COM COMMUNICATION (Evans School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences)
200. Participation - 1 hour
By student election, one hour's elective credit per semester in
publications, speech or broadcasting activities, up to a maximum of
three hours within the major.
201. Foundations of Mass Communication - 3-0-3
Survey of the history and functions of contemporary media and their roles in a democratic society.
203. Rhetoric and Public Address- 3-0-3
Critical Understanding and application of historical and theoretical
foundations of contemporary public address, with practice in public
speaking. Speech preparation emphasizes research, audience analysis,
strategic development of ideas, organization and delivery.
206. Voice and Diction Improvement - 3-0-3
Foundation course in the area of speech effectiveness; the speech
mechanism with emphasis on vocal flexibility and articulation. Speech
laboratory work included.
253. Photography - 3-0-3
Introduction to photography. Emphasis on films, lighting, exposures,
composition, basic digital-image handling, and camera types and uses.
Laboratory course. Materials fee.
300. Visual Rhetoric - 3-0-3
Study of visual theory, visual literacy and how visual images are
used to persuade. Students study and interpret audience specific visual
culture and communication, and the rhetoric of visual materials.
301. Reporting and Writing - 2-2-3
Basic reporting and writing for multiple media platforms. Includes
an introduction to journalism ethics. Laboratory included.
302. Visual Media Criticism - 3-0-3
Application of critical theory through the development of skills for
evaluating television, film, photographic and digital media texts, with
emphasis on visual media's social, cultural and representational roles
in society. PR: COM 300
303. Editing - 3-0-3
Selection, editing and preparation of written and visual materials
for online publications, newspapers, magazines and related media. Also
studied are the ethics of journalism. Laboratory included. PR: COM 301.
305. Multimedia Production - 2-2-3
Development and demonstration of analytical and critical thinking
skills related to the interaction of digital media in visual
communication designed for specific audiences. Laboratory Included.
Materials Fee. PR: COM 300, COM 301 and COM 303.
306. Public-Affairs Reporting - 3-0-3
An advanced course in analyzing, interpreting and reporting
governmental and other hard-news beats with practical assignments for
print media. PR: COM 301.
307. Commercial Photography and Production - 3-0-3
Professional digital photography with an emphasis on creating solutions
for portrait, industrial, advertising, and commercial illustration using
advanced digital image techniques. Survey of business practices in
professional photography, including ethical, legal, and copyright
issues. Students must have their own 35mm manually adjustable SLR or
digital SLR camera. Laboratory course. Materials Fee. PR: COM 300 and
COM 301.
312. Contemporary Persuasion - 3-0-3
Examination and analysis of contemporary persuasion in various
rhetorical contexts. Experience in creation, development and
presentation of persuasive messages. PR: COM 203.
314. Oral Interpretation - 3-0-3
Theory and practice of oral interpretation of literature. Reading recital by class members.
320. Programming and Distribution - 3-0-3
Overview of the television, film, photography and digital
industries, focusing on content development, programming strategies,
audience analysis, management structure and distribution of content.
322. Feature Writing - 3-0-3
Study of soft-news reporting and writing with practical assignments
for newspapers, magazines and other periodicals. PR: COM 301 or CI.
326. Scriptwriting and Copywriting - 3-0-3
Basic principles of dramatic scriptwriting for film, television and
digital media and writing for photographic and visual copy.
329. Digital Storytelling- 3-0-3
Introduction to new media and strategies for effective communication
through them. Students will analyze the technical and rhetorical
possibilities of online environments, including interactivity,
hyper-linking, spatial orientation and non-linear storytelling.
PR: COM 301.
331. Economics of News- 3-0-3
This course examines the forces that have established news media
systems and contemporary business practice. Emphasis on market
structure, conduct, performance, competition, responses to new
technologies in news media markets and distributions models.
353. Photojournalism - 2-2-3
Use of photography to report and tell stories in the media. topics
include covering news with a camera, writing cutlines, doing photo
essays, editing photography, manipulating digital images, and applying
law and ethical codes. Students must have their own 35mm manually
adjustable SLR or digital SLR camera. Laboratory course. Materials Fee.
375. Principles of Public Relations - 3-0-3
Development and current status of public relations in business,
government and other organizations, with emphasis on principles and
techniques and their effectiveness. PR: COM 301 or CI.
380. Public Relations Writing - 3-0-3
Strategies and techniques of public-relations writing, with emphasis
given to preparation and dissemination of a variety of formats and
media. PR: COM 301.
385. Public Relations Cases and Campaigns - 3-0-3
Research and preparation of an integrated public-relations campaign,
along with a study of the operation and objectives of effective public
relations using a case-study approach.
PR: COM 375.
390. Public Relations Administration - 3-0-3
Operation and objectives of public-relations programs; emphasis on
relating the management functions of decision making, policy formation
and evaluation to the communication process. PR: COM 375.
415WI. Theories of Communication - 3-0-3
Nature of the communication process with emphasis on mass media;
coverage of a broad range of theories that attempt to explain
contemporary communication phenomena.
416WI. Media Law - 3-0-3
Constitutional and legislative foundations of freedom of speech and
press, with special emphasis on the law of libel, privacy, censorship,
access and broadcast regulation. CR or PR: COM 201 or CI.
417. Methods of Audience Analysis - 3-0-3
Techniques for conducting and interpreting audience analysis, with
focus on demographic and psychographic methods used by communicators in a
wide range of disciplines including broadcasting, journalism,
advertising and public relations.
418. Gender and Media - 3-0-3
Portrayals of males and females in U.S. media, including television,
print, advertising and film, with discussion of the impact of such
representations on audiences, the social inequities historically found
in media content, professions and institutions and the contributions of
alternative and feminist media to the field of mass communication.
425. Narrative Video Production - 2-2-3
A comprehensive introduction to the aesthetics, techniques and
process of digital cinematography, nonlinear editing and visual
compositioning applied to narrative production. Laboratory course.
Materials fee. PR: COM 300.
428. Topics in Communication - 1 to 3 hours
Concentrated advanced study in a special topic in communication. May be repeated for a maximum of three hours of credit.
429. Seminar in Communication - 3-0-3
Special topics in communication. PR: CI.
450. Senior Seminar in Ethics- 3-0-3
Synthesis of communication research and theory with a special focus
on media ethics using the tools of ethical reasoning and critical
analysis. Issues of ethics and social responsibility confronting
contemporary media will be addressed through readings, research and case
studies. Students must successfully complete designated reading and
writing assignments, major field examinations and a either a major
research or creative project, and a portfolio for departmental review.
PR: SS
496. Academic Internship - 3 to 12 hours
Problem-oriented experiences on specific academic projects relating
to the individual student's program of study, planned in consultation
with the student's advisor. Only three hours may be applied toward the
major. PR: See general provisions for academic internships in this
catalog.