Communications and Media

CO103 Introduction to Mass Communication (3 credits)

This course will introduce students to the role the mass media play in our lives. The history of mass media, the development of freedom of speech, and the expectation of a right to privacy and how these have evolved in the
American experience will be central points of discussion. The course will also explore the development of technology and the economic basis of the American media. Students will end the semester with an understanding of the relationship of mass media, capitalism, and democracy in the American context.

CO105 Introduction to Video (3 credits)

This introductory course will provide students with a grounding in video production by combining a historical perspective with hands-on exercises in the medium. Emphasis will be on pre-production planning, production shooting, and post-production editing. Students will gain experience by writing and shooting from a script.

CO107 Introduction to Radio Production (3 credits)

This course is designed to give the student basic radio operating skills, including the operation of equipment such as cart machines, CD and cassette players, reel decks, digital editing systems, minidisc recorders, and an audio board. The major assignments students are expected to complete will include news writing, creating and producing spots, promos, public service announcements, and feature stories.

CO110 Public Speaking (3 credits)

This course is designed to give students the confidence and skills to speak in public with conviction and poise. Students will develop original speeches to inform, entertain, and/or persuade. The course will focus on organization and presentation, with attention to considerations of audience and purpose. Techniques of effective delivery and effective listening will also be introduced.

CO114 Media and Modern Society (3 credits)

This course will examine the impact of the mass media on society and the relationship between modern culture and the mass media. Special emphasis will be placed on film, television, and the Internet. Topics may include sex, violence, fashion, pop culture, women, racism, ethnicity, advertising, politics, media-induced ritual, and ethical dilemmas pertaining to the media. The course will examine the pervasive influence the media has around the world and how it impacts our daily lives.

CO201 Writing for Media (3 credits)

This course will introduce students to a variety of writing skills applicable to the field of communication. Areas in which students will gain writing experience include news writing, advertising writing, television and radio scriptwriting,
public service announcements, and persuasive writing. PR: EN105.

CO205 Producing the Video Segment (3 credits)

This course will concentrate on the interpretation and production of scripted material, as well as provide continued practice in the operation of video equipment. Students will develop their production skills with an emphasis upon attention to detail in pre-production, production, and post-production of two major projects and one outside assignment. PR: CO105.

CO207 Producing the Radio Segment (3 credits)

This course expands upon those skills learned in Introduction to Radio, and will include news writing, creating and producing spots, in-studio (real time) production, and planning the format and content of a radio talk show. This advanced course simulates the working conditions and environment of the radio broadcaster. Most of the assignments are performed in class to approximate real-time live production, and require students to act independently. PR: CO107.

CO210 Performance and Announcing (3 credits)

In this course, through a series of assignments and exercises, students are introduced to the principles of performance. Emphasis is on preparation for gathering, writing and reporting the news, voicing commercials, hosting talk and music shows. TV cameras will be used. PR: EN105.

CO212 Film Adaptation (3 credits)

This course will examine literary works and their filmed or televised versions. Its purpose is to heighten students' awareness of universal issues expressed in stories, plays, novels, novellas, the Bible, and non-fiction books adapted into screenplays for film and television. It will sharpen appreciation of how these works are adapted and why they very often must be changed to make good watching. Students will write reviews, analyses, movie treatments, and either a docudrama or an adaptation of a short story for film. PR: CO201.

CO220 Principles of Corporate Communications (3 credits)

This course examines how public relations, advertising departments and agencies function in today’s business world. The course will cover the multi-faceted elements of integrated marketing campaigns, including the power of the Internet as a communication resource. Students will examine how organizations establish a brand, and how corporate communications promotes the brand to multiple audiences. Students will identify and target appropriate audiences, use appropriate media for specific audiences and messages, and measure results. PR: EN105.

CO235 Media Law and Ethics (3 credits)

This course will familiarize students with the laws that regulate the mass media in the U.S. and will help students develop an understanding of the complex issues surrounding media ethics. The course focuses on libel laws, invasion of privacy, free press, fair trial, obscenity, pornography, censorship
and federal regulations of broadcasting content. The course covers ethical issues in the mass media as they apply to journalism, radio and television broadcasting, public relations, and advertising. PR: CO103.

CO299 Communications Internship I (3 credits)

This supervised internship allows the student an opportunity to apply concepts learned in the classroom in a professional environment. Students enrolled in the course must complete a minimum of 150 hours with the placement, consult with the faculty coordinator at designated times throughout the internship, and complete a final written project. PR: CO201 and approved Internship Petition.

CO306 Broadcast Journalism (3 credits)

This course is designed to give students the special skills required for writing broadcast news. The course builds upon the skills acquired in Writing for Media, with an emphasis on writing for radio and television news. Specific topics to be covered will be news writing for announcing, field reporting, audio and video recording techniques, and writing news for studio/ENG (Electronic News Gathering) formats. PR: CO201.

CO322 Communications Theory (3 credits)

This course examines communication as it pertains to behavior. This examination includes 1) an introduction to various points of view about theory, 2) an analysis of these constructs as they relate to interpersonal, small group, organizational, mass, and intercultural communication, 3) an explanation of the interrelationship of the factors affecting human relationships and theory in communication, and 4) an exploration of persuasion theory as it pertains to communications, sales, and advertising. PR: junior status.

CO330 Music and the Media (3 credits)

This course will examine the history of music since the advent of the recording industry. It will look at sales and marketing, artistic success, technologic growth, law and ethics, the role of international conglomerates, the democratization of the Internet for music purposes, the revenue drain created by MP3 technology, the effect of Internet uses of music on radio, business models, and the music itself. PR: CO201 or permission of instructor.

CO350 Advanced Writing for Media (3 credits)

This advanced course in news writing builds upon the skills and techniques learned in Writing for Media. Students will learn how to write news for more complex formats in which accuracy and legal concerns are critical. Examples include crime, accidents, and stories involving government and the courts. Editorial writing is included in the course. There will also be an emphasis on writing for deadline and producing error-free copy. Writing assignments may be directed toward college publication, or in collaboration with a newspaper. PR: CO201.

CO423 Advertising Writing (3 credits)

This course will focus on writing advertising copy for print, radio, TV, online, and direct mailings. Students will learn the techniques and "tricks of the trade" through a variety of writing assignments. This course will present the fundamentals of ad writing in conjunction with the principles of persuasion, salesmanship, and marketing. Students will use special effects, photography, and video in creating their projects. The final project will be an ad campaign, in which students design a slogan and carry it through ads in all the media. PR: CO201.

CO425 Field Production (3 credits)

This hands-on course is designed to give students interested in video production the opportunity to go beyond the studio setting. Students learn the principles of location shooting, lighting techniques, scripting, story-telling, editing, and video-packaging as they shoot two productions, one documentary and one "freestyle". They will work on their own and under the guidance of the instructor during class times. This course fosters creativity and technical skills. PR: CO205.

CO460 Public Relations and Advertising for Media (3 credits)

This course is a study of the history, regulation, and role of advertising in America, with an emphasis on its importance to the economy, its uses of mass media, and its function as a form of persuasion. Students will research, plan, and implement an advertising campaign on a topic of their choice. PR: senior status.

CO480 Crisis Management (3 credits)

This course uses a series of simulations based on recent corporate crisis management experience to foster student understanding of the needs of a corporate communication professional. The course will combine intensive seminars with role-play of simulated crises. A significant final project is required. (Also offered as MN480) PR: senior status.

CO492 Corporate Communications: Capstone (3 credits)

At the start of the semester, students will identify a specific challenge facing a company, not-for-profit entity, or government agency. Then, drawing upon previous course work, case studies, current theoretical literature, and interviews with appropriate sources, students will draw up an action plan identifying the problem, examining options, and outlining a proposed best solution. These action plans will be presented to the class as if to a client. Students will then track the actual response of their particular identified group and compare it to their proposal, analyzing the likely reasons for differences in approach and outcomes. A final presentation will take the form of a "debriefing" comparing proposals. PR: senior status.

CO495 Communications Seminar (3 credits)

This course will develop the student's understanding of contemporary issues confronting various industry segments. By relating these issues to specific sectors of the industry, students will be able to focus on the areas in which they hope to make their careers. Students will present a case study of their findings to the group and may choose to use what they present as part of a professional portfolio. PR: senior status.

CO497 Corporate Communications Internship (3 credits)

This course provides students with the opportunity to apply the concepts learned in the classroom in a professional work environment. Meetings with a faculty advisor allow for discussion of various aspects of the internship experience. Students are required to compile a portfolio of representative work completed during previous and current semesters. PR: senior status.

CO498 Communications Bachelor Thesis (3 credits)

As an alternative to completing an internship, students in their senior year may elect to write a research paper on an approved topic. The paper will focus on a current communications issue and involve significant research. Students must submit a written report to the faculty mentor, who provides guidance throughout the project. PR: senior status & Dean's approval.

CO499 Communications Internship II (3 credits)

This course provides students with the opportunity to apply their learning in a professional setting, such as a broadcast station, newspaper, public relations agency, or other media organization. Meetings with a faculty advisor allow for discussion of various aspects of the internship experience. Students are required to compile a portfolio of representative work completed during previous and current semesters. PR: senior status & approved Internship Petition.

PR = prerequisite(s)