This course is designed to help students become aware of the processes and theories of interpersonal communication within and about relationships that impact our personal and professional lives. Through self-analysis, case studies, practical application, and critique of cultural practices, students will examine the influence of communicative behaviors on personal relationships, groups, and society. Concepts include perception, ethics, emotion, conflict, cultural awareness, power, technology, language, nonverbal communication, social media, and listening. Liberal Education Goal Areas 7 & 9.
Common Course Outline

COMM 1100 Public Speaking (3 credits)

This course emphasizes the preparation and delivery of individual and group presentations. Students will learn to research, construct, and deliver informed and ethical presentations for various audiences, as well as understand the fundamental principles of written and public communication. Liberal Education Goal Area 1.
Common Course Outline

COMM 2000 Applied Communication Theory (3 credits)

This course explores the historical and contemporary theories that examine communication behaviors in various contexts including intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational, media, and cultural. Students will learn how theories can be useful for understanding and critiquing events in their personal, professional, and civic lives; provide a lens through which students can make informed decisions; and help students create alternative solutions to societal issues.
Common Course Outline

COMM 2100 Career and Professional Communication (3 credits)

This course emphasizes oral and written communication, as well as relational skills utilized in professional settings. Students will learn fundamental concepts and principles of communication used in the workplace, develop skills for individual and group business presentations, learn how to generate messages for a variety of diverse and professional audiences through appropriate electronic and face-to-face communication, develop critical listening and problem-solving skills, and engage in effective and ethical interpersonal communication in the workplace. This course is designed to help individuals learn how to work productively with others and present themselves professionally in any career. Liberal Education Goal Area 1.
Common Course Outline

COMM 2925 People of the Environment: Communication Perspective (3 credits)

This course provides students with an introduction to understanding the impact of communication messages related to environmental issues. Students will examine their own environmental practices, research environmental communication practices in organizations, and make recommendations for appropriately promoting environmental issues. Liberal Education Goal Area 10
Common Course Outline

COMM 3000 Applied Research Methods (3 credits)

This class frames research as a way of knowing and provides balanced treatment to both quantitative and qualitative traditions in communication inquiry. Conceptually, this class will provide in-depth discussion about the role of reasoning in the research enterprise and how this process ¿plays out¿ in planning and writing a research proposal and report. Students will understand the differences (and utility) of three methodological frameworks (quantitative, interpretive/systems, and critical). Prerequisite: COMM 2000 or instructor consent.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3100 Interviewing (3 credits)

This course emphasizes oral and written communication related to interview settings such as employment, job performance, information gathering, health, persuasive, and counseling. Students will learn fundamental concepts and principles of interviewing, develop skills for researching and collecting data relevant to interviews, create interview question guides, practice skills as the interviewee and interviewer in simulated and real settings, deliver presentations related to the interview process, and develop critical listening skills in interview settings. This course is designed to prepare individuals for taking part in various interviews throughout their career. Liberal Education Goal Area 1.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3110 Organizational Communication (3 credits)

This course examines historical and contemporary organizational communication models, theories, and processes within organizational environments. Students will learn how and why organizations operate the way they do by focusing on communication processes and messages such as organizational change, decision-making, socialization, gendered identities, leadership, civility, emotion, technology, and conflict management. Implications of organizational messages on employees, employers, and external publics will be explored. Overall, this course prepares students to critique social practices and develop effective communication behaviors for being successful in their organizational lives. Liberal Education Goal Area 5.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3120 Communication in a Diverse Society (3 credits)

This course is designed to help you become aware of the processes and theories of intercultural communication within and about relationships that impact our personal and professional lives. Through self-analysis, case studies, practical application, and critique of cultural practices, you will examine the influence of communicative behaviors on intercultural relationships, groups, and society. Concepts include perception, ethics, conflict, cultural awareness, cultural bias, intercultural communication competence, power, nonverbal communication, and immigration. Liberal Education Goal Areas 7 & 8.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3130 Family Communication (3 credits)

This course examines how communication functions to develop, maintain, enrich, or limit family relationships. Topics covered include the meaning of narratives and stories, family roles and rules, decision-making, conflict resolution, exploration of family types, cultural implications of family functioning, societal influences on family functioning, and examining communication changes throughout the family life cycle. Overall, this course is designed to develop understanding of, and ability to, analyze communication within families. Liberal Education Goal Area 7.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3150 Gender Communication (3 credits)

This course is designed to explore the historical and contemporary theory, research, and practice of gender communication. Students will examine communication about, and between, women and men in terms of language used, media depictions of gendered identities, and how such language influences our understanding of biological sex and gender as a cultural construction. Contexts include the impact of gender communication in in a variety of relationships such as friendships, romantic partners, family life, educational, political, and workplace settings. Overall, this course introduces students to various perspectives on gender and encourages an understanding of, and respect for, all of those perspectives. Liberal Education Goal Areas 5 & 7.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3170 Health Communication (3 credits)

The course examines health communication through theory, research, and experiential application of concepts in interpersonal, public, mediated, and organizational health care contexts. The course emphasizes issues of ethics and communication variables such as verbal, nonverbal, conflict, listening, and self-disclosure between individuals, health care providers, patients, and families. Overall, this course will help students understand how personal, societal, political, and culture factors impact health communication and healthcare. Liberal Education Goal Areas 7 & 9.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3400 Environmental Communication (3 credits)

This course examines the intersections between environmental issues, communication processes, and social change. Students will explore the unique contribution that communication theory and research can bring to the study of the environment in private and public contexts such as political, legal, organizational, educational, mediated, relational, and cultural. Students will learn how to appropriately advocate for environmental change in private and public spheres. Overall, this course helps students understand how communication creates, shapes, and maintains social realities as we make sense of our decisions about how to negotiate relationships between humans and Earth. Liberal Education Goal Area 10
Common Course Outline

COMM 3500 Communication and Conflict (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of how communication is used in everyday life to create, negotiate, and resolve interpersonal and organizational conflict. Specific topics include communication conflict management theories, conflict styles, impact of sex and gender on conflict communication, listening, bullying and difficult people, collaboration, mediation, and reconciliation. Contexts of conflict will include intimate relationships, family, social media, and workplace settings. Overall, this course prepares students to use communication choices to make conflict more productive in their personal and professional lives.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3600 Small Group Communication (3 credits)

This class allows students an opportunity to discover, through participation in small groups, how to negotiate membership, resolve conflict, and maintain order through a variety of means and in a variety of venues. The academic material will be accompanied by practical, prescriptive guidance to help students become more productive members and/or leaders of small groups.
Common Course Outline

COMM 3700 Persuasion and Communication (3 credits)

This course examines historical and contemporary theories, principles, and communicative practices of persuasive messages. As persuasion is a part of our personal, organizational, and public lives, students will understand the process of persuasion, practice strategies of ethical and effective persuasion, and analyze persuasive discourse in various oral, written, and mediated contexts. Students will learn how to become responsible citizens by examining persuasive messages in our society and providing recommendations for ethical communication. Liberal Education Goal Areas 5 & 9.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4000 Capstone in Communication and Community Connections (3 credits)

As a capstone, this course provides students an opportunity to reflect and act upon their communication and academic experiences through critical thinking and experiential opportunities. Communication choices have the power to influence social reality, which impacts the communities in which we live. As communication scholars and engaged citizens, students will examine perspectives of difference in gender, race, social class, ability, sexuality, and age to uncover and challenge social injustices. Overall, the goal of this course is to embrace differences and use communication for framing public discourse toward the betterment of our communities. Prerequisite: COMM 2000.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4100 Advanced Public Presentation (3 credits)

The advanced course in public presentation provides students with an opportunity to enhance understanding and application of public speaking techniques, theories, and perspectives. Additionally, the primary goal of this class is to improve practical communication skills through in-class activities and ongoing assignments. Advanced Public Speaking will help students gain experience in formal speaking situations. Prerequisite: COMM 1100 or instructor consent.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4160 Business Communication (3 credits)

This course is intended to provide students with increased knowledge and communication competencies in a business setting. The course is divided into three sections, which allows students to analyze data and present recommendations to a simulated investing business committee. Students will execute higher-level excel functions, produce professional business correspondence based on excel data, and prepare and deliver individual and group presentations applicable to their findings. Overall, this course emphasizes the importance of professional communication used in business settings.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4200 Special Topics in Communication Studies (3 credits)

In-depth study of communication topics that reflect relational, organizational, societal, or cultural issues. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles. Might not be offered every year. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or instructor consent.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4910 Directed Independent Study (3 credits)

Arranged Individual Study.
Common Course Outline

COMM 4917 DIS Tchg Assoc | (1-2 credits)

Directed Independent Study | Teaching Associate
Common Course Outline

COMM 4970 Internship (1-6 credits)

Designed to provide students an opportunity to gain valuable direct organizational experience in a wide range of communication-related fields. Students will apply principles and theories learned in the classroom; develop communication skills appropriate to their chosen profession; and experience organizational dynamics, practices, and realities in a professional environment. Position can be in a public or nonprofit organization or agency appropriate to the degree objective. Students will be required to report on their experience throughout the semester (reflective journals, final comprehensive paper, and presentation). Supervision is provided on site and on campus. The internship must be arranged at least one semester prior to registering for it and approved by the Communication Studies Coordinator. No more than 3 hours of credit may be earned at any individual internship site; internships may be repeated for up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Senior standing and Communication Studies Major. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
Common Course Outline