Assistant Professors: Koehn (Chairperson),

Wild

Visiting Instructor: Knapp

Part-time Instructors: Ogurcak, Van Auken

The major in Communication seeks to provide a foundation in communication theory and media criticism as well as expertise in a particular area of communication. All students majoring in Communication must complete the five courses listed in the Core and eight additional courses in one of the three areas of concentration listed below: four required courses and four elective courses. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have declared a major in Communication are required to enroll in and successfully complete the non-credit Media Arts Colloquium during each semester they are on campus or until they have successfully completed at least four semesters of this noncredit course. All students in this major should consider electing an internship before graduation.

The major in Communication enables students to pursue employment and/or graduate studies in a variety of fields including corporate communication, public relations, audio and video production, print and broadcast journalism, professional media writing, and media research and analysis.

All majors in Communication are encouraged to take advanced courses in a foreign language and to consider the following liberal arts electives: MATH 123 and/or courses in Computer Science; ART 222 and 223; courses in contemporary American and/or international history, economics, and political science; and courses in literature from the Departments of Theatre, English, and Foreign Languages and Literatures.

The following courses, when scheduled as W courses, count toward the writing intensive requirement: COMM 211, 326, 332 and 440.

Minor

A minor in Communication consists of any five courses offered by the Communication Department (courses offered by other departments count only toward the major in Communication, not toward the minor). One of these five courses must be selected from COMM 326, COMM 348, or COMM 440.

CORE COURSES REQUIRED OF ALL MAJORS

COMM 110 Communication Principles and Ethics

COMM 211 Public Speaking: Research, Principles, and Practice

COMM 326 Media Criticism and Cultural Studies: Literature, Film, and Television

COMM 440 Senior Seminar

COMM 246, Media Arts Colloquium 346, 446

THEA 212 Multicultural America on Screen

Majors must concentrate in one of the following three areas of study.

1. Corporate Communication

Required for all students in this concentration:

COMM 212 Group Communication and Conflict Resolution

COMM 235 Writing and Speaking in Business and the Professions

COMM 324 Public Relations Cases and Problem-Solving

PSCI 436 Mass Media Law and Regulation

Elective choices for students in this concentration must include at least one additional course in Communication as well as one course at the 300-level or above. Students may elect to take as many additional communication courses as they choose. Elective courses offered by other departments that may also be used to fulfill elective requirements in this concentration include the following:

ART 227 Photography I

ART 343 Introduction to Computer Art

BUS 128 Marketing Principles

BUS 244 Management and Organizational Behavior

ENGL 218 Classical and Modern Rhetoric

ENGL 322 Advanced Writing: The Creative Essay

HIST 220 Women in History

HIST 230 African American History

PSCI 210 Communication and Society

PSCI 316 Public Opinion and Polling

PSY 225 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

PSY 324 Social Psychology

THEA 114 Film Art: Motion Picture Masterpieces

2. Electronic Media

Required for all students in this concentration:

COMM 218 Digital Audio Production

COMM 223 Basic Digital Video Production

COMM 348 Advanced Digital Video Production

THEA 114 Film Art: Motion Picture Masterpieces

Elective choices for students in this concentration must include at least one additional course in Communication as well as one course at the 300-level or above. Students may elect to take as many additional communication courses as they choose. Elective courses offered by other departments that may also be used to fulfill elective requirements in this concentration include the following:

ART 227 Photography I

ART 343 Introduction to Computer Art

ART 344 Computer Graphics for Electronic Media

BUS 128 Marketing Principles

BUS 244 Management and Organizational Behavior

ENGL 218 Classical and Modern Rhetoric

ENGL 322 Advanced Writing: The Creative Essay

HIST 220 Women in History

HIST 230 African American History

PSCI 210 Communication and Society

PSCI 316 Public Opinion and Polling

PSY 225 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

PSY 324 Social Psychology

3. Media Writing and Culture

Required for all students in this concentration:

COMM 217 Print Journalism

COMM 321 Screenwriting

COMM 323 Feature Writing for Special Audiences

COMM 329 Broadcast Journalism

Elective choices for students in this concentration must include at least one additional course in Communication as well as one course at the 300-level or above. Students may elect to take as many additional communication courses as they choose. Elective courses offered by other departments that may be used to fulfill elective requirements in this concentration include the following:

ART 227 Photography I

ART 343 Introduction to Computer Art

BUS 128 Marketing Principles

BUS 244 Management and Organizational Behavior

ENGL 218 Classical and Modern Rhetoric

ENGL 322 Advanced Writing: The Creative Essay

HIST 220 Women in History

HIST 230 African American History

PSCI 210 Communication and Society

PSCI 316 Public Opinion and Polling

PSY 225 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

PSY 324 Social Psychology

THEA 114 Film Arts: Motion Picture Masterpieces

110

COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS

Introduction to the basic theories and principles of communication as they apply to the process of sending messages among individuals, small groups, and mass audiences. Consideration of the ethical issues involved in the communication process. Active learning through readings, case studies, simulations, oral reporting, and library research.

120

INTERPERSONAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

This is a workshop course in the theory and practice of communication between individuals in both formal as well as informal situations with particular attention given to the impact of culture upon communication between individuals in international situations. Open to freshmen or sophomores only. Alternate years.

211

PUBLIC SPEAKING: RESEARCH, PRINCIPLES, AND PRACTICE

Speaking extemporaneously in a variety of situations to general as well as targeted audiences. Emphasis on researching and solving problems having to do with persuasion and informative speaking. Training in using rhetorical theory to prepare, deliver, and evaluate the student's own speeches. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107.

212

GROUP COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Readings, case studies, simulations, and practice in the methods of working in groups and in resolving conflicts within and between groups in various contexts, including education, industry, and professional situations. Contemporary theory and methods for motivating and maintaining the productivity of groups will be examined in some detail. Prerequisites: ENGL 106 or 107 and one other course in Communication (211 recommended), Psychology, Education, or Business.

217

PRINT JOURNALISM

This course studies and applies practical experience in the newsgathering process for print media. Emphasis is on beat reporting, copy editing, interviewing, reporting and writing as applied to a variety of forms for both news and persuasive print media formats as well as on the ethical issues concerning reporting for the print media. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107.

218

DIGITAL AUDIO PRODUCTION

This course studies the principles and techniques of audio production using both analog and digital technologies. Various program formats and the use of sound as an art form are also considered.

223

BASIC DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION
This course trains students in the fundamentals of pre-production, production, and postproduction for video using digital and analog formats. Emphasis is on mastering the basic styles of video production from concept to completion within as well as outside the studio.

230

DESKTOP PUBLISHING AND PHOTOJOURNALISM

This interactive course teaches students to design, layout, and produce print media using electronic desktop publishing tools. Students will develop approaches that will be applied in this course. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107

235

WRITING AND SPEAKING IN BUSINESS AND THE PROFESSIONS

Study of communication theory as applied to business and professional settings. Using writing, speaking, research, and the electronic media to solve a variety of communication problems that frequently occur in the world of work. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107.

312

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION

The theory and practice of leadership communication in diverse settings and contexts. Classical leadership styles will be examined and researched in regard to how these relate to goal-setting and motivating individuals and groups. Field work on- and off-campus is a major component of this course. Prerequisites: ENGL 106 or 107; at least one of these: COMM 211, 212, or 235; or consent of instructor. Alternate years.

321

SCREENWRITING

This course trains students to analyze and write scripts for radio, film, and television. The development of the original screenplay is emphasized. Prerequisite: THEA 212, or consent of instructor.

323

FEATURE WRITING FOR SPECIAL AUDIENCES

Practice in writing a variety of feature stories and editorials for different media and audiences. Study of the ways in which feature writing for magazines compares and contrasts with feature writing for newspapers and feature stories for television. Readings, peer review, and training in how to develop ideas using primary and secondary research. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107.

324

PUBLIC RELATIONS CASES AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Training in methods of public relations research, program planning and evaluation, working with the media, writing for public relations and advertising, and conducting a public relations campaign to solve a problem or crisis. Emphasis on writing, speaking, and electronic communication. Prerequisites: ENGL 106 or 107 and COMM 235; or consent of instructor.

326

MEDIA CRITICISM AND CULTURAL STUDIES: LITERATURE, FILM, AND TELEVISION

Introduction to methods of analyzing popular culture and the arts using one or more of these approaches: textual criticism, content analysis, semiotics, auteur criticism, historical criticism, frame theory, and structural analysis. Comparison of the ways in which different media create values and portray individuals, social conflicts, and human aspirations. Prerequisite: One course from: THEA 212, ENGL 217 or 331; or consent of instructor.

329

BROADCAST JOURNALISM

This course provides practical experiences in the newsgathering process for electronic media with an emphasis on covering the local story from the small-station perspective. Students in the course are responsible for writing, producing, editing, and broadcasting newscasts for radio as well as television. Major emphasis is placed on the ethical issues concerning reporting for the broadcast media. Prerequisite: COMM 217 or 323. Alternate years.

332

TOPICS IN MEDIA THEORY AND PRACTICE

Study of communication theory as applied to a special area or style of communication. Readings, discussions, and practical experiences in creating materials for print and/or electronic media. Possible topics include: docudrama and investigative reporting, communicating in cyberspace, creative advertising, instructional television and video. Prerequisite: ENGL 106 or 107. May be repeated for credit with change of topic.

335

MEDIA HISTORY AND THEORY

This course reviews the recent history of the media with a major emphasis on the cultural theories that have been used to describe and critique the media and its influence upon audiences. Prerequisite: THEA 212. Alternate years.

340

ACTING AND DIRECTING FOR THE CAMERA

This workshop course analyzes, rehearses, directs, and shoots scripted scenes for film and television. The course studies classic screen acting and directing styles. All students act as well as direct. Prerequisites: COMM 223 and THEA 145; or consent of instructor. Alternate years.

348

ADVANCED DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION

Advanced production of documentary, narrative and experimental video. Exploration of a variety of approaches to motivating talent and directing for the camera. Prerequisites: COMM 223 and THEA 114, or advanced course work in acting and directing, or consent of instructor.

246, 346, and 446

MEDIA ARTS COLLOQUIUM

A seminar in which students are expected to work in the field of communication on a regular basis. The areas of work can relate to campus media, campus public relations, admissions, non-profit organizations, and other communication-based organizations approved by the supervising faculty member. Students enrolled in the colloquium are required to keep a log and to work for a minimum of three hours each week in their approved work situation. Open only to majors. Non-credit and Pass/Fail. Once the major is declared, students are required to enroll in the seminar each semester until they graduate or until they have successfully completed four semesters, whichever comes first. Only one colloquium may be taken per semester.

400

PRACTICUM

An elective for junior and senior majors who wish to acquire additional experience in working with practicing professionals. Open only to majors and minors.

440

COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This course trains students in quantitative and qualitative communication research methodology. Students do intensive reading in an area related to their track and produce a research project which involves written as well as oral presentation. Prerequisites: COMM 326 and Senior standing, or consent of instructor.

470-479

INTERNSHIP (See index)

Interns usually work off-campus in a field related to their area of study. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing.

N80-N89

INDEPENDENT STUDY (See index)

Studies involve research related to the area of study of the student.

490-491

INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR DEPARTMENTAL HONORS (See index)