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| Undergraduate Program |
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The department attempts to maintain a curriculum that will provide students with a state-of-the-art education to meet current and future career and personal goals.The program undergoes ongoing evaluation through self-study, external reviews, surveys of alumni and current students, examination of other successful programs in communication and review of published data on employment trends. The program is adjusted as needed. The last set of changes went into effect Fall 2006. All of the options have the same basic structure, a department core (12 hours), option core (18 to 21 hours), and electives (12 to 15 hours). Department Core The department believes that the core provides students with a basic set of skills important to success in the major and in future careers. The core is four classes totaling 12 semester hours. Students must earn a C or better in each of the core classes in order to graduate. Students must also submit a senior portfolio documented by a completed audit in CMN 4749. Courses that are writing intensive are in bold and those that have a prerequisite are in italics. 2010 Introduction to Communication Theories provides students with an overview of communication theory demonstrating the scope of the discipline and providing a sound grounding in theory for future application in upper division courses. 2020 Communication Research provides students with the basic skills important to future classes and careers. Students in this course are taught the basics of doing research, how to interpret research, how to construct data-based arguments, and how to write research based documents. 2030 Applied Communication provides students with an introduction to technology and message construction. As communication majors, students need to have an understanding of the relationship between message goals and objectives, channel, technology, and message success. 2040 Argumentation and Critical Thinking a hallmark of communication majors is the ability to critically think and argue for a position. It is this ability that separates this major from others. This course provides students with an introduction to the critical analysis of the communication of others and the development and presentation of argument. 4749 Senior Portfolio this course is required of all students. It is to be taken as an audit course. The course does not cost the students anything and it does not count toward the 120 hour total required for graduation. Option Core: Each option has its own core of classes which compose 18 to 21 semester hours of the 45 hour major. Each set of classes are selected based upon their importance to the option. The required courses are to ensure that students learn a common core of knowledge in each of their areas. Electives: As students progress through their selected option, they develop a particular interest or focus within their program of study. The purpose of the electives in the major is to provide students with the opportunity to explore this interest through a series of courses. Students are required to take 12 to 15 semester hours of electives, but we find that students often take more than what is required. Electives are to be selected in consultation with an adviser. The department has available a series of example elective clusters that students may use as a guide. The Options: Communication Theory and Practice The Communication Theory and Practice Option is designed to provide students the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to effectively manage communication in their personal, professional, and public lives. The program provides for both breadth of study in communication and depth in a particular area of specialty. A communication graduate would be well-prepared for positions in both the private and public sector which have high communication demands and where the use of sophisticated message strategies are necessary for success. This option tends to draw students who are interested in interpersonal communication and a general program in communication. Students in this option are often interested in helping or social occupations, gender, or family studies. Required courses in the option core: CMN 2520 Introduction to Mass Communication Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. This option focuses on communication in the organization; communication interactions such as superior-subordinate communication, group or team communication, interviewing, training and development, and sales. The option prepares students for a number of careers in an organizational setting. Required courses in the option core: CMN 2630 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Mass Communication Concentration in Broadcast News This concentration is designed to provide the knowledge, values, perspectives, and skills necessary to understand the roles, functions, and operations of broadcast news. Students in this concentration are focused on news and public affairs broadcasting. The program includes course work in Journalism. Courses focus on live studio production. Students in this concentration are preparing to work as on-air talent or in the production of news and public affairs programming. Required courses in the option core: JOU 2101 News Writing I (Grade of B in ENG 1001G or C in both ENG 1001G and 1002G) Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Concentration in Electronic Media Production This concentration is designed to provide the knowledge, values, perspectives and skills necessary to understand the roles, functions, and operations of various electronic media. This program of study is focused on balancing theoretical issues with practical experience. Students in this concentration are focused on production formats other than broadcast news. Documentary, advertisements and public service announcements, single camera work, and audio (radio) are examples of different formats. Students in this concentration are usually interested in becoming producer/directors or working in non-news areas of video and audio production. Required courses in the option core: CMN 2520 Introduction to Mass Communication and select one of the following Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Of the fifteen hours, three must be from non-production media classes. A list of classes that meet this requirement are included on the back of the option sheet. Concentration in Media Studies This concentration provides students with a well-rounded approach to understanding the role of media in creating and sustaining social systems. This program of study is theoretically-based and prepares students to be critical consumers of media. This concentration is for students interested in the media, but are not interested in production. Students in this concentration explore theoretical aspects of the media such as ratings, media research, the impact of media on society, international communication, and mass media effects. Required courses in the option core: CMN 2520 Introduction to Mass Communication Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Twelve hours media courses selected from the list on back of the option sheet and three hours from any course in the department Public Relations The field of public relations demands a variety of skills in all forms of communication, analysis, critical thinking, and technology from its professional practitioners. Professionals must be responsive in a complex and diverse organizational environment to multiple and often competing demands. The public relations option prepares students to function effectively in this dynamic environment. Program emphasis is in preparing students for corporate, agency, nonprofit, and other public relations positions. The public relations option focuses on an organizations communication with its various publics. Publics can be many different groups such as employees, the public-at-large, politicians, government agencies, shareholders, etc. The program also focuses on different rhetorical situations that organizations may face and the need to develop communication strategies to deal with them. Examples of these situations include crises, providing new organizational or product information, providing good and bad corporate information, or maintaining ongoing communication relationships with important decision-makers. Required courses in the option core: CMN 2650 Introduction to Organizational Communication Twelve hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Rhetoric and Public Advocacy This option will train students to design, implement and critique messages in a complex social environment marked by difference. Emphasis will be placed on the ways in which communication: situates and integrates diverse social groups; sustains and/or challenges democratic traditions; and contributes to individual and collective identity. Required courses in the option core: CNN 3100 Persuasion Fifteen hours of electives selected in consultation with an adviser. Twelve hours of rhetoric electives selected from the list on the back of the option sheet. Six hours of electives in the major selected in consultation with an adviser. |
| Last updated: 7/3/2007 |
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