Required Communication Major Courses
For curriculum and course descriptions for our Bachelor of Arts in Communication, please download a program overview.
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COM 11023 | Speech Preparation and Delivery (3 Credits)
Provides instruction in speaking before a group. Development of speech content, organization, research, and delivery is emphasized. Includes practice of impromptu, persuasive and informative speeches.
COM 20165 | Media Writing (3 Credits)
Covers fundamentals of news reporting and writing for broadcast media, public relations, advertising, and the Internet.
COM 24003 | Critical Listening (3 Credits)
Course examines how environments are constructed to inhibit listening. Poor listening habits lead to poor interpersonal and intercultural skills in both relational and leadership roles. This course does not address the biological process of listening (i.e. hearing) but topics instead focus on the social and communicative nature of how we come to know, embody, and share meaning as well as research in Listening Studies to discover factors that cause information to be passively backgrounded.
COM 38000 | Online Communication Strategies (2 Credits)
Despire being a crucial part of day-to-day life, navigating online environments is both difficult and poorly understood. This class examines communication strategies for personal and professional digital development: negotiating online personae, self-promoting through social media and e-portfolios, gianing functional writing skills for the web.
COM 30163 | Interpersonal Communication (3 Credits)
Examines models of relational interaction, verbal and nonverbal messages, language use, critical listening, relational dynamics, self-concept, identity management, disclosure, intimacy, defensiveness, supportiveness, perceptual processes, emotional influences, interpersonal conflicts, and the impact of gender, race and culture on communication.
COM 30263 | Small Group Communication (3 Credits)
Examines task and social dimensions of group interaction, problem solving, decision making, roles, norms, leadership skills, cohesiveness, communication climates, conflict management, stages of group development, ethical behaviors, observation techniques, and analytic methods for evaluating group dynamics and accomplishments.
COM 30363 | Organizational Communication (3 Credits)
Theory and practice of communication within organizations, including interpersonal factors, motivation, change and conflict resolution, and communication audit practices and procedures. Participate in a communication audit of a local organization. Prerequisite: COM 30163 or consent of instructor.
COM 30464 | Family Communication (3 Credits)
Family Communication focuses on interaction patterns, relational processes, and identity within families through analysis of family as systems and subsystems. The course explores conflict in families with maintenance practices and relational repair strategies. Through applied theoretical analysis, students study practices designed to increase an understanding of their own family experiences and identify healthy communication strategies. Students explore Nonviolent Communication and related methodologies. This course is included in the Managing Conflict Sequence.
COM 30563 | Visual Communication (3 Credits)
Survey of the theory and practice of visual communication. Includes theoretical explanation, visual grammar and laboratory opportunities to apply and develop visual communication literacy. Provides strategies for effective visual communication. Cross-listed with ART 30563 Visual Communication.
COM 39664 | Managing Conflict (3 Credits)
Focus on leadership as action and understanding others and interpersonal theory as the connection between leadership and communication in an organizational context. Both didactic and experiential teaching methods used. Cross-listed with OAD 39664.
COM 40164 | Global Communication (3 Credits)
Explores basic concepts, principles, and skills for improving interpersonal interaction among persons from different backgrounds. Examines the impact of a variety of domestic and global contexts on human communication.
Choice Between COM 49100 or COM 49263.
COM 49100 | Seminar in Applied Communication (4Credits)
Capstone course that guides students in applying key communication theories and research to their chosen specialization. Emphasis on pivotal role of communication professionals in organizations.
COM 49263 | Senior Comprehensive (4 Credits)
Capstone course culminating in a project or paper fulfilling senior comprehensive examination requirements for a specific communication emphasis area. Must be taken in final semester of attendance.
Concentrations Available
Speech Concentration
COM 10121 | Speech and Debate Lab (1 Credits)
Provides students with active training in speech communications and includes traveling on the competitive speech and debate teams. May be repeated as needed. Prerequisite: Instructor permission. Note: COM Lab course must be repeated three times.
COM 20223 | Argumentation and Debate (3 Credits)
Studies the principles of argumentation and practice in debate techniques with special emphasis on reasoning and research, case construction, refutation and rebuttal. Use of the collegiate debate question to give practical experience in various forms of debate. Prerequisite: COM 11023 Speech Preparation and Delivery.
COM 20523 | Performance Studies (3 Credits)
Develops the understanding that performances are a separate paradigm of communication. Class emphasizes the use of performance as a cultural artifact, a tool for persuasion and a method for processing information. Students research and analyze performances; they develop and create their own.
COM 30663 | Advanced Public Speaking (3 Credits)
Theory and practice in delivering common forms of verbal presentations to the community, organizations and at work. Development of speech content, organization and delivery. Practice of broadcasting, impromptu, persuasive, humorous, and informative speeches and presentations.
COM 38103 | Legal Communication (3 Credits)
Legal Communication explores key issues and topics in the practice of trail law: speech presentations of statements, client-based listening, voir dire and the role of media in trials. Issues in client-based communication are explored, as well. Students learn about research related to expert testimony, jury deliberation, and judicial instruction. The course also provides an applied approach to bargaining, negotiation, and mediation, the practice of Restorative Justice, and mock trial simulations. The course is specific to commuication but uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore issues in the field of law.
COM 40464 | Persuasive Communication (3 Credits)
Study of assertive communication skills to diagnose and solve personal and professional communication problems, develop persuasive interviewing skills, listen and respond creatively, give and take productive criticism and use feedback to analyze and enhance communication.
COM 48060 | Forensics Coaching and Pegagogy (3 Credits)
This is a laboratory coaching course in applied intercollegiate Forensics. Both the coaching and pedagogical focus of the course explores competitive forensics in both high school and college. Students gain practical experience in coaching individual events and various formats of debate. Students will be expected to develop a pedagogical position, create a DEI statement, gain experience in judging, practice budgeting for speech and debate teams, as well as assisting with tournament planning administration.
Strategic Communication Concentration
COM 10051 | Marketing & Media Lab (1 Credit)
Participation in target marketing, selling advertisement, sponsorship and producing advertisements for multiple forms of media. May be repeated for a total of eight credit hours (cumulative with ART 10051). Cross-listed with ART 10051 Marketing & Media Lab. Note: COM Lab course must be repeated three times.
COM 30566 | Public Relations (3 Credits)
Survey of public relations, including goal setting, attitude and opinion research, planning, implementation, evaluation and change. Emphasis on communication theory as an integral part of the public relations process. Cross-listed with OAD 40563 Public Relations.
COM 39665 | Crisis Communication (3 Credits)
Following a strategic approach for public relations, students explore the different communication activities taken in the different stages of a crisis, including precaution, planning-prevention, crisis coping, and post-crisis.
COM 36964 | Principles of Advertising (3 Credits)
Overview of advertising function and its role in the marketing mix. Examines advertising objectives and strategies, client-agency relationships and production techniques for various media. Cross-listed with OAD 36964 Principles of Advertising.
COM 40363 | Strategic Communication (3 Credits)
Focuses on advertising from a managerial viewpoint. Includes administration, advertising research agency relationships, media selection, budget regulation and campaign planning.
COM 40464 | Persuasive Communication (3 Credits)
Study of assertive communication skills to diagnose and solve personal and professional communication problems, develop persuasive interviewing skills, listen and respond creatively, give and take productive criticism and use feedback to analyze and enhance communication.
COM 41063 | Internship: Communication I (3 Credits)
Broadcast, public relations, communication or other appropriate and relevant internship with a commercial or public radio, television station or at other businesses or services concerned with mass media, public relations, or an aspect of business communication. Provides opportunities to apply concepts, ideas and techniques acquired in class. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
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