COM 100 MEDIA LITERACY

3, 3/0; HU23

Role of mass media in the lives of individuals and society; exploration of development structure and technology of media, as well as social, economic, ethical, and related issues; focuses on roles of both consumers and producers of media. Offered every semester and summer.

COM 189 TOPIC COURSE

3, 0/0

Current topics in communication. Offered occasionally.

COM 210 INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA WRITING

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: CWP 102 and COM 100 or SPC 103. Writing lab with practice in organizing and writing for print and digital media; introduction to news, feature, and advocacy writing; application to journalism, public relations, and advertising. Offered every semester.

COM 212 INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL STORYTELLING

3, 3/0

Introduction to digital storytelling in media production; hands-on practice in scriptwriting, production organization, camera techniques, storytelling approaches, aesthetics, and fundamentals of directing. Foundational concepts in film analysis and criticism will be introduced. Offered annually.

COM 215 INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION

3, 3/0

Analysis of production and consumption of visual information; exploration of the role of images in the communication process; application to journalism, broadcasting, public relations, advertising, and digital media. Offered every semester and summer.

COM 295 SPECIAL PROJECT

1-3, 0/0

Prerequisite: Instructor Permission. Scholarship or creative work conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered occasionally.

COM 301 PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 210 and SPC 205. Principles of integrated strategic communication (public relations and advertising); based on model of formative research, strategy, tactics, evaluation, exploration of public relations and advertising via theoretical base, ethical principles, social responsibilities, functions, and professional aspects. Offered every spring.

COM 302 PRINCIPLES OF JOURNALISM

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: CWP 102. Overview of journalism and its historical, ethical, and professional base; focus on news sources, with practice in information-gathering techniques. Offered every spring.

COM 303 WRITING FOR PRINT AND ONLINE JOURNALISM

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 100 or SPC 103; COM 210. Practice in news writing for print and online publications; theory, form, and techniques in writing news; focuses on leads and various types of reporting scenarios; experience in writing under deadline pressure. Offered every fall.

COM 304 WRITING FOR BROADCAST (TV, RADIO, FILM)

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: Completion of CWP 102 or ENG 102 and COM 210 or ENG 190 or TFA 201 with a minimum grade of C. Practice in organizing and writing for radio, audio media, television, and other visual media; writing in various formats, including commercials, promotional announcements, documentaries, corporate video, and narrative scripts. Offered every semester and summer.

COM 308 PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 210. Intensive practice in writing for all types of public relations situations; focus on writing for both news media and organizational media for purposes of both information and advocacy. Offered fall semester only.

COM 310 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: Upper-division status. Analysis of the role of international communication in today's global society through a comparative study of the world's press and broadcasting systems. Includes journalistic values of other countries, differing philosophies of broadcasting, and the process of international communication within the framework of North-South, social, economic, and political divisions of the late twentieth century. Offered occasionally.

COM 312 BASIC MEDIA PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 215 or COM 212 or TFA 201. Exploration of basic concepts and processes of video and audio media production and editing, including hands-on experience in field production, audio recording and both video and audio post production; review of career options. Offered every semester.

COM 314 ADVERTISING COPYWRITING

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 210, COM 301. Intensive practice in planning, writing and evaluating advertising messages; informative and persuasive writing for print, broadcast and online media; advertising creativity, ethics and persuasion theory. Offered annually.

COM 316 SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONS

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 210; COM 212 or COM 215. Overview of social media usage within and on behalf of organizations. Introduction to social media history, ethical, legal, and privacy principles, functions, metrics, and practical application of social media strategies and tactics in the communication professions. Offered every semester.

COM 317 MEDIA MANAGEMENT

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing, COM 100, and COM 210. Theory and practice in broadcast management for radio and television stations, cable networks, online digital media; focus on structure, budget, sales, regulations, and audience-building aspect of programming and management. Offered annually.

COM 320 INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FOR MULTI-MEDIA PLATFORMS

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 303 or instructor permission. Analysis of investigative reporting in journalism; review of practice in hands-on investigative reporting techniques; practice in news-gathering research skills and interviewing methods, computer assisted reporting, use of Freedom of Information laws, social media, documents, data collection and evaluation, toward production and publication of investigative reports. Offered every fall semester.

COM 322 COMMUNICATION GRAPHICS

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 212 or COM 215. Theory and practice of information design for organizational and mass media; application for print, digital, and other communication media. Offered every semester and summer.

COM 325 FEATURE WRITING

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 100, SPC 205, COM 210, and COM 212 or COM 215. Theory and advanced practice in writing magazine articles, newspaper features, and similar stories for online publications; writing for specialized audiences; introduction to freelance procedures. Offered every spring.

COM 328 INTERMEDIATE POST PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 312. Theory, aesthetics and practice of digital post production in video and audio; emphasis on workflow, structure and storytelling techniques for radio, audio, television and film; hands-on experience in digital post production in various genres utilizing digital editing and mixing softwares. Offered every semester.

COM 329 INTERMEDIATE VIDEO PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 312. Theory, aesthetics and practice of creating digital media productions; emphasis on preproduction and production practices in a variety of genres for audio, radio, television and film; hands on experience in both studio and field production settings; experience working in teams. Offered every semester.

COM 333 RACE, CLASS, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN MEDIA

3, 3/0; DI23

Prerequisite: CWP 101. Study of the intersection of race, social class, gender, and sexuality in popular culture and media, through a critical analysis of media representations of these identities. Offered every fall.

Equivalent Course: SPC 333

COM 334 JOURNALISM BROADCAST OPERATION

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 312. Hands-on TV studio broadcasting experience in production of magazine format series for television or web, in conjunction with community partners. Student journalists facilitate production of packages and in studio segments. Introduction to television studio roles and practices. Offered every spring.

COM 335 TALK RADIO/TALK TELEVISION

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: Upper-division status. Introduction to various aspects of talk radio and talk television; differences between news reporters and talk-show hosts; relationship with sales and audience analysis; attention to roles of producer, program director, and promotions. Offered fall only.

COM 336 WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 212 or COM 215. Theory and practice of web-based communication and social media; focus on strategy and design as well as writing for web and social media. Offered every semester and summer.

COM 338 DIGITAL AND BROADCAST REPORTING

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 210, COM 302, COM 303, and COM 312. News reporting for electronic media in non-studio locations; practice in reporting, writing, and news presentation under deadline pressure; techniques of using cameras and editing equipment. Offered every fall semester.

COM 339 INTRODUCTION TO MOTION GRAPHICS

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: Junior/Senior Standing. Introduction to digital motion graphic creation and history, including content development, design and motion techniques in title sequences, television graphics, rotoscoping and experimental effects. Conceptual and aesthetic approaches explored in both artistic and industry graphics. Hands-on work on creative graphics and animation projects. Offered every other spring.

COM 340 PHOTOJOURNALISM

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 212 or COM 215. Basic techniques of news photography as practiced by newspapers and magazines, with laboratory and field assignment experience. Note: 35mm camera with meter and full manual controls required. Offered every fall.

COM 341 FUNDRAISING

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: Junior/Senior Standing. Theory and practice of fundraising and organizational philanthropy; focus on planning, organization, management, marketing, and practical approaches that nonprofit organizations use to raise money from private sources. Offered fall only.

COM 347 DIGITAL AND BROADCAST PRODUCING

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 302 and COM 338. News writing and producing for electronic media in studio setting; theory, form, and techniques of writing and presenting news for radio and television; practice in reporting, writing, and presentation under deadline pressure. Offered spring semester.

COM 389 TOPICS COURSE

1-9, 0/0

Offered occasionally.

COM 390 SPECIAL TOPICS: JOURNALISTIC WRITING

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 100, SPC205, COM 210, and COM 212 or COM 215. Specialized reporting; includes extensive study, research, analysis, and journalistic writing on a special topic, such as sports, business, health, technical, or environmental reporting. Offered every spring semester.

COM 392 PUBLIC RELATIONS IN SPORTS

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 210, or admission to sports management minor. Sports public relations and its role in intercollegiate and professional athletics; process and practice of sports information and media relations; topics include writing formats, publications, crisis management, game management, current events, law, and ethics. Offered every fall semester.

COM 400 COMMUNICATION LAW

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: CWP 102. Study of freedom of speech and the press in the United States, particularly the rights and responsibilities of the media and constraints placed on them under law: libel, privacy, journalistic privilege, free press/fair trial, obscenity, advertising law. Offered every spring.

COM 401 APPLIED COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

3, 3/0

Prerequisites: COM 301. Applied research techniques in communication fields; students do original research using content analysis, focus groups, and/or surveys. Offered every semester.

COM 403 DIGITAL SPORTS JOURNALISM

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 312 or instructor permission. Practice in hands-on sports reporting techniques, sports news-gathering research skills, live sporting event video recording, writing, audio and video editing, producing podcasts of sports reports. Offered every semester.

COM 405 ONLINE NEWSROOM

3, 2/1

Prerequisites: COM 303, COM 338. Supervised reporting and editing experience through laboratory practice resulting in online publication; theory and practice in news gathering, writing, editing, capturing visual and audio elements of news stories, working under deadline pressure; emphasis on news judgment, research, accuracy, data gathering, interviewing, editing, diversity, legal issues and journalistic ethics. Offered every fall.

COM 408 PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDIES

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: COM 301. Exploration of various genres of public relations; application of strategic principles, techniques, and programs to real-life organizational problems and opportunities. Offered every other year.

COM 418 CAMPAIGNS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 401. Capstone professional experience in integrated strategic communication based on public relations and advertising; experience in developing campaigns for an actual client, with focus on formative research, strategy, tactics, evaluation, as well as client presentation. Offered every fall.

COM 428 ADVANCED AUDIO PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 328 and COM 329. Capstone experience in producing audio; emphasis on multi-track recording, mixing, music and voice editing. Offered annually.

COM 429 ADVANCED MULTI-CAMERA STUDIO PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 329. Capstone experience in studio television production using news and/or other genres requiring advanced skills; requires hands-on practice in studio-based productions. Offered occasionally.

COM 431 ADVANCED FIELD PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 328 and COM 329. Capstone experience in producing and directing field video productions for on-campus/off-campus viewing; students specialize in field productions in non-studio locations; use of portable cameras, lighting and sound equipment; production in remote studio settings. Offered annually.

COM 432 ADVANCED POST-PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisite: COM 328. Capstone experience in video post-production; emphasis on post-production editing and editor's role in visual storytelling; hands-on approach to developing both artistic insight and practical skills in editing. Offered annually.

COM 433 ADVANCED TV DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 328 and COM 329 . Capstone experience in producing and directing television documentaries, with hands-on experience in planning, writing, shooting, and editing; focus on analysis and evaluation of documentary productions. Offered annually.

COM 434 ADVANCED VIDEO PRODUCTION PRACTICUM

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 328 and COM 329. Capstone experience in producing video programming for client- and college-generated on-campus/off-campus uses. Students staff a full production team for public affairs, community service, promotions, entertainment, and other types of programming. Offered occasionally.

COM 435 VISUAL EFFECTS

3, 2/2

Prerequisites: COM 328 and COM 329. Study and creation of computer generated visual effects (VFX), such as green screen, color correction, digital compositing, motion capture and motion tracking. Conceptual and aesthetic approaches to VFX will be explored in artistic and industry examples. Students will plan, produce and direct videos integrating visual effects working in industry-emulating teams. Offered occasionally.

COM 447 COMMUNICATION DATA ANALYTICS

3, 3/0

Prerequisite: Junior or Senior Standing. A communication research, software application, legal and ethical exploration of the use of social media data and open digital data in journalism, media management, marketing, public relations and advertising. Offered spring semester only.

COM 450 COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY

3, 3/0; IN23, RE23

Prerequisites: COM 100/SPC 103, SPC 205, COM 210, and COM 212 or COM 215, completion of 21 upper-division COM/SPC credits. Role of communication in society; exploration of contemporary issues in mass media and related disciplines; focus on ethical responsibilities of communication professionals. Offered every semester.

COM 488 INTERNSHIP

1-15, 1/0

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor upon recommendation of advisor. COM 301 and COM 308 for internships in Public Relations & Advertising. COM 304 and COM 312 for internships in media production major. COM 302 and COM 303 and either COM 337 or COM 338 for internship in journalism major. Supervised field experiences in a professional setting for students who have completed extensive academic preparation in the discipline. Fifty hours of fieldwork per credit. Offered every semester.

COM 495 SPECIAL PROJECT

1-3, 3/0

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Offered occasionally.

COM 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY

3-12, 3/0

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Offered occasionally.