Communication Studies Course Offerings
General Education Requirement
Course Offerings
Major/Minor Requirements
Projected Schedules
CA101
Speech (3 credits)
Speech 101 is a fundamentals course
(required by the college) that focuses on public speaking with some
attention to group presentation. The course emphasizes communication
theory and ethical practice as to how to organize an argument for
effective persuasion and expression. The goal is to help the student
find their own unique voice in order to better utilize one’s public
speaking skills for success.
Core
Classes (Note: Majors must
take a minimum of 24 credits within the core classes)
Required Core Focus Classes:
Note: The “Required
Core Focus Classes” are four of the most important classes we feel you
need to master as a student majoring in communication. Therefore, in
order to graduate as a Communication Studies major, we expect all
students to achieve a combined 3.0 g.p.a. for the following four
required classes.
CA201 Communication and Civilization (3
credits) Major Requirement
Communication and Civilization
provides students with the history of
the discipline, and the importance that communication has performed in
the development of civilization. The class covers the contributions of
rhetoric and communication theory from early Greek times to the present,
and offers vital insight concerning the past and future accomplishments
of Communication Studies.
CA240 Introduction to Interpersonal
Communication (3 credits) Major
Requirement
Introduction to
Interpersonal Communication helps students develop a strong
theoretical base needed to become an expert in communication. By surveying
a wide variety of communication concepts, theories, and research
concerning communication in interpersonal contexts, this class offers an
abundance of relevant knowledge beneficial for helping the student build
positive, productive relationships.
CA311 Communication Criticism (3 credits)
Major Requirement
Communication Criticism
instills qualitative approaches
for evaluating and criticizing communication from rhetorical, ethical,
and aesthetic perspectives. The goal of this course is to help the
student become a decisive scholar and intelligent critic of
communication research and human expression.
CA313 Communication Research Methods (3 credits)
Major Requirement
Communication Research
Methods provides the student with the tools to better comprehend
quantitative social science and organizational communication research.
The class covers the basics to scientific inquiry, how to
collect/analyze data for communication research, and teaches students
how to use the fundamentals of SPSS statistical analysis software for
creating their own communication research projects.
Additional Core Class Options:
CA241 Introduction to Organizational
Communication (3 credits)
Introduction to Organizational
Communication explores the communication that originates from and
within profit and non-profit based organizations. A survey of concepts,
theories, and research concerning organizational communication helps the
student to apply one’s communication knowledge to the professional
environment and prepare for a successful career.
CA316 Mass Communication (3 credits)
Mass Communication provides
comparative and historical analysis of the communicative power of mass
communication and the media. Topics include: societal, economical,
political, legal, and ethical impacts of the mass communication and the
role of the media. Special attention is given to the influence of the
mass media on cultural diversity and information distribution.
CA312 Argument and Controversy (3 credits)
Argument and Controversy shares
the secrets to winning arguments and settling controversy. The course
teaches a wealth of argumentation theory with practical application to
analyzing issues of discussion, creating effective forms of proof and
evidence, and the responsibilities of advocating an argument.
CA317 Intercultural Communication (3
credits)
Intercultural Communication studies the
benefits and challenges of living (and working) in an ethnically diverse
society and global community. The class seeks to build a diverse
knowledge base of cultural customs and unique communicative practices,
as well as help students better manage attitudes and stereotypes that
often impede one’s communication ability in intercultural interactions.
CA440 Senior Capstone (3 credits)
Senior Capstone in communication studies seeks to prepare
graduating students for entering the challenging professional
environment. This class helps the student to organize one’s portfolio of
accomplishments and talents, develop resumes/curriculum vitas, practice
communication theory-based interviewing skills, and explore avenues for
locating career and graduate study opportunities
Additional Communication Classes (for building upon an Area of
Emphasis)
CA226F2 Film Criticism (3 credits)
Film Criticism is the
study of cinema and its cultural implications. The course introduces
basic film techniques and aesthetics. Strongly recommended for
Performing Arts majors, and those considering a career in the media.
CA228F2 Television Criticism (3 credits)
Television Criticism explores the
historical background of television, techniques of production, and
critical analysis of a specific television area such as news, sports,
soaps, variety, drama, documentary, children’s programming, or mass
communication.
CA264F3
Oral Interpretation (3 credits)
Oral Interpretation teaches the
practice and principles of the oral interpretation of literature.
CA265F3 Acting I (3 credits)
Acting I covers the philosophic
orientation of the actor to his/her art with emphasis on basic technical
skills.
CA310 Advanced Communication Theory (3 credits)
Advanced Communication Theory
builds upon the student’s base of communication theory gained from
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication and other core focus
classes. Class efforts will center on reviewing current publications of
interesting communication research, and developing a rationale for study
and research proposal. In other words, this course allows
students/professor to develop (from start to finish) a communication
research project, or a social psychology/communication experiment.
CA314 Persuasion, Promotion, and
Advertising (3 credits)
Persuasion, Promotion, and Advertising uses
further mass communication-based theory with special attention to the
nature and role of persuasion in the media and in advertising and
promotion. Topics include: analysis of public and mass audience, types
and development of campaigns, influence of the media, and the ethics of
mass communication.
CA318 Challenges to Organizational
Communication (3 credits)
Challenges to Organizational Communication
seeks to give students hands on experience in analyzing and auditing the
communication within and disseminating from organizations. Beyond
increasing one’s research theory-based knowledge of how to best organize
and deliver effective communication essential for organizational
success, efforts will be made to assess the communication of “real”
local organizations (profit or nonprofit based companies) and develop a
professional presentation as a class to report the findings.
CA450 Communication Internship (3-4
credits) Major Requirement
Communication Internships
will be required of all majors. Being that professional experience is a
must to securing a position upon graduation, consideration of possible
internships should begin as soon as possible. The Communication Studies
Program will make efforts to locate internships for students, however we
cannot guarantee availability. Internship experience should be relevant
to the student’s area of emphasis and career goals.
(Note: See Major and Minor
Requirements below for further offerings related to Areas of Emphasis.
These classes and requirements are proposed and may change.)
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