Round 1 Priority Admission | Feb 01 Deadline
UPSKILL WITHOUT A CAREER PAUSE
Build leadership and strategic AI skills, grow your network, and study while you work.
AI is changing how communications work is done. Employers value professionals who can guide strategy, lead teams, and decide how AI should be used.
That is what you will build at the University of Washington’s Communication Leadership Master’s Program.
Our AI-ready curriculum, designed by industry leaders, builds on the experience you already have. You’ll develop skills in leadership, storytelling, and AI fluency.
Study part-time while you work, or full-time to finish in as little as 12 months. Either way, you choose the pace that fits your career goals.
Apply by Feb 01 to be automatically considered for a $5,000 scholarship.
Up to 10 merit scholarships are available, with no extra application required.
What You’ll Graduate With
With 8 specialized tracks and 3 unique degrees to choose from, you’ll build strategic expertise in the areas that matter most to you.
Turn your experience into judgment and influence, beyond execution work
Cohort peers, industry mentors, and 1,400+ alumni across industries
Skills to guide how teams adopt, use, and govern AI responsibly
Keep working as you study part-time, or finish in as little as 12 months full-time
Put your skills to work on real client projects in class
Our Edge
Public-university tuition at $887 per credit — nearly half the cost of comparable degrees
STEM-designated degrees with an AI-ready curriculum
Industry practitioner faculty and an intimate 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Testimonials
Our students bring years of experience from many fields. The program helps them turn it into their next role.
Joe Hunich
Communications Specialist
Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
“Prior to enrolling in the Communication Leadership program, all my professional experience was in the education field. [After graduating] I was able to leverage my MCCN skills to land a job where I get to be involved in all kinds of community building work in my own hometown. I learned a lot from the way my colleagues and instructors modeled creativity, leadership, and friendship.”
Ekta Dokania
Marketing Manager
T-Mobile
“I joined this program to update my skills and knowledge of the evolution of the comms industry since my last stint at full time work almost 6 years ago. I built a network of industry professionals, gained practical work experience, and landed my first job in corporate America. The MCCL degree really helped me to restart my career in communications and also to pivot to integrated marketing in a new country.”
Join A Professional Community
Our graduates work at the world’s top companies — an alumni network of 1,400+ professionals.
Common Questions Before Applying
The Communities & Networks degree (MCCN) is built for mid-career professionals. It builds on your experience with hands-on leadership training and building strategic communications. If your focus is digital media and marketing, the Digital Media degree (MCDM) may fit better. Both are 45 credits.
You can switch degrees once after starting, so your first choice doesn’t lock you in.
Compare degrees.
Classes are held in person on the Seattle campus, with some scheduled in the evenings or on weekends so you can keep working while you study — the program is designed to be flexible for working professionals through its curriculum and how it is offered.
Part-time students usually finish MCCN or MCDM in 2–3 years. If you study full-time, you can finish MCCN or MCDM in as little as 12 months.
We look at candidates’ creativity, demonstrated leadership, and communication skills more than test scores or past grades. The GRE and GMAT aren’t required. Your personal statement and short answers are the place to show what your experience has prepared you for.
Applications submitted by February 1, 11:59 pm PT are reviewed first, and you’ll have a decision by March 31. All admitted Round 1 applicants are automatically considered for up to 10 merit scholarships of about $5,000 each, with no extra materials. Rounds 2 and 3 have limited spots.
If you still don’t find what you are looking for on our website, email commlead@uw.edu.
You can also Book A Meeting with one of our student advisors to hear about what it is like to be in the program. Or attend one of our Admissions Events.
University of Washington
Department of Communication