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Communication

Department Overview

Communication is a degree for the 21st century. Studies indicate that, in the future, students will be hired for jobs that currently do not exist. How, then, should students prepare for their future? The communication major and minor prepares students for a complex and dynamic future by teaching them how to question, problem-solve, collaborate, and communicate effectively with a diversity of people in multiple situations.

Communication affects our lives in multiple ways. It can be thought of as the way we construct knowledge and meaning through human interaction – whether face-to-face or mediated. At another level, it is the process through which we continually negotiate the meaning and purpose of our lives. At no level is this process transparent or innocent. Rather, it is influenced by the various ways in which we identify ourselves as individuals or as part of a group. The communication department believes that:

  • a theoretical understanding of these processes as well as the ability to apply that understanding to real-life, unscripted situations are critical,
  • effective communication skills – speaking, writing, listening, resolving conflicts, and interacting across and within different cultures – are critical in any situation where at least two people are engaged in a relationship, and
  • in an increasingly global society with dynamic and emerging technologies, the ability to communicate with digital and social media is equally important.

The 21st century needs competent communicators.

Program Objectives

The Communication Department’s goal is to cultivate ethical communicators who are competent in the following areas:

Identity – performing excellent written, oral, and nonverbal communication interpersonally and professionally, in order to strengthen their ability to understand self and others.

Diversity – integrating race, class, gender, sexuality and other forms of difference in his/her personal and professional communication.

Messages – creating, critiquing, and interpreting messages in oral, written, digital, and visual formats.

Roles – adapting and performing his/her oral, written, and/or nonverbal behavior in consideration of multiple contexts.

Knowledge – analyzing beliefs, values, and assumptions in personal and professional life.

Research – asking and answering meaningful questions using multiple methods and rigorous criteria.

These learning goals are integrated throughout the communication curriculum. Each class focuses on one or more of these areas. The general communication major (48 credits) can be tailored to each student’s personal and professional interests. Faculty advisors work individually with students to map out course schedules through graduation, and also provide career and graduate school advising. The department offers four communication minors for non-majors: communication (18 credits), health communication (20-26 credits), organizational communication (18 credits), and public relations (18 credits). There are also three certificate programs that are open to all students, including communication majors and minors: the conflict analysis & resolution certificate (12 credits), the digital and media literacy certificate (15 credits), and the health communication certificate (15-20 credits).

Internships

Communication majors and minors are encouraged to enroll in a paid or unpaid internship to gain experience in a professional setting. Internships are valuable for resume building, application of theoretical knowledge to hands-on experience, exploring possible career opportunities, establishing professional contacts, and networking outside and within the university. A maximum of 3 internship credits earned through enrollment in COMM 494 may be counted toward the major. An internship may be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. For advising on how to obtain an internship, students should meet with the department internship advisor.

Student Honor Society

Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the national communication honor society for undergraduates. Students who are declared majors with at least 60 credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, have completed at least 12 credits in the major, and have a major GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible. LPH members receive a gold cord to wear at graduation.

Campus Organizations

Communication students are encouraged to gain leadership and professional experience through UW-Parkside campus organizations, including Ranger News (newspaper) and WIPZ (FM & Internet Radio). In the past, communication majors and minors have filled leadership positions in Parkside Student Government and other student organizations.

Department Policy on Collaboration and Academic Honesty

The communication department strongly encourages our students to engage in conversation and collaboration with our faculty, each other, and other members of the academic community. These kinds of exchanges are at the heart of teaching and learning. As part of this process, it is essential that students fully disclose and credit the sources used in their work. All work that is not originally created by the author should be credited, including (but not limited to) others’ ideas, language, images, art, digital recordings, and projects. The intentional or unintentional use of another’s work, or one’s own previous work, without the accurate and full citation of the source, constitutes plagiarism. Penalties for documented cases of plagiarism may include a grade reduction, or failing a course. All documented cases of plagiarism in the communication department will be filed with the department chair or her designee. A student who commits two or more acts of plagiarism in one or more communication courses will have their case reviewed by the department’s executive committee. If a case is confirmed as constituting serious breaches of academic honesty, the committee may decide to formally drop the student from the communication major.

Requirements for Admission to the Communication Major

Students must submit a plan declaration form to the communication department office or the advising and career center. To be accepted as a communication major, a student must have a 2.25 cumulative GPA. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement will be assigned pending major status. Accepted and pending majors will be assigned a faculty advisor from the Communication Department.

Requirements for the Communication Major (45 credits)

Students admitted to the major should plan to complete the 100- and 200-level requirements in communication (including required course work in other departments) before taking upper-level courses. These courses have been planned and sequenced so as to provide a broad overview of the field, introduce essential skills, and help students plan their futures both within the program and following college graduation. At least 15 credits of upper-level courses in the major must be completed at UW-Parkside. The communication major must also have a minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in COMM 495 Senior Seminar, the department’s capstone course. Non-majors interested in taking upper-level communication courses should consult with the course instructor before registering.

Communication majors and minors are expected to meet with their advisors to discuss recommended sequences of elective courses for specific career or graduate school paths. The department maintains extensive advising materials to help students plan for and navigate the wide range of careers that are available.

  1. Required Core Courses (21 credits)
    SPCH 105 Public Speaking 3 cr
    OR    
    COMM 205 Oral Interpretation 3 cr
         
    COMM 107 Communication and the Human Condition
    (must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward the major)    		 3 cr
    COMM 108 Media and Society
    (must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward the major)    		 3 cr
    COMM 207 Introduction to the Communication Discipline Part I 3 cr
    COMM 208 Introduction to the Communication Discipline Part II 3 cr
    COMM 295 Sophomore Seminar 3 cr
         
    ENGL 201 Advanced Composition 3 cr
    OR    
    COMM 255 Writing for Multimedia 3 cr
  2. Communication Elective Courses (15 credits)
    1. Any level COMM course      3 cr
    2. 300-level COMM courses    9 cr
    3. 400-level COMM course      3 cr
       
  3. General Elective Courses Outside Communication Department at the 300- or 400-level (6 credits)
    Courses to be selected in consultation with advisor
     
  4. Required Capstone Course (3 credits)
    COMM 495 Senior Seminar  3 cr

 

Requirements for the Communication Minor (18 credits)

Intended for students seeking a broad exposure to the field of communication, as well as those seeking to tailor their minor to complement a particular major or course of study.

  1. Required Core Courses (6 credits)
    COMM 107  Communication and the Human Condition 3 cr
    COMM 108 Media and Society 3 cr
  2. Elective Courses (12 credits)
    1. Any level COMM course                    3 cr
    2. 300- or 400-level COMM courses    9 cr
      These credits must be approved by a departmental advisor to ensure an appropriate and timely sequence of courses.

 

Requirements for the Digital Media and Production Minor (21-24 credits)

The Digital Media and Production minor is designed to prepare students to be adept at creating, producing, and critiquing digital written, oral, aural, and visual communication. Students will produce digital media that conforms to professional standards with respect to visual, written, and audio-standards. Critical skills will involve technical fluency, design principles, analytic skills, visual literacy, visual strategic communication, and an understanding of transmedia and the rhetoric of digital and visual communication.

  1. Required Courses (7-9 credits)
    ART 104 Introduction to Digital Art 3 cr
    COMM 168 Introduction to Visual and Digital Communication 3 cr
    Choose one course:
    COMM 468 Digital and Media Literacy Capstone* 1 cr
    COMM 494 Communication Internship* 1-3 cr
  2. Elective Courses (14-15 credits)
    Choose five courses:
    ART 371 Digital Photography* 3 cr
    ART 471 Advanced Digital Photography* 3 cr
    COMM 255 Writing for Multimedia* 3 cr
    COMM 258 Podcasting 3 cr
    COMM 350 Digital Storytelling* 3 cr
    COMM 430 Digital and Social Media* 3 cr
    ENGL 208 Creative Writing-Screenplay* 3 cr
    ENGL 252 Introduction to Film 3 cr
    ENGL 259 History of Film from 1950 3 cr
    ENGL 307 Advanced Fiction Writing*  3 cr
    ENGL 330 Alternative Narratives* 3 cr
    ENGL 359 Digital Video 3 cr
    MUSP 240 Sound Production I* 2 cr

    * indicates courses with prerequisite requirements

 

Requirements for the Health Communication Minor (20-26 credits)

The minor in health communication is intended for students who are interested in careers in a healthcare field that involve regular interactions with patients and clients. The health communication minor is designed to be flexible to meet the needs of students who want to work in a communication-oriented career in health such as community relations, patient advocacy, or medical assistant, or for students who want to work in a healthcare provider area such as physician, nurse, or nursing assistant.

  1. Required Courses (7 credits)
    COMM 107 Communication & The Human Condition 3 cr
    COMM 340 Health Communication* 3 cr
    COMM 493 Capstone in Health Communication* 1 cr
  2. Elective Courses (13 credits minimum required)
    1. Healthcare Systems Course (2-3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      AHS 101 Introduction to Applied Health Science 3 cr
      HESM 365 Personal, School and Community Health 2 cr
      NURS 102 Perspectives on Health Care Systems 2 cr
    2. Biological Sciences Elective (3-5 credits)
      Choose one course:
      BIOS 101 Bioscience* 4 cr
      BIOS 103 Human Biology 3 cr
      BIOS 105 Human Physiology and Anatomy I 5 cr
    3. Chemistry Elective (3-5 credits)
      Choose one course:
      CHEM 100 World of Chemistry 3 cr
      CHEM 101 General Chemistry I* 4 cr
      CHEM 103 General Chemistry Lab I* 1 cr
      CHEM 115  Chemical Science* 4 cr
    4. Advanced Message Design Elective (3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      COMM 322 Public Relations Concepts & Practices* 3 cr
      COMM 350 Digital Storytelling* 3 cr
      COMM 435 Integrated Marketing Communication* 3 cr
      ENGL 402 Advanced Technical Writing* 3 cr
      ENGL 404 Non-Fiction Writing* 3 cr
    5. Diverse Human Systems Elective (2-3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      COMM 303 Organizational Communication* 3 cr
      COMM 365 Intercultural Communication*  3 cr
      HIMT 320 Survey of Information Technology in Healthcare (special tuition required) 3 cr
      PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychological Science* 3 cr
      PSYC 363 Health Psychology* 3 cr
      SOCA 376 Public Health*   3 cr

* indicates courses with prerequisite requirements

 

Requirements for the Organizational Communication Minor (18 credits)

A minor in organizational communication is designed to help students analyze the role of communication in organizations in order to communicate more effectively within an organization by developing skills in oral and written communication as well as group communication and qualitative analysis skills. The minor is especially appropriate for students who are interested in management, human resources, and team- or project-based work.

  1. Required Lower-level Courses (9 credits)
    1. Required Course (3 credits)
      COMM 107 Communication and the Human Condition 3 cr
    2. Choose One Course (3 credits)
      COMM 202 Group Communication 3 cr
      COMM 285 Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution 3 cr
    3. Choose One Course (3 credits)
      COMM 255 Writing for Multimedia 3 cr
      ENGL 168 Introduction to Professional Writing 3 cr
      ENGL 204 Writing for Business and Industry 3 cr
  2. Required Upper-level Courses (9 credits)
    1. Required Course (3 credits)
      COMM 303 Organizational Communication 3 cr
    2. Choose One Course (3 credits)
      COMM 480 Practicum in Organizational Communication 3 cr
      COMM 494 Communication Internship 3 cr
    3. Choose One Course (3 credits)
      COMM 315 Communication and Gender 3 cr
      COMM 322 Public Relations Concepts and Practices 3 cr
      COMM 363 Communication and Ethnicity 3 cr
      COMM 365 Intercultural Communication 3 cr
      COMM 390 Special Topics in Communication
      (topic approval required)      		 3 cr
      COMM 490 Special Topics in Communication
      (topic approval required)      		 3 cr
      HRM 343 Human Resource Management 3 cr
      HRM 442 Improving Employee Performance 3 cr

 

Requirements for the Public Relations Minor (18 credits)

A minor in public relations allows students to develop a general understanding of the concepts and practices involved in being a public relations practitioner and or a member of an organization who is responsible for various communication tasks which help to create and maintain relationships between an organization and its publics.

  1. Required Courses (12 credits)
    COMM 108 Media and Society 3 cr
    COMM 207 Intro to Communication Discipline Part I 3 cr
    COMM 208 Intro to Communication Discipline Part II 3 cr
    COMM 322 Public Relations Concepts and Practices 3 cr
  2. Elective courses (6 credits)
    1. Writing Course (3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      COMM 255 Writing for Multimedia 3 cr
      ENGL 168 Introduction to Professional Writing 3 cr
      ENGL 204 Writing for Business and Industry 3 cr
    2. Practicum (3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      COMM 480 Practicum in Organizational Communication 3 cr
      COMM 494 Communication Internship 3 cr
      ENGL 494 Internship in Writing and Editing
      (with prior approval from PR advisor)      		 3 cr

 

Requirements for the Conflict Analysis and Resolution Certificate (12 credits)

This certificate prepares students to be professional conflict mediators. Students learn, through course work and field experiences, how to analyze and respond to conflicts at multiple levels – interpersonal, organizational, cultural, and international. This certificate is recommended for those moving into positions as counselors, teachers, managers, mediators, and community leaders. To complete the program, the student must earn a grade of C or better in the required course work.

  1. Required Courses (9 credits)
    The three core courses provide training in several areas of conflict transformation: conflict analysis and assessment, dispute mediation, dialogue facilitation, and conflict intervention. The courses must be taken in sequence. All three courses are required for completion of the certificate.
    COMM 285 Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution 3 cr
    COMM 385 Conflict Mediation 3 cr
    COMM 485 Practicum in Conflict Intervention 3 cr
  2. Elective Course (3 credits)
    The purpose of the elective course is to help the student place his/her understanding of conflict in a broader social context. Therefore, the elective course must be from outside the student’s major. After consulting with the program advisor, the student is to take one of the following courses:
    COMM 363/ ETHN 363 Communication and Ethnicity 3 cr
    COMM 370 Communication and Social Movements 3 cr
    COMM 490 Special Topics in Communication
    (topic approval required)    		 3 cr
    HIST 260 International Conflict 3 cr
    PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Problems 3 cr
    PHIL 220 Politics, Law, and Society 3 cr
    PHIL 320 Value Theory 3 cr
    POLS 341 International Conflict and Cooperation 3 cr
    SOCA 233 Criminology 3 cr
    SOCA 234 Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice 3 cr
    SOCA 323 Institutional Racism in America 3 cr
    SOCA 331 Deviant Behavior 3 cr
    SOCA 354 Class, Status, and Power 3 cr
    SOCA 356 Political Sociology 3 cr

 

Requirements for the Digital and Media Literacy Certificate (16 credits)

This certificate provides critical tools and what Michael Wesch calls “knowledge-ability” for accessing, analyzing, interpreting, critically questioning, and creating a range of media texts. The interdisciplinary certificate is designed to enhance workplace and community-based participation for citizens and those involved in some capacity in the digital media industry. All courses provide students with experiences in the use and production of multimedia forms of communication that simultaneously support real-world problem solving and social justice/democratic principles. Implications of new technologies on identity construction and human communication are included.

  1. Required Courses (9 credits)
    COMM 108 Media and Society 3 cr
    COMM 368 Children and the Media 3 cr
    COMM 463 Gender, Race, Class and Sexualities in Media 3 cr
  2. Elective Courses (6 credits)
    Choose two courses:
    COMM 360 Contemporary Media Industries 3 cr
    COMM 366 Communication and Popular Music 3 cr
    COMM 390 Special Topics in Communication
    (topic approval required)    		 3 cr
    COMM 430 Digital and Social Media 3 cr
    COMM 435 Integrated Marketing Communication 3 cr
    COMM 490 Special Topics in Communication
    (topic approval required)    		 3 cr
    COMM 494 Communication Internship
    (approval required)    		 3 cr
  3. Final Project Course (1 credit)
    COMM 468 Digital and Media Literacy Project 1 cr

 

Requirements for the Digital Media and Production Certificate (15-18 credits)

The Digital Media and Production certificate is designed to prepare students to be adept at creating, producing, and critiquing digital written, oral, aural, and visual communication. This certificate program will introduce and develop skills in students for professional level quality in the production of digital media that is intended to be integrated into a variety of career areas.  Students will produce digital media that conforms to professional standards with respect to visual, written, and audio-standards. Critical skills will involve technical fluency, design principles, analytic skills, visual literacy, visual strategic communication, and an understanding of transmedia and the rhetoric of digital and visual communication. This program is open to non-degree seeking students who wish to develop and enhance their digital media and production skills.

  1. Required Courses (7-9 credits)
    ART 104  Introduction to Digital Art 3 cr
    COMM 168 Introduction to Visual and Digital Communication 3 cr
    Choose one course:
    COMM 468 Digital and Media Literacy Capstone* 1 cr
    COMM 494 Communication Internship* 1-3 cr
  2. Elective Courses (8-9 credits)
    Choose three courses:
    ART 371 Digital Photography* 3 cr
    ART 471 Advanced Digital Photography* 3 cr
    COMM 255 Writing for Multimedia* 3 cr
    COMM 258 Podcasting 3 cr
    COMM 350 Digital Storytelling* 3 cr
    COMM 430 Digital and Social Media* 3 cr
    ENGL 208 Creative Writing-Screenplay* 3 cr
    ENGL/
    HUMA 252    		 Introduction to Film 3 cr
    ENGL 259 History of Film from 1950 3 cr
    ENGL 307 Advanced Fiction Writing* 3 cr
    ENGL 330 Alternative Narratives* 3 cr
    ENGL 359 Digital Video 3 cr
    MUSP 240 Sound Production I* 2 cr
    * indicates courses with prerequisite requirements

 

Requirements for the Health Communication Certificate (15-20 credits)

  1. Required courses (7 credits)
    COMM 107 Communication & The Human Condition 3 cr
    COMM 340 Health Communication* 3 cr
    COMM 493 Capstone in Health Communication* 1 cr
  2. Elective courses (8-13 credits)
    1. Healthcare Systems (2-3 credits)
      Choose one course:
      AHS 101 Introduction to Applied Health Science 3 cr
      HESM 365 Personal, School and Community Health 2 cr
      NURS 102 Perspectives on Health Care Systems 2 cr
    2. Biological Sciences Elective (3-5 credits)
      Choose one course:
      BIOS 101 Bioscience* 4 cr
      BIOS 103 Human Biology 3 cr
      BIOS 105 Human Physiology and Anatomy I 5 cr
    3. Chemistry Elective (3-5 credits)
      Choose one course:
      CHEM 100 World of Chemistry 3 cr
      CHEM 101 General Chemistry I* 4 cr
      CHEM 103 General Chemistry Lab I* 1 cr
      CHEM 115 Chemical Science* 4 cr
      * indicates courses with prerequisite requirements

 

Courses in Communication (COMM)

107

Communication and the Human Condition
Prereq: None. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Examines social aspects of human life, including a strong focus on how identity, culture and social relationships are managed in interaction. Includes an introduction to how language constructs a version of the world in interaction. Must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward communication major.

 3 cr
108

Media and Society
Prereq: None. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Explores digital, broadcast and print media in the context of contemporary life. Must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward the major.

 3 cr
168

Introduction to Visual and Digital Communication
Prereq: None. Freq: Fall.
Introduces visual communication through visual imagery and digital media. Explores the concepts, theories, aesthetics and skills of visual communication, covering visual persuasion, photography, design, cultural and ethical issues, visualization of ideas, and others.

 3 cr
202

Group Communication
Prereq: None. Freq: Yearly.
Explores various concepts in group communication including group development, climate, problem solving, decision making, and power.

 3 cr
205

Oral Interpretation
Prereq: None. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Provides experience performing literature in front of a live audience or on video for online audiences. Emphasizes the improvement of oral expression, enhanced vocabulary, inflection, delivery, and engaging an audience while reading text.

 3 cr
207

Introduction to the Communication Discipline Part I
Prereq: COMM 107,108. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Introduces the communication discipline as a community of practice. Emphasizes the practical uses of contemporary communication theory and research to solve problems.

 3 cr
208

Introduction to the Communication Discipline Part II
Prereq: COMM 107, 108, and 207. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Develops students’ professional identities as practitioners of communication research.

 3 cr
255

Writing for Multimedia
Prereq: ENGL 101, COMM 108; or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Explores writing for print, digital and social media.

 3 cr
258

Podcasting
Prereq: None. Freq: Spring.
Introduces the uses and practical applications of sound for multimedia. Covers the components of podcast production including interviewing, story development, script writing, remote recording and digital audio recording, editing of sound, mixing, and final production for broadcast.

 3 cr
285

Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Prereq: None. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Examines approaches to understanding, transforming, and resolving conflicts. Includes case studies at the interpersonal, organizational, community/cultural, and international levels.

 3 cr
290

Special Topics in Communication
Prereq: COMM 107 or 108; or consent of instructor.  Freq: Occasionally.
Examines particular topics in communication.

 1-3 cr
295

Sophomore Seminar
Prereq: COMM 107 or 108. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Introduces students to the communication major. Reviews departmental learning objectives, explores communication careers and assists students in developing a professional identity.

 3 cr
303

Organizational Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall.
Examines the role of communication in organizational settings. Includes organizational communication theories and elements as well as contemporary organizational systems and their functioning.

 3 cr
310

Interpersonal Communication
Prereq: COMM 107, 207, 208. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines the role of communication in structuring and accomplishing interpersonal interactions with an emphasis on the ways interactional processes construct relationships and identities.

 3 cr
315

Communication and Gender
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Spring.
Explores the role of communication in the construction of gender, and the role of gender in the social organization and use of language and communication systems. Cross-listed with WGSS 315.

 3 cr
320

Privilege and Power
Prereq: Junior standing; or consent of instructor. Freq: Yearly.
Examines oppressive social systems constituted by inequitable distributions of privilege and power.  Focuses on the relationship between dominant groups and historical underrepresented groups in the U.S. Emphasizes issues of social justice and personal responsibility. Cross-listed with ETHN 320.

 3 cr
322

Public Relations Concepts and Practices
Prereq: SPCH 105 or COMM 205; COMM 207, 208. Freq: Yearly.
Surveys theoretical and practical concepts involved in the practice of public relations such as rhetorical theory, interviewing theory, media relations, and the public relations process of research planning implementation, and evaluation.

 3 cr
330

Communication and Socialization
Prereq: Core courses and COMM 310, or consent of instructor. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines current theories of child development with a focus on how children learn to communicate and the relationship between language and identity construction. Focuses on observations of children in three major contexts: home, school, peers.

 3 cr
335

Language in Human Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines the role of language in creating, maintaining, and transforming the social world from cultural, rhetorical, and/or philosophical perspectives. Addresses the ethical implications of language use in contemporary contexts.

 3 cr
340

Health Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Spring.
Examines fundamentals of caregiver and client interactions, the relationship between our health and our interactions with others, and the production of health messages.

 3 cr
350

Digital Storytelling
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall.
Examines the ways that digital storytelling creates identity and negotiates social life. Includes structure, function, genres, and contexts of narrative.

 3 cr
360

Contemporary Media Industries
Prereq: COMM 108, 207, and 208. Freq: Fall.
Examines contemporary media industries in the U.S., including broadcast and cable television, radio, film, popular music, newspapers, the Internet, and others. Emphasizes industrial structures and the ways these industries work together in the 21st century.

 3 cr
363

Communication and Ethnicity
Prereq: COMM 107 or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Examines communication practices which construct, maintain, transform, or threaten ethnic identity in a co-cultural context. Emphasis rotates among African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/as, and Native American Indians. May be repeated with different topics. Cross-listed with ETHN 363.

 3 cr
365

Intercultural Communication
Prereq: COMM 107, 207, 208; or consent of instructor. Freq: Yearly.
Investigates the relationship between culture and human interaction, emphasizing on ethical aspects of communication. Cross-listed with ETHN 365.

 3 cr
366

Communication and Popular Music
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor.  Freq: Occasionally.
Explores the cultural politics of popular music as communication in contemporary society.

 3 cr
368

Children and the Media
Prereq: COMM 108, 207, 208; or consent of instructor. Freq: Spring.
Examines critically the ways electronic media affect the lives of children. Gives particular attention to research studies and current policy debates. Possible community-based learning.

 3 cr
370

Communication and Social Movements
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor.  Freq: Occasionally.
Focuses on the role of interpersonal and media communication in organizing, carrying out, and documenting social movements.

 3 cr
385

Conflict Mediation
Prereq: COMM 285 with a grade of C or better; or core courses; or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Examines theory and practice of methods for conflict transformation. Includes facilitator training in dispute mediation, community dialogue, and the theatre of empowerment.

 3 cr
390

Special Topics in Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Occasionally.
Investigates particular topics in communication.

 1-3 cr
430

Digital and Social Media
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Spring.
Examines critical analysis and application of Internet communication, including social networking, crowdsourcing, online communities and collaboration, identity and privacy issues, and other topics.

 3 cr
435

Integrated Marketing Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall.
Investigates theory and practice or integrated marketing communication approaches, including advertising, public relations, and emerging digital and social media.  Possible community-based learning.

 3 cr
460

Global Media
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor.  Freq: Occasionally.
Explores global media through the lens of culture, politics, and economics.

 3 cr
463

Gender, Race, Class, and Sexualities in Media
Prereq: Core courses in COMM or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall.
Explores how representations of gender, race, class, and sexualities in the media contribute to our cultural identities. Cross-listed with WGSS 463.

 3 cr
468

Digital and Media Literacy Project
Prereq: Consent of instructor and department chair. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Provides a capstone experience in which the student, under the guidance of a faculty member, prepares and conducts a digital media literacy activity in the community.

 1 cr
480

Practicum in Organizational Communication
Prereq: Consent of instructor. Freq: Yearly.
Applies principles from public relations and/or organizational communication to an actual organization in the community. Specific topic may address developing a public relations campaign, training and developing, or consulting. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

 3 cr
485

Practicum in Conflict Intervention
Prereq: COMM 285, 385 with a grade of C or better. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Examines conflict intervention in a public setting (school, business, or community). Includes in-class training and supervised field experience.

 3 cr
490

Special Topics in Communication
Prereq: Core courses or consent of instructor. Freq: Occasionally.
Examines particular topics in communication.

 1-3 cr
493

Capstone in Health Communication
Prereq: COMM 340. Freq: Fall.
Assesses students understanding of program learning goals through the development and presentation of a digital portfolio.

 1 cr
494

Communication Internship
Prereq: COMM major, 2.80 GPA in the major, senior standing; or consent of instructor and department chair. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Combines field experience with a guided, systematic and structured application of communication concepts. Consult departmental internship instructor for procedures. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. Up to 3 credits may be applied to the major.

1-3 cr
495

Senior Seminar
Prereq: Core courses, graduating senior, 2.25 cumulative GPA; or consent of instructor. Freq: Fall, Spring.
Assesses, integrates, and extends the student’s intellectual grasp of the field. Includes career development planning. Taken during a student’s final semester.

 3 cr
499

Independent Study
Prereq: Core courses and consent of instructor and department chair. Freq: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Provides an opportunity for investigation of selected problems in communication. May be repeated for credits.

 1-3 cr
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