations, government agencies and PR organisations, giving students exposure to several areas of the media industry.

• Graduate Career Examples: CMU highlights alumni who have progressed to roles such as Director of Social Media at Light & Wonder, NFL Content Programming Associate, Communications Specialist for Mesa County, Associate Director working on Walt Disney Studios advertising, Editor-in-Chief and professional radio DJ.

• From Internship to Employment: CMU graduate Olivia Pelaez first worked with Mesa County as a Social Media Coordinator intern before becoming a Communications Specialist, while graduate Megan Dirksen completed a digital-marketing internship with Proximity Space that led to employment after graduation.

• Portfolio for Employers: The combination of student media, practicum, production coursework, internship experience and MASS 493 Senior Project Portfolio allows students to graduate with tangible published or produced work rather than only an academic transcript.

• Accreditation Value: CMU’s HLC accreditation was reaffirmed for another ten-year cycle in 2024, supporting the institutional recognition of the bachelor’s qualification and the transferability and credibility associated with an accredited U.S. university degree.

• Employment Statistics & Salary: CMU’s current official Mass Communication pages do not publish a verified program-specific employment percentage or average graduate salary. To remain within official university evidence, a Mass Communication-specific salary figure should therefore not be claimed.

Further Academic Progression:
The Mass Communication program explicitly states that it prepares graduates for graduate school as well as professional employment. Students can continue into master's-level study in areas such as Mass Communication, Journalism, Strategic Communication, Public Relations, Digital Media, Broadcasting or Media Studies, depending on the specialist direction they develop during the bachelor's degree; however, CMU’s current 2026–27 catalog does not list a dedicated graduate degree in Mass Communication, so students seeking a specialist master's in this field would generally progress to an appropriate graduate program at another university.