Communication (Undergraduate Program in the College of Arts and Sciences)

• Faculty
• Description
• Journalism Concentration
• Major Requirements
• Minor Requirements
• Program Policies
• Course Descriptions

Faculty

Diane A. Forbes Berthoud, Associate Professor of Communication (Program Chair)
Jamey Piland, Associate Professor of Communication
Raul Tovares, Associate Professor of Communication

Description

The Communication Program at Trinity offers a liberal education, emphasizing the scientific and artistic basis of communication. The Program is committed to providing quality instruction in the theoretical bases of human communication and the application of theory within a number of specific contexts. The emphasis of the Program is on interpersonal interaction and human relationships, organizational and institutional communication, public discourse and mass communication. Students choose areas of specialization and specific courses that can lead to professional or pre-professional competence in such fields as journalism, training and development, human resources, foreign service, law, politics and government, human services, labor-management relations, personnel, campaign and propaganda administration, and public health. Undergraduate study in Communication can assist the student in pursuing advanced studies for a variety of careers including law, the ministry, and higher education. Undergraduate students majoring in the Communication Program are encouraged to take course work in other fields and programs; typical areas for minors and double majors in recent years have included: political science, media technology studies, human relations, sociology, psychology, women's studies, business, international studies, information technology, and education.

Students in the Communication Program take advantage of the many internship and field-based opportunities available in Washington, D.C. Recent internships include prestigious organizations such as National Geographic, CNN, C-SPAN, CBS, Kennedy Center, as well as other local television stations, public relations firms, lobbying groups, and political offices.

The Communication Program offers a major and minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The major consists of six required courses, six elective courses, and five courses to be taken as co-requisites. All communication majors are encouraged to minor in programs related to their personal and career interests. The minor consists of six courses. The Communication Program also offers a comprehensive concentration in Journalism.

Journalism Concentration

The journalism concentration in the Communication Program at Trinity offers students an opportunity to learn and practice the skills necessary to prepare for internships and careers in the field of journalism. Students who choose the journalism concentration will be prepared to work for newspapers and magazines (both print and electronic versions), public relations firms, and book publishing companies.

Students who choose the journalism concentration must take all of the courses necessary to fulfill the requirements for a communication degree as well as take and successfully complete courses in journalism, such as COM 383 Journalism COM 383 Journalism

Focuses on writing and editing for newspapers and magazines, paying particular attention to the development of news concepts, news gathering, and feature stories.

3 credits

, the introductory journalism course, and COM 395 Advanced Journalism COM 395 Advanced Journalism

Designed to sharpen reporting and newswriting skills through practical assignments under deadline pressure and close editorial supervision.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 383

. In addition, students must take the introductory communication class, COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication

Introduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

, COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society

Investigates the evolution of media and the influence of mass media on previous and current society. Studies contemporary issues in mass communication including: media regulation, violence, and corporate control. Ethical questions regarding the influence of the mass media will also be examined. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265 

and COM 420 Mass Media Law COM 420 Mass Media Law

Analyzes policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC). Examines ethics in mass media, and various cases on such issues as privacy and copyright laws.

3 credits

. Because the field of journalism is today an electronic-based as well as a print-based medium, students in the journalism concentration must also take ISYS 243 Web Page Design ISYS 243 Web Page Design

Examines publishing on the World Wide Web (WWW). Included topics will be theory on design, navigation, the use of multimedia as well as an overview of security and legal issues. Students will learn HTML and common authoring tools.

3 credits

Prerequisites: ISYS 103 or permission of instructor

and COM 203.

Students interested in graduate study should consult with program faculty and are encouraged to pursue graduate work at Trinity in the Graduate Program of Communication.

Major Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication COM 201 Interpersonal Communication

Offers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.

3 credits

Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature

COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication

Introduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 290 Public Speaking COM 290 Public Speaking

Examines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered. 

3 credits

FLC Area I

Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life

COM 383 Journalism COM 383 Journalism

Focuses on writing and editing for newspapers and magazines, paying particular attention to the development of news concepts, news gathering, and feature stories.

3 credits

COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship

Provides on-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs.

3 credits

Prerequisite: Junior status (56 completed credits) 

COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

Encourages students to review their study of communication from variety of different perspectives. Students are required to prepare a major research project in an area of interest that highlights their understanding of the communication field. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: Senior status (92 completed credits) 

Elective Courses (18 credits)

TWO of the following courses:

COM 250 Public Relations I COM 250 Public Relations I

Focuses on public relations in various settings (in-house consulting, nonprofit organizations) and the strategies, tools, and skills used by practitioners.

3 credits

COM 306 Visual Communication COM 306 Visual Communication

Provides both a theoretical/critical and a practical introduction to the study of visual communication. This course is divided into three parts: visual manipulation, visual literacy and the role of visual images in society, and visual communication skills. Students study how film editing works, how images can be juxtaposed for persuasive effect, whether or not images can ""lie"" and whether or not viewing skills are comparable to language skills.

3 credits

COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation

Teaches the techniques of proper vocal control with emphasis on broadcast techniques. Identifies any deficiencies in speech and emphasizes effective vocal usage and delivery (enunciation and pronunciation).

3 credits

COM 365 Advocacy and Argument COM 365 Advocacy and Argument

Provides opportunities for critical analysis and development of argumentative and rhetorical skills. Students engage in active and formal debate on a variety of policy and value propositions. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: PHI 103 

COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations

Examines the role of the publicist in various organizations. Also looks at the basics of media relations, testing and evaluating publicity, and using publicity as a tool. Students are expected to produce publicity campaigns. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 250 

COM 395 Advanced Journalism COM 395 Advanced Journalism

Designed to sharpen reporting and newswriting skills through practical assignments under deadline pressure and close editorial supervision.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 383

COM 392 Speechwriting COM 392 Speechwriting

Concentrates on the preparation of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 290

ISYS 341 Data Structures and Algorithms ISYS 341 Data Structures and Algorithms

Studies the design and analysis of efficient algorithms. Covers the implementation of data structures, including linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees, as well as the sorting, searching, hashing, and merging of data.

3 credits

Prerequisites: ISYS 141 or permission of instructor

FOUR of the following courses:

COM 225 Intercultural Communication COM 225 Intercultural Communication

Applies basic principles of intercultural communication to the analysis of specific situations involving cultural differences. Emphasis is on the influence of culture on the communication process, including differences in values, assumptions, and communication. Models of intercultural communication analysis are developed and applied to issues dealing with relations between a dominant society and subcultures, social change, and international relations.

3 credits

Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life

COM 301 Editorial Cartooning COM 301 Editorial Cartooning

Considers the history, aesthetics, and persuasive influence of editorial cartooning in America and around the world. Various approaches to the criticism of cartoons are studied. This is an interdisciplinary approach to editorial cartoon humor. 

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory

Introduces students to contemporary persuasion research methods and theories that guide research. Interpersonal and public settings are covered, including compliance gaining, and public persuasive strategies. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 305 Minority Images in American Media COM 305 Minority Images in American Media

Examines how minorities (racial, ethnic, sexual, etc.) and other categories of the socially marginalized (the poor, the homeless) have been portrayed throughout the twentieth century in American entertainment media, from being made ""invisible"" to being stereotyped, and the impact of these images. Combines theoretical approaches and insights with a historical overview to increase students' awareness of the ideological nature of media images. 

3 credits

COM 312 Gangsters and American Film COM 312 Gangsters and American Film

Offers a study of crime movies and their relationship to 20th-century U.S. culture. Focus is on the relationship between artistic form and social processes by examining the gang genre from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265 

COM 315 Management Communication COM 315 Management Communication

Introduces contemporary theories, approaches, and functions of communication in managing, including management of people, processes, technologies and structures, with emphasis in relationship maintenance, small group teams and oral presentation skills. The development of practical and critical thinking skills for decision making, organization design, motivation, leadership and cultural diversity in organizations. Particular attention is paid to how information technologies are changing the context and process of management.

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 355 Technology and Communication COM 355 Technology and Communication

COM 360 Small Group Communication COM 360 Small Group Communication

Explores effective communication skills, leadership styles and functions, and conflict management in problem-solving groups. Examines various theories regarding small group interaction. Provides practical experience with problem-solving groups. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201 

COM 375 Communication and Conflict COM 375 Communication and Conflict

Introduces theory and experiential learning in the role of communication in conflict management. The focus is on interpersonal interactions, including dyadic and small group levels in various settings such as friendships, marriage, family, and the workplace. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society

Investigates the evolution of media and the influence of mass media on previous and current society. Studies contemporary issues in mass communication including: media regulation, violence, and corporate control. Ethical questions regarding the influence of the mass media will also be examined. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265 

COM 385 Organizational Communication COM 385 Organizational Communication

Examines how organizations are created and maintained through communication and the influence of culture.  The course explores various types of organizational cultures, structures, and processes. Topics include: organizational conflict, leadership and management, problem solving, decision making, organizational and corporate culture, organizational ethics, and diversity in organizations.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 388 Gender and Communication COM 388 Gender and Communication

Explores theory and methods for examining communication and gender roles. Topics include gendered communication, gender and media, family communication, gendered violence, gender and education, and gender and institutions. 

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

Gen Ed Capstone Seminar

Prerequisite: Com 201 or permission of the instructor

COM 401 Theories of Interpersonal Communication COM 401 Theories of Interpersonal Communication

Analyzes contemporary theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on models of communication, verbal and nonverbal message systems, and analysis of personal and social communicative relationships.

3 credits

Prerequisites: COM 201 and junior status (56 completed credits) 

COM 420 Mass Media Law COM 420 Mass Media Law

Analyzes policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC). Examines ethics in mass media, and various cases on such issues as privacy and copyright laws.

3 credits

COM 450 Women In Organizations COM 450 Women In Organizations

Focuses on the dynamic relationship among gender, power, race, sexuality and class in women's organizational lives. Provides an in-depth exploration of critical feminist theory and research in organizational communication. Emphasis is on the perspectives of diverse women in multiple contexts. Topics include Women in Leadership, Sexual Harassment and Feminist Organizational Theory.

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 482 Leadership COM 482 Leadership

Explores the dynamics of communication, leadership, power and authority in organizations. The course provides an overview of traditional and contemporary approaches to leadership. Topics include: cross-cultural communication and leadership, charismatic and transformational leadership, followership, power and organizational politics.

General Education Requirements: Applications (Leadership Area)

3 credits

POLS 471 Politics and The Media POLS 471 Politics and The Media

Examines coverage of politics, elections, and related topics. Current events are treated within a theoretical and historical perspective of major communications issues facing the ongoing American democratic experiment. Formerly PSC 420 Politics and the Media.

4 credits

SSC 201 Documentary Film SSC 201 Documentary Film

Documentary film explores the history and craft of documentary filmmaking special attention is paid to the political and social issues dealt with in documentary film and whether they have the power to be a vehicle of change.

SSC 300 Politics and Film SSC 300 Politics and Film

Politics and film investigates the intersection of film with political institutions, the portrayal of political institutions on film and the contributions film makes to our understanding and opinion of politics and society. Through weekly readings and screenings the course invited students to see film politically.

Co-requisite Courses (15 credits)

ALL of the following courses:

ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics

Introduces principles of microeconomics and their applications. Topics include supply and demand, operation of markets, consumer and enterprise behavior, competition and monopoly, and microeconomic policy. Formerly ECO 122 Principles of Economics I.

3 credits

Prerequisites: ECON 100 and Either MATH 105, MATH 109, or Math 123

FLC Area V

Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature

MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics

Presents the basic principles of statistics with applications to the social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, normal and binomial distributions, and central limit theorem, with an introduction to the use of statistical software. Formerly MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics.

3 credits

General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area

Prerequisites: MATH 108, MATH 109 or higher level mathematics course

PHIL 103 Reasoning and Argumentation PHIL 103 Reasoning and Argumentation

Presents examples of analysis and argumentation in order to examine what constitutes either a deductive and an inductive argument, the notions of validity and truth, the justificatory power of evidence as well as common informal fallacies. The course provides practice in various techniques of argumentation and critical analysis. Formerly PHI 103 Reasoning and Argumentation.

3 credits

General Education Curriculum: Foundational Skills Area

FLC Area III

Prerequisite CRS 101

PSYC 101 Introductory Psychology PSYC 101 Introductory Psychology

Introduces the student to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. All major sub-areas of psychology (social, developmental, clinical, physiological, motivation and emotion, sensation and perception) are explored, as well as the major theoretical perspectives (behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytic, and humanistic). Formerly PSY 121 Introductory Psychology.

3 credits

General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area

FLC Area V

Core: Area II

SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology

Introduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.

3 credits

General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area

FLC Area V

Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society

Minor Requirements

Required Courses (18 credits)

BOTH of the following courses:

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication COM 201 Interpersonal Communication

Offers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.

3 credits

Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature

COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication

Introduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

FOUR additional communications courses, excluding COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship

Provides on-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs.

3 credits

Prerequisite: Junior status (56 completed credits) 

and COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

Encourages students to review their study of communication from variety of different perspectives. Students are required to prepare a major research project in an area of interest that highlights their understanding of the communication field. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: Senior status (92 completed credits) 

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the communication major or minor.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major.

Pass/No Pass:
No course fulfilling major requirements in the communication program may be taken Pass/No Pass, with the exception of COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship

Provides on-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs.

3 credits

Prerequisite: Junior status (56 completed credits) 

Applied Communication: Directed Internship, which is graded Pass/No Pass.

Senior Assessment:
Students will complete a comprehensive assessment in the Senior Seminar. The comprehensive assessment will include the preparation of a communication research project on a topic approved by the professor. Students must earn a grade of "C" or better on this project.

Study Abroad:
Students should take advantage of the many communication related study abroad programs.

TELL Policy:
Students may apply a maximum of 12 credits to major requirements earned through TELL.

Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit will be awarded after appropriate program review and approval.

COM 110 Communication for Academic Success COM 110 Communication for Academic Success

This course is designed to help students develop the skills that are necessary for effective interpersonal and small group communication. Students will learn to participate in varied communication contexts that involve both formal and more interactive formats. The course provides them with the opportunity to communicate more effectively with an audience in small group and public contexts.

3 credits

General Education Curriculum: Foundational Skills

COM 201 Interpersonal Communication COM 201 Interpersonal Communication

Offers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.

3 credits

Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature

COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication

Cross-cultural Communication examines basic principles of communication in multi-cultural contexts. Students will analyze the impact of cultural assumptions and values on understanding and communication between individuals and among communities.



This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degreee Program. No other students are allowed to register for this class.

3 credits

COM 225 Intercultural Communication COM 225 Intercultural Communication

Applies basic principles of intercultural communication to the analysis of specific situations involving cultural differences. Emphasis is on the influence of culture on the communication process, including differences in values, assumptions, and communication. Models of intercultural communication analysis are developed and applied to issues dealing with relations between a dominant society and subcultures, social change, and international relations.

3 credits

Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life

COM 250 Public Relations I COM 250 Public Relations I

Focuses on public relations in various settings (in-house consulting, nonprofit organizations) and the strategies, tools, and skills used by practitioners.

3 credits

COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication COM 265 Introduction to Mass Communication

Introduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 290 Public Speaking COM 290 Public Speaking

Examines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered. 

3 credits

FLC Area I

Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life

COM 301 Editorial Cartooning COM 301 Editorial Cartooning

Considers the history, aesthetics, and persuasive influence of editorial cartooning in America and around the world. Various approaches to the criticism of cartoons are studied. This is an interdisciplinary approach to editorial cartoon humor. 

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory COM 302 Persuasion Research & Theory

Introduces students to contemporary persuasion research methods and theories that guide research. Interpersonal and public settings are covered, including compliance gaining, and public persuasive strategies. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 305 Minority Images in American Media COM 305 Minority Images in American Media

Examines how minorities (racial, ethnic, sexual, etc.) and other categories of the socially marginalized (the poor, the homeless) have been portrayed throughout the twentieth century in American entertainment media, from being made ""invisible"" to being stereotyped, and the impact of these images. Combines theoretical approaches and insights with a historical overview to increase students' awareness of the ideological nature of media images. 

3 credits

COM 306 Visual Communication COM 306 Visual Communication

Provides both a theoretical/critical and a practical introduction to the study of visual communication. This course is divided into three parts: visual manipulation, visual literacy and the role of visual images in society, and visual communication skills. Students study how film editing works, how images can be juxtaposed for persuasive effect, whether or not images can ""lie"" and whether or not viewing skills are comparable to language skills.

3 credits

COM 312 Gangsters and American Film COM 312 Gangsters and American Film

Offers a study of crime movies and their relationship to 20th-century U.S. culture. Focus is on the relationship between artistic form and social processes by examining the gang genre from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265 

COM 315 Management Communication COM 315 Management Communication

Introduces contemporary theories, approaches, and functions of communication in managing, including management of people, processes, technologies and structures, with emphasis in relationship maintenance, small group teams and oral presentation skills. The development of practical and critical thinking skills for decision making, organization design, motivation, leadership and cultural diversity in organizations. Particular attention is paid to how information technologies are changing the context and process of management.

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 335 International Communication COM 335 International Communication

Studies information flows across the boundaries of nation-states and the impact of such information flows on international and national communication policies. In addition, the course examines how international communication affects local governments, religions and cultures.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265

COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation COM 340 Voice Techniques and Articulation

Teaches the techniques of proper vocal control with emphasis on broadcast techniques. Identifies any deficiencies in speech and emphasizes effective vocal usage and delivery (enunciation and pronunciation).

3 credits

COM 355 Technology and Communication COM 355 Technology and Communication

COM 360 Small Group Communication COM 360 Small Group Communication

Explores effective communication skills, leadership styles and functions, and conflict management in problem-solving groups. Examines various theories regarding small group interaction. Provides practical experience with problem-solving groups. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201 

COM 365 Advocacy and Argument COM 365 Advocacy and Argument

Provides opportunities for critical analysis and development of argumentative and rhetorical skills. Students engage in active and formal debate on a variety of policy and value propositions. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: PHI 103 

COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations COM 370 Publicity and Media Relations

Examines the role of the publicist in various organizations. Also looks at the basics of media relations, testing and evaluating publicity, and using publicity as a tool. Students are expected to produce publicity campaigns. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 250 

COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society COM 380 The Role of the Media in Society

Investigates the evolution of media and the influence of mass media on previous and current society. Studies contemporary issues in mass communication including: media regulation, violence, and corporate control. Ethical questions regarding the influence of the mass media will also be examined. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 265 

COM 383 Journalism COM 383 Journalism

Focuses on writing and editing for newspapers and magazines, paying particular attention to the development of news concepts, news gathering, and feature stories.

3 credits

COM 385 Organizational Communication COM 385 Organizational Communication

Examines how organizations are created and maintained through communication and the influence of culture.  The course explores various types of organizational cultures, structures, and processes. Topics include: organizational conflict, leadership and management, problem solving, decision making, organizational and corporate culture, organizational ethics, and diversity in organizations.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 201

COM 388 Gender and Communication COM 388 Gender and Communication

Explores theory and methods for examining communication and gender roles. Topics include gendered communication, gender and media, family communication, gendered violence, gender and education, and gender and institutions. 

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

Gen Ed Capstone Seminar

Prerequisite: Com 201 or permission of the instructor

COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship COM 391 Applied Communication: Directed Internship

Provides on-the-job training in communication through approved field-work study programs.

3 credits

Prerequisite: Junior status (56 completed credits) 

COM 392 Speechwriting COM 392 Speechwriting

Concentrates on the preparation of speeches for other people to deliver, emphasizing the need to adapt to another person's ideas and style. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 290

COM 395 Advanced Journalism COM 395 Advanced Journalism

Designed to sharpen reporting and newswriting skills through practical assignments under deadline pressure and close editorial supervision.

3 credits

Prerequisite: COM 383

COM 400 Independent Study COM 400 Independent Study

COM 415 Conflict in the Workplace COM 415 Conflict in the Workplace

The course examines the key concepts in organizational conflict, from a communication perspective. The course will provide opportunities for gaining insights into the complexities of conflict in work life. Topics include: diagnostic and intervention techniques for changing elements in a conflict; the role of power; language; goals; culture and gender in creating, sustaining and managing conflict in professional settings.

COM 420 Mass Media Law COM 420 Mass Media Law

Analyzes policies and regulations governing the mass media industry (FCC & FTC). Examines ethics in mass media, and various cases on such issues as privacy and copyright laws.

3 credits

COM 430 Written and Oral Briefings COM 430 Written and Oral Briefings

Provides students with the necessary framework for developing analytical skills for written and oral communication in complex and ambiguous situations. Information produced under conditions of uncertainty and risk requires highly developed skills in the quick collection and analysis of data. Communication becomes essential when information is processed quickly, incrementally and often with pressure for early interpretation. This course will assist students with acquiring and demonstrating the analytic and research skills necessary for competent written and oral briefings. Topics for this course include: elements of argumentation; critical decision making; tolerance for uncertainty; analysis, observation and message formation; accuracy and evidence in information gathering and message design; and modes of delivery in public communication.

3 credits

Prerequisites: COM 290

COM 450 Women In Organizations COM 450 Women In Organizations

Focuses on the dynamic relationship among gender, power, race, sexuality and class in women's organizational lives. Provides an in-depth exploration of critical feminist theory and research in organizational communication. Emphasis is on the perspectives of diverse women in multiple contexts. Topics include Women in Leadership, Sexual Harassment and Feminist Organizational Theory.

3 credits

FLC Seminar II

COM 482 Leadership COM 482 Leadership

Explores the dynamics of communication, leadership, power and authority in organizations. The course provides an overview of traditional and contemporary approaches to leadership. Topics include: cross-cultural communication and leadership, charismatic and transformational leadership, followership, power and organizational politics.

General Education Requirements: Applications (Leadership Area)

3 credits

COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication COM 488 Senior Seminar: Communication

Encourages students to review their study of communication from variety of different perspectives. Students are required to prepare a major research project in an area of interest that highlights their understanding of the communication field. 

3 credits

Prerequisite: Senior status (92 completed credits)