Take me to the Spring Time Schedule
101. The Mass Media. (4). (SS).
This course is designed to provide an introductory overview
of contemporary mass media systems and an examination of the various
factors – historical, economic, political, and cultural – that
have shaped their development. The course begins with a description
of present print and electronic media and examines their evolution.
Attention is given throughout to the legal and ethical implications
of mass communication systems and to comparisons between American
media systems and those elsewhere in the world. Finally, it considers the probable future course of the media and examines possible
alternatives. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
102. Media Processes and Effects. (4). (SS).
This course introduces students to the contemporary research
on mass communication processes and effects. Basic processes involved
in the production, dissemination, reception, and impact of media
messages are examined. The course investigates a variety of effects
on individuals' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as
influences on the functioning of larger social systems. It proceeds
in general from investigations of individual-level to societal-level
impact. Critical reading and evaluation of research on media processes
and effects, and of its application to social policy debates, is encouraged and developed. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
111. Workshop on Managing the Information Environment. (1). (Excl).
Hands-on workshop intended to develop student mastery of the
rapidly developing and expanding electronic information environment.
Skills developed include the use of electronic communication systems, data base searching, word processing, data management, and various
research uses of public computer networks and the information
superhighway. The course introduces students to a range of campus
computing resources, including local area networks and available
software, and remote access to the Internet and the World Wide
Web. Problem-solving assignments are designed to teach strategies
used in finding information and evaluating its validity and utility.
Cost:2 WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
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 eight 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.
Communication Studies concentrators who have reached junior
standing may receive some amount of experiential course credit
for an internship. Student assessment will be based on the academic
merit of the work and evaluation of the final paper. Internship
credit is not retroactive and must be pre-arranged. Internship
credit cannot be used to satisfy Communication Studies electives
in the concentration plan. No more than 3 credits can be earned
in a single semester, and no more than 6 credits total can be
received through any combination of internships (CS 321) or practica
(CS 322). Registration is by permission of instructor only. Cost:1 WL:3
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322. Practicum. Permission of department. Practicum credit is not retroactive and must be prearranged. No more than eight 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.
The practicum is designed to provided Communication Studies
concentrators limited credit for appropriate practical experience
gained in other than an employment setting. Student evaluation
is based on satisfactory completion of an analytical evaluation (e.g., research-based paper) of the experience, under
direction of the practicum supervisor. Practicum credit is not
retroactive and must be pre-arranged. Practicum credit can not
be used to satisfy communication electives in the concentration
plan. No more than 6 credits total of combined internship/practicum
course work is permitted. Registration is permitted only with
approved faculty supervision. Registration is permitted only with
approved faculty supervision. Cost:1
WL:3
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Times, Location, and Availability
371. Media, Culture, and Society. Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).
This course focuses on the historical origins and evolution
of the relationships between the mass media, cultural practices
and values, and society. We will read a range of work by media
historians and critics who have sought to analyze and explain
how media imagery and messages shape our "common sense"
notions about identification and behavior, including one's sense
of self, attitudes towards success and happiness, gender identification, racial stereotypes, and youth culture. We will review different theoretical conceptions of the audience and of the powers of the
mass media. We will consider the debates over whether mass culture
has been a negative or positive influence in American culture.
Examples of the mass media that we will study include advertising, the news, television programming, and popular music. Our goal
is to provide you with a sense of the history of the mass media
in America, and to provide you with the critical tools and language
to deconstruct their assumptions and techniques. Cost:2
WL:1 (Wolfe)
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Times, Location, and Availability
381. Media Impact on Knowledge, Values, and Behavior. Comm. Studies 101 or 102 strongly recommended. (4). (SS).
Critically evaluates scholarship focused on the impact of mass
communication across a variety of topics. Media impact is treated
in both theoretical and applied (research) terms. The research
examined spans levels of analysis, including effects on individuals
as well as society at large. Topics to be covered include media
impact on: beliefs about the world, social values and norms, political thought and behavior, violence and aggression, race and sex stereotyping, mood, health, and self-esteem, social behavior, and children as
a special audience. Research on the use of mass communication
in public information campaigns is also reviewed, as is the role
of media research in providing guidance for social policy makers
and media professionals.
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Times, Location, and Availability
439. Seminar in Journalistic
Performance. (1-4). (Excl). May be repeated for a
total of eight credits.
Section 101 – Media Coverage of the Supreme Court. (3 credits).
This course will evaluate media coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court, in the context of long-range factors affecting the ability of
news media to function in a democracy. This seminar will examine the scope and content of news reporting on major cases before the court. How accurately, fairly and adequately do news organizations
cover the cases as they proceed through the legal system? Do the
media help the American public gain a broad public impact of each
case? In addition to an overview of media coverage of the major
current and recent cases, each student will select one new case
under consideration by the court this term and study in detail
how well it is being covered by the different media. Cost:2
WL:1 (Collings)
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Times, Location, and Availability
441. Independent Reading. Permission of department. (1-8). (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.
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. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
442. Independent Research. Permission of department. (1-8). (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.
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. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
485(463)/Soc. 463. Mass Communication and Public Opinion. Comm. Studies 361 or 381 strongly recommended. (3). (SS).
See Sociology 463.
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Times, Location, and Availability
Take me to the Summer Time Schedule
441. Independent Reading.
Permission of department. (1-8). (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.
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. Cost:2
WL:1
Check
Times, Location, and Availability
442. Independent Research.
Permission of department. (1-8). (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.
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. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
459. Seminar in Media
Systems. Comm. Studies 351 or 371 strongly recommended.
(3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Section 001 – Foreign News Coverage. This course will investigate
coverage of foreign news as a reflection of the structure and function of media systems. What factors influence decisions as
to how much coverage to give to developments overseas, at the
UN, and at the State Department? What criteria do the media use
for deciding which events to cover and at what length, and how
valid are these criteria? What value systems do they reflect?
How successfully do the media make foreign news relevant to American
readers and viewers? What special problems do foreign correspondents
face? Cost:2
WL:1 (Collings)
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Times, Location, and Availability
Take me to the Spring/Summer Time Schedule
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