B.S./B.A. in Communication and Media Studies: Curriculum

This course introduces basic concepts, theories, issues, and routine practices of public relations as a communication management function in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. It examines how organizations can ethically and scientifically build productive, mutually beneficial relationships with various stakeholders through effective communication.

This course increases the knowledge and use of competent communication skills to better understand oneself, others, and the role of communication in interpersonal relationships.

Foundations of Digital Media provides students with an overview of the concepts and workflows used in the creation of three forms of digital media including digital images, audio and video. This class supplies students with fundamental knowledge of the composition of digital media and the tools used to create digital images, audio and video.

This course adopts a critical/cultural approach to survey the relationship between communication innovations and human affairs at large. Specifically, this course examines the evolution of media technology in the United States and its impact on the ethos of national culture. Major issues such as media representation, media consumption, media acculturation and media consolidation will be discussed.

In this course, students will explore communication research from various paradigms. A variety of perspectives about the language of human communication will be evaluated. Students will discover why and how we study human communication, who is asking what types of questions, how theory translates into effective research agendas, how to develop their own research agendas and how we can apply theory in our everyday lives.

Choose two courses from the following:

• COM 111Z Public Speaking*GTW
• COM 162 Communication Design*APC
• COM 250 Communication & Society
• WR 222 Introduction to Rhetoric*AEH

Choose two courses from the following:

• ANTH 395 Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
• COM 315 Media, Power & Difference*AEH
• COM 325 Intercultural Communication*AEH
• WR 330 Digital Rhetoric

Choose one course from the following:

• COM 460 Communication Research Design
• COM 464 Topics in Film and Video
• COM 465 Participatory Culture/Iden*AEH
• COM 495 Communication Ethics
• COM 497 Capstone in Public Relations

Learn to help organizations craft strategic messaging, manage their brand, build relationships with the media and maintain a strong digital presence.

• BA 312 Principles of Marketing
• COM 212 Public Relations Techniques
• COM 311 Public Relations Cases and Campaigns
• COM 401 Public Relations on Social Media
• COM 485 Communication Law
• COM 497 Capstone in Public Relations
• WR 320 Professional Writing

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Communication Design explores intermediate principles, processes and theory applied in the design of 2-D and 3-D graphics for new media platforms and screen-based media. General Education Core: Artistic Process & Creation

This course introduces small group dynamics and democratic decision-making in small group process. Students learn to articulate ideas, resolve conflict, take leadership, respect diversity, and sustain group cohesiveness.

New Media explores current trends and topics of website design and development, focusing on the basic technologies and creative processes applied in the creation of websites and new media.

In this course, students examine the ways that media representations of class, national origin, race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, and disability are constructed, and how they can perpetuate these perspectives in society. Students also explore ways that media contributions by underrepresented groups can lead to empowerment. Approaches to critical study are organized according to their emphasis on media industries, texts, or audiences. Ultimately, students develop critical skills for analyzing media form and meaning in relation to the larger spheres of culture and ideology. Student must have at least sophomore standing to register for this course.

Students will develop and apply self-presentation and interaction concepts and skills to the transition from undergraduate studies to professional life, including resume preparation and presentation, interviewing and interaction management in business and professional settings.

This course examines how communication behavior differs among cultures in various contexts such as workplace, school, healthcare, and diplomacy. Students learn to be adaptive different worldviews, meaning system, stereotypes, and ethnocentric behavior. Major issues such as identity, ethnocentrism, and multiculturalism will be discussed. This course is the same as the previous SPCH 325: Intercultural Communication at EOU.

This course introduces the concepts, history, theories, legal/ethical issues and routine practices of advertising as a medium of information in modern society. Students learn how advertising meshes with the ethos of our national culture, how advertising works in the market economy, how advertising appeals to consumers and how to create selling ad copy.

This course introduces basic concepts, theories, issues and routine practices of public relations as a communication profession in the contemporary world. It examines how organizations as well as individuals can ethically and scientifically build productive, mutually beneficial relationships with various stakeholders and the general public through effective communication.

Web design introduces the underlying principles, basic methodologies, and fundamental concepts of web and new media design. From conception to comprehensive layout, topics include the fundamentals of digital design, developing a problem definition, target audience, content assessment, informal architecture, page layout, typography, color, digital images and design presentation. Students must have at least sophomore standing to register for this course.

We are social creatures given to organize ourselves in various forms to perform functions in pursuit of our goals. Consequently, our lives are full of organizational involvement. This course seeks to examine the nature of that involvement – how people communicate to comprehend, create, control, and change organizations. During the first half of the term, we will focus on the historical progression of organizational approaches. The second half of the term will focus on a number of organizational processes and practices that include assimilation, diversity, and decision making. By scrutinizing various processes, students will be better prepared for their own organizational endeavors. Service learning is a required component of this course. Each student must join an organization of which they were not previously a member. Organizations can be of any type, but students are encouraged to choose a non-profit organization where they can be of service to the community as a volunteer.

This course adopts the “big picture” approach to explore the elements of media process such as regulation, production, representation and consumption. With this approach, students get a better understanding of the relationship between media and society, especially the relationships between media and ideology, media representation and social inequality, and media ownership and political power. Furthermore, students develop skills in ideological analysis of media content.

This course explores the digital aesthetics, theoretical frameworks, and design of interactive digital media.

This course guides students to apply the knowledge they learned from previous courses to public relations jobs in local or regional organizations. Students select the reputable business organization, government agencies, or public relations firms to engage in real-world communication practice to further hone their skill in conducting public relations as a routine problem-solving process.