Communication (COMM)

COMM 102. Introduction to Communication. 3 Credits.

Introduces students to the discipline of Communication. Surveys a broad range of sub-disciplines, including social media, strategic communication, human interactions, newswriting, communication technology, media and communication policies, and digital media production. F,S,SS.

COMM 104. Introduction to Journalism. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the practice of journalism, including development of the skills needed to find, report, and write news stories on a variety of traditional and new media platforms. Through lectures, presentations by professional journalists and other guest speakers, and review and analysis of the writing of various forms of news stories, students will gain an understanding of journalistic practices and norms. While the focus will be on news writing, the course will be relevant and valuable to students interested in public relations, advertising, marketing, and other related professions. Even if students never write for publication, the ability to put a sentence together with depth, clarity and style will serve them no matter what their eventual career path. F,S.

COMM 110. Fundamentals of Public Speaking. 3 Credits.

The theory and practice of public speaking with emphasis on content, organization, language, delivery, and critical evaluation of messages. Additional emphasis on student performance stressing original thinking, effective organization, and direct communication of ideas. F,S,SS.

COMM 200. Writing for New and Traditional Media. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the various styles and forms required to effectively write content for existing and emerging media platforms, including the fundamentals of public relations, advertising, and reporting. F,S,SS.

COMM 206. Digital Communication: Fundamentals. 3 Credits.

An introduction to the theory and practice of digital communication for print, online and mobile media. Course emphasis is on a holistic approach to digital design including both theoretical knowledge and software expertise. Course involves creating a series of portfolio-ready digital artifacts. F,S.

COMM 212. Interpersonal Communication. 3 Credits.

Introduces fundamental concepts of communication between individuals. Explores aspects of self expression and relationship communication. To give insights into the dynamics of interpersonal communication. To aid in the understanding of how people present themselves to other people, and how others perceive them in return. F,S,SS.

COMM 220. Introduction to Media Law. 3 Credits.

This course will provide students with a model by which to analyze, understand, and act upon the law and ethical considerations which journalists and communicators face. This course provides frameworks, values, principles, and real-life scenarios to help students understand and analyze these laws and guidelines, and then to make ethical decisions. In so doing, this course teaches and emphasizes critical and ethical thinking to guide students not only as a student, but a future professional journalist and communicator. S.

COMM 246. News Writing Fundamentals in the Online World. 3 Credits.

Professional techniques of news gathering, editing, source analysis, and information dissemination. Explores the potential for diverse and evolving technologies and platforms to deliver news content in a connected world. Prerequisite: COMM 200 or instructor consent. F.

COMM 280. Community Journalism: Telling Stories for Community. 3 Credits.

Community journalism, once primarily location-based, has evolved in the past two decades and is no longer solely focused on covering institutions within specific areas. Instead, digital communication has expanded the definition of communities beyond geographical boundaries. This shift offers journalists opportunities to address the needs of underserved communities, including those within larger groups or institutions. This course will delve into this transformation through hands-on experiences and a thoughtful exploration of the journalist's role in covering diverse communities, emphasizing active engagement in discovering and reporting on these groups. Students will engage with most important acts of reporting: listening to people, telling their stories, creating relevant conversations, and shedding light on important truths. F.

COMM 294. Individual Research. 1-4 Credits.

Introductory experience as a research assistant on a research team. A total of 45 hours is required over the course of the semester/term per credit. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Repeatable to 4.00 credits. S/U grading. F,S,SS.

COMM 305. Audio Production & Broadcasting. 3 Credits.

Investigates audio-related aspects of communication in digital sound production and broadcast dissemination. Beginning with the basic principles of audio, the course examines modern means of capturing, editing, and producing high-quality audio for the web and mobile devices, podcasting, and includes the use of a variety of software packages, plugins, and platforms. S.

COMM 310. Media and Diversity. 3 Credits.

Study of minority status within mass media organizations and in media content from historical, contemporary and speculative points of view. F.

COMM 313. Persuasion. 3 Credits.

An examination of principles and practices of persuasion and its influence across communication contexts. Emphasis will be placed on ethical standards and implications of persuasion and influence. F,S.

COMM 319. Digital Imaging Across Platforms. 3 Credits.

Introduces the history and practice of digital imaging for social media and communication industries, including introductory photographic principles, digital image capture devices, and software, apps, and workflows. Students learn to enhance/optimize digital images for transmission/broadcast to the web, social networks, and other platforms. F,S.

COMM 320. Public Affairs Reporting. 3 Credits.

This course provides practice in news gathering and interviewing, and in writing news stories for online media and print news organizations. Students in this class will act as news reporters assigned to coverage beats involving various levels of government and public agencies to gain an understanding of the skills necessary to report on government and public affairs. F.

COMM 326. Content Creation for Social Media. 3 Credits.

Focuses on writing, creating, and curating professional content for diverse social media platforms with the goal of engaging users, delivering messages and building relationships. Prerequisite: COMM 200 or consent of instructor. F,S.

COMM 330. Social Media & Online Reporting. 3 Credits.

Teaches how to utilize existing and emerging social media platforms to report and deliver the many forms of news. Prerequisite: COMM 200 or consent of the instructor. S.

COMM 339. Digital Video Production. 3 Credits.

This course offers an introduction to the theory and practice of modern digital video production utilizing a variety of production software techniques, industry best practices, and online/mobile technologies. F.

COMM 345. Social Media Strategy. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on scholarly and commercial aspects of social media strategy as a Communicative practice. In particular, course topics include a variety of social media driven outcomes including social activism, constituent engagement, outreach and advocacy, reputation management, analytics and optimization, and enhancing the quality and impact of message transmission in the social online environment. S.

COMM 346. Sports Communication. 3 Credits.

Introduces students to sports communication through an examination of athletics-related aspects of public relations, journalism, digital communication, organizational, and professional/executive communication. A significant component of the course focuses on aligning digital Communication technologies towards sports including digital imaging at games, sports writing, researching and reporting, web layout and presentation, public speaking/press releases etc. F.

COMM 350. Sports Journalism. 3 Credits.

Students will explore the full range of sports journalism, analyzing how sports reporters operate across the platforms of print, broadcast, online and social media. Students will learn sports/game-story writing, interview/press conference techniques, sports-business reportage, data-driven sports journalism, effective use of social media, and opinion/column writing. Students will examine and create a wide range of sports journalism, including but not limited to features, beat coverage, long-form storytelling, game coverage and in-depth sports packages using text, images, video, and interactivity. Students also will analyze the history, contemporary issues, and ethics of sports journalism. F.

COMM 352. Writing for Advertising & Public Relations. 3 Credits.

Intensive practice in preparing, planning and writing the materials used in public relations, with a special emphasis on engaging the media as well as internal and external target audiences. Prerequisite: COMM 200 or consent of instructor. F,S.

COMM 360. Communicating Science. 3 Credits.

This class is designed for upper-division students in the physical, biological, social, health and engineering sciences interested in science communication. It combines findings from research into information processing with best practices in media production to build student competency in communicating about science, scientific discoveries and the scientific process to general audiences through various media, as well as more specific audiences, such as funding organizations and policymakers. Students end the semester by producing a piece of science communication for a course-created website. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status (60+hours). F.

COMM 363. Multimedia Reporting and Storytelling. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to teach the principles and practices of multimedia reporting and storytelling, including writing and editing for digital media, blogging, gathering and editing images, working with audio and video, using emerging communication technologies, and understanding legal and ethical issues facing multimedia journalists. Students will learn the skills to produce in-depth multimedia stories using photography, audio, video, text, and infographics. Prerequisite: COMM 305 or COMM 339. S.

COMM 374. Principles of Strategic Communication. 3 Credits.

This course introduces the fundamental theories, concepts, and applications of strategic communication to critically analyze its social influence and meet organizational goals. F,S.

COMM 380. Health Communication. 3 Credits.

Introduces theories and practices of health communication. Explores health communication with interpersonal sources (e.g., physicians & other providers), groups (e.g., support groups & healthcare organizations), and effective communication through mass media and digital/social media channels. F,S.

COMM 394. Readings/Projects in Communication. 1-6 Credits.

Individual projects or directed study related to topics, issues, or activities in communication. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Repeatable to 6.00 credits. F,S,SS.

COMM 401. Organizational Communication. 3 Credits.

Analysis of communication behavior in formally structured relationships as it relates to the organization and to individuals. Special attention given to organizational style, status, trust and conflict-management. Informal communication networks and rumoring are studied. S.

COMM 402. Intercultural/International Communication. 3 Credits.

This course will provide an overview of the study of intercultural and international communication. Topics addressed will include: history, literature, and culture of specific groups including racial, religious, and ethnic issues that affect communication patterns and outcomes. F,S.

COMM 404. Advertising and Society. 3 Credits.

Examines and evaluates the social, ethical and economic aspects of advertising. Attention is given to appraising the effects of advertising on the consumer and competition. F.

COMM 406. Future of Communication Technology. 3 Credits.

Evaluates different perspectives on the future of communication technology, ranging from utopian through dystopian views of the impact of communication technologies on modern society. Examines the implications of new means of creating, storing, manipulating and disseminating/communicating information, and analysis of whether potential benefits may be realized. This course is also offered for graduate credit. S.

COMM 410. Senior Capstone in Communication. 3 Credits.

Provides students with the opportunity to enrich their knowledge of communication and hone their analytic, research, and writing skills. Students will create content that are relevant to their desired professions or career paths and test its effectiveness by conducting appropriate research. Prerequisite: COMM 102, COMM 110, COMM 200, and at least 75 credits completed. F,S,SS.

COMM 420. Interactive and Data Journalism. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to teach concepts, tools, and techniques for data-driven journalistic storytelling on digital platforms. Students will develop ways to find and display stories by acquiring, cleaning, and analyzing data as well as creating visualizations to illustrate trends and patterns data through emerging tools. Students will rely on open-source tools, but will also learn basic coding to customize those tools for more effective digital presentation. Students will also learn about other digital storytelling formats, user experience concepts and web analytics. Prerequisite: COMM 330. S.

COMM 430. AD/PR Campaigns. 3 Credits.

Provides students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in strategic communication to a real-client situation. The essentials of developing and executing a campaign are covered, including market and audience research, positioning, traditional and social media strategies, budgeting, public relations programs, creative strategies, actual execution, and evaluation of the campaign. S.

COMM 451. Risk and Crisis Communication. 3 Credits.

This course explores identifying risks to organizational goals and key stakeholders, and communicating effectively during crisis events to maintain organizational legitimacy. Risk and crisis key theories and concepts, applications and analysis are addressed. Prerequisite: COMM 200 or consent of instructor. F.

COMM 493. Instructional Experiences in Communication. 2 Credits.

Students will receive training and practical experiences in providing instruction in communication at the collegiate level. Such experiences include serving as an undergraduate teaching assistant or tutor for Communication courses with a faculty mentor. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status, "A" in course they are serving, minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and permission of instructor. Repeatable to 8.00 credits. S/U grading. F,S,SS.

COMM 494. Advanced Individual Research. 1-4 Credits.

Advanced experience as a research assistant on a research team. A total of 45 hours is required over the course of the semester per credit. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Repeatable to 8.00 credits. S/U grading. F,S,SS.

COMM 497. Internship. 1-3 Credits.

Supervised experience consistent with student's career objectives. Formal application in advance of internship needs department approval. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Repeatable to 6.00 credits. S/U grading. F,S,SS.

COMM 499. Special Topics. 1-3 Credits.

Selected topics in communication that allow students to study specific communication issues and/or topics that are not covered by regular department offerings. Repeatable to 6 credits. Repeatable to 6.00 credits. On demand.

COMM 501. Theoretical Perspectives in Communication. 3 Credits.

Course provides a conceptual and historical overview of Communication Studies, paying special attention to questions of epistemology. F.

COMM 505. Concepts in Quantitative Communication Research. 3 Credits.

In the two-part 505/506 course, students focus on honing their understanding of the quantitative/qualitative paradigm in Communication research. While this course section focuses on the various methods that fall under the labels of quantitative, both portions of the course seek to identify possible points of connection and resistance across the spectrum of methodological choices and require participation in Communication Program colloquium series. F, odd years.

COMM 506. Concepts in Qualitative Communication Research. 3 Credits.

In the two-part 505/506 course, students focus on honing their understanding of the quantitative/qualitative paradigm in Communication research. While this course section focuses on the various methods that fall under the labels of qualitative, both portions of the course seek to identify possible points of connection and resistance across the spectrum of methodological choices and require participation in Communication Program colloquium series. F, even years.

COMM 515. International and Intercultural Narrative Communication. 3 Credits.

This course examines narration or narrative communication within and between cultures and nations. Narration and communication theory and practice are explored for content and used as method. Assessing narrative communication in terms of international and intercultural comprehension and acceptance is addressed. On demand.

COMM 516. Principles of Professional Communication. 3 Credits.

The course will provide a conceptual and historical overview of the scholarly discipline of Communication, coupled with an introduction to Theories of Communication and discussions of how these relate to professional environments. Topics addressed will include Theories of Communication applicable specifically to communication professionals with related case studies, communicative patterns, and outcomes. F.

COMM 517. Research Methodology for Communication Professionals. 3 Credits.

This course provides students with the opportunity to enrich their knowledge of communication and hone their analytic, research, and writing skills. Students will create content that are relevant to their desired professions or career paths and test its effectiveness by conducting appropriate research. F.

COMM 518. Professional Project in Communication. 3 Credits.

This class is designed for students who are enrolled in the Online MA in Communication program and have completed at least 15 graduate credits. This course allows students to demonstrate their cumulative communication skills and knowledge. Students complete a professional portfolio or scholarly project that demonstrates the synthesis and application of knowledge acquired through coursework. Prerequisite: Must have completed 15 credits in the online MA track in Communication. S.

COMM 522. Data Mining & Analytics for Communication Professionals. 3 Credits.

This course introduces you to the emerging study of data mining as it applies to communication-related questions. The goal of the course is to introduce you to state-of-the-art techniques to extract useful information from large amounts of data and communicate findings and implications to diverse audiences in plain language. F.

COMM 523. Social Network Analysis & Visualization. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce you to the theory, methods, and procedures of network analysis with emphasis on applications to communication and social behavior. The goal of the course is to provide a working knowledge of the concepts and methods used to describe and analyze social networks so that you can apply it to important questions in your profession. S.

COMM 524. International/Intercultural Communication for Professionals. 3 Credits.

The course will provide an overview of the study of international and intercultural communication specifically from a professional communication perspective. Topics addressed will include Communication Theories that relate to international and intercultural communication patterns and outcomes. Students will share experiences and learn from a variety of assigned materials including specific examples and case studies focused on international/intercultural communication in environments specific to each student's particular area of professional communicative engagement. SS.

COMM 525. Interpersonal Relations and Communication. 3 Credits.

Face-to-face and mediated transactions between two people or people in small groups in diverse settings. Deals with inquiry, conflict management, interpersonal sensitivity, individuality, and conformity.

COMM 527. Persuasion & Persuasive Communication. 3 Credits.

Participants in this class will explore contemporary communication research on the persuasive process. Research featuring social influence in professional and contexts will receive special emphasis. This graduate class invites its participants to engage in dialog directed toward both (1) understanding the issues raised in contemporary persuasion research and (2) exploring potential solutions and ideas for future application. S.

COMM 528. Intercultural Global Conflict. 3 Credits.

Communication patterns and processes can both facilitate conflict and terrorism as well as reduce discord and violence. Communication and conflict theory and research are examined in a global context with implications for terrorism, insurgency, and violence. Intergroup communication as well as communication strategies for mitigating discord and enhancing violence reduction are considered. On demand.

COMM 529. Science Communication. 3 Credits.

This combines findings from research into information processing with best practices in media production to build student competency in communicating about science, scientific discoveries and the scientific process to general audiences through various media, as well as more specific audiences, such as funding organizations and policymakers. SS.

COMM 530. Communication, Society, & Diversity. 3 Credits.

An examination of how people from similar and different cultural, ethnic, national, racial, religious, and/or sexual backgrounds interact with each other, institutions, and society. The course covers issues of representation, identity, and difference. On demand.

COMM 535. Intercultural Communication. 3 Credits.

This course incorporates critical conceptualizations of identity, "the Other", and multiculturalism. It explores theoretical reflections of the symbolic systems of unfamiliar cultures, and the emergence of mutual understanding.

COMM 540. Communication and Organizations. 3 Credits.

Examines the general communication processes and dynamics within and among organizations and explores the dynamics in network organizations, with a particular focus on communication in interpersonal groups and inter-organizational working teams. Theories of power and politics in and among organizations, as well as of decision-making, conflict management, and strategic communication are explored.

COMM 549. Information Communication Technologies. 3 Credits.

This course examines how technological changes in communication and media influence how information is generated, distributed, and communicated. The course addresses the interaction of communication technologies with individuals, communities, economies, and cultures. It focuses on aspects of technological change, new patterns of global connectedness, and their implications for the new global media environment. On demand.

COMM 550. International and Global Communication. 3 Credits.

An analysis of international media, comparative telecommunications systems and globalization. Covers issues such as transnational communication, global journalism, satellite broadcasting and communication in diplomacy and international affairs.

COMM 570. Seminar in Communication. 3 Credits.

In-depth studies in specific communication areas such as relational communication, rhetoric and public discourse, intercultural/international communication. May be repeated for credit with change of topic (up to 15 hours). Repeatable to 15.00 credits.

COMM 591. Individual Readings and Research. 3 Credits.

Directed readings and research in speech communication and mass communication topics and issues. May be repeated to a total of 12 credits. 3 credit limit per semester. Repeatable to 12.00 credits.

COMM 996. Continuing Enrollment. 1-12 Credits.

Repeatable. S/U grading.

COMM 997. Independent Study. 1-9 Credits.

Independent Study. Repeatable to 9.00 credits. On demand.

COMM 998. Thesis. 1-4 Credits.

4 credits required for thesis option. Repeatable to 9.00 credits.

COMM 999. Dissertation. 1-15 Credits.

Repeatable to a maximum of 15 credits. Repeatable to 15.00 credits.