COM 101. Mass Media Communication in Society. 3 Credit Hours.

A survey of the history, development, structure, and effects of mass communication media.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 102. Introduction to Communications Literacy. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to the concepts and skills required to be communications literate. The course aims to improve each students abilities to identify communicator intent across the wider-world of news and media content. The course develops skills in evaluating message accuracy, clarity and aim across media as varied as news articles, popular film, infographics and video games. Students will become more critical consumers of communication and hone the skills needed to be effective producers.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

COM 250. Freedom of Expression and Communication Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.

An examination of the concept of freedom of expression, its philosophical roots, its application of contemporary issues in communication, and of the basics of moral philosophy (ethics) and moral reasoning.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 302. Structured Research and Practice at SoC Consultancy. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Students will engage in structured participation in programmatic research and applied practice through the SoC Consultancy.
Requisite: Sophomore or Higher and Min Cumulative GPA 2.5.
Components: PRA.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

COM 395. Honors Seminar in Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

An examination of central issues and topics in the field of Communication.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

COM 401. Honors Communication Colloquium. 3 Credit Hours.

An examination of central issues and topics in the field of Communication.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

COM 406. Special Topics in Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

Course subject matter varies according to announced special topic. See class schedule for details.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 499. Senior Honors Project/Thesis. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus is on completing the culminating thesis project, in consultation with the student’s selected committee and thesis chair.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 601. Theories of Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

Comparison of theories dealing with the processes and effects of communication is discussed.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

COM 602. Foundations of Quantitative Communication Research Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to quantitative communication research methods and foundational descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will learn to describe data, basic visualization, and inferential assessment of hypotheses and research questions using common statistical packages. Knowledge of basic algebra is assumed.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

COM 603. Qualitative Research Methodologies. 3 Credit Hours.

Research methods and theories for participant-observation, phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, content analysis, and historical-critical interpretation.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

COM 604. Advanced Quantitative Communication Research Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course builds upon the foundations of quantitative communication research (as taught in COM 602) to cover more advanced statistical techniques and methods. Major topics include the proposition, modeling, and statistical assessment of complex relationships, such as mediated or indirect relationships, three-way interactions (moderated or conditioned relationships), and mediated moderations/moderated mediations. Knowledge of descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS is assumed.
Prerequisites: COM 601, COM 602.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Spring.

COM 605. Theories and Methods for Mass Communication Research. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will introduce you to the theoretical concepts and research methodologies that apply to work in, and study of, journalism and mass communication. The curriculum stresses critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate the credibility of research findings offered by various organizations, including government, business and academia.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 606. Visual and Narrative Theories. 3 Credit Hours.

This course surveys theories of film, visual communication, design, game and interactive theory, critical analysis, cultural studies.
Prerequisite: COM 601 and Requisite: Doctoral Standing.
Components: SEM.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 607. Survey of Media Production. 3 Credit Hours.

This course gives students an overview on how to produce compelling media stories. Students will learn key concepts and design principles used in modern media production. Students will develop a website and a short film using learned key concepts in creating and effective multimedia experience.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 608. Designing and Producing Messages. 3 Credit Hours.

Drawing on message design theories from areas such as persuasion and discourse studies and using creative and secondary research skills, students design and implement a production such as a public service announcement, short documentary, microsite, game prototype, or data visualization project.
Prerequisite: COM 601 and 602 and 607.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 609. Special Topics in Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

This course subject matter varies according to announced special topic. See class schedule for details.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

COM 610. Doctoral Colloquium. 1-3 Credit Hours.

This course will introduce students to the nature and scope of doctoral study. The topics of this course include different aspects of engaging productively with the doctoral program, such as developing a research program, publication, grant writing, and job search dynamics.
Components: SEM.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 612. Pedagogy. 3 Credit Hours.

This course focuses on the traditions as well as the recent advances in pedagogy, including its historical, theoretical and practical applications with the aim of preparing students to teach at the University level.
Requisite: Graduate Standing.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 615. Social Effects of Mass Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

Roles, functions, and consequences of mass communication in American society.
Prerequisite: COM 601.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 620. Structured Research and Practice in SoC Consultancy. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Students engage in programmatic research and applied practice through structured participation at the SoC Consultancy.
Requisite: Graduate and Min Cumulative 3.0 GPA.
Components: PRA.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall & Spring.

COM 622. Communication and Social Change. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores and critique development communication as a practice and as an approach. Students consider how strategic application of communication technologies and processes resolve social problems in global contexts
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

COM 623. Global Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

This course surveys theories, concepts and research related to global communication, or how people (dis)connect, share and mobilize across boundaries. It looks across topics through theories including modernization, world systems, flows and networks, cultural imperialism and proximity, transnationalism, translocalism and glocalization.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall.

COM 672. Seminar in Persuasive Communication. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the role of communication in the persuasion process. This will be achieved by exploring historical and contemporary theories of persuasion as well as examining research that has focused on persuasion.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Offered by Announcement Only.

COM 695. Directed Readings. 1-3 Credit Hours.

Students work independently with a professor, researching a topic in a selected area. Repeatable up to 6 credits.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 698. Independent Research. 3 Credit Hours.

An in-depth, hands-on course in which students conduct a research project using the specified research method. May include experimental design, advanced qualitative methods, content analysis, or survey methods. Repeatable up to 6 credits.
Prerequisites: COM 602, COM 603.
Components: LEC.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 810. Master's Thesis. 1-6 Credit Hours.

The student working on his/her master's thesis enrolls for credit, in most departments not to exceed six, as determined by his/her advisor. Credit is not awarded until the thesis has been accepted.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 820. Research in Residence. 1 Credit Hour.

Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the master's degree after the student has enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in COM 710 (usually six credits). Credit not granted. May be regarded as full time residence.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 825. Continuous Registration--Master's Study. 1 Credit Hour.

To establish residence for non-thesis master's students who are preparing for major examinations. Credit not granted. Regarded as full time residence.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 830. Doctoral Dissertation. 1-12 Credit Hours.

Required of all candidates for the Ph.D. The student will enroll for credit as determined by his/her advisor, but for not less than a total of 12 hours.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.

COM 850. Research in Residence. 1 Credit Hour.

Used to establish research in residence for the Ph.D., after the student has been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research. Credit not granted. May be regarded as full-time residence as determined by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Components: THI.
Grading: GRD.
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, & Summer.