This course introduces students to the information age and its significance in our personal and professional lives. Students explore mass communication from the perspectives of advertising, film, journalism, public relations, radio, and television. Other topics may include multimedia and interactive technology, the Internet and international communication.

This course provides students with a survey of the field of human communication. Students will explore the symbolic nature of both verbal and nonverbal communication in several contexts including dyadic, small group, intercultural and organizational settings. Within and across contexts, students will study fundamental communication processes such as message construction, listening, persuasion, deception, and relationship development.

Mass Communication is changing more rapidly now than at any time in the past century. Journalists, public relations practitioners, corporate communicators and professionals in any discipline or industry are expected to know how to use a range of storytelling forms to reach their audiences. Today’s professional (at all levels) should be able to gather and edit simple text, graphics, photos, audio and video as well as use the latest social media, and analytics dashboards. This interactive course will examine those changes and provide valuable “how-to” practice in communication technology and content delivery. As students learn about communication technology in the Media Lab, they will become more familiar with the hardware, software, and devices used in the industry as well as in varied disciplines and workplaces. Communication technology is the fusion of computer science and electronic media -- offering skills and opportunity to present, share, distribute and manage information.

This course will examine the principles of public relations and advertising. Areas of discussion include: organizational aspects, the environment (workplace and marketplace), fact finding, planning and programming, implementation, evaluation and audience analysis.

This course introduces students to theory and application of single-camera digital video production. The course consists of lectures and structured labs. Emphasis in the course is on learning and applying terminology, aesthetics, and fundamental principles to planning and editing video projects. Labs provide students with a working knowledge of video equipment, industry standards, and state-of-the-art digital video editing techniques.

In this course, students develop basic mastery of digital photography as a means of visual communication and creative expression. Through lectures, discussions, small group and one-on-one demonstrations, and hands-on experience, students learn how to shoot digital images and to work creatively with these images using Photoshop software.

This course provides students with an overview of the writing process involved in the creation of content for both traditional and ‘new’ media. Students will learn the stylistic differences inherent in the construction of news stories, ad copy, marketing pieces, etc. Concurrently, they will analyze specific target audiences in order to achieve clearly formulated rhetorical objectives. Through lecture, discussion, and projects, students will gain an understanding of the varied contexts within traditional media, such as TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines, along with the changing trends found in newer forms of social media, such as e-zines, blogs, and podcasts. Writing used in internal (corporate/organizational communications) and external (public relations, marketing) communications will also be included.

This course focuses on the role and utilization of new media from both a practical and theoretical vantage point. Students will examine how media technologies shape crucial facets of contemporary society—from business to politics, economics, corporate/organizational environments, and communities. Throughout the course, we will move from basic concepts of new media to more in-depth explorations of how digital media technologies have evolved, and their continued impact on modes and strategies of communication. Students will gain practical, “hands on” experiences with digital media technology throughout the course, gain experience applying these technologies towards creating digital content, and understand the implications of these technologies on practices of communication.

This course covers fundamental aspects of radio production, including the day to day work of DJs, production and broadcast of themed music and entertainment programming, news gathering and reporting, and the writing and digital editing of pre-recorded, on-air news stories and features. Students in the course run the campus radio station under the direction of the course instructor.

A survey of the research investigating how the concept of gender is socially constructed and defined through communication practices, how individual gender identities are communicatively constructed, and how gender identities affect communication practices.

This course encourages students to develop professionally in fields related to the humanities with consideration of the unique viewpoints that study the human condidtion from the liberal studies vantage point. Focusing on the theme of 'professional conversations,' students are asked to think about what issues, debates, trends, etc., are happening in their fields of study and prospective careers. This course intends to equip students professionally and academically as they delve into their field of interest and think of their own contributions to their future profession.

This course introduces the skills necessary for reporting and writing in multiple media formats. Students will learn how to put together stories for the Web with video, audio, and graphics as well as text. Using simple hardware and related software, students will be introduced to the technical side of writing and communication. Multimedia Journalism and Professional Writing gives students a chance to experience the challenges faced by all working journalists and strategic communications professionals. Students will learn how to use interactive media techniques and theory to tell compelling stories using still photography, video, audio and mobile devices. The class incorporates lectures, online lessons and hands-on opportunities to explore best practices for different storytelling platforms and analytics for feedback.

Building on other Communication courses, this course provides students with the awareness and skills to be a corporate and organizational communication professional. It will explore the growing field of corporate/organizational communication by emphasizing the theory and function of communication within government, businesses, industrial firms, hospitals, schools and other organizations. Attention will be given to strategies for diagnosing and effecting change in an organization’s internal and external communications strategies, and for maintaining positive reputations with an organization’s stakeholders. Students will become versed in the major theories of organizational communication, and will examine the role of technology, corporate culture, leadership, teamwork, ethics, and diversity in communication. This course will serve as the capstone experience of the Communications degree.

The internship in Communications is a supervised practical learning experience designed to give students the opportunity to explore career interests in fields related to communications, to acquire valuable on-the-job experience, and to put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired through course work.

The internship in Communications is a supervised practical learning experience designed to give students the opportunity to explore career interests in fields related to communications, to acquire valuable on-the-job experience, and to put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired through course work.