| Communication |
CMN 444 - Going to War at the Movies: A Rhetorical History of War Films
Credits:
4.00
This course introduces students to a rhetorical approach to
the study of film, an understanding of how films act as
both producers and products of social discourse. The
course features mainstream war films throughout the past
century and students will engage multiple perspectives to
investigate the diverse ways that films invite audiences to
make meaning, including ideological critiques (race, class,
gender), political economic considerations, auteur theory,
historical, formal, structural, and genre analysis, and
mythic criticism. Writing intensive.
CMN 455 - Introduction to Media Studies
Credits:
4.00
Nature, development, and the effects of mass media.
Overview of mass communication history and theory.
CMN 455H - Honors/Introduction to Mass Communication
Credits:
4.00
Nature, development, and the effects of mass media.
Overview of mass communication history and theory.
CMN 456 - Propaganda and Persuasion
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to theories of propaganda and persuasion.
Examination of symbolic strategies designed to secure or
resist social and institutional change. Attention given to
case studies of social, political, economic, and religious
reformation. Special consideration of the ethical
ramifications of such efforts.
CMN 456H - Honors/Propaganda and Persuasion
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to theories of propaganda and persuasion.
Examination of symbolic strategies designed to secure or
resist social and institutional change. Attention given to
case studies of social, political, economic, and religious
reformation. Special consideration of the ethical
ramifications of such efforts.
CMN 457 - Introduction to Language and Social Interaction
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to the study of the conversational basis
of social reality. Presents an overview of interpersonal
communication processes and the ways in which they
influence the formation of identity, personal
relationships, gender, interactional patterns, conflict,
culture, and power. Readings and class material from a
variety of authors in the communication discipline as well
as related fields in the humanities and the social sciences.
CMN 500 - Public Speaking
Credits:
4.00
Performance course buttressed by practical theories of
public discourse. Focus on analysis of speaking situations
and audiences, message construction, presentation, and
critical evaluation. Does not count towards the CMN major.
CMN 503 - Introduction to Group Communication Processes
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the theoretical and empirical foundations
of group communication processes in a variety of settings.
Comparison of approaches to defining and understanding the
pervasiveness, complexity, and diversity of group
communication and multi-party interaction in the many
spheres of social life. Students undertake hands-on
observation, recording, transcription, and analysis of
naturally occurring group communication in and out of
class. Prereq: CMN 457 with C or better, or by permission.
CMN 504 - Introduction to Argumentation
Credits:
4.00
Persuasive discourse as inquiry and advocacy grounded in
practical inductive and deductive reasoning. Discovery,
analysis, and testing of practical arguments. The nature
and function of proof. Some emphasis on applied
presentation. Prereq: CMN 456 with C or better, or by
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 505 - Analysis of Popular Culture
Credits:
4.00
Locates the development of popular cultural artifacts and
practices within the 20th-century social history of the
U.S. Examines the political-economic forces that
underpinned the commercialization of art, leisure, sports,
and other elements of culture in industrial and
postindustrial America. Prereq: CMN 456 with C or better,
or by permission.
CMN 507 - Introduction to Rhetorical Theory and Analysis
Credits:
4.00
Major precepts of rhetorical theory. Application of those
precepts in analysis and understanding of a wide range of
human communication. Consideration of how precepts and
issues of rhetorical theory apply to contemporary issues
and problems. Prereq: CMN 456 with C or better, or by
permission.
CMN 515 - Analysis of News
Credits:
4.00
Explores the psychological, social, economic, political,
and cultural factors that influence the definition and
reporting of news. Prereq: CMN 455 with C or better, or by
permission.
CMN 519 - Advertising as Social Communication
Credits:
4.00
Social role of advertising, public policy debates
concerning advertising, influence of advertising on
culture, and methods of analyzing advertising messages.
Prereq: CMN 455 with C or better, or by permission.
CMN #550 - Cinema and Society
Credits:
4.00
The art, history, technology, economics, and theory of
moving images from the silent period to the present. Focus
on film as a social practice. Examination of both classic
Hollywood film and alternative cinema. Students cannot
receive credit for both CMN 550 and ENGL 533. Prereq: CMN
455 with C or better, or by permission. Special fee.
CMN 556 - Persuasion and Public Problems
Credits:
4.00
Examination of communication about public problems using
major precepts from classical and contemporary rhetorical
theory. Application of those precepts discloses how
persuasive communication frames public problems and
constrains responses to them. By the end of the course
students will know how to conduct a rhetorical analysis of
public discourse and how to use results from that analysis
to criticize, improve, or participate in deliberations
about public problems. Prereq: CMN 456. Writing intensive.
CMN 567 - Gender, Race, and Class in the Media
Credits:
4.00
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to
contemporary critical scholarship on the construction of
gender, race, and class in the media - particularly popular
media. Subjects such as the portrayal of ethnic groups,
ideal body image, blue collar men, and gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender groups are case studies. This
course is one that introduces students to performing
communication analysis. Prereq: CMN 455.
CMN 572 - Analysis of Language and Social Interaction
Credits:
4.00
In this mid-level course, students develop the
observational and analytic skills necessary for the
in-depth study of interaction in a variety of everyday and
institutional social settings. Settings may include
dialogue, multiparty interaction, non-verbal communication
and embodiment, identity talk, and communication in
organizations. Special attention to developing the reading
and research skills used in upper level interpersonal
communication courses. Prereq: CMN 457 with C or better, or
by permission.
CMN 575 - Research Practicum
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Student engagment through direct participation in faculty
research projects. Elective credits which do not count
towards the major. Instructor permission required. May be
repeated for a maximum of 8 credits. Prereq: CMN 455, 456,
457, and permission. Cr/F.
CMN 588 - Analyzing Institutional Interaction
Credits:
4.00
Examinations of institutional interactions in emergency
services, justice/law, medicine, family school encounters,
journalism and politics. Shows how the work of society gets
done through interaction. Students get hands-on experience
analyzing persons' conduct in these interactions. This
course is designed to develop students' analytic skills in
studying social interaction in institutions, using recorded
data in the form of naturally-occuring interactions in
these settings. Prereq: CMN 457.
CMN 595 - Critical Cultural Rhetorics
Credits:
4.00
The course examines the prominence of and critical
responses to the visual within contemporary culture and
everyday life (governance, film, advertisement, digital
media, culture jamming). By focusing on the reign of the
visual within the contemporary moment, the course
problemtizes the notion of sight as unmmediated access to
the real, thus opening questions of interpretation, meaning
production, and the effectivity of the visual. Students
engage scholarship from rhetoric and visual cultural
studies, and produce their own critical projects employing
the critical concepts they learn throughout the semester.
Prereq: CMN 456 with C or better, or by permission. Writing
intensive.
CMN 596 - Special Topics in Media Studies
Credits:
4.00
Selected topics not covered by existing courses in media
studies. Topics vary; course descriptions are available in
department office during preregistration. May be repeated
for credit if topics differ. Prereq: CMN 455 with C or
better, or by permission.
CMN 597 - Special Topics in Rhetorical Studies
Credits:
4.00
Selected topics not covered by existing courses in
rhetorical studies. Topics vary; course descriptions are
available in department office during registration. May be
repeated for credit if topics differ. Prereq: CMN 456 with
C or better, or by permission.
CMN 598 - Special Topics in Interpersonal Studies
Credits:
4.00
Selected topics not covered by existing courses in
interpersonal communication. Topics vary; course
descriptions are available in department office during
registration. May be repeated for credit if topics differ.
Prereq: CMN 457 with C or better, or by permission.
CMN 599 - Internship
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Internships are designed to integrate classroom study and
supervised practical experience in a work setting. Each
student is required to write a series of reports focusing
on aspects of the work experience that are related to
coursework in the Communications Department. These
assignments are designed to enhance a student's ability to
reflect critically on the internship experience and to
merge theory and practice. Assignments are available,
depending on the number of credits granted (1-4). Students
are expected to hold the common exam time (TR, 1240-2) open
for occasional meetings. Before starting the internship,
students must submit a written proposal to both the work
supervisor and the faculty sponsor. The proposal should
include detailed information on the duties and
responsibilities to be undertaken at the internship site
and on the goals and learning objectives as relevant to the
Communication Department curriculum. May be repeated for a
maximum of 8 credits. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, or
permission. Cr/F.
CMN 600 - Public Speaking as a Civic Art
Credits:
4.00
Performance course buttressed by the traditional civic art
of rhetoric. Focuses on analysis of speaking situations
and audiences, message of construction, presentation, and
critical evaluation using major precepts of rhetorical
theory. Theoretical and critical issues in the context of
rhetorical practices. Prereq for CMN majors: CMN 455, 456,
457, and 500-level courses, or permission; prereq for
non-majors: junior or senior standing. Writing intensive.
CMN 602 - Theories of Interpersonal Communication
Credits:
4.00
Analysis and criticism of contemporary perspectives on
interpersonal communication. Theories and concepts,
issues, and research models are examined as they contribute
to our understanding of social interaction. Prereq: CMN
455, 456, 457 and two 500-level courses, or permission.
Writing intensive.
CMN 607 - Persuasion in American Politics
Credits:
4.00
Study of the forms and strategies of persuasive discourse
employed by contemporary American political leaders.
Analysis of important political addresses of the 20th
century, with attention to theoretical and critical issues
in political communication and public address. Discussion
of the status of rhetoric in modern politics, and the
impact of persuasive discourse on campaigns, policy
decisions, crisis management, political scandal, and the
national identity. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and two
500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 615 - Public Opinion and Mass Communication
Credits:
4.00
Examines the historical development of the 18th century
public sphere and its relationship to the press. Traces
the transformation of the press from an ideological
grounding to a commercial base. Analyzes the consequences
of contemporary mass consumer-oriented media on the public
sphere and democratic life. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and
two 500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 627 - Great Speakers and Speeches
Credits:
4.00
Historical and critical survey of masterpieces of oratory
examining the rhetorical situation and artistic features
of great works of spoken discourse. Demosthenes, Cicero,
Edmund Burke, Daniel Webster, Frederick Douglass, Abraham
Lincoln, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton may be among the
orators studied. The course will engage students in
critical assessment of eloquence by emphasizing study of
historical circumstances, ethical choices, and artistic
virtue of the most effective and admired public speakers in
Western tradition. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, and two
500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 630 - Psychology of Communication
Credits:
4.00
Recasts human psychology as a communicative
accomplishment, offering a critique of the individualist
tradition. Emphasis on the ways in which identity,
knowledge, values, and beliefs are constructed in daily
social engagements and the pragmatic, political, and moral
implications of this view. Implications for our major
cultural institutions such as education, health, and
politics. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, and 457 with C or better
and two 500-level courses with a C- or better, or by
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 634 - Media and Politics
Credits:
4.00
The goal of this course is to study the role of the media
in American politics, and what media evolution means for
future politics. Topics such as political campaigns, media
effects, news reporting, framing terrorists, etc. are
studied in depth. Timely topcis such as "are the media
liberal or conservative?" are debated in class. Research
projects and papers study questions related to important
social issues such as women in the media. Prereq: CMN 455,
CMN 456, CMN 457 and two 500-level CMN courses. Writing
intensive.
CMN #650 - Critical Perspectives on Film
Credits:
4.00
Advanced, focused study of film theory as cultural
practice. Topics vary from year to year and with
instructor. May be repeated for different topics. Focus may
range from general considerations of film theory,
criticism, and history, to specific analyses of selected
genres, directors, national cinemas, and periods. Course
descriptions available in department office during
preregistration. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, 550, ENGL 533,
or permission. Special fee. Writing intensive. May be
repeated for credit.
CMN 666 - Conversation Analysis
Credits:
4.00
Exploration in how participants in interpersonal
communication display their orientation to the fundamental
orderliness of conversational sequences in everyday,
institutional, and mass media settings. Basic concepts
covered include the interactional co-construction of
turn-taking, repair, overlap, openings, closings, silences,
adjacency, pairs, disagreement, preference, and the role of
various linguistic, paralinguistic, and nonlinguistic
features in the conversation process. Prereq: CMN 455, 456,
457 and two 500-level courses, or permission. Writing
intensive.
CMN 680 - Perspectives on Culture and Communication
Credits:
4.00
Critical interpretation of culture focused on the
communication practices and resources of diverse groups.
Examination of the reciprocal relationship between
communication practices, forms of culture, and cultural
identity. Exploration of the conditions necessary for
dialogue between differing cultural groups. Emphasis on the
role of communication in constructing race, power, cultural
domination, and globalization. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, and
457 with C or better and two 500-level courses with a C- or
better, or by permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 696 - Seminar in Media Studies
Credits:
4.00
Variable topics in media research, theory, and practice.
May be repeated for different topics. Topic descriptions
available in department office during preregistration.
Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and two 500-level courses, or
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 697 - Seminar in Rhetorical Study
Credits:
4.00
Variable topics in rhetorical research, theory, and
practice. May be repeated for different topics. Topic
descriptions available in department office during
preregistration. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and two
500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 697H - Honors/Seminar in Rhetorical Study
Credits:
4.00
Variable topics in rhetorical research, theory, and
practice. May be repeated for different topics. Topic
descriptions available in department office during
preregistration. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and two
500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 698 - Seminar Interpersonal Studies
Credits:
4.00
Variable topics in interpersonal research, theory, and
practice. May be repeated for different topics. Topic
descriptions available in department office during
preregistration. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and two
500-level courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 702 - Seminar in Interpersonal Communication Theory
Credits:
4.00
In-depth concentration on a particular theoretical
orientation in interpersonal communication. Original works
are read. Theoretical orientation varies by semester.
Prereq: CMN 455, 456, and 457 with C or better and three
required 500-level CMN courses (at least one must be in
interpersonal studies) with C- or better, or by permission.
Writing intensive.
CMN 703 - Seminar in Rhetorical Theory
Credits:
4.00
Focused study of problems in rhetorical theory
construction through examination and criticism of selected
theoretical frameworks used to explain or interpret
rhetorical phenomena. Prereq: permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 730 - Family Communication
Credits:
4.00
Exploration of the patterned communication in families and
the ways in which our understanding of these patterns can
be utilized to understand and transform unwanted family
interactions. Varying cultural discourses of family
communication are used to explore the dialogic construction
of family and self. Prereq: CMN 455, CMN 456, CMN 457, and
two 500-level CMN courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 732 - Communication Theory
Credits:
4.00
Terminology, concepts, theoretical models, functions,
levels, modes, and media in human communication. Prereq:
CMN 455, 456, 457, and two 500-level CMN courses, or
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 737 - Principles of Rhetorial Crit
Credits:
4.00
Application of critical principles to message evaluation.
Consideration of the varying roles, methods, and standards
of rhetorical critics. Special attention to major
perspectives on rhetorical criticism including
Neo-Aristotelian, historical, dramatistic, generic,
literary, and psychological. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, and
two 500-level CMN courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 742 - Dialogue and Teamwork
Credits:
4.00
This course is about team building, alternative conflict
resolution, and creative problem solving. We will explore
the idea that, contrary to prevailing cultural assumptions,
a significant factor in our achievements at work and play
can be traced not to our inidividual attributes but rather
to the relationships that we develop in our conversations
with others. We will examine the dialogic basis of these
relationships, drawing on a range of philosphic traditions
and practical activities that highlight the social basis of
thought. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, and two 500-level CMN
courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 755 - Communication and Healthcare
Credits:
4.00
Exploration of the cultural discourse of healthcare from
many different vantage points (i.e., physician,
psychiatrist, patient, family, friend, colleague,
government, culture, institutions, etc. ) Examination of
both constraining and generative forms of discourse as they
directly affect health, institutional life, and issues of
well-being. Course focuses on narrative and interactional
approaches to medicine and healthcare. Consideration of
what it means to be "sick" or "well;" what constitutes
"illness," "pain," and "cure;" and how being categorized as
sick impacts the self and our interactions with others.
Also examines the role of expertise and power in medical
practitioner-patient interactions and the social norms that
shape and constrain medical conduct. Prereq: CMN 455, 456,
457, and two 500-level CMN courses, or permission. Writing
intensive.
CMN 756 - Rhetorics of Display
Credits:
4.00
This course examines a selection of displays with the goal
of acquiring perspective for understanding and evaluating
how they engage with people who come into contact with
them. Displays examined range amoung oratory, photographs,
advertisements, films, architecture, monuments, and
statuary, public demonstrations, and presentations of self.
Attention is given to questions about identity and
belonging, authenticity and simulation, and public memory.
Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, and two 500-level courses, or
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 757 - Public Address and the American Experience
Credits:
4.00
Study of persuasive texts set firmly in their historical
and social contexts. Discussion of the impact of popular
discourse on historically significant political and social
events. Analysis of how leading persuasive speakers and
writers responded to the fundamental questions confronting
their age and articulated ideas in a manner that provoked
or motivated their community, state, or nation. Historical
period studied will vary. May be repeated for credit to a
maximum of 12 credits when topic varies. Prereq: CMN 455,
456, 457 and two 500-level CMN course or permission.
Special fee. Writing intensive.
CMN 758 - Media Analysis and Criticism
Credits:
4.00
Approaches and methodologies for media criticism. Analysis
of sample studies. Students work on original media
analysis projects. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457 and any two
500-level CMN courses, or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 760 - Mediation
Credits:
4.00
This course will explore different theories and models of
mediation as they inform the broader topic of conflict
resolution. Emphasis will be on models that examine
relational processes as opposed to models that provide a
list of skills or techniques for mediation. To that end,
the course will focus on transformative dialogue as a mode
of mediation and conflict resolution rather than on
compromise or consensus models. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457,
and two 500-level CMN courses, or permission. Writing
intensive.
CMN 765 - Police Talk
Credits:
4.00
How do police get people to comply with a communicative
action? How do they ask questions to investigate, to
problem-solve, and to get a confession during an
interrogation? How do citizens resist or cooperate with
police action? This course examines questions such as these
to understand basic communication processes, and how these
processes are utilized in talk-in-interaction between
police and citizens. This is a hands-on research methods
course that instructs students in the methodology of video
analysis, and has students pursue their own research
projects in the content area of police-citizen interaction.
Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, and two 500-level CMN courses,
or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 772 - Seminar in Media Theory
Credits:
4.00
Detailed analysis of major theories related to the
interaction of communication technologies and society.
Application to current examples in politics, advertising,
and entertainment. Prereq: at least one 600-level course or
permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 788 - Openings of Everyday Interactions
Credits:
4.00
Examination of how everyday human social interactions
begin. Provides hands-on experience analyzing verbal and
nonverbal social actions during naturally occurring
interactions, including telephone conversations and
especially face-to-face encounters between previously
aquainted and unaquainted persons socializing and/or doing
work. Explores how parties use the openings of interactions
to (re)-create and maintain social relationships.
Encourages students to develop intellectual curiosity about
everyday social life. Prereq: CMN 455, 456, 457, (2)-CMN
500 levels or permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 795 - Independent Study
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced individual study in rhetoric, media, or
interpersonal communication. Project to be developed with
supervising instructor. May be repeated up to a maximum of
8 credits. Prereq: permission.
CMN 795W - Independent Study
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Advanced individual study in rhetoric, media, or
interpersonal communication. Project to be developed with
supervising instructor. May be repeated up to a maximum of
8 credits. Prereq: permission. Writing intensive.
CMN 796 - Comm-Entary Journal
Credits:
1.00
Serve on the editorial board of student run communication
journal. Elective credit which does not count toward the
major. May be repeated for a maximum of 2 credits. Prereq:
CMN 455, 456, 457, or permission. Cr/F.
CMN 799H - Honors Thesis
Credits:
4.00
Written thesis based on substantial and original research
under the direction of a full-time member of the
communication faculty. Thesis must be in the form and
style of a publishable, scholarly work. Restricted to
seniors seeking honors in major.