Courses in Communication Studies (Division 352)

Comm. 101. The Mass Media.

(4). (SS).

Provides introductory overview of contemporary mass media and examination of various factors – historical, political, and cultural – that have shaped their development. Attention given to legal and ethical implications of mass communication systems and to comparisons between American media and those of other nations.

Comm. 102. Media Processes and Effects.

(4). (SS).

Introduces contemporary research on mass communication processes and effects from the perspective of the social sciences. Examines a variety of effects on individuals' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, and influences on the functioning of larger social systems. Critical reading and evaluation of research on media processes and effects.

Comm. 111. Workshop on Managing the Information Environment.

(1). (Excl).

Workshop intended to develop student mastery of the rapidly developing and expanding electronic information environment. Introduces students to campus computing resources, including LANs and software, and remote access to Internet and World Wide Web. Problem-solving assignments designed to teach strategies used in finding information and evaluating its validity and utility.

Comm. 159. First-Year Seminar in Communication Studies.

Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (SS). May not be included in a concentration plan in Communication Studies.

This course introduces students in a small group seminar to a variety of topics in Communication Studies. Course content varies each term.

Comm. 211(206). Evaluating Information.

Comm. Studies 111. (4). (SS). (QR/1).

Teaches fundamental thinking skills necessary for critical evaluation and presentation of arguments, especially those based on quantitative information. Introduces generic logical and statistical concepts through analysis and discussion of cases drawn from reporting in the mass media, research on media effects, and audience studies.

Comm. 311(406). Mass Communication Research.

Comm. Studies 211. (3). (SS). (QR/1).

Guided introduction to mass communication research process. The course addresses (a) methods of framing media research questions, (b) techniques for gathering empirical data in an effort to answer these questions, and (c) statistical and other techniques for organizing, analyzing, and interpreting the data to form valid conclusions. Students collaborate on research.

Comm. 321(450). Undergraduate Internship.

Junior standing, concentration in communication studies, and permission of instructor. Internship credit is not retroactive and must be prearranged. No more than six credits combined of Comm. Studies 321 and 322 may be elected. (1-3). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit. May not be used to satisfy communication studies electives in a communication studies concentration plan. (EXPERIENTIAL). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Provides limited credit for appropriate practical work experience. Student assessment is based on the academic merit of the work performed and evaluation of the final paper.

Comm. 351. Structure and Function of Media Systems.

Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).

Examines research on existing media institutions, their genesis and current lines of development, institutional arrangements, organization and operation, economic structure and characteristic communications "output."

Comm. 361. Processes of Mediated Communication.

Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).

Examines general phenomena involved with the creation, dissemination, and reception of mediated information. Emphasis is on the development and testing of general theories explaining how mediated communication works.

Comm. 371. Media, Culture, and Society.

Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).

Explores social and cultural approaches to the study of mass communication. Research on mass communication is examined in connection with broader question about the relations between cultural systems and social formations.

Comm. 381. Media Impact on Knowledge, Values, and Behavior.

Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).

Critically evaluates research on the impact of media on knowledge, social values, and behavior. Policy applications of media effects research and the use of mass communication in public information campaigns are also reviewed.

Comm. 439. Seminar in Journalistic Performance.

(1-4). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of eight credits.

Investigates long-range factors affecting the ability of the news media to perform their function in a democratic society. Topics vary by section.

Comm. 441. Independent Reading.

Permission of department. (3-4). (Excl). No more than four credits may be included in a Communication concentration. (INDEPENDENT). Comm. 441 and 442 may be repeated for a combined total of eight credits.

Intended for individualized instruction in subject areas not covered by scheduled courses. Must be arranged with the faculty member and approved by the department.

Comm. 442. Independent Research.

Permission of department. (3-4). (Excl). No more than four credits may be included in a Communication concentration. (INDEPENDENT). Comm. Studies 441 and 442 may be repeated for a combined total of eight credits.

Intended for individualized student research under faculty supervision. Must be arranged with the faculty member and approved by the department.

Comm. 451. Media Professionals.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Reviews literature dealing with the institutional, structural, and individual factors affecting the conduct of media professionals. Examines the professional standards of performance and ethical and legal codes of conduct for journalists and other media professionals.

Comm. 452. Media Law and Policy.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Covers basic principles of media law and applications in connection with media policy and regulation. Topics covered include First Amendment theory, hate speech, prior restraints, libel, indecency, obscenity and pornography, censorship, privacy, freedom of information and public access, advertising and consumer regulation, and electronic media regulation.

Comm. 453(400). The Media in U.S. History.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (SS).

This course places the development of American mass media in historical perspective. It surveys the evolution of the mass media from colonial times to the present, focusing on the development of contemporary forms: the newspaper, magazine, broadcasting, and motion picture. Changes in the structure of the media are examined.

Comm. 454(404). Media Economics.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines economic theory and its applications to media systems. Focuses on problems in the economics of the information industry, including market structure, concentration of ownership, pricing policies, product differentiation, advertising behavior, and economic performance. Attention is given to the interaction of economics, media practices, and technologies.

Comm. 459. Seminar in Media Systems.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Investigates advanced topics relating to the structure and function of media systems. Topics vary by section and term.

Comm. 461. Mass Communication and Information Processing.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines applications of cognitive science to mass communication research, with emphasis on both theoretical and methodological issues. Reviews critically a variety of experimental and survey-based techniques for observation of media message processing.

Comm. 462. Social Influence and Persuasion.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. Students who have taken Communication 310 in a previous term should not enroll in this course. (4). (Excl).

Examines the capability of the mass media to persuade, and the basic processes involved. Conditions that facilitate or impede the persuasive influence of media messages are investigated.

Comm. 463. Media Use and Reception.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Presents theoretical models for conceptualizing audiences, mass media use, and reception of media messages. Examines the psychological and social character of audience experience.

Comm. 464. Communication Processes and Technologies.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

A survey of the present state and future applications of interactive communication technologies, cable and satellite delivery systems, worldwide computing networks, and other new electronic media.

Comm. 469. Seminar in Mass Communication Processes.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Investigates advanced topics relating to research on basic processes of mediated communication. Topics vary by section and term.

Comm. 471. Gender Issues in the Media.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

This course examines the connections between gender and mass communication. Feminist theories and their applications to the study of media are examined in detail.

Comm. 472(462)/Soc. 462. Cultural Theories of Communication.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

We look at the ways in which "culture" has been an object of inquiry in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and communication. Specific consideration is given to the interplay of the mass media and American subcultures, including youth, women, and ethnic minorities.

Comm. 473. Cross-Cultural Communication.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines major issues concerning the nature of cross-cultural communication: the flow of information across national boundaries, unequal distribution and access to information world-wide, the varying points of view concerning the world information order.

Comm. 474. Mass Communication and Identity.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines role of mass communication in shaping personal and social identity. Special attention is given to the manner in which ethnic cultures and subcultures are created, sustained, or altered via communication.

Comm. 479. Seminar in Media and Culture.

Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Investigates advanced topics dealing with the relationship between mass media and their social and cultural contexts. Topics vary by section and term.

Comm. 481. Media and Violence.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (4). (Excl).

Examines research bearing upon the connections between mass communication and aggressive behavior. Analyzes depictions of violence in contemporary media and the possible mechanisms through which these depictions can influence attitudes toward violence and violent behavior.

Comm. 482. Children and the Media.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines influences of the mass media on children in society. The course is designed to explore in-depth the literature on media effects, emphasizing the interaction of mass media, psychological development, and social behavior. Course readings examine both methodological and theoretical issues, drawing from work in communication, psychology, and policy studies.

Comm. 483. Mass Communication Campaigns.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl).

Examines the use of mass communication in conjunction with public service campaigns and programs. The ethical and policy dimensions of campaign design and conduct are given prominent attention.

Comm. 484(420)/Poli. Sci. 420. Mass Media and Political Behavior.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (4). (Excl).

The role and importance of mass media in the political process. The topics to be covered include how the news is made; the relations between the Congress, the president and the media; the role of mass media in political campaigns; and political freedom and access to the media. These topics are examined through a systematic review of research in both mass communication and political science.

Comm. 485(463)/Soc. 463. Mass Communication and Public Opinion.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (SS).

This course explores enduring research questions concerning mass communication and public opinion. Emphasis is given to recent research dealing with the impact of the media on public opinion.

Comm. 489. Seminar in Media Effects.

Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Investigates advanced topics relating to research on the effects of mass communication. Topics vary by section and term.

Comm. 491(590). Senior Honors Seminar, I.

Comm. Studies 311 and admission to Honors. (3). (Excl). No more than 3 credits of Comm. Studies 491-492 may be included in a Communication concentration plan.

First in a two-part Honors seminar program and culminates in the composition of a senior Honors thesis prospectus. Develops student's senior Honors thesis topic, choice of research methods, and selection of a faculty thesis advisor.

Comm. 492(591). Senior Honors Thesis.

Comm. Studies 491. (3). (Excl). No more than three credits of Comm. Studies 491-492 may be included in a communication studies concentration plan. (INDEPENDENT).

Second in a two-part Honors seminar program and culminates in the composition of a senior Honors thesis. Students work directly with their thesis advisors, and are expected to meet regularly with them for direction and assistance.