Slot/Seminar/Experimental Course Descriptions

The following are descriptions of slot courses that are taught on a rotating basis by faculty in the Communication Department. NOTE: slot courses may only be taken twice with the same course number and different subtitles.

COMN 333:  ADVANCED ISSUES IN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION:  COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP

Dr. Granger

This course focuses on leadership emphasizing leadership models & theories to stress the importance of written, verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. The course prepares students to communicate personal and professional values and vision, for self and organizations in the public, for profit, and non-profit sectors.

Prerequisites:  COMN 100 or permission of instructor.

This class counts toward the Personal & Professional track.

COMN 333:  ADVANCED ISSUES IN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION:  STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH

Dr. Lei

Communication and health are two phenomena universal to human experience, and strategic communication plays a meaningful role in communicating and promoting health behaviors. Effective health promotions require understanding the application of theories and principles in human health behaviors. In this course, students will learn foundational theories of health behaviors from a communication perspective and apply them to a variety of public health issues. Students will develop a systemic understanding of how strategic communication can influence health behaviors and demonstrate their understanding by applying them to a specific communication can help address.

Prerequisites:  COMN 100 or permission of the instructor.

COMN 333:  ADVANCED ISSUES IN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION:  INFLUENTIAL READINGS IN RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Dr. Harrigan

This course provides students with the opportunity to critically evaluate influential texts to the study of relational communication. Students will experience prolonged and careful engagement with multiple primary texts with the goal of understanding their content and impact on the study of friendships, family, and romantic relationships. Students will also come to understand how other disciplines such as sociology and psychology have influenced the way we conceptualize relational communication. Students will be challenged to apply theoretical and meta-theoretical principles to relational experiences.

Prerequisites:  COMN 100 or permission of instructor.

COMN 333:  ADVANCED ISSUES IN MEDIATED COMMUNICATION:  SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

Mr. Lull

Social media has become a huge force in our daily lives. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms define our daily communication and creative habits. We will discuss the continuing rise of social media and how these rapidly growing platforms affect us as individuals and professionals. Video and article readings will show us current cases with positive and negative aspects of social media in a professional setting. A discussion of what social media holds for the future of young journalists and entrepreneurs will be a major course topic. The final project will include a theoretical analysis of how a social media campaign has affected a business or media outlet with the goal of understanding the phenomena of growth through trending and "going viral."

COMN 333:  ADVANCED ISSUES IN CRITICAL STUDIES:  BRANDED CONTENT

Ms. Sherwood

The path to purchase has shifted from awareness, banner ads and commercial messages to telling a story. Brands reach for branded content, content marketing and product placement to align their messaging with the beliefs and values of their customers. Branded content is the practice to marketing through the creation of content that is funded or outright produced by an advertiser. This course will explore the theory and practical application of branded content in an advertorial and professional communication setting.

Prerequisites:  COMN 100 or permission of instructor.