COMM 001 Speech Traditions
Engages with the theory and practice of public discourse while developing the necessary skills to effectively communicate to large audiences. Explores the history and foundational concepts of public speaking, including audience, purpose, and situation. Students learn different types of public speaking and how they fulfill a variety of purposes. They practice these skills throughout the semester.
COMM 002 Argument and Debate
Introduces principles of argumentation, logic, and debate. Surveys different models of argument, provides an understanding of how to structure and support arguments, and applies these skills. Emphasizes internet database research, evaluation of evidence quality, synthesis of collected data and logical fallacies. Equips students with the information and tools to engage in a complex world with increasing amounts of information and communication content.
COMM 003 [WRI 022] Interpersonal Communication
Focuses on the relationships between people, the messages exchanged, and how they impact and influence thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Covers the characteristics of interpersonal communication, including perception, speech and language, nonverbal behaviors, listening, conflict and conflict resolution, and the ethics of interpersonal communication development and maintenance. Emphasizes the ability to recognize and evaluate one’s own communicative biases and behaviors.
COMM 004 Small Group Communication
Explores group communication, or the process of exchanging messages among a collection of people, usually three to twenty, for the purpose of developing relationships and accomplishing a goal. Focuses on the interdependent relationship between people and the communication situations that develop when they build a relationship. Addresses various aspects of group dynamics and their connection to creating effective communication exchanges as well as communication pitfalls that may detract or sabotage group dynamics.
COMM 015 Intercultural Communication
Focuses on the importance of culture in our everyday lives, and the ways in which culture interrelates with and affects communication processes. Examines the practical application of theory and research and the effect of cultural practices within various communication relational contexts such as interpersonal, small group, and organizational communication. Focuses on several general topics including: identity, perception, communication skills, culture, linguistic differences, stereotyping, and intercultural communication in education, medicine and business.
COMM 016 Forensics
Explores the competitive side of Argument and Debate. Students hone their skills in research and source evaluation while producing convincing and persuasive arguments about current topics. Builds on foundational Argument and Debate and Public Speaking theory and practice to provide an understanding of how collegiate Forensic Teams compete.
COMM 017 [GASP 001] Introduction to Media and Performance Studies
Provides a survey of the histories and key research questions of the disciplines of Media Studies and Performance Studies. These fields examine fundamental relationships between performance and culture, including traditional art forms such as music, theatre, and dance as well as a range of everyday cultural expressions such as ritual, festivals, games and sports, storytelling, fashion, and song. Drawing from insights in the social sciences and the humanities, this course explores media and performance in both theory and in practice.
COMM 018 Introduction to Communication Studies
Provides a survey of the histories and key research questions of the disciplines of Media Studies and Performance Studies. Examines fundamental relationships between performance and culture, including traditional art forms such as music, theatre, and dance as well as a range of everyday cultural expressions such as ritual, festivals, games and sports, storytelling, fashion, and song. Explores media and performance in both theory and in practice, drawing from insights in the social sciences and the humanities.
COMM 051 [GASP 003] Introduction to Visual Culture
An introduction to visual material in art and mass media from cultures throughout the world. Emphasizes the development of students’ own critical skills in analyzing and understanding visual culture. Topics include artworks from antiquity to postmodernism, as well as issues in mass media, pop culture, and cyberspace. Lecture with sections. Max enrollment: 120.
COMM 052 [GASP 057] History and Practice of Photography
Students will examine critical texts on the history and theory of photography, study photographers from diverse backgrounds, and investigate cultural and socio-political issues in photographic practice and production. Students will also acquire some basic photographic techniques.
COMM 053 [GASP 060] Introduction to Film Analysis
COMM 054 [GASP 059A] Politics of Representations
COMM 055 [GASP 060A] Anime and Animation
COMM 056 [GASP 065A] Bollywood
COMM 057 [GASP 060B] Asian Cinema
COMM 060 [COGS 005] Introduction to Language and Linguistics
An introduction to the scientific study of language. Topics include phonology, phonetics, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, historical linguistics, language acquisition, and natural discourse. Lecture with sections. Max enrollment: 120.
COMM 071 [GASP 014] Photography I
COMM 072 [GASP 020] Video I
COMM 073 [GASP 036A] Making Electronic Music
COMM 074 [GASP 036B] Recording and Studio Techniques
COMM 100 [WRI 100] Advanced Writing
An emphasis on development of style, voice and syntax within writing projects. As a pre-professional writing course, it will include readings and writing in creative non-fiction as well as writing for popular and academic periodicals. Seminar. Max enrollment: 24.
COMM 101 [WRI 116] Science Writing in Natural Sciences
To improve their command of scientific discourse, students in the School of Natural Sciences read widely in scientific literature, including research published in established scientific journals and articles or books by prominent scientists who have written for the general public. Oral presentations and group projects complement various writing tasks. Seminar. Max enrollment: 24.
COMM 102 [WRI 117] Writing for the Social Sciences and Humanities
Study and practice of reading and writing social science research, with an emphasis on the interpretation, articulation, and presentation of quantitative and qualitative data. With a focus on disciplinary conventions and style, writing projects may include research proposals, literature reviews, case studies, field notes, object/artifact analyses, interviews, ethnographies, academic posters. Seminar. Max enrollment: 24.
COMM 103 [WRI 119] Writing for Engineering
Intensive practice in the presentation of technical subject matter. Students survey the range of audiences to which engineering communities respond, and explore variations in the style and logic of written discourse within the profession. Assignments may include technical reports, design projects, project proposals, press releases, oral presentations, and collaborative projects. Seminar. Max enrollment: 24.
COMM 104 [WRI 101] Writing in the Disciplines: Psychology
Intended for psychology majors and majors in closely related disciplines, this course refines a student’s ability to analyze, synthesize, and explain complex information by producing professional written texts and oral reports for appropriate audiences. Using APA style, each student will also collaborate on a research project. Seminar. Max Enrollment: 24.
COMM 105 Writing for Media
COMM 106 Screenwriting
COMM 107 Podcasting
COMM 108 Writing with AI
COMM 109 [WRI 130] Topics in Professional Writing
Specialized instruction in one aspect of Professional writing. Topics will include, but not be limited to, Journalism, Technical Writing, Copy-Editing, Writing for the Internet, and Research for Writers. Each class will provide practical instruction in “real-world” writing scenarios.
COMM 111 Topics in Collaborative Writing
Explores the dynamics and processes of collaborative writing in various contexts, including academic, professional, and creative settings. Focused upon in group writing projects, examines how writing teams function, how roles are negotiated, and how collaboration shapes the writing process and the final product. Topics include collaborative ideation, drafting, revision, and the use of digital tools for co-authorship.
COMM 112 [WRI 103] Research Design and Methods in Writing Studies
Introduces research design and methodologies in Writing Studies. Provides interdisciplinary perspectives on Writing Studies and experience with research design approaches in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Applies a mixture of qualitative (e.g., interview, ethnographic observation) and quantitative approaches (e.g., survey, corpus-based text analysis, code trees) to multiple practice projects. Students will write a research proposal that involves rigorous methodology.
COMM 118 Communication Theory
Examines the forms, functions, development and testing of theory in the humanities and social sciences. Surveys and compares significant micro and macro theories and models of human communication. Applies theories to real-world problems.
COMM 119 Topics in Communication
Examine key topics in communication, focusing on interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication theories. Explore digital media, persuasion, and cross-cultural communication. Analyze communication processes in various contexts, from social media to corporate environments. Engage with contemporary research to understand the impact of communication on relationships, identity, and global networks.
Topics courses may include:
Communication and Media Technologies
Memory and Violence
Media Effects
Family Communication
Children and Media
Popular Culture
COMM 120 [WRI 120] Rhetorical Theory
Intensive study in classical and contemporary theories of written rhetoric. The course will enable students to analyze, criticize and deploy rhetorical strategies via readings in rhetorical theory, application of theory to the criticism of texts, and the imitation and production of arguments. Seminar. Max Enrollment: 24
COMM 121 Persuasion
Analysis and synthesis of current persuasion theory to understand how messages influence attitudes and behaviors. Topics covered include: theories for altering attitudes and behaviors, the persuasion process, and the use of persuasion in applied contexts.
COMM 122 Media Campaigns
Focuses on the theory and practice of designing, implementing, and evaluating media campaigns. Includes the analysis of case studies of both effective and ineffective media campaigns across various industries, including advertising, public health, social advocacy, and political communication. Engages in critical analysis of campaign strategies and develops media campaign projects.
COMM 123 [WRI 155] Seminar in Professional Writing
This seminar is based on case studies representing different contexts of professional writing. Specific attention will be devoted to technical writing for the representation of complex information in a form that is accessible to general readers. Elements of translation theory will also be reviewed.
COMM 124 Intercultural Communication
Explores the role of culture in shaping the ways in which people communicate with and relate to others. Introduces major theories and concepts of intercultural communication from a variety of perspectives, examines the different processes that make up cultural differences, and demonstrates how these theories and concepts can be applied to intercultural communication settings. Covers topics related to intercultural communication, including verbal and nonverbal language, identity, stereotypes, intercultural transition and intercultural conflicts.
COMM 125 [WRI 121] International Rhetoric
Focused on non-Western authors writing in English (and sometimes in translation), students will identify and analyze various cultural contexts that shape rhetorical choices and styles. Centered on one or two specific geographic regions, historical moments or genres, this course fosters critical engagement with rhetorical analysis, linguistic adaptations, and composition styles. Seminar. Max Enrollment: 24
COMM 129 [WRI 122] Special Topics in Rhetoric
Engages the study and practice within linguistic practices and expressive modes for persuasive purposes. Students will pursue advanced work in special topic areas, within rhetorical theory and practice.
COMM 131 [PH 103] Health Communication
An introduction to the science and practice of health communication. The course will also describe the essentials for effective health communication and social marketing, reaching target audiences, developing and testing effective messages, and evaluating the impact of a communication campaign.
COMM 132 [PH 104] Health and the Media
Covers the media's influence on health. Special attention will be paid to how health disparities are covered in the media, and the effects these portrayals might have on minority and majority populations. The course will also cover social media and health.
COMM 139 Topics in Health Communication
Explores the intersections of health, media, and culture. Course content examines communication strategies in public health campaigns, patient-provider interactions, health literacy, and the role of technology in healthcare delivery. Students analyze case studies and current research to understand effective health messaging and its impact on diverse populations.
COMM 141 [WRI 118] Management Communication Theory and Practice
Students analyze and demonstrate effective managerial communication skills, with an emphasis on public speaking, presentations, and writing. Topics include business ethics, media relations, intercultural communication, interviewing, persuasion, and the visual representation of data. Extensive work in impromptu oral and written communication in various managerial, organizational, interpersonal situations.
COMM 142 Organizational Communication
Application of communication theory and research to established organizations, with special emphasis on communication causes, correlates, and consequences of internal and external organizational communication processes at individual, group, organizational, and societal levels of analysis.
COMM 143 Data Science
COMM 144 Data Vizualization
COMM 149 Topics in Business Communication
Explores advanced concepts in business communication, focusing on professional writing, interpersonal dynamics, and digital communication strategies. Analyzes real-world case studies, develops persuasive presentations, and refines leadership communication skills. Gains insights into cross-cultural communication, negotiation tactics, and the impact of emerging technologies on corporate messaging in a global business environment.
COMM 151 Social Media
Examines the implications and consequences of social media use across different levels of analyses. Focuses on how these platforms enhance and impede individual and socio-political self-expression, especially for those from marginalized populations.
COMM 153 [CRES 101, GASP 103U] Race and the Media
COMM 154 [GASP 160A] Film Theory
Explores the major theoretical frameworks in film studies, analyzing how films communicate meaning and reflect cultural, political, and social values. Engages with key schools of thought, including formalism, realism, auteur theory, feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and postmodernism. Examines influential films and critical texts and critical analysis of film as an artistic and cultural medium.
COMM 155 [GASP 157] Critical Photography
Students will study interdisciplinary texts on the theories of photography, cinematography and digital media, and investigate historical, cultural, and socio-political issues in visual production involving photographic means. Students will also apply their technical capabilities to creating advanced projects that present critical commentary on our contemporary visual culture.
COMM 156 [GASP 158A] Race & Visual Representations in Art and Media
Guides students toward developing a critical eye and useful tools for encountering, analyzing, critiquing, and creating visual representations of "race" in this visually saturated world. Studies paintings, photography, films, music videos, and social media that relate to wide-ranging topics, from the legacy of the "Hottentot Venus," miscegenation and passing, the myth of the "vanishing race," blackface and minstrelsy, to anti-[insert group] imagery, and cross-cultural appropriation/appreciation in a global economy. Incorporates interdisciplinary texts and creative projects throughout the course.
COMM 159 Topics in Media Studies
Investigates advanced concepts in media studies, including the influence of media on culture, politics, and society; evolving digital landscapes, media representation, and power structures. Engages with theoretical frameworks and case studies to analyze media production, consumption, and its role in shaping public opinion and cultural identities globally.
Topics courses may include:
Communication and Media Technologies
Memory and Violence
Media Effects
Family Communication
Children and Media
Popular Culture
COMM 169 Topics in Linguistics
Examines advanced topics in linguistics, including language structure, variation, and change and phonology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics. Engages with contemporary linguistic research, analyzes language in social and cultural contexts, and investigates how linguistic theories apply to real-world issues, including language acquisition, identity, and communication in multilingual communities.
COMM 170 Communication Methods
Surveys social scientific research methods commonly employed in the communication discipline. Topics include research design, measurement, sampling, questionnaire construction, survey research, experimental research, content analysis and interaction analysis.
COMM 171 [GASP 114A] Photography II
COMM 172 [GASP 120] Video II
COMM 179 [GASP 149A] Topics in Media Production
Explores advanced techniques in media production, focusing on digital storytelling, visual
design, and sound. Develops skills in pre-production, filming, and post-production editing.
Analyzes industry trends and emerging technologies while producing original media
projects. Engages with creative challenges in narrative development, technical execution,
and audience engagement across diverse platforms.
COMM 191 Communication Capstone
A project-based course in a specific topic area of communication designed to give students a chance to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the major and the opportunity to work intensively in groups on a real world project.
