Find Your Voice, Tell Your Story, Make a Difference
Studying media, film, journalism and strategic communication is about more than getting a degree. It’s about joining an engaged community of media-makers and researchers who equip you with the tools to transform your passions into a fulfilling career.
We create learning environments that balance theory and practice by connecting the classroom with the world, bridging the gap between research and creative expression. You’ll explore today’s communication challenges and build tomorrow’s solutions. Internships and travel courses made possible by our network of alumni and our partnerships with local organizations will enhance your experience.
Our internationally recognized faculty emphasize critical thinking, community engagement and experiential learning. Your professors are also your mentors, guiding you through theoretical and historical approaches to the study and practice of media culture as it speaks to multicultural communication and social justice.
Undergraduate Programs
Our undergraduates can major in journalism studies, strategic communication (public relations), film studies and production, and media studies. Students can also pursue a minor in media, film and journalism studies.
Graduate Programs
Graduate students can build connections and expertise through the MA in Media & Public Communication with concentrations in Strategic Communication or Media and Globalization. Alternately, you can create customized course plans in a field of your own design through our interdisciplinary MA in International & Intercultural Communication, a one-of-a-kind program offered in partnership with the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.
Global Awareness
Our international emphasis means you’ll explore issues like the importance of communication in bioterrorism or how nonprofits use strategic messaging campaigns to build relationships. Our faculty screen documentaries and experimental films worldwide, work as active journalists, and tackle research on issues like hygiene in urban Africa or women’s rights in South America.
We are a hub for research on civic engagement and human rights, giving our students access to leading minds in new media industries. At the Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media, we conduct research and host workshops on real-world issues like coverage of immigration and detention issues and new models for news businesses that serve the public.
Make a Difference
We’re committed to social improvement and innovation. Journalism students publish the Clarion, DU’s award-winning newspaper, while film studies students make documentaries on a range of unique subcultures. One student-led initiative, The DU Bike Library, raised $50,000 from the City of Denver. Another student presented her thesis to the Magazine Publishers of America, exploring what it means to be “connected” in today’s world.
Students make a difference by applying their research to Denver’s communities. Students and faculty collaborate on projects like strategic messaging campaigns, social media practices and health communication that tie in-classroom learning to real-world impacts.
The program's emphasis on combining theoretical and practical skills is obvious from the very first class.
Michal Varga Graduate Alumnus
My time at [my internship] has reaffirmed what my classes already established: it really is possible to do meaningful work and improve the world through applied communication.
Daniel Estes Graduate Alumnus
"Media is an incredible tool, but it comes with its own set of inequities. In our classes you have opportunities to think about how inequalities can be amplified and how privilege makes it possible that some people can say more and some have to struggle to be heard."
Lynn Schofield Clark, Journalism Studies Professor
Student Resources
Student Opportunities
Both undergraduate and graduate students take part in our robust internship program. Film students present their work through the InShort Film Showcase and internally-recognized Project DU F.I.L.M., while media studies and journalism students find their voice through the Clarion, DU’s student newspaper; Rocky Mountain Reverb, DU's student-run podcast; and DU Media, the student-run Instagram account that highlights student work.
Discover OpportunitiesFaculty Experts
Our internationally recognized faculty are active researchers and media-makers. They are experts in strategic communication, media studies, film studies and production, journalism and digital media studies. Some recent projects focus on news and inequality, freedom of speech, media and terrorism, Indigenous and day laborer technology use, and gender and media in areas of conflict. Our faculty regularly publish and present both research and creative work on international platforms.
Meet Our FacultyThe Denver Advantage
Denver offers a wide range of opportunities for student internships, fellowships, and community engagement both on- and off-campus. You can gain real-world experience in areas as diverse as arts, culture and entertainment, government and politics, television and radio, health and wellness and digital media and design. Our travel and research grants help fund your community work.
Explore InternshipsMedia, Film & Journalism Studies News
Connect with the MFJS Department Spring 2023
Find out more about MFJS faculty office hours.
Chair's Corner: Fall 2022
MFJS department chair Derigan Silver, PhD, gives an update.
MFJS Podcasts Launch New Seasons
New seasons Rocky Mountain Reverb (RMR) and Hear Allá Presente (HAP) are live across multiple audio streaming platforms.
