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Online Bachelor of Arts in Communication

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Communication is the cornerstone of success in today’s interconnected world. From effective persuasion, to improving interpersonal relationships, to critiquing a public statement, there are highly valuable and sought-after skills that you can gain by studying communication.

BA Communication Program Overview

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Communication is an excellent major for students interested in working with people and groups in a variety of fields.  Communication majors are professionally desirable because they have excellent critical thinking, listening, and writing abilities. They are concerned with understanding society and improving social institutions and the well-being of individuals.

In this program, students will study the practice of public speaking, interpersonal communication, public relations, and argument, and at the same time integrate the theory and research methods that form the basis for these effective strategies. Graduates will be prepared for roles in a wide range of industries and job categories. If they so choose, students can apply the skills learned in this degree program to graduate study in business, public relations, political science, law and more.

BA Communication Program Highlights

High Quality Education

  • Career-relevant communication curriculum that builds advanced skills in strategic messaging, digital media, and audience engagement, preparing students for roles across corporate, nonprofit, and media environments.
  • Instruction led by experienced faculty, combining academic rigor with practical application and online learning support that mirrors the quality of UC’s on-campus communication programs.

Flexibility

  • 100% online
  • Asynchronous coursework
  • Transfer up to 90 applicable credit hours to graduate faster
  • Enroll in the spring, summer, or fall semesters
  • Affordable tuition rates and available financial aid

Support from Application through Graduation

At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:


Admission into the University of Cincinnati’s online BA in Communication program is selective and based on the requirements outlined below.

To approximate which of your existing college credits will transfer, please visit Transferology.

Our Admissions Office is happy to work with you to answer any questions you may have and help determine your eligibility. Contact us today!

Prerequisites

First-Year Students:

  • Official high school transcripts with a minimum GPA of 2.7 (unweighted) or 2.9 (weighted).

Transfer Students:

  • Students that have not completed at least 24 semester (36 quarter) college credit hours:
    • Official high school transcripts with a minimum GPA of 2.7 (unweighted) or 2.9 (weighted) and,
    • Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (all prior institutions combined).
  • Students that have completed at least 24 semester (36 quarter) college credit hours:
    • Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (all prior institutions combined).

All transcripts must be official and students must request the transcripts be sent directly to UC Admissions.

Complete the online application and submit the application fee.

Standard Application Fees:

  • $65.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
  • $70.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
  • $20.00 for domestic applicants to Graduate Certificates
  • $25.00 for international applicants to Graduate Certificates
  • Application fees for UC Online programs are waived through Fall 2026 for all applicants who apply by July 1, 2026
  • Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who: are currently serving in the US armed forces, or are veterans of the US armed forces.

Applications are accepted continuously throughout the year. Please review and submit the following materials:

All applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts during the application process, showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of conferral.

Official transcripts are not required until the student has received and accepted an offer of admission from the university. Once the offer has been confirmed, the student must submit official transcripts.

Students who have received degrees from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official paper copies of their UC transcripts.

For questions regarding international students, contact an Enrollment Services Advisor.

Transcripts can be submitted electronically or by mail. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).

If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly. Then, mail your sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:

Please mail sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:

University of Cincinnati
Office of Admissions
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091

  • To apply to the University of Cincinnati as a transfer student, learners must submit a transfer application form and have official transcripts sent directly to UC from all prior institutions they’ve attended. High school transcripts will not be required for transfer applicants with 24 college credit hours or more.

  • To request these transcripts, please contact your previous institution’s registrar and ask them to send the official transcript to the University of Cincinnati via an approved electronic method such as Parchment, eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or similar services. This is the preferred method. If electronic submission isn’t available, transcripts may be mailed to the Office of Admissions at:

University of Cincinnati 

Office of Admissions 

PO Box 210091 

Cincinnati, OH 45221 

  • Students living abroad are eligible to pursue this program, but will not be qualified for F1 Visa applications.

  • Applicants with college coursework completed outside the United States are required to provide a course-by-course foreign credential evaluation for each college or university you attended outside the United States. This evaluation must be obtained from a service listed on the NACES member website.

At the University of Cincinnati, we offer multiple start dates to accommodate your schedule. 
Term Application Deadline Classes Start

Summer 2026

Fall 2026

March 15, 2026

July 15, 2026

May 11, 2026

August 24, 2026

The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.

The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.

To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.

UC BA Communication student Cedar taking a selfie while wearing sunglasses.

“I chose to pursue UC's online Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree because I could do it entirely online. I never expected to become a UC student, but I am so happy to be. UC is a wonderful school. I’ve loved all the people I have met and the professors I’ve had so far. The whole experience has opened my eyes to different career opportunities and skills that I possess.”

Cedar R.

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Student

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