Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Public Speaking will introduce students to the field of communication studies, giving them a basic foundation in the issues relevant to communicating effectively in today’s global, technological, and diverse world: history and theories of communication, ethics, the audience, developing and delivering a speech, and types of speeches and specialized speech situations, including the job interview. This course will utilize Thinkwell Public Speaking Online materials, which includes video selections of historic speeches for study as well as examples of student speakers. Students enrolling in this course must be able to upload video (preferable) or audio (acceptable) files of their speeches.

This course examines the similarities and differences in male and female communication styles and patterns. The content emphasizes implications of gender as a social construct influencing perceptions, values, stereotyping, language use, nonverbal communication, and power conflict in human relationships.

This course will examine the theoretical and practical issues that affect communication between members of work teams, discussion groups, and decision-making bodies. Students will work as members of student teams to analyze both the theoretical and practical implications of the issues that surround effective communication and miscommunication is a small group setting.

This course develops interpersonal, group, and presentational communication skills that are applicable in personal and professional cross-cultural relationships, and focuses on differences in values, message systems, and communication rules across cultural boundaries and in multicultural settings.

This course is an introduction to major mass communication theories as a context to examine major issues surrounding mass media in American society. Students will trace the history and development of the major media, both nationally and internationally, and examine the connection to, and interdependence of, each medium to other media. Emphasis will be placed on the current status of each medium and its influence on society and vice versa.

This course is a study of the ethical considerations in communication. It will examine the main ethical issues in interpersonal and mediated communication, including such topics as objectivity, freedom of expression, representations of sex, violence and other human behavior, privacy, confidentiality and obligations to the public.

This course is designed to focus on communication within the workplace, personal activities, and family life in order to establish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. This course serves as an introduction to major theories and empirical research regarding the role of interpersonal communication as it relates to personal, contextual, and cultural variables in the development of various types of relationships.

This course will introduce students to core journalism skills and the historical, social and political context of journalistic practice. The course provides instruction in on-line journalism, news writing, story structure, interviewing techniques and a working understanding of the code of ethics and legal issues which impact journalistic practice. (Prerequisite: ENGL101 or ENGL102).