Communication Studies - COM (25)
Administered by Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts
Effective Fall 2009
25.103 Public Speaking (3) - Introduces students to the essentials of effective oral communication and techniques for acquiring it and provides practical experience wherein these principles and techniques may be applied. This course satisfies one additional course requirement from the approved list of communication courses for general education requirements/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.104 Interpersonal Communication (3) - Introduces students to the process of interpersonal communication. Students explore the role of conversations and relationships to enhance their participating in daily interactions and their critical awareness of the process. This course satisfies one additional course requirement from the approved list of communication courses for general education requirements/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.106 Small Group Communication (3) - This course examines communication principles and practices of successfully leading and participating in small groups. This course satisfies one additional course requirement from the approved list of communication courses for general education requirements/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.205 Understanding Social Influence (3) - Highlights major trends in the study and practice of influence-seeking communication from the ancient Greek sophists to the contemporaries and the post modern. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.206 Oral Interpretation of Literature (3) - Provides practice in skills necessary for conveying intellectual and emotional meanings in poetry and prose read to an audience. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.207 Investigating Communication (3) - Introduces students to topics that communication scholars study, research questions that are typically posed, planning and design of studies, various methodologies, analysis of results and how to report these results in a meaningful manner. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.209 Examining Communication (3) - Examining Communication introduces students to the art of communication analysis and to a variety of critical approaches which help students negotiate their way through a world of messages that compete for attention, influence beliefs and decisions, affect social change, and craft cultural identities. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104. Three hours lecture per week.
25.210 Organizational Communication Theory (3) - Explores the theoretical and the practical aspects of how communication patterns develop in organizations and what effect these patterns have on various organizational processes and outcomes. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.215 Communication Theory (3) - Surveys the dominant theories of interpersonal relationship management, both general theories and those specific to particular interests. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.218 Discussion (3) - Presents a survey of and practice in types and patterns of public discussion and study of informal discussion characteristics and application. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.220 Intercultural Communication (3) - Explores communicating in cultural contexts and general principles for communication across cultures with the goal of becoming competent communicators. Three hours lecture per week. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements.
25.306 Computer Applications for Professional Communicators (3) - Introduces students to how computers are used in the field of communication. Students learn how to design and present effective electronic presentations, the theory and procedures of desktop publishing and how to use the Internet. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: 25.103
25.307 Communication for Business Professionals (3) - Studies business and professional communication, salesmanship (selling skills and methods), conference and interviewing. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.309 Gender Issues in Communication (3) - Presents a broad range of theories concerning the nature of differences in communication behavior between the sexes and the presumed origins of such differences. Examines communication theories about relationships between the sexes in families and other intimate associations, in business roles and in society at large. Primary focus is on contemporary U.S. society, but some historical and cross-cultural contrasts will be explored. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.313 Communication and Conflict (3) - Analyzes the role of communication in the generation, process and management of destructive and constructive conflict on interpersonal, small group organizational and societal levels. Three hours lecture per week. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.315 Persuasion (3) - Examines the way people use symbols to influence other people. Provides practice in presenting and evaluating persuasive messages. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.321 Argumentation (3) - Examines basic principles of argument and evidence. Provides practice through presentation and refutation of arguments in debates on controversial issues. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.324 Health Communication (3) - This course examines the social construction of illness identity, health issues, and health practices. By analyzing the historicity of Western medicine, doctor-patient dialogue, multicultural health communities, the politics of medicine, and illness narratives, students will better understand how health and illness is symbolically and culturally constructed and how to more effectively communicate interpersonally with - and possibly as - health care professionals. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: 25.103 and/or 25.104, two courses from 25.215, 25.220, 25.207 or 25.209, and one from 25.207 or 25.209 all prerequisites require a grade of a C- or better. Three hours lecture per week.
25.407 Interviewing (3) - Students explore the interview as a specific communication event, with its own rules, procedures and strategies. Acquaints students with a variety of interviewing contexts, such as selection, performance appraisal, informational, helping, sales and health care, by blending current theory and research with practical skills and applications. Students prepare and conduct interviews and receive feedback on oral and written performances. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.412 Statecraft and Diplomacy (3) - Statecraft and Diplomacy invites students to explore the forms and practices of strategic communication and their influence on contemporary global society. Course participants will learn to plan, develop, and manage effective strategic communication plans for corporations, NGOs, or government agencies. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: 25.103 and/or 25.104, two courses from 25.215, 25.220, 25.207 or 25.209, and one from 25.207 or 25.209 all prerequisites require a grade of a C- or better. Three hours lecture per week.
25.413 Community Leadership (3) - Identifies the communication skills that leaders need to influence the information environment and the collective action of organizational members. Special attention is given to the flexibility necessary for functional leadership in a diverse society. By developing communication skills, students are empowered to accept leadership positions in personal, business, community, government and media contexts. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.417 Evaluating Media Influence (3) - Develops and applies a media perspective for criticism. Examines the ways in which the structural and formatting tendencies of communication technologies privilege different perceptual modes, behaviors and lifestyles. Students explore and examine the ways in which each medium of communication structures and formats experiences and understandings. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.418 Issue and image Campaigns (3) - Image, or the face one presents to the public, is an important part of everyday life. Image-making, or the cultivation of public face, is an ever-present necessity in a mass consumer economy. In this course students participate in the planning of an actual issue and image campaign proposal to gain experience as persuasive strategists. Course content encompasses the role of campaigns in shaping social, cultural and political agendas; theoretical foundations of persuasive campaigns; and effective strategies for creating, maintaining and restoring image as a fitting response to emergent issues. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
25.419 Communication in the Family (3) - by promoting awareness of family communication issues and practices and providing training in relationship enhancement, the course offers students the knowledge and skills necessary to build, adjust and maintain more functional family interaction processes. Considers the communication processes within the family as well as the extent to which they influence or are influenced by larger social systems. Special attention given to the diversity of family experience. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.420 Nonverbal Communication (3) - This is a course in nonverbal communication for students wishing to learn about human behavior and the relationship between nonverbal communication and human interaction. This class provides an overview of the forms and functions of nonverbal communication including: distinctions between nonverbal and verbal communication, codes of nonverbal communication, the communication of emotions, sex and nonverbal communication, nonverbal immediacy, nonverbal communication in power and persuasion, and the role of nonverbal communication in deception. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Prerequisites: 25.103 and/or 25.104, two courses from 25.215, 25.220, 25.207 or 25.209, and one from 25.207 or 25.209 all prerequisites require a grade of a C- or better. Three hours lecture per week.
25.423 Communication Training in Organizations (3) - Advanced presentation skills for students exploring career opportunities as communication trainers in an organization or as independent training consultants. Includes information about such topics as needs assessment and task analysis, theories of adult learning, systems for developing instructional objectives, preparation and presentation of workshop sessions and evaluation of outcomes. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.424 Corporate Communication (3) - Advanced writing skills for students exploring career opportunities as a publicist or corporate writer in an organization or as an independent communication consultant. Includes information about organizational planning, audience analysis, professional guidelines and writing standards, qualitative and quantitative research, design and layout of publications and use of computers in publication and presentation. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.425 Communication in Relationships (3) - Acquaints students with the theories and methods used to examine the processes of communication in interpersonal relationships. Students review general principles of human communication, address communication skills considered important for effective communication in relationships, analyze communication behavior in the formation, maintenance and dissolution of interpersonal relationships, explore interpersonal communication theory in specific settings and discuss several philosophical orientations to interpersonal communication. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.426 Leadership and Team Building (3) - An intensive survey of theory and research pertaining to working in small groups. Includes a focus on practical knowledge required to become a productive participant and leader in small group contexts. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.470 Independent Study (1-3) - Provides for individual work and study in one of the areas of rhetoric and communication. Student finds a faculty sponsor, prepares a written proposal that requires departmental recommendation and the dean's approval, arranged through the chairperson. See section on Independent Study.
25.492 / 25.493 / 25.495 Advanced Studies in Communication (3) Investigates significant aspects of communication studies. Topics vary by semester and include nonverbal communication, political communication and cultural foundations of the information society. Consult the schedule booklet or the listed instructor for further information. This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.494 Advanced Studies in Communication: Diversity Focus (3) - Investigates significant aspects of communications studies. Topics are approved as diversity courses. Consult the schedule booklet or the listed instructor for further information. This course is approved as a Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group A, Humanities and The Arts General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 25.103 or 25.104; at least one of 25.205, 25.210, 25.215 or permission of the instructor.
25.497 Internship in Communication (3-9) - Integrates classroom experience with practical work experience in industrial, business or government work settings. Students must establish academic integrity of their proposed experience and its relevance to coursework in the major. Contact departmental internship coordinator to obtain detailed information and forms.