Courses

Beginning skills in American Sign Language (ASL) and skills needed in communication with deaf persons. Offered in Summer Session only. Does not count toward the major.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the different forms of sign language and discuss cultural background of the deaf.
• Acquire a working foundation of ASL grammar and slang.
• Use both expressive and receptive skills.

Intermediate skills in American Sign Language (ASL) and skills needed in communication with deaf persons. Offered during Summer Session only. Does not count toward the major.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand American sign language and gain skills needed in total communication with deaf persons
• Understand psycho-social aspects of deaf culture.

Basic concepts, models, and theories examining the role of communication in human behavior.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the importance of theory as it relates to communication research and communication practice.
• Name and recognize key features of at least 15 different theories and theoretical perspectives used by communication scholars.
• Describe one’s own worldview of communication based on meta-theoretical considerations.
• Effectively summarize, critique, and apply an existing communication theory to social/professional life.

Patterns of human interaction, types and stages of relationships, verbal and nonverbal exchanges, strategies and tactics.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify the foundations of human communicative behavior.
• Understand the different contexts of interpersonal relationships, and how each context impacts the nature and quality of those relationships.
• Understand how our own behavior affects our interpersonal relationships.
• Understand how different theories can be used to explain relational behavior.
• Think constructively about one’s own communicative actions and the consequent effects messages send to others both directly and indirectly.
• Identify and apply concepts, definitions, and ideas discussed in class to one’s own individual relationships in hopes of explaining and identifying healthy and unhealthy behavior.
• Advance critical thinking of scholarly material and be able to discuss academic concepts with others.
• Produce an academically sound research paper highlighting an area of interpersonal communication.

This course will explore the nature of persuasive argumentation as applied through the specific lens of parliamentary style debating.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze the degree to which forms of human difference shape  personal experiences of and perspectives on the world.
• Analyze a contemporary global issue from a multidisciplinary perspective.
• Explain and be able to assess the relationship among assumptions, method, evidence, arguments, and theory in social and historical analysis.
• Understand different theories about human culture, social identity, economic entities, political systems, and other forms of social organization.
• Apply concepts about human and social behavior to particular questions or situations.
• Examine critically philosophical and other theoretical issues concerning the nature of reality, human experience, knowledge, value, and/or cultural production.
• Engage critically in the process of creative expression.

Development of effective oral presentation and participation skills in interpersonal, small group, organizational and public settings. Particular attention is given to issues of diversity and multiculturalism in presentation and participation. Does not count toward the major.

Exploration of the uses of experimental, descriptive, historical-critical, and field-research approaches to the study of communication.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demystify the process of conducting communication research and the nature of research design and methods.
• Understand the process of inquiry—how research projects are born, developed, and conducted.
• Critically analyze the statistics and ‘facts’ that are presented in our media, and by our friends, family, and teachers.
• Appreciate how academic research, properly conducted, can be relevant to and inform the processes of our own lives and understandings of the world around us.

This course examines types and qualities of civic infrastructure, civic engagement, and community leadership.  Students are introduced to the methods and nature of community communication in varied contexts.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain important types and dimensions of community.
• Explain features of the communication that plays a role in facilitating, disrupting, and creating community and that are markers of weak and strong community communication.
• Analyze key elements of "civic infrastructure" and the individuals, roles, and careers in communities who contribute to and create infrastructure.
• Examine real life cases of community communication and evaluate the aspects that are healthy, dysfunctional/problematic, and challenging for those involved.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter represent a new class of communication platforms that have become quickly interwoven into the everyday lives of millions of people around the world. In this course we will draw on competing communication perspectives to explore the reasons behind the widespread popularity of these platforms. In doing so we will consider the role of individual choice, social influence, technological influence, and how these three perspectives can be combined. We will further explore the implications of social media for personal relationships, youth culture, organizations, social research, and personal privacy.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply multiple communication perspectives to make sense of social media adoption and use, through class discussion, the theory paper and the final projects.
• Understand the various methodological approaches that can be used to study social media by applying class discussion to reading material.
• Discuss social media intelligently using appropriate language and terminology derived from scholarly papers and class discussion.
• Understand the implications of social media for a variety of social issues through the course readings and class discussion.
• Think abstractly about the role of social media in personal and organizational contexts during class discussion and while writing the theory paper and final project.

This class focuses on applying literacy principles to real life health phenomenon, in clinical encounters, as well as in community and public health contexts with an emphasis on medically underserved and vulnerable populations.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the relationship between health literacy and health communication and desired health outcomes.
• Identify and explain theories, models, and concepts of health literacy that influence health communication.
• Differentiate theoretical domains of health literacy (e.g., fundamental, media, e-health, scientific, cultural) as they apply to specific health contexts and health behaviors.
• Appraise contextual and epidemiological data to determine relationships between health factors (e.g., health behavior, outcomes, healthcare quality/access) and health literacy in real-world contexts for targeted populations.
• Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of health literacy strategies, research methods, and measurement tools to determine the optimal approach for health literacy interventions.
• Design and present a health literacy intervention that focuses on theoretical domain(s) and integrates and utilizes health literacy strategies, research data and methods, and measurement tools to address health literacy barriers for targeted populations.

Theories and techniques for collecting, selecting, packaging, and disseminating information within organizations and between organizations and their constituencies.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the evolution of PR as it relates to the modern era and communications industry.
• Understand the role and responsibilities of PR in the corporate, non-profit/government, and agency setting.
• Understand the role of research and strategic planning in PR.
• Research PR issues, explain them intelligently, relate them to organizations and audiences and to provide solutions.
• Understand strategic PR planning process and how to create a strategic PR plan.
• Understand various traditional and new PR techniques.
• Understand messaging and themes, image and reputation and how it relates to tactic creation and strategic planning.
• Demonstrate the ability to create tactics that are strategic and creative.
• Demonstrate the ability to work on individual and group project assignments.
• Present PR ideas, analysis of case studies and plans in front of peers.
• Understand and create a variety of PR tools and tactics available to PR professionals.
• Acquire the ability to work in a simulated PR project environment.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate through research, analysis and accurate references in writing assignments a foundational level of skill in locating, selecting, and systematically organizing a unique set of scholarly and business research.
• Demonstrate through active contribution to team research meetings and accurate citations in team presentations a foundational level of skill in locating, selecting, and systematically organizing a unique set of scholarly and business research.
• Understand foundational communication perspectives, theories, and concepts related to business and professional communication demonstrated by writing through successful completion of assignments and individual projects; and active and effective participation in team meetings and presentations.
• Understand diversity, ethics and civic engagement as framed in communication theories and concepts through thoughtful, reflective participation in classroom assignments and discussions, team meetings, online collaborations, and presentations.

This course provides an overview of the field of political communication. Accordingly, we will analyze the role of advertising, polling, media coverage, image construction and ethics in political campaigns through a historical and case study perspective. We will also discuss the role of current communication theories and their effects on contemporary political messages. We will focus specifically on the communication dynamics of political campaigns.

Note: This course fulfills a requirement for the Leadership in Organizations and Community specialization within the Communication major.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the main areas of political communication research and their application in campaign dynamics.
• Apply the current communication theories associated with political communication.
• Construct effective political communication messages.

Sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language acquisition and development, phonetics, and issues of bilingualism.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand intercultural communication processes.
• Understand the reciprocal relationship between culture and communication.
• Appreciate of the diverse ways of communicating in different cultures.
• Analyze and examine intercultural interactions.
• Be proficient in intercultural communications, in, as well as, outside the classroom.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand major issues in ICT usage.
• Apply theoretical concepts to understand practical issues in organizational settings and have thought about how to solve/improve problematic situations.
• Identify problems, and assess current situations of mobile industry and culture of a chosen nation.
• Develop a blueprint for business, government policy, or non-profit organizations.
• Gather and use evidence to study a particular area of communication (i.e., mobile communication), experience benefits and difficulties of collaboration among group members, and develop public presentation skills.

Critical evaluation of the aesthetic and social impact of visual communication.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand visual media in cultural contexts.
• Describe the major theoretical approaches to the study of visual communication.
• Assess various forms of visual communication and their impact on society.
• Use scholarly research and other data to analyze a form of visual communication.

Provides an overview of communication theory and research related to the use of a range of communication technologies in a variety of interpersonal, group, and societal contexts.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain and articulate basic concepts, theories, and research findings related to computer-mediated communication.
• Apply basic knowledge of concepts, theories, and research findings related to communication and technology to contemporary problems and one's own lived experiences.
• Recognize, explain, critique, and use several of the new communication technologies used by people in a digital age.

Critical examination of the theory and research concerning the dimensions, dynamics, and functions of interpersonal interaction.

Upon the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Identify how everyday human interactions construct and manage identities, relationships, and cultures.
• Compare advanced perspectives on key movements, themes, and thinkers in the study of interpersonal communication.
• Analyze “Big Ideas” (abstract theoretical concepts) and how such conceptualizations have been extended and applied in contemporary interpersonal communication research.
• Evaluate various approaches to studying interpersonal communication, including their methodologies and implications.
• Demonstrate improved skills with engaging in academic dialogue, both written (via paper assignments) and spoken (via class discussions).

Principles of group communication, types of groups, group structure, leadership, and membership roles; techniques for working with groups.

 Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Contribute to successful small group participation and satisfaction.
• Engage in critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in small groups during class and out of class.
• Understand current research, theories, and principles of small group processes to provide the basis of effective application.
• Function as a participant-observer within a small group in order to improve skills and succeed in group work.

Communication in organizations, communication networks, management and communication, decision making, goal setting, and process consultation in varying organizational settings. 

Upon the successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Identify and understand major concepts and theories related to organizational communication.
• Apply theoretical perspectives and concepts to analyze organizational situations and settings and make recommendations for resolving organizational issues.
• Persuasively communicate (in both written and oral form) connections between course concepts and organizational communication in the world around them.

Principles and techniques in persuasive communication: credibility, audience analysis, assessment of effects, media selection, resistance to persuasion, and attitude change.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify the foundations of persuasive communicative behavior.
• Understand how different theories can be used to explain persuasive behavior.
• Think constructively about one’s own communicative actions and the consequent effects messages send to others both directly and indirectly.
• Identify and apply concepts, definitions, and ideas discussed in class to one’s own individual relationships in hopes of explaining and identifying healthy and unhealthy behavior.
• Advance critical thinking of scholarly material and be able to discuss academic concepts with others.

Analysis of the interview as a unique communication context, including the application of theoretical concepts and practice in designing and conducting interviews of various types (e.g., surveys, employment, information giving, counseling).

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify and describe foundational communication theories and approaches that are evident in different interviewing roles (e.g., interviewer, interviewee, observer) and contexts.
• Compare and contrast various types of interviews, structural options, interactional strategies, and question designs utilized in various interviewing contexts (e.g., informational, employment, research, broadcast news, counseling, persuasive, recruitment, performance, mediation, and/or networking, etc.).
• Apply principles and interviewing when participating as an interviewer (e.g., informational interview - selecting a subject, designing a question list) and as an interviewee (e.g., employment interview - background research and preparing for common questions) and evaluate performance.
• Analyze (as an outside observer) interview events (e.g., healthcare, broadcast news, research, etc.) to determine the effectiveness of the interview choices made by the interviewer and/or the interviewee.
• Design and assemble artifacts (e.g., documents, question lists, research, interview notes, audio/video recordings) related to interviewing that demonstrate competency in written, mediated, and visual communication.
• Display improved skills with engaging in academic dialogue, both written (via paper assignments) and spoken (via class discussions).

Basic principles and policies of public relations and advertising; includes history, development, ethics, roles, functions, media selection methods, and message strategies of public relations.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Review the theoretical foundations of public relations by studying rhetorical theory, resource dependency theory, stakeholder theory, persuasion theory and agenda setting theory.
• Study cases which help us understand various successful and poor public relations campaigns and tactics.
• Use theoretical concepts to gain insights into PR campaigns and public events
• Develop professional-level writing skills required in the practice of public relations and become familiar with the rhetorical and communication theories and practices governing writing techniques.

Organization represent themselves to various stakeholder groups, both inside the organization and within the environment. In doing so, organizations encounter issues of reputation and identity. Combining theoretical foundations and a case study approach this course will examine these issues critically and analytically.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain fundamental concepts of organizational reputation and representation.
• Describe the importance of reputation and representation as an organizational asset.
• Identify approaches to communication that enable organizations to build, manage, and protect reputation and representation.
• Apply the theoretical and practical aspects of reputation and communication in a real-world context.