Courses

    Surveys communication in a variety of contexts and applications. Topics include basic concepts and general models of communication, ethics, language and nonverbal communication, personal relationships, group decision making, organizational communication, and impact of technological developments on communication. Required for COMM majors. Meets MAPS requirement for social science: general. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.

    Covers theory and skills of speaking in various public settings. Examines fundamental principles from rhetorical and communication theory and applies them to oral presentations. Required for COMM majors.

    Covers basic theories, concepts, and characteristics that underlie face-to-face interactions in interpersonal, small group, and organizational settings. Activities stress the development of both task and relational skills in these settings. Required for COMM majors.

    Investigates select topics in communication. Does not count toward the 2000-level courses required for the major, unless explicitly stated in the course schedule. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different topics. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.

    Introduces concepts in rhetoric and argumentation that are used to explain significant social and political changes in our society. The goal is to show how social actors use rhetoric to promote some social goals and hinder others. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.

    Examines how aspects of talk (e.g., turn-taking, speech acts, narratives, dialect, and stance indicators) link with identities (e.g., ethnic and racial, age, gender, work-related, and personal). Considers how communication is central to constructing who people are and examines social controversies related to talk and identities. Approved for GT-SS3. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

    Focuses on basic processes in face-to-face interaction, including verbal and nonverbal messages, coordination in conversation, messages about self and others, and communication in personal relationships. Emphasizes theory and concepts rather than skills. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
    Provides a communicatively based definition of formal organization and deals with individual-organizational relationships. Addresses topics such as organizational theory, organizational culture, power, technology, decision making, teamwork, leadership, diversity, gender, socialization, and ethics. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
    Explores select issues in communication. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different issues. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
    Acquaints students with general, thematic, and contextual theories of human communication. Gives attention to criteria for evaluating theories. Prerequisites: Requires prerequisite courses of COMM 1210 and 1600 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Provides the rhetorical foundations of communication through study of the humanistic traditions of rhetorical theory, with applications to social interaction and message analysis. Prerequisites: Requires prerequisite courses of COMM 1210 and 1600 (all minimum grade C-). Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Focuses on principles of argument, the process of critical decision making, and uses and limitations of logic and evidence. Contemporary issues (personal, social, political, or philosophical) are analyzed and debated. Prereq., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
    Explores how persuasion influences decision making. Focuses on different definitions and models of persuasion, ethical perspectives on persuasion, qualitative and quantitative research on persuasion, and the tools of motivation, as well as how to create effective and ethical persuasive messages. Prereqs., COMM 1210 and 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Provides an overview of the role of communication in contemporary political life. Topics include political communication theories, political campaign communication, media and political communication, and the role of political communication in promoting democracy and public policy. Prereqs., COMM 1210 and 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Explores complex relationships between culture and communication processes from various conceptual perspectives, such as social, psychological, interpretive, and critical. Considers the important role of context (e.g., social, historical, and cultural) in intercultural interactions. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Examines gender as a social practice that remains vital to identities, relationships, and institutions in contemporary society. Treats gender as something we do or enact through communication, rather than as something we are or have, and explores the implications of this shift in perspective. Investigates how gender interacts with sexuality, race, class, nation, age, ability, and other aspects of identity.

    Explores communication in families from various theoretical perspectives, such as social constructionism, systems theory, and dialectical theory. Communication patterns and processes created and sustained by family members are examined, including rules, roles, stories, rituals, myths, metaphors, themes, and cycles. Prereqs., COMM 1210 and 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Presents theory, research, and exploration into computer-based technologies; studies implications for communication, interaction, and social relationships. Recommended prereqs., COMM 1210 and COMM 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    This is primarily a skills course, designed to help students improve their personal conflict management styles and skills. We also examine theory about what causes conflicts, what makes conflicts constructive or destructive, and learn the theory and practice of transforming destructive conflicts into constructive ones. Same as PACS 3700. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
    Provides an understanding of methods associated with the study of communication in natural settings. Focuses on strategies of collecting, analyzing, and reporting qualitative data, including participant observation, in-depth interviewing, textual analysis, and ethnographic narrative. Prereqs., COMM 1210 and 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Introduces empirically oriented research methods in communication, critical review of the logic of social-scientific principles in communication, and analysis of quantitative data. Prereqs., COMM 1210 and 1600. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Applies key concepts from rhetorical theory to the analysis of specific speeches, written texts, and social situations within the humanistic tradition. Students read a variety of types of criticism and are encouraged to develop their own strategies for critical analysis. Prereqs., COMM 1210, 1600 and 3300. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Analyzes special interest areas of communication theory, research, and practice. Course format involves lecture, discussion, investigative analysis, and practical application. May be repeated twice for credit on different topics. Prereqs., COMM 3210 and 3300 or consent required. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Provides the opportunity for students writing an honors thesis to develop their understanding of the research process and to improve their research and writing skills. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.
    Topical seminar on the functions of communication across interpersonal, group, organizational, and public contexts. Reviews current theory and research on topics such as communication and conflict, persuasion, and ethical dimensions of communication practices. May be taken twice for credit on different topics. Prerequisites: Requires prerequisite course of COMM 3210 (minimum grade C-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Communication (COMM) majors only.

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