COM1500 Introduction to Human Communication (4 semester hours)
Examines the foundations and basic processes of communication in small-group, interpersonal, and public-speaking contexts. Students will apply these basic principles though the preparation and delivery of individual and group presentations. Emphasizes audience analysis, group interaction, research, organization, and effective delivery style.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Observation of Ourselves and Others" Group A requirement.
COM2100 Media and Society (4 semester hours)
This course is an introduction to issues and research on mass media, the Internet, and computer-mediated communication and surveys newspapers, magazines, books, Internet, radio, recordings, television, and film. The separate histories of each medium are traced into their convergence in modern society. Students will critically examine media theories and practices from diverse ethical, economic, and political perspectives to further appreciate the relationship between media and society.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Observation of Ourselves and Others" Group A requirement.
COM2200 Writing for Communication (4 semester hours)
In this course, students will learn and practice writing for a variety of communication applications, including print journalism, public relations and electronic media, as well as technical and business writing. Emphasis is on basic tools for writing in a media or business environment.
No prerequisites.
COM2300 Introduction to Film (3 semester hours)
A survey course outlining some of the principle theories and aesthetic techniques associated with feature films from their inception at the end of the 19th century to present-day blockbusters. Evaluation of the "art" of film will be combined with a focus on the historical, social, industrial, and legislative contexts of the times in which the films appeared.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression" Group B requirement.
COM/ART2670 Photography I: Silver-Based Black and White (3 semester hours)
Cross-listed with ART 2670. For description see ART 2670.
No prerequisites.
COM3000 Organizational Communication (3 semester hours)
This course will provide students with a solid grounding in the theories, principles, and strategies of organizational and group communication as it is applied in diverse contexts. Students will gain familiarity with relevant research and applications as well as the practical strategies and techniques of working in organizational and group contexts and will participate in coursework that relates to a wide variety of real-life communication situations and settings.
Prerequisites: COM 1500 or ENG 1020
COM3100 Communication Research Methods (4 semester hours)
This writing intensive course introduces students to methods of inquiry found in communication and media studies research literature. These methods include experiments, surveys, textual analysis, and participant observations/ethnographies. The course examines the underlying philosophical assumptions associated with these methodologies as well as their unique strengths and limitations. Students' conceptual understanding of these methodologies and their ability to become critical consumers of research findings are the major objectives of the course.
Prerequisites: COM1500 and COM2200
COM3140 Journalism: News Reporting and Writing (3 semester hours)
This course introduces the foundations of journalism and covers the craft's two main components: reporting and writing the news. Students will learn interviewing and news-gathering techniques and practice writing news, features, and opinion for print, broadcast, and online media. How journalism functions in a democratic society as well as ethical and legal issues in journalism also will be covered. Student writing will be critiqued by professional journalists.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3200 Persuasion (3 semester hours)
This course explores theoretical and applied approaches to the ways attitudes are formed and changed, the relationship between attitudes and behavior, and how messages transmitted personally and through the mass media are shaped to influence attitudes and behavior. Students will study the rhetoric of persuasion established by Aristotle, which is foundational to our modern persuasive practices and applications in areas such as public address, politics, propaganda, advertising, and public relations.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG 1020
COM3240 Public Relations (3 semester hours)
This course will detail the ideas, skills, and principles that underlie the public relations craft. Students will study the role and contributions of public relations practitioners in contemporary society; learn about potential legal and ethical aspects of the practice of public relations; study the communications process and how persuasion is used to shape public attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; and learn how to develop a strategic communication plan to achieve specific goals and objectives. The class will also introduce students to specialized practice areas within the public relations field such as business and industry, government, non-profits and associations, and health care.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3250 Digital Design for Print and Web (3 semester hours)
An introduction to the practice and principles of graphic design for print and electronic media. This lab-based course covers the basics of typography and layout, as well as the technologies and techniques of interactive media production. Students will use modern digital imaging and publication software to create effective informational and promotional materials.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3300 Relational Communications (3 semester hours)
Students will explore the nature of relational communication in interpersonal and group contexts. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of relational communication in the personal, social, and organizational relationships of individuals and on society at large. This course will provide an overview of the communication, psychological, and sociological literatures and theories that have been important in understanding how humans communicate with one another.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3310 Media Criticism (3 semester hours)
An introduction to theoretical approaches and practices used to analyze the content, structure, and context of media in society. Students will explore factors shaping modern media texts, including: politics, economics, technology, and cultural traditions. The course will examine a wide spectrum of traditions, theories, and debates central to the field (including Marxism, political economy, semiotics, psychoanalysis, reception, feminism, critical race theory, and postmodernism) in relation to a range of media texts (radio, film, television, popular music, print, advertising, music videos, sports, and the Internet).
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3500 Intercultural Communication (3 semester hours)
The course focuses on effective communication of ideas, theories, and practices in a diverse, multicultural world. Differences in perception, worldviews, and values will be explored, and both verbal and nonverbal messages will be examined. The course will encourage the discovery and analyses of experiences that occur when people from different cultures communicate different ideas, feelings, and information.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
Meets General Education "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression" Group B requirement.
COM3510 Corporate and Professional Communication (3 semester hours)
In this course students will gain practice in many of the specialized forms of communication that occur in corporate and professional settings, such as resumes, business letters, job interviews, memos, persuasive reports, and business plans. Students will learn the essentials of business etiquette, as well as communication strategies in writing, face-to-face interaction, group meetings, and public presentation.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3520 Global Communication (3 semester hours)
The course examines the major issues in global communication through the analyses of international news and information flows, media imports/exports, privatization, and globalization within communications industries, and the various models of global communication systems. Students will evaluate the social and economic impacts of information and communication technologies, the shifting relationships between developed and developing countries, and the socio-economic trends associated with globalization of communication industries, and explore concepts such as nationalism, regionalism, globalization, and cultural identity.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3700 Media Production I (3 semester hours)
Students will create materials in multiple modes of digital media, including still images, web-based publications, audio, and video. The class includes thorough practice with several widely-used software applications. Special emphasis is placed on the production of material for promotional or instructional purposes. A useful course for students in all disciplines, many of whom will be expected to be competent with the basics of digital multimedia production in their careers.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3710 Media Production II (3 semester hours)
Students will gain extensive practice in digital cinematography and editing through the production of several individual and collaborative video projects. Students are involved in all stages of the video production process, from conception and scripting to shooting and editing. This class will also delve into areas such as video technology, lighting, and staging. The course culminates in the production of a comprehensive narrative or documentary-style piece.
Prerequisite: COM3700
COM3810 Special Topics in Communication (2 to 4 semester hours)
Periodic course reflecting faculty research interests.
Prerequisites: Will vary with special topic. Instructor approval required.
COM4750 Communication Practicum (3 semester hours)
This course offers the student supervised communication-related practical experiences focusing on a specific communication specialization. Each practicum is designed to be tailored to the student's specific goals after graduation.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in Communication and at least junior-level standing. Students must seek advance approval from a Communication faculty mentor prior to registering for the Communication Practicum.
COM4940 Communication Internship (3 semester hours)
The purpose of Communication Internship is to enable Aurora University students to acquire work experiences in the communication professional's business world. This experience is designed to expand on the learning experience and to integrate and reinforce skills and concepts learned in the classroom. The internship provides a practical experience in a structured employment environment.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in Communication and at least junior-level standing. Students must seek advance approval from a Communication faculty mentor prior to registering for the Communication Internship.
COM4990 Senior Seminar in Communication (3 semester hours)
This capstone course is required of all Communication majors in their senior year. Students will complete individual term projects that will demonstrate their ability to integrate theoretical and practical aspects of their chosen area of communication. Seminar will center on project development and student-led discussions of the issues and research indicative of their selected communication areas.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in communication and senior-level standing.
Examines the foundations and basic processes of communication in small-group, interpersonal, and public-speaking contexts. Students will apply these basic principles though the preparation and delivery of individual and group presentations. Emphasizes audience analysis, group interaction, research, organization, and effective delivery style.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Observation of Ourselves and Others" Group A requirement.
COM2100 Media and Society (4 semester hours)
This course is an introduction to issues and research on mass media, the Internet, and computer-mediated communication and surveys newspapers, magazines, books, Internet, radio, recordings, television, and film. The separate histories of each medium are traced into their convergence in modern society. Students will critically examine media theories and practices from diverse ethical, economic, and political perspectives to further appreciate the relationship between media and society.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Observation of Ourselves and Others" Group A requirement.
COM2200 Writing for Communication (4 semester hours)
In this course, students will learn and practice writing for a variety of communication applications, including print journalism, public relations and electronic media, as well as technical and business writing. Emphasis is on basic tools for writing in a media or business environment.
No prerequisites.
COM2300 Introduction to Film (3 semester hours)
A survey course outlining some of the principle theories and aesthetic techniques associated with feature films from their inception at the end of the 19th century to present-day blockbusters. Evaluation of the "art" of film will be combined with a focus on the historical, social, industrial, and legislative contexts of the times in which the films appeared.
No prerequisites.
Meets General Education "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression" Group B requirement.
COM/ART2670 Photography I: Silver-Based Black and White (3 semester hours)
Cross-listed with ART 2670. For description see ART 2670.
No prerequisites.
COM3000 Organizational Communication (3 semester hours)
This course will provide students with a solid grounding in the theories, principles, and strategies of organizational and group communication as it is applied in diverse contexts. Students will gain familiarity with relevant research and applications as well as the practical strategies and techniques of working in organizational and group contexts and will participate in coursework that relates to a wide variety of real-life communication situations and settings.
Prerequisites: COM 1500 or ENG 1020
COM3100 Communication Research Methods (4 semester hours)
This writing intensive course introduces students to methods of inquiry found in communication and media studies research literature. These methods include experiments, surveys, textual analysis, and participant observations/ethnographies. The course examines the underlying philosophical assumptions associated with these methodologies as well as their unique strengths and limitations. Students' conceptual understanding of these methodologies and their ability to become critical consumers of research findings are the major objectives of the course.
Prerequisites: COM1500 and COM2200
COM3140 Journalism: News Reporting and Writing (3 semester hours)
This course introduces the foundations of journalism and covers the craft's two main components: reporting and writing the news. Students will learn interviewing and news-gathering techniques and practice writing news, features, and opinion for print, broadcast, and online media. How journalism functions in a democratic society as well as ethical and legal issues in journalism also will be covered. Student writing will be critiqued by professional journalists.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3200 Persuasion (3 semester hours)
This course explores theoretical and applied approaches to the ways attitudes are formed and changed, the relationship between attitudes and behavior, and how messages transmitted personally and through the mass media are shaped to influence attitudes and behavior. Students will study the rhetoric of persuasion established by Aristotle, which is foundational to our modern persuasive practices and applications in areas such as public address, politics, propaganda, advertising, and public relations.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG 1020
COM3240 Public Relations (3 semester hours)
This course will detail the ideas, skills, and principles that underlie the public relations craft. Students will study the role and contributions of public relations practitioners in contemporary society; learn about potential legal and ethical aspects of the practice of public relations; study the communications process and how persuasion is used to shape public attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; and learn how to develop a strategic communication plan to achieve specific goals and objectives. The class will also introduce students to specialized practice areas within the public relations field such as business and industry, government, non-profits and associations, and health care.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3250 Digital Design for Print and Web (3 semester hours)
An introduction to the practice and principles of graphic design for print and electronic media. This lab-based course covers the basics of typography and layout, as well as the technologies and techniques of interactive media production. Students will use modern digital imaging and publication software to create effective informational and promotional materials.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3300 Relational Communications (3 semester hours)
Students will explore the nature of relational communication in interpersonal and group contexts. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of relational communication in the personal, social, and organizational relationships of individuals and on society at large. This course will provide an overview of the communication, psychological, and sociological literatures and theories that have been important in understanding how humans communicate with one another.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3310 Media Criticism (3 semester hours)
An introduction to theoretical approaches and practices used to analyze the content, structure, and context of media in society. Students will explore factors shaping modern media texts, including: politics, economics, technology, and cultural traditions. The course will examine a wide spectrum of traditions, theories, and debates central to the field (including Marxism, political economy, semiotics, psychoanalysis, reception, feminism, critical race theory, and postmodernism) in relation to a range of media texts (radio, film, television, popular music, print, advertising, music videos, sports, and the Internet).
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3500 Intercultural Communication (3 semester hours)
The course focuses on effective communication of ideas, theories, and practices in a diverse, multicultural world. Differences in perception, worldviews, and values will be explored, and both verbal and nonverbal messages will be examined. The course will encourage the discovery and analyses of experiences that occur when people from different cultures communicate different ideas, feelings, and information.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
Meets General Education "Aesthetic and Philosophical Expression" Group B requirement.
COM3510 Corporate and Professional Communication (3 semester hours)
In this course students will gain practice in many of the specialized forms of communication that occur in corporate and professional settings, such as resumes, business letters, job interviews, memos, persuasive reports, and business plans. Students will learn the essentials of business etiquette, as well as communication strategies in writing, face-to-face interaction, group meetings, and public presentation.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3520 Global Communication (3 semester hours)
The course examines the major issues in global communication through the analyses of international news and information flows, media imports/exports, privatization, and globalization within communications industries, and the various models of global communication systems. Students will evaluate the social and economic impacts of information and communication technologies, the shifting relationships between developed and developing countries, and the socio-economic trends associated with globalization of communication industries, and explore concepts such as nationalism, regionalism, globalization, and cultural identity.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3700 Media Production I (3 semester hours)
Students will create materials in multiple modes of digital media, including still images, web-based publications, audio, and video. The class includes thorough practice with several widely-used software applications. Special emphasis is placed on the production of material for promotional or instructional purposes. A useful course for students in all disciplines, many of whom will be expected to be competent with the basics of digital multimedia production in their careers.
Prerequisites: COM1500 or ENG1020
COM3710 Media Production II (3 semester hours)
Students will gain extensive practice in digital cinematography and editing through the production of several individual and collaborative video projects. Students are involved in all stages of the video production process, from conception and scripting to shooting and editing. This class will also delve into areas such as video technology, lighting, and staging. The course culminates in the production of a comprehensive narrative or documentary-style piece.
Prerequisite: COM3700
COM3810 Special Topics in Communication (2 to 4 semester hours)
Periodic course reflecting faculty research interests.
Prerequisites: Will vary with special topic. Instructor approval required.
COM4750 Communication Practicum (3 semester hours)
This course offers the student supervised communication-related practical experiences focusing on a specific communication specialization. Each practicum is designed to be tailored to the student's specific goals after graduation.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in Communication and at least junior-level standing. Students must seek advance approval from a Communication faculty mentor prior to registering for the Communication Practicum.
COM4940 Communication Internship (3 semester hours)
The purpose of Communication Internship is to enable Aurora University students to acquire work experiences in the communication professional's business world. This experience is designed to expand on the learning experience and to integrate and reinforce skills and concepts learned in the classroom. The internship provides a practical experience in a structured employment environment.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in Communication and at least junior-level standing. Students must seek advance approval from a Communication faculty mentor prior to registering for the Communication Internship.
COM4990 Senior Seminar in Communication (3 semester hours)
This capstone course is required of all Communication majors in their senior year. Students will complete individual term projects that will demonstrate their ability to integrate theoretical and practical aspects of their chosen area of communication. Seminar will center on project development and student-led discussions of the issues and research indicative of their selected communication areas.
Prerequisite: Major or minor in communication and senior-level standing.
Academic information on departmental websites reflects the university's most current curriculum. The print version of the catalog, which is also posted online, may differ from this information.
