Communication and Media Courses (COMM)

COMM 1000. Oral Communication — 3 hrs.

Development of speaking and listening skills by studying the process and theory of communication and by applying communication principles to various speaking situations. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

COMM 1940. Applied Forensics — 1 hr.

Credit for approved participation in competitive speech and debate activities. May be repeated for maximum of 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 1941. Applied Performance Studies — 1-2 hrs.

Credit for approved participation in Performance Studies (e.g., participation in Interpreters Theatre, performance in community, campus, or festival settings; or related activity). May be repeated for maximum of 8 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 2205. Group Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of how people use communication to cultivate effective groups. Exploring theories and processes related to groups, students will learn how to assess and improve teams while developing their own skills as a group communicator. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 2255. Public Speaking — 3 hrs.

Teaches students to prepare, adapt, present, and critique a variety of speeches in a public setting. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 2256. Performing Texts — 3 hrs.

Introduction to the performance, analysis, and criticism of literary and aesthetic texts. (Fall)

COMM 2257. Argumentation and Debate — 3 hrs.

Training in the basics of academic debate and policy analysis. (Fall)

COMM 2344. Interpersonal Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of communication in relationships; exploration and experience with concepts and processes involved in one-to-one communication. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

COMM 2455. Skills for Making Performance — 3 hrs.

Adapting and staging texts for live and electronic group performances. Work in narrative adaptation, montage scripting, and ethnodrama. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2256. (Variable)

COMM 2456. Communication and Popular Culture — 3 hrs.

Introduction to the critical analysis, study, and performance of popular culture artifacts, phenomenon and texts. Special emphasis given to the socio-political implications and technological advances affecting popular culture consumption in U.S. culture. (Variable)

COMM 3000/5000. Selected Topics in Communication — 3 hrs.

Intensive work in specialized communication concepts, processes and approaches. No single emphasis may be repeated although the course may be repeated for maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Variable)

COMM 3001. Seminar in Communication: (Topic) — 3 hrs.

Topics will rotate with each seminar focusing on a specific area of faculty expertise tied to contemporary issues in communication studies. The highly interactive seminar format offers a chance for exploration of challenging and interesting topics with close collaborative work between instructors and students. This course may be repeated for up to 6 credit hours. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3055. Organizational Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of communication theories and practices in organizational settings. Students explore the role of communication in workplace processes such as newcomer socialization, conflict management, leadership and technology. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3155. Professional and Public Communication — 3 hrs.

Exploration of theories and experiences in diverse business and professional situations, with an emphasis on developing individual, dyadic, team, public, and mediated communication skills. Students will develop in-person and digital presentation skills. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3179. Cooperative Education — 1-6 hrs.

(Fall, Spring, Summer)

COMM 3236. Ethics in Communication — 3 hrs.

Exploration of ethical dimensions and dilemmas in communication. [Same as CAP 3128] (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3455. Creativity, Storytelling and Identity — 3 hrs.

Methods of making, collecting, analyzing, and theorizing storytelling and identity. Applications for communication and media research and creative action, including projects in museums, public relations campaigns, organizational settings, and community media. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3456. Practicing Public Advocacy — 3 hrs.

Covering a range of topics, this course explores practical examples of and problems relating to public advocacy. The focus is on how performance and rhetoric offer tools to practice public advocacy. Topics will rotate from year to year. (Variable)

COMM 3555. Interactive Digital Communication — 3 hrs.

Building on Digital Toolbox, this class offers students a more comprehensive understanding of web frameworks, content management systems, code (HTML, CSS, and beginning Javascript) and digital skill sets. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 1001. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3900/5900. Internship in Communication — 1-6 hrs.

Students complete academic assignments in conjunction with intensive work in a specialized area on-site at an organization. May be repeated for maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): junior standing; internship coordinator approval. See the internship coordinator for additional departmental requirements. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

COMM 3940. Advanced Applied Forensics — 1 hr.

Credit for approved advanced participation in competitive speech and debate activities. May be repeated for maximum of 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 3941. Advanced Applied Performance Studies — 1-2 hrs.

Credit for approved advanced work in Performance Studies (e.g., participation in Interpreters Theatre, performance in community, campus, or festival settings; or related activity). May be repeated for maximum of 8 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 4021/5021. Quantitative Research Methods — 3 hrs.

Examination of principles and procedures of communication research with emphasis on experimental and survey methods and techniques. Students will complete research projects. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 2020 or equivalent; junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4022. Qualitative Research Methods — 3 hrs.

Examination of principles and procedures of communication research with emphasis on interpretive and ethnographic techniques. Students complete research projects. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 2020 or equivalent; junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4023/5023. Rhetorical Research Methods — 3 hrs.

Examination of principles and procedures of communication research with emphasis on the critical analysis and interpretation of persuasive messages. Students complete research projects. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 2020 or ENGLISH 2120 or equivalent; junior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4116/5116. Health Communication — 3 hrs.

Theories of communication in health care settings, current issues in health communication, types of applications in interpersonal, organizational, and public communication contexts; literature and performance methods in health education. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Odd Springs)

COMM 4120/5120. Inclusive Leadership in the Workplace — 3 hrs.

The purpose of this course is for students to cultivate inclusive leadership knowledges, skills, and dispositions. As such the course blends reading/discussion with hands-on application and case studies. Students will be expected to describe the key concepts of inclusive leadership and apply how those concepts can be used to address different issues/problems/contexts. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Variable)

COMM 4134/5134. Organizational Cultures and Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of how cultural ideologies and forms such as symbols, rituals, language, and narratives are created, maintained, and changed in organizations. Emphasis on interpretive and critical theory and research. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4155/5155. Organizational Communication Assessment — 3 hrs.

Investigation of communication behavior and effectiveness in organizations. Students act in groups to design and conduct a consulting intervention in an actual organization. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 2020 or consent of instructor; COMM 3055; junior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4211/5211. Rhetoric and Civic Culture — 3 hrs.

Exploration of theories explaining how symbolic action creates, maintains, and transforms social reality, plays a role in social/political/cultural orders, differs between groups, and affects social change. Particular attention paid to the role of rhetoric in civic culture. Prerequisite(s): senior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4213/5213. Visual Rhetoric — 3 hrs.

Analysis of visual communication and how visual forms (e.g., bodies, photographs, memorials, image events) construct, maintain, and alter social reality. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 1010 or CM CORE 2020 or CM CORE 1001 or COMM DM 1611 or ENGLISH 2120 or ART HIST 1004 or ART 1002. (Variable)

COMM 4216/5216. Political Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of the elements of national and/or local political communication, including the rhetoric of political campaigns, and/or the rhetoric of elected officials. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Same as POL AMER 4160/5160) (Even Falls)

COMM 4217/5217. Freedom of Speech — 3 hrs.

Development of laws and social attitudes that have attempted to regulate communication in the United States; relation of free speech to national security, to regulation of the public forum, and to artistic expression; analysis of doctrines and tests used by the Supreme Court in interpreting the limits to free expression. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Variable)

COMM 4218. Persuasion — 3 hrs.

Examination of the dynamics involved in the creation, reception, and exchange of effective persuasive messages, episodes, and campaigns with a primary focus on social science theory and research regarding processes of human influence. (Variable)

COMM 4311. Nonverbal Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of practices, theories, and concepts related to patterns of human expression apart from the spoken or written word. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Same as HUM 3102/5102) (Variable)

COMM 4320. Leadership Communication and Citizenship — 3 hrs.

Exploration of the types of communication people use to give direction to the groups that matter most to them such as a team, community, organization, or social or political movement. Prerequisite(s): senior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4322/5322. Advanced Interpersonal Communication — 3 hrs.

Advanced study of theories and research in interpersonal communication. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2344; junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4333/5333. Communication and Conflict Management — 3 hrs.

Exploration of the processes involved in managing conflict in various communication contexts. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4344/5344. Intercultural Communication — 3 hrs.

Critical analysis of the multiple ways culture, perception, and communication influence each other. Offers a blend of theory, research, and hands-on application. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4346/5346. Gender Issues in Communication — 3 hrs.

Critical examination of how communication creates, maintains and challenges diverse gender identities and of how gendered communication in and about social institutions can be sources of liberation and subordination. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4347/5347. Family Communication — 3 hrs.

Study of communication phenomena in the family setting. Examination of how communication influences the development, maintenance, and enhancement of family relationships. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2344; junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4412/5412. Performing History — 3 hrs.

Theoretical and practical introduction to the critical analysis, study, and performance of history. Construction and representation of history using performance techniques and perspectives in innovative digital storytelling. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 1001; junior standing. (Spring)

COMM 4444/5444. Communication, Community, and Change — 3 hrs.

Study of communication practices in the construction, enhancement, and maintenance of communities. Theoretical and experiential applications through civic engagement, case study analysis, and applied critique of specific communities. Includes community projects, presentations, or simulations. Prerequisite(s): senior standing. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 4446/5446. Voices from the Margin: Performance, Rhetoric, and Social Change — 3 hrs.

Study of creation and theory of rhetorical and performance texts that enact protest, generate dialogue, promote civic action, and induce social, cultural, and institutional change. The course focuses on historically underrepresented and marginalized groups in the United States, activism for change outside of institutional structures, and the way race/ethnicity, sex/gender, sexuality, and/or class intersect. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Variable)

COMM 4448/5448. Cultural Performance — 3 hrs.

Advanced study of verbal art, texts, and aesthetic traditions in community, cultural, and political contexts. Emphasis on the roles narrative, ritual, and ceremony play in creating and contributing to cultural identity and social advocacy. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4490/5490. Interpreters Theatre Production — 1-2 hrs.

Advanced study and practice in preparing scripts, directing group performance for public presentation, and designing and implementing technical elements of productions. Usually involves directing, scripting, designing, or researching for an Interpreters Theatre production. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2455; approved Performance Studies project application; junior standing; consent of instructor. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 4544/5544. Digital Culture and Communication — 3 hrs.

Investigation of the relationships between technology and communication and their impact on social behavior, thought, and culture. Prerequisite(s): junior standing. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 4558/5558. Interactive Digital Visualization: (Topic) — 3 hrs.

Intensive work in specialized digital visualization concepts and practices. Work with advanced digital tools, techniques, and applications. Develop independent and group critical analysis and creative problem solving to digital project work. No single topic may be repeated although the course may be repeated for maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite(s): CM CORE 1001; junior standing. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): COMM 3555. (Fall and Spring)

COMM 4559. Communication Education and Training — 3 hrs.

Teaching strategies for various levels of communication instruction; application of educational principles to the communication classroom and organizational training. This is a required course for Communication Theatre Education majors and it is strongly recommended to take this class preceding student teaching. Prerequisite(s): for Communication Theatre Education majors: 12 hours of COMM (48C) course work; TEACHING 2017; EDPSYCH 2030; junior standing. For other majors: junior standing. (Fall)

COMM 4909/5909. Readings in Performance Studies — 1-3 hrs.

Extensive individual study of special topics in performance studies theory, history, or research. Prerequisite(s): COMM 2256; COMM 4448/5448; junior standing. (Variable)