Students in the Department of Communication are able to choose from a wide variety of classes. Required classes for the Communication major and minor are detailed on the program page.
200-Level Courses
300-Level Courses
400-Level Courses
Communication Internship
Directed Study in Communication
200-Level Courses
COM 202: Public Speaking. The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of some major oral communication theories that are fundamental for an educated person in our society. Specifically, students learn the theories and techniques of effective oral communication in a variety of speaking situations. This course also stresses planning and preparation as well as delivery. The complimentary skill of listening is also developed through criticism of speeches presented in class.
COM 203: Introduction to Communication. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the field of Communication. This course is a general survey course designed for students who have declared Communication as a major or minor or who are considering pursuing a degree in Communication. In this class we will a) define Communication and the different approaches to studying Communication; b) examine the main areas and sub-disciplines in the field of Communication; c) outline the research methods applicable to the study of communication problems and processes; and d) explore the possible career options available to Communication students.
204 — Honors: The Proces of Communicating. This course provides students with an in-depth introduction to the fundamental philosophies underlying the field of Communication. It is a sophisticated, seminar-structured class designed for students who have declared Communication as a major or minor and for those considering pursuing a degree in Communication. As an honors course, this class takes a deeper, more detailed look at communication as a process and at a number of important concepts (areas of study) in the discipline. Likewise, course expecations of student performance and output are high. Students who receive credit for Com 203 cannot receive credit for Com 204.
COM 242: Basic Television Production. This course is an introduction to television production in which students become familiar with the tools of the medium and the processes involved in the creation of completed video content through basic studio exercises and productions. Emphasis is placed on understanding the role played by software and hardware in the structuring of visual, auditory, and motion elements to communicate through television.
COM 243: Basic Field Production and Editing. This course focuses on two areas: field production and editing. Students learn how to shoot television content on location (outside the studi environment). Students will also learn basic post-production techniques.
COM 251: Written Communication. Students in this course analyze and write various messages currently used in business and nonprofit organizations. The course emphasizes the interpersonal and ethical issues of modern business-message style and structure.
COM 260: Media Literacy. This course provides students with the necessary tools for examining mass media content from a critical perspective. Students will be able to discuss the literacies, print and visual, and the societal importance of both on the personal and cultural levels. Students will “read” advertisements, both broadcast and print, observe TV programming genres such as “reality TV” and news, study the effects of production values on film content, and deal with texts in other media like the Internet, video games, radio, magazines, and newspapers. In addition, consideration will be given to the impact of technology, conglomeration, globalization and concentration on the construction of media texts. Once students learn to read, interpret, and critically examine texts, they will be able to apply those skills to various audiences.
COM 270: Interpersonal Communication. The objective of this course is to provide students with theoretical and practical information about interpersonal communication that will enable a better understanding of interpersonal interactions and improvement of interpersonal skills. This will be accomplished by (1) an examination of theory and influential research developments in the field of interpersonal communication, (2) an analysis of interpersonal communication behaviors including an identification of areas in need of improvement, and (3) a development of critical thinking, oral, and written communication skills.
COM 272: Mass Communication. This course is designed to provide an overview of contemporary mass media systems and an examination of the various factors — historical, economic, political and cultural — that have shaped their development. To study mass communication is to study the symbols of our shared culture. The class provides a broad foundation for understanding the role of media in human culture and society. It will provide a framework for understanding the role of mediated communication in everyday interactions by giving students a close look at the wide range of social, cultural, economic, and political issues associated with mass communication. Specifically, students will examine the evolution of print and electronic media, the informative, persuasive and entertainment functions of the mass media, and the legal, political, and ethical implications of mass communication systems and practices.
COM 285: Special Topics in Communication. Topics under this course heading vary from year to year according to student interest, faculty availability, and timely developments in the field of communication.
300-Level Courses
COM 342: Advanced Television Production. This course assumes a basic understanding of studio and field video production and allows students to become additionally experienced with the tools of the medium and the processes involved in the creation of the completed television program from idea to dissemination. Emphasis is placed on the understanding the role that software and hardware play in the structuring of visual, auditory, and motion elements to communicate through television in the service of a “client” seeking to deliver his or her idea to a large and/or distant audience.
COM 343: Script to Screen. In this course, students learn how content is shaped and reshaped (in a sense, rewritten) during each stage of production by developing an idea for a short video program and nurturing that concept through the production process from beginning to end. Students will write original scripts in a variety of formats, direct and edit their classmates’ scripts, and devise ad copy to “sell” the completed projects to a target audience. This course is recommended for those who have an interest in media writing, producing, directing, editing, or marketing.
COM 344: Sports Media Production. Covering a live sporting event is one of the most dynamic forms of video-mediated communication. The pace is fast, the narrative largely unscripted, and creative and editorial decisions must be rapid fire. This course uses sports broadcasting as a platform for confronting the challenges of live, remote production. Classroom instruction is reinforced by hands-on experience, as students work in production groups to create network style, multi-camera broadcasts of Bryant athletic events. Rotating through various roles and responsibilities, students develop skills in multi-camera directing, field production, video editing, writing, reporting, announcing, and special effects. Also, students learn how to identify, shape, and present the narrative (story) elements of public events as they unfold. (Note: Students must be available for the broadcast of three Saturday afternoon games during the semester.)
COM 350: Studies in Film and Video. This course provides an introduction to the “language of film” and helps students develop the critical tools necessary to view and analyze the medium. Focusing on works selected from the early decades to recent times, the course surveys film genres, critical methods, and issues in film studies. Students will learn to analyze cinematic styles and techniques, and gain an understanding of how diverse elements work together to convey ideas in film. Students will also focus on how the cinema both reflects and perpetuates aspects of culture, by investigating the images of masculinity, femininity, class, and race relations in film, and gain an understanding of the place of film in culture and how movies achieve their aesthetic purposes. By semester’s end students should have a much clearer sense of what goes into the making of movies, and should have become a much more active, critical viewer of the films they see. This course is cross-listed with LCS 350.
COM 351: Writing for New Media. This course explores the unique requirements and opportunities of writing in a digital environment. It considers the theory and practice of interactive and nonlinear writing, strategies for developing, organizing, and presenting content, and the integration of writing with graphics, audio, and video. Students prepare interactive documents appropriate for publication on the web or on CD.
COM 355: Print Journalism. Print journalism has been in dramatic transition for the past decade. The medium itself has changed, with words published not just on paper, but online. Technology has become the source of an explosion of new reporting resources. Reporters have changed as well, becoming more mobile, more aggressive, often more willing to become part of the stories they report. Ethics have evolved, as the definitions of what is “fit to print” have expanded, and some reporters have relied increasingly on unknown/unnamed sources and even upon sources paid for information. Finally, the print journalism business has transformed as newspapers have merged, down sized, sold stock, outsourced, and otherwise followed today’s bottom-line business practices. In this course, students will address the impact of these changes as they learn study and practice of reporting and writing for the print media. Specifically, students will collect and write news stories and features that report real life issues and events. Materials developed in this course frequently appear in campus publications, including the college newspaper.
COM 358: Video-Mediated Communication. This course focuses on communication processes and outcomes in video-mediated communication, a primary application of which is videoconferencing. The class operates under the assumption that simply replicating face to face communication in a videoconferencing setting is insufficient and ineffective, as the goals, materials, relationships among participants, and impact on social and organizational culture have to be reconsidered in a new context. Students will examine the impact of videoconferencing on such traditional communication activities as meetings, presentations, interviews, and collaborations. They will also explore the role of videoconferencing in a new media mix that continues to expand.
COM 361: Public Relations. Students in this course consider the public relations process with emphasis on how corporations and other institutions relate to their various publics. Readings and discussions will center on methods of conducting effective public relations and on legal and ethical issues. Students plan programs and copy for various media.
Com 362: Advanced Public Speaking. This course helps students develop confidence and ability in a wide variety of speaking sitiuations. Students examine the oral communication modes used in business and other contexts, including the interview, the conference, and the meeting. The major focus is on learning how to make effective presentations in diverse professional areas.
COM 363: Communication and Conflict Management in Intimate Relationships. Whether it is the first “big fight” in our romantic relationships, the ongoing struggles in our marriages, or the arguments we have with our children, it’s clear that conflict affects our lives. Increasing evidence indicates that skilled conflict managers have more satisfying relationships, higher levels of personal well-being, and better physical health than do their unskilled counterparts. Thus, the purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of conflict and the role that communication plays in causing, escalating, and/or managing the conflict process. After exploring the basic elements of the conflict process (e.g., attributions, goals, power, tactis, gender, etc.), the class will examine ways of altering negative conflict cycles, and the nature and effects of conflict in various intimate relationships including the parent-child relationship, same- and cross-sex friendship, and dating and marital relationships. This course is appropriate for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the complexities of interpersonal conflict as well as better and worse ways of managing the process.
COM 365: Language, Culture, and Communication. This course addresses such questions as what makes communication possible, why intended meaning of messages often get misunderstood, and how linguistic, cultural, and social differences affect communication. Through readings, discussions, and analyses of communicative interaction across a broad range of cultural contexts, students will learn how human communication is profoundly shaped by the differences among the peoples of the world.
COM 366: Intercultural Communication. Inter-cultural communication is the systematic study of communicative interaction between individuals and groups whose cultural understandings, presuppositions, and value orientations are distinct enough to exhibit clear effects on the course and consequences of communicative events. Students will be introduced to key concepts and issues in Intercultural Communication; and, through the analysis of case studies of intercultural encounters within different settings in the U.S. and abroad, students will learn to understand the ways in which subtle connections between “cuture” and “communication” are implicated in a broad range of interpersonal difficulties from “culture shock” to open conflict.
COM 367: Small Group Communication. Much of what we do in life, we do in groups. Thus, the purposes of this course are to (a) give students a better understanding of the communicative practices that make a small group successful, and (b) provide students with the tools to diagnose and rectify potential obstacles to good group work. We will accomplish these objectives by surveying theory and research in key areas of small group communication including cohesiveness, conflict, power, conformity and deviance, social influence, group roles and processes, group structures, leadership, and decision-making skills. In addition, students will have the opportunity to apply such theory and research by interacting in a small group environment and then analyzing what their group did right and what their group did wrong.
COM 370: Broadcast Media. This course is designed to introduce students to the various aspects of broadcast media and mass communication. Topics include the technical side to broadcasting, history and development, business aspects of broadcasting, regulation, broadcasting and society, effects, and the impact of new technology on traditional broadcast media. The focus will be on the history and development of broadcasting and how broadcast media have helped shape American culture. Students will also discuss the impact of new technology such as direct broadcast satellite and digital cable. This class will examine how the media are both products of social forces as well as social forces in their own right.
COM 380: Nonverbal Communication. The course examines theory and research concerned with the nature and function of human nonverbal communication. Topics include: body language, the human voice, physical appearance, clothing, space, touch, facial expressions, and our physical environment. Additionally, students will examine individual differences in ability to interpret nonverbal messages, the relationship between nonverbal communication and culture, and the ways nonverbal and verbal communication work together to create meaning.
COM 385: Special Topics in Communication. Topics under this course heading vary from year to year according to student interest, faculty availability, and timely developments in the field of communication. Descriptions of special topics courses to be taught the upcoming academic year can be found on the News & Events page.
COM 390: Communication Research Methods. This course is designed to familiarize students with the “process of knowing” used by social scientists studying human communication. This will be accomplished through an examination and application of established and contemporary social and behavioral research methods applicable to the study of communication problems and processes. Emphasis is placed on students gaining experience in data collection and data analysis. The course also aims to help students become critical consumers of both scholarly and “everyday” empirical research. Upon completion of this course, students will expected to have acquired in-depth knowledge of communication research methodology, the ability to evaluate communication research studies, and the ability to independently conduct communication research.
COM 391: Communication Internship. Students engage in individually supervised work in communication and learn to apply communication skills, concepts, and theory to the work environment. Interns work at least ten hours per week on the job, meet periodically with a supervising faculty member, do research related to the employment field, and prepare a report on the work experience and studies involved. Requires the approval of a supervising faculty member and the department chair. Junior or senior standing is required. ^ return to top
400-Level Courses
COM 451: Writing Articles for Publication. Students in this course prepare feature articles with the goal of having them published in magazines, newspapers, or college and corporate publications. The course includes methods of identifying topics of potential interest and selecting likely publishers. Students also learn how to research and organize material for articles and how to develop an effective writing style. Junior or senior standing is required.
COM 460: Advanced Media Literacy. This class explores media literacy as an effective learning tool for teachers and parents, specifically as they attempt to strike a balance between traditional school curricula and the influences of mediated, consumer culture. This class is a research class, which means that there will be a heavy writing, research, and presentation component, as well as primary and secondary curriculum development. Some of the general topics to be discussed include the following: determining methods for incorporating media literacy skills into the “kinderculture,” exploring measurements for determining quality media content, examining paradigm shifts in media education over the past five or six decades, and parental media education. Students will study the effects of media consumption as a systemic issue, with a main focus on children, teens, and critical pedagogy.
COM 463: Innovative Communication Applications. The course will teach students the communication skills required to create successful organizations. They will learn how to generate both internal and external documents for an organization and how to solve communication problems with critical thinking skills. Assignments include case analysis and field research and involve individual and group projects, with an emphasis on innovation and creativity.
COM 470: Argumentation and Persuasion. In this course, students will study how one particular type of communication-argument-is used to persuade others and to assess the strength of our own convictions. This study of argument and persuasion will result in some very practical benefits, including a better ability to assess whether or not an argument is well reasoned. Students will learn to be more discriminating consumers and employers of argument. Both written and oral arguments will be used to demonstrate how communicators use argument to convince others and to perform intellectual inquiry.
COM 472: Media Effects. This course examines the impact of mass media on modern society. Topics include media cultivation, desensitization, priming, violence, agenda-setting, the knowledge-gap hypothesis, and media ethics. Effects on individual viewers as well as the impact of media on greater society will be explored in detail. Upon completion of the course, the student will (1) have an understanding of the history of media effects research and the social and political influences that have shaped this research, (2) understand many of the basic social and psychological principles behind media effects, (3) be able to identify the major areas of media effects research, and (4) have the ability to speak knowledgeably about the impact of new communication technology on modern society.
COM 473: Gender and Communication. This class is designed to explore the complex relationships among women, men, language, and communication from theoretical and practical perspectives. Students will be exposed to relevant gender and communicated related social and political issues, research findings, and theory in a wide variety of contexts. Some of the many specific questions addressed are: What is gender?, How do we become gendered?, How do we display and perpetuate gender through our use of language and nonverbal codes?, What are the effects of media on our experiences of gender?, and How do the popular media portray gender and sexuality? Additionally, we will explore differences and similarities in how men and women communicate and contrast research findings in these areas with those views espoused in popular literature (e.g., John Gray). This course emphasizes personal reflection, analytical reading, and critical thinking regarding gendered patterns and communicative interactions that constitute our social world.
COM 478: Communication in a Global Village. Knowledge about how other nations and industries have approached similar problems and issues can make students more insightful about their own nations and industries and more effective their careers. The focus of this course is on cross-national comparative approaches to the study of communication policy and practice. It illustrates the value of comparative study through discussions of broadcasting, cable, telecommunications, culture, and new media policies and practices such as those surrounding the Internet. Students examine the history, development, implementation, and effects of global communication systems. Additionally, we will examine communication systems in areas such as China, Japan, Brazil, Germany, and Russia. There is a heavy emphasis on how culture is a shaping force in the development of communication policy and practices in each country.
COM 485: Special Topics in Communication. Topics under this course heading vary from year to year according to student interest, faculty availability, and timely developments in the field of communication. Descriptions of special topics courses to be taught the upcoming academic year can be found on the News & Events page. Some of the 400-level Special Topics classes that have been taught recently include Computer-Mediated Communication, Advanced Interpersonal Communication, and Health Communication.
COM 491: Seminar in Communication Theory. This course is the capstone course and consists of an in-depth look at communication theory. Students examine primary sources and learn many of the major theories and paradigms in the field of Communication. This course examines the major theories used in the study of human communication and the primary theoretical perspectives assumed by contemporary communication researchers. Because there is no single, grand theory of communication, the explanation of communication behavior has been undertaken by a number of other disciplines including anthropology, English, cognitive and social psychology, sociology, and linguistics. Students will examine the contributions of each of these disciplines. An important focus of the class is on examining some of the epistemological assumptions upon which various theoretical positions are based. With a foundation in these assumptions, students should be able to grasp some unity in the midst of diversity.
COM 497: Directed Study in Communication. This course permits the student to pursue a communication area of interest and relevancy. The work will be performed under the supervision of a faculty member who will help design the program of study and the requirements to be met by the student. The course requires approval of the plan of study by the Chair. Examples of recent Directed Studies include Crisis Communication, Media Coverage of the Events of Following September 11, Event Planning, and Gender Differences in Organizational Leadership.