Communications (COM)

An introductory course teaching research, organization and basic practice of extemporaneous speaking; students will develop an appreciative understanding of the art of speechmaking in institutional and public settings. Speech projects will be organized according to purpose, such as informational, persuasive and celebratory modes. Exemplary topics for inquiry and discussion will include speech writing, argumentation, audience awareness, feedback, communication apprehension and emerging issues in public discourse. No prerequisites, offered every semester, required of all students at St. Francis College.

This course will introduce students to media creation across three forms of media, which may include audio, video, and web-based content. Students in the course will analyze diverse media texts and create their own audio, video and one other project.

This course surveys electronic and print media in America, including radio, television, cable, commercial filmmaking, newspapers, and magazines. The course examines the history of mass communication forms, their eco-nomic and social functions, along with social media, global communication and current controversies.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of writing across the media: advertising, public relations, dramatic scripts, gaming, and online/broadcast news. Students will complete a variety of creative projects, and apply basic theory, through readings and discussion.

An introductory course, COM 2002 surveys advertising techniques and functions. The course covers topics such as the development of an advertising plan: copywriting, media planning, campaign development, and strategy. Strong emphasis is placed on the analysis of TV, radio, and print commercials. The relationship among budgetary, creative, and planning functions will be investigated, as well as advertising's impact on popular culture and thought.

An introductory course that teaches, the basics of copy writing for advertising through traditional and digital distribution outlets such as blogging, magazine layout, and other various social media channels. This course will consider topics such as ethics, theory, history, consumer culture, and writing for the digital world. Students are encouraged, but not limited to, analyzing and creating copy for multiple platforms in advertising.

This course explores issues in the interaction Mass Media and Society of the course is to develop critical perspectives on mass media, considering the interplay between media institutions, media content, culture, audiences, and society as well as the media's shifting relationships to politics, commerce, and identity.

An intermediate course aimed at public presentation and speech performance, COM 2020 selects prose, poetry, and plays to analyze and prepare for delivery. The objective of the course is to broaden communication skills by teaching students to comprehend and interpret forms of literature for purposes of effectively communication them in oral presentations.

This course examines women's contribution to film and video from multiple perspectives, introducing students to women's importance in film history as well as analyzing the work of contemporary women directors. The course will also examine what role moving images play in the construction of gender roles. Media viewed will range from Hollywood films to avant-¡-garde video and will include films from several distinct cultural contexts, drawing on film and video created in at least three of the following contexts: Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Students will read and critique feminist film and media theory and examine women's roles in moving image media from across a cultural perspective.

An intermediate course, COM-2040 introduces basic principles of interpersonal communication. The course presents both a theoretical perspective and a practical application of the concepts through student adtivities and exercises. Areas of investigation include communication theory, communication models, perception, language, communication breakdowns, non-verbal communication, self-concept, social roles, listening, and conflict management.

An intermediate course, COM 2050 examines the dynamics of small group communication theory and process in actual day-to-day small group experiences. The course focuses primarily on problem-solving groups using the case-study approach. Areas of exploration include leadership, participation, roles, norms, conflicts, cohesiveness, consensus, productivity, member satisfaction, group formats, problem-solving agenda systems, and group discussion techniques.

An intermediate course, _Acting I_ introduces students to the basic techniques and theories of acting. Students perform exercises in the fundamentals of voice, movement, and concentration. Performance of contemporary dramatic scenes provides students with the opportunity to practice scene and character analysis.

An advanced course, _Acting II_ introduces various acting techniques employed in theater, television, and film. Contemporary scenes are videotaped and played for discussion and analysis. Scenes from classic dramatic literature are also performed, directed, and evaluated. Conducted as a workshop.

This course introduces students to film aesthetics through the analysis of film form and style. The course aims to provide students with a fluency in and understanding of film's unique language as it evolves technologically, historically and generically. Beyond teaching students how to recognize and describe formal choices and techniques, students will be asked to engage in close readings of films, attending to the greater aesthetic significance and stakes of formal choices and innovations evident within a particular film, directorial oeuvre, period or movement. Understanding form in relation to content, we will look at the conventions of narrative film, the employment of formal techniques like cinematography - including shot sizes (from close-up to long shot), composition of shots, and lighting; editing, mise-en-scene; and the use of sound as they function within particular filmic contexts and as they function within film's systemic languages (like that of continuity editing and genre).

This course introduces students to the various facets and industries of audio production through the practical applications and theories of sound in modern culture. Students will learn about audio production for film, music, and television and will produce professional quality audio projects using non-linear audio editing software and hardware.

An intermediate course in the essential aspects of feature writing for magazines, journals, blogs and emerging electronic forms; writing projects will explore narrative, voice, editing, and pitching ideas for feature proposals. Students will hone their research and reporting skills, and gain an appreciative understanding of self-censorship in situational context. Dialoguing, interrogation and hostile friendly interviewing will be scrutinized. Readings will include a variety of memorable feature articles suc as, Joan Didion, John McPhee and other notables.

This course is an introductory course to alternative media scholarship, including the literature, media production, methods of inquiry, bibliographic skills, fundamentals of production and topical issues. The development of alternative media around the world will be considered, such as media from North and South America and Africa. 3 credit

For just about the past century, sports has been a microcosm of American culture and society. Countries across the world have sought to motivate and build national esteem of the population through participation in intra- and international competition. The record and interpretation of these activities is constructed through the media. Over the past 10 years the ways, means and rules have undergone revolutionary changes because of the popularity of social media (ie. Facebook, Twitter, My Space, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) This course will discuss the history of and changes in the media in the interpretation of how the public views professional and amateur sports from first generation platforms through today's social media.

Introductory course. This course is designed to give students a practical, along with a theoretical perspective with issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality, as they manifest in popular culture. The course is taught from a cultural studies perspective, where students will gain skills in critical analysis and media literacy. Concepts of power, privilege, justice, representations, hegemony, consumption and resistance will be woven throughout course readings, films, assignments, and discussions.

Food is a dominant feature across the mass media. Social media - especially Twitter and Instagram - are saturated with the curious trend of food portraits: people taking pictures of whatever is on their plates. The imagery of food has been etched in the collective minds of Western culture through art. Many films of cultural significance feature food or dining locations. On television, cooking shows have mushroomed worldwide. At the same time, America has made unique contributions to world food - many of which are, unfortunately, negatively disruptive. Through effective marketing, the fast food and junk food markets have been exported to the rest of the world, leaving a toxic trail of consumerism, pollution and disease. Food & Media explores the complex intersection where two powerful forces meet. In this course, we will examine the specialty professions in food media, food advertisements with game-changing mascots and messages, movies, and TV shows that feature important food moments, as well as examine contrasting food cultures around the world.

In this course, students will investigate research methods in media and communication to become more knowledgeable consumers and producers of research from popular and academic sources. Topics covered will include what research is and why it's important, the process of conducting research, methods of textual analysis, and quantitative, qualitative, and historical methods. Students will apply learning to topics through case study inquiry and in course projects.

This course seeks to provide an elemental understanding of the principles and practice of communication in organizational settings. Organizational communication will be studied through both classical and contemporary theoretical traditions as well as analytical methodologies examining, among other topics, workplace culture, the construct of communication systems in an organization, the dynamics of information routing in an organization and ethical organizational imperatives for internal and external organizational communication. May case studies will be reviewed.

An advanced intermediate course, COM 3000 continues the examination of issues begun in COM 304, investigating selected problems and controversies in the contemporary mass media from the perspective of practitioners. Topics include censorship and legal issues, the artistic strategies of popular forms, and new technologies and opportunities in the electronic media.

This course introduces students to the various facets and industries of audio production through the practical applications and theories of sound in modern culture. Students will learn about audio production for film, music, and television and will produce professional quality audio projects using non-linear audio editing software and hardware.

In this course, students will investigate research methods in media and communication in order to become more knowledgeable consumers and producers of research from popular and academic sources. Topics covered will include what research is and why it's important, the process of conducting research, methods of textual analysis, and quantitative and qualitative methods. Students will apply learning to topics through case study inquiry and in course projects.

In this course we'll examine the fundamentals of movie structure and its narrative components: story, character, action, dialogue, etc. We'll discuss film genres and watch clips of popular (and not so popular) feature films and shorts. We'll analyze scenes from the motion pictures and screenplays that are considered models of story architecture, and much more. But most of all, we'll do a lot of writing.projects.

Students will learn how to research, prepare, organize, write, present, illustrate and distribute one of the main products of the Public Relations industry -- the Press Release. Organizations need to articulate their message to the outside world in general terms but also with specific announcements and those announcements are called Press Releases. It takes clear and concise writing to communicate that message. Students will debate the best ways to communicate with concrete and jargon-free writing then execute the plan. Students will learn to focus and get straight to the point in their PR and marketing materials and will learn how best to distribute that material. The course is all about having the correct message and reaching the correct audience using the appropriate methods of distribution, be they print, digital or social. All students will complete a portfolio of work.

This course examines the socio-cultural implications of digital media technologies and new media innovation, and questions critically the impact, challenges, and opportunities of community and communication in the digital era. Students will engage with theories of digital media and place them in relation to research and debates concerning social media, virtual communities, media participation, and civic engagement, as well as surveillance, virtual realities, and artificial intelligence. Throughout the course, we will ask critical questions about our online habits to better understand how digital media shapes, influences and intersects with culture and identity in varying contexts.

Since the beginning of the recorded history of human kind, sports have played a major roll in society. With the help of the Mass Media, sport has influenced every part of our society. This course will discuss how affects everything, from economics, politics, conversations, and our views in life in general. This course will through the Mass Media (Film, Television, the Press) and also delve into the recent phenomenon of the Social Media and how it will and has changed the world of sports forever.

An advanced/intermediate course, students will view and respond to the films of John Ford and Mel Gibson with special attention to their Roman Catholic aesthetic. Through collateral reading and class dialogue, students will scrutinize and argue the controversial Ford-Gibson archive. Topics for inquiry will incorporate (for example) the proverbial use of Native-American performers and mystical locations in the Ford/Gibson oeuvre.

In this course, students are taught the fundamentals of reporting the news for today's newspapers and magazines with photographic stories. Students examine and practice the aspects of photojournalism by conceptualizing, planning, and executing their photographic projects through class discussion, field trips, personal assignments, and photo critiques. Topics include: defining a subject, research, gaining access, storytelling, photo editing, writing captions, post production and pitching the story to a news outlet. Camera fundamentals will also be covered.

This course examines women's contribution to film and video from multiple perspectives, introducing students to women's importance in film history as well as analyzing the work of contemporary women directors. The course will also examine what role moving images play in the construction of gender roles. Media viewed will range from Hollywood films to avant-garde video and will include films from distinct cultural contexts, drawing on film and video created in a number of the following contexts: the Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and/or Europe. Students will read and critique feminist film and media theory and examine women's roles in moving image media from a cross-cultural perspective.

This course will examine the attitudes and consequences of the stereotypes (positive & negative) that evolve from the media. Gender, Race and Class are consistently under the media microscope and the filtering of these societal constructs are reshaping regularly. Gender is redefined; racial identity is challenged from within circles and outside; class is barely mentioned but poverty and homelessness are ever-present. Various media will be analyzed to consider how the corporate power structure filters these constructs; not just here in the United States but worldwide.

In this course, students learn to write nonfiction audio podcast/radio stories as well as explore episodes of This American Life, Moth Radio Hour, Radio Lab, Serial, StoryCorps and other programs. Students create stories of varying lengths and genres, such as personal experience, investigation, interview and humor. This is a writing course, not a production course, though we use free and simple audio software so that students can record and publish their work.

An intermediate course connecting the late network and cable eras to the digital age; students will scrutinize various trends in program packaging, content and bleeding-edge edge technologies. Emphasis will be placed on viewing platforms and emerging genre such as reality TV, all-sports channels, premium v basic cable, and other significant viewing choices. Through program viewing, current readings and guided discussion students will gain historical perspective on the quantum changes in the television industry from the network era to the present. Prerequisite: COM 2000 Mass Communication.

Part II of Gender, Race & Class in Media. This course will examine the attitudes and consequences of the stereotypes (positive & negative) which evolve from the media. Gender, Race and Class are consistently under the media microscope and the filtering of these societal constructs are reshaping regularly. Gender is redefined; racial identity is challenged from within circles and outside; class is barely mentioned but poverty and homelessness are ever-present. All four mediums will be skewed to analyze how the corporate power structure filters these constructs; not just here in the United States but worldwide. Gender Policies, race relations and classism divides will be skewed.

Investigative reporting is a vital and vast specialty: from Watergate and Spy games, to corruption and unsolved mysteries, investigative reporters are the watchdog of Democracy that protects the people and keeps the powerful held accountable. Students learn the skills and techniques that are essential for cutting edge investigative journalism, including mastering online research, managing obstacles and roadblocks and writing to capture a modern audience. The course is both theory and practice: students will examine classic examples of investigations as well as write their own investigative articles.

The goal of this course is to produce and host the St. Francis College Women's Film Festival, which is open to the university and community. Students, led by Dr. Augusta Palmer, will have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the festival's creation, from the evaluation of film entries to running the event. This is a substantive liberal arts course that will also provide students with concrete, resume-worthy skills. All students will gain knowledge of the history of women's role in media history as well as develop their abilities to critique moving image media orally and in writing, and each student will gain practical, real-world expertise in in at least two of the following areas: Social Media Promotion and Graphic Design, Public Relations, Public Speaking, and Events Management.

This course explores the history, politics and aesthetics of American and European experimental and avant-garde film. Examining the development, major trends and techniques of experimental and non-narrative filmmaking in relation to key art movements and theoretical debates of the 20th and into the 21st century, we will see how these film and filmmakers challenged the dominant commercial cinemas of Europe and the United States. Topics include formalism, surrealism, political modernism, the culture industry, pop art, and feminism.

A comprehensive introduction to the world of sports broadcasting. Subject matter will include (but not be limited to) preparation for play-by-play and color commentary assignments, in-studio sportscasts, monologues, interviews, and voiceover highlights.

Advanced News Writing builds on the basics of Intro to News Writing 3200. Students will work on the online student news publication, SFC Bridge, by applying their writing and editing skills and learning basic design layout techniques.

This course explores the impact of pop culture on sports as well as the impact of sports on pop culture. Topics to be explored may included the symbiotic relationship between Hip Hop culture and sports culture and questions of gender parity in sports and sports media. Students in the course will be expected to conceive and complete a creative media project such as a podcast or video about an issue or topic in which sports and culture are influencing one another. The coruse will be taught by David Cummings, who began his media career writing for Hip Hop magazine The Source and now heads the Race and Culture Unit at CBS Sports.

An intermediate course, _History of Film_ surveys major film styles, directors, and movements in international cinema from 1890 to the present. The basic techniques of filmmaking are explored as are the fundamental topics in film theory and criticism.

This course will allow students to study how concepts of gender, race, and class are formed and changed by media including firm, television, journalism, music, and advertising. Building on theories of the interaction between media and culture explored in Mass Media and Society, students will examine, discuss, and write about case studies of the ways media influences and shapes concepts and discourses relating to gender, race, and class.

This course examines the role of advertising as an economic force and a form of cultural representation and the social implications of the role of consumerism in contemporary American society. The course surveys the history of advertising in the United States and investigates the changing strategies that have been used by advertisers from the 19th to the 21st centuries. it approaches advertisements as texts that indicate cultural and norms of their time and that can be understood through textual analysis. This course examines the broader context of consumerism in which advertising is a key factor. It thus provides a cultural approach to advertising and its history, as a means to understand both advertising as a central component in capitalist economies and its role as an indicator of cultural attitudes and ideologies.

An intermediate course, _Studies in Film_ considers selected topics, filmmakers, and film genres in cinema history, emphasizing the techniques employed that are specific to film and the contribution of film directors, writers, and cinematographers to their developing art.

This course introduces students to film aesthetics through the analysis of film form and style. The course aims to provide students with a fluency in and understanding of film's unique language as it evolves technologically, historically and generically. Beyond teaching students how to recognize and describe formal choices and techniques, students will be asked to engage in close readings of films, attending to the greater aesthetic significance and stakes of formal choices and innovations evident within a particular film, directorial oeuvre, period or movement. Understanding form in relation to content, we will look at the conventions of narrative film, the employment of formal techniques like cinematography - including shot sizes (from close-up to long shot), composition of shots, and lighting; editing, mise-en-scene; and the use of sound as they function within particular filmic contexts and as they function within film's systemic languages (like that of continuity editing and genre).

An advanced course that traces the development of broadcast television from inception to today's entertainment. A survey of television's favorite genres, creative highpoints, and most memorable celebrities. Intended for advertising- and broadcast-track students.

An advanced course that introduces the art and business of radio broadcasting for broadcast and advertising students. COM 3130 offers a hands-on approach to today's media with exploration of radio's audiences, sponsors, and societal impact.

In this media based performance studies course students will explore patterns and process of live performance in two modalities; preliterate and literate cultures, and national and transnational settings. Students will view and respond to verbal, non-verbal and text-based forms as filmed and will gather and identify the relics of performance in sacred, communal, experimental and commercial venues. Collateral reading, music and sound recordings, anthropological digs and new media will help students develop an appreciative understanding of historic movements and alternative spaces in past, recent and emerging traditions. The semester will culminate in a capstone symposium of student panels, papers, videos and spatial projects that will be open by invitation to the St. Francis College Community.

This course will introduce students to the numerous debates within the study of popular music in Western Europe and North America. We will examine the cultural surfacing of the concepts of high and low culture, the ideologies behind such distinctions, the identities mean for our understanding and appreciation of mass or popular culture. Among the topics discussed will include the consequences of mass production and other technological innovations on music styles and consumer habits, the music styles that formed, or were formed by, youth subcultures, issues of gender, race and class representation in popular music and the effects of other media as well as globalization on popular music.

In this course, students will investigate research methods in media and communication to become more knowledgeable consumers and producers of research from popular and academic sources. Topics covered will include what research is and why it's important, the process of conducting research, methods of textual analysis, and quantitative, qualitative, and historical methods. Students will apply learning to topics through case study inquiry and in course projects.

An intermediate course, COM 3200 introduces students to the rudiments of journalism. Students are taught the fundamentals of reporting and writing the news for today's print and broadcast media. While emphasis falls on fact gathering, interviewing, and writing techniques, special attention is also paid to copy editing, developing the body of a story, handling breaking news stories, and covering beats. This course requires extensive writing and familiarity with mass communication theory.

An introduction to the fundamentals of reporting and writing news and human interest stories for broadcast media. Students learn the essentials of fact gathering, interviewing, and meeting deadlines. Considerable attention is paid to the actual practice of writing and editing stories for both television and radio. The course emphasizes analysis of structure and format, the issue of immediacy, targeting the audience, and research techniques, and includes consideration of professional ethics. PREREQUISITE ENG 103 and COM 302. 3 CREDITS. EVERY SPRING. DAY.

An intermediate course, COM-3220 introduces students to all aspects of a career in sports writing. Writing covers the basic rewrites to event stories to human interest stories to personal columns. Students learn how to cover press conferences dealing with breaking news as well as media days that deal with opening of a particular season or a post-season tournament. Editing copy and page layout are other topics covered.

A comprehensive introduction to the world of sports broadcasting. Subject matter will include (but not be limited to) preparation for play-by-play and color commentary assignments, in-studio sportscasts, monologues, interviews, and voiceover highlights.

An intermediate course, COM 3300 introduces students to the importance of radio and television directing and camera work, floor supervision, audio operation, and control room operation. Students produce several television segments such as news, commercials, and dramatic programs in this hands-on course open to limited numbers.

An intermediate video production course, COM-3301 is an introduction to digital moviemaking. Students produce several individual projects, mastering skills of scriptwriting, storyboarding, cinematography, digital editing image and sound.

An intermediate keystone course, COM 3400 studies classic and current persuasive theory as applied to advertising, public relations, law, politics, and media campaigns. This course emphasizes analysis of messages and their rhetorical and psychological structure, while also teaching tactics and strategies through applied example. Uses and abuses of persuasive methods are considered, as well as the impact of media developments on modern communications and traditional thought processes.

An advanced intermediate course, COM 3410 surveys advertising techniques and functions. The course covers topics such as the development of an advertising plan: copywriting, media planning, campaign development, and strategy. Strong emphasis is placed on the analysis of TV, radio, and print commercials. The relationship among budgetary, creative, and planning functions is investi-gated, as is advertising's impact on popular thought and culture.

An advanced course that explores the relationship of communications issues to legal proceedings and theory. While First Amendment issues are addressed, attention is also given to the relationship of the press to the courts, television to the courts, and the impact of mass communication technology on matters of justice and due process.

This course is an introduction to the theory, trends and criticism of political communication. Emphasis will be placed on the roll of mass media technology in the political process, both in history and engaging contemporary transformations. Topics will include, among others, structural analysis of political and media institutions and the dynamic of their relationship, rhetorical and cultural analysis of news reporting, message construction and advertising in political campaigns and the forming of public opinion.

An advanced course, COM 4100 teaches film analysis and writing, examining the relationship among film theory, criticism, and production. Emphasis is placed on close analysis of specific films and examples of film literature. Students write several critical essays on films seen both inside and outside of class.

An introductory survey of the writing techniques and skills for theater, film, and television. Students study format, characterization, scene construction, dialogue, narrative, and basic structure of those media. The course includes analysis of plays, screenplays, documentaries, industrials, and commercials. Student scripts are read and analyzed.

An intermediate production course, COM 4300 is an introduction to digital moviemaking.Students produce several individual projects, mastering skills of scriptwriting, storyboarding, cinematography, digital editing image and sound. Prerequisites: COM 2000 and COM 3100 or COM 3110. Lab Fee. 3 Credits. Every semester, day; evening as needed. COM 4310 Advanced TV Studio

This course is designed to give students experience in production of advanced television programs. It provides students the chance to work in production teams to achieve their goals. In class, students will be required to produce and direct a full television show from the pre-production stage (development) through the production stage (the actual taping of the show)

An advanced intermediate course, COM 4320 teaches digital moviemaking emphasizing the application of more complex production and post-production techniques in both dramatic and documentary projects.

An advanced course, COM 4330 studies directing in film, radio, television, and theater. Students collaborate on directing documentaries, commercials, news features, and special film and television features.

An advanced course in the special problems and techniques of documentary film and video production, covering areas of direction, script writing, pre-production, and the specific production and post-production skills used in a documentary. Students produce projects and may collaborate on several productions as well as analyze examples of documentary formats in film and television.

An advanced course. Open to all students, COM-4350 is a theater production course designed for students in the speech and theater concentration. Students produce, direct, and perform in a series of scenes and/or plays that evolve into complete productions. The entire production process is supervised by the course instructor, but students are responsible for the creative process. When available, professional actors, writers, and directors participate in the workshop. The course meets once weekly. The completed production is open to the public in the last session. Lab fee.

An advanced course teaching creative techniques used in print and electronic advertising. Emphasis falls on copywriting and design, using the latest desktop publishing, brochure, and web site development methods. Students produce creative products to fit promotional specifications while learning how to integrate art and copy demands with marketing goals.

An advanced course designed specifically for communications majors. Introduces basic skills and creative techniques employed in the development of public relations campaigns. Special emphasis is placed on the creation of messages and the selection of media. Applications include the crafting of press releases, development of video and film releases, speech writing, and oral presentations. Examples examined are drawn from government, industry, and politics. The goal of the course is to present the public relations function against a backdrop of social dynamics and essential communication processes contributing to its effectiveness.

While you hear the term globalization used in academic, popular, and business discourses, the aim of this course is to bring context and clarity to the concept through an in-depth investigation into its complex dimensions - technological, cultural, historical, economic, political, environmental, and ideological - and the role played by the mass media and technology industries. As a seminar course, students will delve into globalization through close reading on issues of human rights, equity, and ethics, and the driving force and framing of ideologies as communicated by the mass media and technology industries that have exacerbated inequalities throughout the world. Through service learning with a local community service organization, students will engage with people in their local communities in order to make real the importance of community and connection in an increasingly fragmented and polarized world.

This course is an introduction to the theory, trends and criticism of political communication. Emphasis will be placed on the roll of mass media technology in the political process, both in history and engaging contemporary transformations. Topics will include, among others, structural analysis of political and media institutions and the dynamic of their relationship, rhetorical and cultural analysis of news reporting, message construction and advertising in political campaigns and the forming of public opinion.

An advanced course that explores the relationship of communications issues to legal proceedings and theory. While First Amendment issues are addressed, attention is also given to the relationship of the press to the courts, television to the courts, and the impact of mass communication technology on matters of justice and due process.

An advanced course open to majors with junior or senior standing. Students are encouraged to engage in field experience. Assignments depend on the availability of suitable programs. The instructor agrees to guide and evaluate the quality of work and research undertaken. Field experiences must relate to the area of communication in which the student has specialized. During an internship, students must maintain a comprehensive daily log of personal work activities and attend a series of seminars during the field experience period. Students may take COM-4990 twice in different semesters.

An advanced course open to majors with an overall 3.0 index and/or significant accomplishments in the field of communications. Students are encouraged to engage in field experience. Assignments depend on the availability of suitable programs. The instructor agrees to guide and evaluate the quality of work and research undertaken. Field experiences must relate to the area of communication in which the student has specialized. During an internship, students must maintain a comprehensive daily log of personal work activities and attend a series of seminars during the field experience period.

An advanced course, COM 4995 requires a research project concentrating in one area of communications. A written and/or video and oral report is required at the end of the study. Conducted as a tutorial.

Students will work together in production crews to create media content for a client, which could be an SFC department, campus initiative, and/or local business/nonprofit. Students will listen to client needs, create pitches, present them to the client, and receive feedback from client, professor, and fellow students in order to make revisions to the project.

COM 4997 Senior Comprehensive-Tutorial COM 4997 is the tutorial version of COM 4998. A capstone course. Required of all communication majors before graduation and taken during the senior year, COM 4997 aims to evaluate the academic competence of the student. The student's individual thesis, report, performance, exam or project is supervised by a chosen mentor with occasional outside evaluation.

A capstone course. Required of all communication majors before graduation and taken during the senior year, COM 4998 aims to evaluate the academic competence of the student. This course culminates in a student's individual thesis, report, performance, exam or project supervised by a chosen mentor with occasional outside evaluation.

This Seminar is a critical examination of American films and film culture. The course examines a body of films grouped by theme, genre, director or historical period. Students will learn how to analyze films as texts, examining cinematography, editing, sound, narrative structure, genre, film theory and/or historical context. The films chosen may be produced inside or outside of the U.S. in order to pinpoint the influence of American film culture on world culture and vice versa. Prerequisite: Open to Honors Students. 3 credits offered as needed.

The socio-political rise of the masses and the development of mass media in the nineteenth century brought with it particular problems regarding the role of media in forming a modern society. Through the mass media, or culture industries as they are referred to in Critical Theory, a spectacular culture has emerged. Where in our lives can we see the influence of mass or popular culture? How do cultural forms effect the conceptualization of social reality? These and other questions will be examined in this course through the films viewings and readings about art and modern media.

This course will analyze the development, theories, principles and techniques of propaganda and mass persuasion in both totalitarian and democratic societies. For the most part, we will examine propaganda scholarship, a field which concerns itself with the engineering of perception, mobilization and consent. We will study propaganda and mass persuasion in war and peace, including advertising. Through films, graphic and printed materials, we will also examine propaganda and mass persuasion from an historical perspective, considering the roles of propaganda and mass persuasion in the past and present and their implications for the future.

This course provides an introduction to German cinema by surveying important German films in historical, cultural and technical contexts. Depending on the particular focus of the seminar, films from the Wilhelmine period through contemporary times could be discussed. Our readings and discussions will examine through a lens of critical and theoretical materials the contexts in which films were produced and how they were received. By the end of this course students should have an understanding of the unique qualities of German national cinema, a deeper appreciation for film aesthetics, and superior recognition of sound argumentation in critical film studies.

In this course we explore how groups, nations and societies remember the past. We think about how past events are imagined, constructed, communicated and contested through culture from the perspectives of different models of collective memory and via case studies. Throughout the semester we will seek to answer questions about how ethical, moral and political concerns shape memory: How do survivors of collective trauma articulate loss? What are appropriates ways to remember war and political violence? What and who is remembered, and how? What role do aesthetic representations play in shaping and articulation of memory? Who has the right, power, or authority to decide what happens at a particular site of public memory? Through discussions centered around the politics of collective memory we will interrogate the promise to never forget.

An advanced course, designed as a seminar embracing an interdisciplinary approach to global communications and international relations. Particular attention is paid to issues surrounding human rights and the debates over the right to communicate. Specific topics covered in the seminar include interethnic communication, interpersonal skills in a multicultural environment, intercultural and ethnic minority media relations, theories of global communications, and communication in war and conflict. The underlying thrust of the seminar is the necessity for an understanding of cultural differences and a critical approach to the structure and relations of the media from a global perspective.