Communication

This course provides an in-depth approach to using software and graphics for the development of a variety of publications and materials, including newsletters, advertisements and public relations pieces.

This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts, vocabulary, theories and processes relevant to understanding communication. The various contexts of communication are explored: intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, public, and mass. Students also gain an appreciation for the careers in which human communication plays an especially important role. This course fulfills the Personal Place requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course emphasizes the skills of reporting. Practice in writing and editing news and sports stories and feature articles, with a glance at reviews, editorials, and columns is also provided. This course is required of all students majoring or minoring in Communication. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118.

This course introduces students to the skills needed to write analytical papers in the communication discipline. Students will develop reading and writing skills through a lens of the discipline, its research, and its theories. Students will learn how to write abstracts, discussion posts, journal entries, and literature reviews. Emphasis will be placed on the conventions of APA style. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118.

This course introduces the major forms of speech, concentrating on the primary elements of public addresses and group discussion. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118. The course DOES NOT count toward the major or minor in Communication. This course fulfills the Oral Communication requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course is the study of selected topics of interest in the field of communication. The topic may differ each time the course is offered and may be proposed by the instructor or students. This course may be taken for credit any number of times, provided that a different topic is studied each time.

This course is a survey of the major theories of human communication, attitude development, and change. Systems, symbolic interaction, cognitive, behavioral, interpretive, critical, and other theoretical perspectives are studied. Prerequisites: COM 225 and a grade of 'C' or better in COM 103 or COM 105.

This course focuses on theories and exercises in verbal and nonverbal communication within interpersonal relationships. Students improve their interpersonal skills by examining issues involving language, nonverbal communication, culture, listening, conflict resolution, and self-concept. Prerequisites: ENG 112 or WRI 118 and COM 225. This course fulfills the Personal Place requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course emphasizes the importance of good interpersonal communication skills, ethics, cultural awareness in health-related interactions. Professional-to-patient, patient-to-professional, and professional-to-professional perspectives are studied. Prerequisite: COM 225.

This course explores the dynamic forms of mass media and persuasion in society, including advertising, politics, and entertainment. Prerequisites: ENG 112 or WRI 118 and COM 225. This course fulfills the Engaging Our World requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of how people communicate in gendered styles. Students will examine how gender affects the communication process in a variety of communication contexts, including interpersonal, organizational, and within the media. Students will study the formation of gender identities and examine gender roles in society. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118. This course fulfills the Personal Place requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course is an in-depth exploration of the intricate relationship between sports and communication, providing students with theoretical insights and practical skills essential for success int he sports industry. Students will examine the fundamental principles, strategies, and challenges inherent in sport communication across various media platforms, including traditional and digital channels. Prerequisite: ENG 113 or WRI 118

This course studies advanced practices of journalism. It will focus on the use of digital techniques to generate story ideas, gather and report information, engage the public, tell stories using different media, and publish and promote content. Prerequisite: WRI 118.

The purpose of this course is to focus on the importance of culture in our everyday lives, and the ways in which culture interrelates with and affects communication processes. The course is designed to increase sensitivity to other cultures and provide and introduction to and exploration of the core concepts within intercultural communication. Students will increase awareness of their own cultural backgrounds, and the contexts (social, cultural and historical) in which they live and communicate. Prerequisite: Take ENG 112 or WRI 118. This course fulfills the Cultural and Global Place requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course studies communication as it serves the political system, society, and Americans as individuals. Topics include communication in the governing process and in campaigns, and communication as a way of expressing and reinforcing political values. Course goals are to help students understand the roles and functions of communication in American politics, to identify the variables and actors in political communication, and to investigate the roles of the mass media in American politics. Prerequisites: ENG-112 or WRI-118. This course fulfills the Engaging Our World requirement in the General Education Curriculum. Cross-listed with PLS-325.

This course provides an introduction to the field of public relations. The course provides practice with the duties associated with public relations, including writing press releases, working with publications, and event/promotion planning. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118.

This course will focus on the influence media has on the rise of social justice. Particular attention will be placed on social movements that have taken place through various forms of media, including but not limited to social media. Students will examine the rise of such movements from origin to outcome and uncover particular aspects of media and its role in the success or failure of each. The course will utilize a theoretical and practical approach in the examination. In addition to readings, students will also participate in the utilization of podcasting, blogging, and video production to further comprehension in the use of such media for a specific cause. This course fulfills the Engaging Our World requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course will focus on key elements of crisis and issues management, including theoretical approaches and applications, as well as crisis management and communication strategies. Students will examine factors that constitute a crisis and explore how businesses communicate with external and internal audiences before, during, and after crises. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating message effectiveness and the role of social media. Leadership, transparency, and social responsibility will also be considered. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introductory perspective to the study of pop culture. Student will examine how pop culture validates our common experience and affects our daily lives. Students will study the roles mass-mediated popular culture plays in our lives. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118. This course fulfills the Engaging Our World requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

From movie theaters to video games, television adaptations, t-shirts, lunchboxes, and almost every form of advertising or media merchandise that exists, superheroes are a constant presence in popular culture. It is through this genre that we understand when someone refers to something as their "personal kryptonite" or that they are "team captain America". However, we often ignore the political and philosophical content that is deeply-rooted within this popular genre. Much like other forms of media, the superhero narrative provides an understanding of the political and cultural values that have shaped it. This course will explore the genre of popular superhero media from a critical perspective, allowing students to develop techniques and skills to analyze the impact of superheroes on cultural, political, and personal values. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118. This course fulfills the Cultural and Global Place requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course will provide a foundation for understanding social media's impact on society and how organizations implement social media to achieve outcomes. The course will focus on understanding social media platforms, strategies, and tactics. Students will explore practical techniques to create engaging social media content across various platforms. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118

In this course, students will learn to use strategic storytelling to create engaging narratives for print and digital media, including press releases, web content, and brand loyalty initiatives. Students will analyze real-world marketing and media campaigns, develop audience personas, craft narratives, and experience the storytelling process from initial concept to measuring impact. Prerequisite: WRI 118 or ENG 112.

This course will provide an examination of the principles and practices of strategic communication within organizations. Topics may include branding, social media, crisis management, event planning, and ethics. Emphasis will be placed on strategic communication planning. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118

This course is a study of selected topic of interest in the field of communication. The topics may differ each time the course is offered and may be proposed by the instructor or students. This course may be taken for credit any number of times, provided that a different topic is studied each time. Prerequisites: COM 225 and ENG 112 or WRI 118. Note: When offered in conjunction with COM 290, students at 390 level will do an extra research paper or project.

This course will investigate how media and communication technologies intersect with popular culture, providing students with an introduction to the fundamental approaches, theories, and perspectives of critical media studies. The specific mediated communication topic may differ each time the course is offered and may include a show film, series, genre, or other aspect. This course may be taken for credit any number of times, provided that a different topic is studied each time. Prerequisite: Eng 112 or WRI 118 This course fulfills the Engaging Our World requirement in the General Education Curriculum.

This course serves as a capstone course designed to allow student majors or minors in communication to apply their course work to professional and theoretical issues in communication. It includes in-depth readings in communication journals to gain a broader understaning of the discipline, a survey of employment in related fields, post-graduate study options, and completion and evaluation of student portfolios. Prerequisites: Open only to Communication majors or minors who have completed 70 hours with at least 18 hours of Communication.

The course examines the principles and practical applications of effective communication in professional contexts. Students will explore various communication channels, including verbal, nonverbal, and digital, while developing strategies for conveying messages with clarity, persuasiveness, and professionalism. Emphasis will be placed on culitivating a professional personal brand identity. Prerequisite: ENG-112 or WRI-118

The course is the study of persuasion and the application of critical thinking. This course will cover the basic model of argument, constructing valid arguments, fallacies, and teach students the importance of using persuasion in an ethical manner. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or WRI 118.

This course is a directed investigation in the field of Communication through the application of research techniques leading to a research project and/or paper. This course may be repeated for a total of six credit hours. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor, Division Chair, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

This course provides a supervised field placement experience for the advanced communication major or minor in an organization, business, or media outlet related to the practice of communication activities. This course is open only to communication majors or minors, usually in their senior year, after fulfilling most other course requirements. In addition to work at the internship site, students must participate in regular class meetings that are designed to enhance the internship learning experience and strengthen communication skills most relevant to employment and career success. Prerequisites: Open only to Communication majors or minors who have completed 60 credit hours and permission of Instructor, Division Chair, and Dean.

The course provides a directed study in a specific area of communication literature and practice not covered by existing courses within the curriculum. Prerequisited: Permission of the Instructor, Division Chair, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

This course explores the strategic role of social media in organizational communication, brand management, and audience engagement. Students will gain hands-on experience with social media planning, content creation, platform analytics, and campaign management across major platforms and emerging tools. Emphasis is placed on aligning social media strategies with organizational goals, analyzing engagement metrics, adapting to platform algorithms, and managing online communities. Students will also examine ethical considerations and develop the skills needed to lead effective and data-driven social media initiatives in both corporate and nonprofit settings. Prerequisites: Admission to a graduate program or permission of the instructor.

This course explores essential ethical principles and dilemmas faced by communication professionals in diverse settings, with a focus on the challenges posed by media and emerging technologies, including articicial intelligence (AI). By integrating theoretical frameworks with practical applications, students will examine strategies for effective and ethical communication within professional contexts. The course emphasizes the identification, analysis, and evaluation of ethical issues in interpersonal, organizational, and mediated environments, including the use of AI in digital communication. Students will develop a comprehensive ethical framework, enabling them to navigate moral challenges in both traditional and technology-driven communication efforts while upholding integrity and transparency.

This course examines the theories, strategies, and practices of strategic communications with an emphasis on the crucial role strategic communications plays to achieve organizational objectives. Topics include communication strategies, media, audience identification, message development, and the role of strategic communications in organizations and in society. The critical role of digital media in developing and executing an effective strategic communications plan will be explored.

This course explores leadership and communication in organizations and society. Students in this course will study leadership theories, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, ethics, strategic communication, and the future of leadership in a digital age. Students will apply concepts to develop their leadership philosophy and communication skills. Prerequisites: Admission to a graduate program or permission of the instructor.

This course explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming strategic communication practices, equipping students with the skills to leverage AI tools for data analysis, content creation, audience targeting, and campaign optimization. Students will examine how AI technologies can enhance communication strategies and improve decision-making processes. Students will learn to incorporate AI into their communication workflows, developing innovative solutions for engaging audiences and measuring the effectiveness of communication efforts in a digital landscape. The course will also address ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in communication.

This course explores the essential role of social media, digital content, and artificial intelligence (AI) in achieving organizational goals. Topics include creating content for multiple platforms, utilizing AI tools for content personalization and audience targeting, measuring success, and analyzing the digital media environment. Students will become familiar with a range of digital media tools, including AI-powered platforms, discuss their applications, and explore the ethical and practical implications of AI in digital communication.

This course examines organizational crisis communication with an emphasis on crisis prevention and planning ethical and effective crisis response. Topics include theories and research related to organizational communication before, during, and after crises. Emphasis will be placed on the use of media and an audience-centered approach.

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of foundational and contemporary communication and media theories, equipping students with essential frameworks for analyzing communication practices. Students will learn how communication theories are developed, analyzed, evaluated, and applied. The course explores the evolution of these theories in relation to emerging technologies and digital media.

This course examines provides the knowledge and techniques necessary for effective strategic planning. Topics include situational analysis, audience research, data analytics, and content creation. Emphasis will be placed on creating strategic plans that encourage organizational growth through data-driven analytics.

This course is a study of selected topic of interest in the field of strategic communication, offering an in-depth exploration of emerging trends, advanced strategies, and specialized areas. The topics may differ each time the course is offered and may be proposed by the instructor or students. This course may be taken for credit any number of times, provided that a different topic is studied each time. Prerequisites: Admission to a graduate program or permission of the instructor.

This course will examine the history of women's public discourse in the U.S. from the 19th through the 20th century; considers the social and cultural significance of women's participation in public discourse; issues of credibility and the nature of argument both within and about women's public address. Prerequisite: Com 225

Please plan credits to fulfill a total of 6 hours of electives from Communication at 300-400 levels. Once you have added this course to your plan, delete this placeholder by clicking the X.

Plan to take COM 301, COM 303 or COM 305. Once you have added this course to your plan, delete this placeholder by clicking the X.