Communication
College: College of Arts & Humanities
Department Overview
Communication is a degree for the 21st century. Studies indicate that, in the future, students will be hired for jobs that currently do not exist. How, then, should students prepare for their future? The communication major and minor prepares students for a complex and dynamic future by teaching them how to question, problem-solve, collaborate, and communicate effectively with a diversity of people in multiple situations.
Communication affects our lives in multiple ways. It can be thought of as the way we construct knowledge and meaning through human interaction – whether face-to-face or mediated. At another level, it is the process through which we continually negotiate the meaning and purpose of our lives. At no level is this process transparent or innocent. Rather, it is influenced by the various ways in which we identify ourselves as individuals or as part of a group. The communication department believes that:
- a theoretical understanding of these processes as well as the ability to apply that understanding to real-life, unscripted situations are critical,
- effective communication skills – speaking, writing, listening, resolving conflicts, and interacting across and within different cultures – are critical in any situation where at least two people are engaged in a relationship, and
- in an increasingly global society with dynamic and emerging technologies, the ability to communicate with digital and social media is equally important.
The 21st century needs competent communicators.
Program Objectives
The Communication Department’s goal is to cultivate ethical communicators who are competent in the following areas:
Identity – performing excellent written, oral, and nonverbal communication interpersonally and professionally, in order to strengthen their ability to understand self and others.
Diversity – integrating race, class, gender, sexuality and other forms of difference in his/her personal and professional communication.
Messages – creating, critiquing, and interpreting messages in oral, written, digital, and visual formats.
Roles – adapting and performing his/her oral, written, and/or nonverbal behavior in consideration of multiple contexts.
Knowledge – analyzing beliefs, values, and assumptions in personal and professional life.
Research – asking and answering meaningful questions using multiple methods and rigorous criteria.
These learning goals are integrated throughout the communication curriculum. Each class focuses on one or more of these areas. The general communication major (48 credits) can be tailored to each student’s personal and professional interests. Faculty advisors work individually with students to map out course schedules through graduation, and also provide career and graduate school advising. The department offers four communication minors available for majors and non-majors: digital media and production (21-24 credits), health communication (20-26 credits), organizational communication (18 credits), and public relations (18 credits). Non-majors also have the option of enrolling in the communication minor (18 credits). There are also four certificate programs that are open to all students, including communication majors and minors: the conflict analysis & resolution certificate (12 credits), the digital media and production certification (16 credits), digital and media literacy certificate (15 credits), and the health communication certificate (15-20 credits).
Internships
Communication majors and minors are encouraged to enroll in a paid or unpaid internship to gain experience in a professional setting. Internships are valuable for resume building, application of theoretical knowledge to hands-on experience, exploring possible career opportunities, establishing professional contacts, and networking outside and within the university. A maximum of 3 internship credits earned through enrollment in COMM 494 Communication Internship may be counted toward the major. An internship may be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits. For advising on how to obtain an internship, students should meet with the department internship advisor.
Student Honor Society
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the national communication honor society for undergraduates. Students who are declared majors with at least 60 credits, a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, have completed at least 12 credits in the major, and have a major GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible. LPH members receive a gold cord to wear at graduation.
Campus Organizations
Communication students are encouraged to gain leadership and professional experience through UW-Parkside campus organizations, including Ranger News (newspaper) and WIPZ (FM & Internet Radio). In the past, communication majors and minors have filled leadership positions in Parkside Student Government and other student organizations.
Department Policy on Collaboration and Academic Honesty
The communication department strongly encourages our students to engage in conversation and collaboration with our faculty, each other, and other members of the academic community. These kinds of exchanges are at the heart of teaching and learning. As part of this process, it is essential that students fully disclose and credit the sources used in their work. All work that is not originally created by the author should be credited, including (but not limited to) others’ ideas, language, images, art, digital recordings, and projects. The intentional or unintentional use of another’s work, or one’s own previous work, without the accurate and full citation of the source, constitutes plagiarism. Penalties for documented cases of plagiarism may include a grade reduction, or failing a course. All documented cases of plagiarism in the communication department will be filed with the department chair or her designee. A student who commits two or more acts of plagiarism in one or more communication courses will have their case reviewed by the department’s executive committee. If a case is confirmed as constituting serious breaches of academic honesty, the committee may decide to formally drop the student from the communication major.
Courses in Communication
COMM 105 | Public Speaking for the 21st Century | 3 cr
Develops professional speaking and presentation skills in live and virtual contexts. Explores methods of persuasion, argumentation, and organization in virtual and physical speaking contexts.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Meets: Humanities and the Arts: COMM
COMM 107 | Communication and the Human Condition | 3 cr
Examines social aspects of human life, including a strong focus on how identify, culture and social relationships are managed in interaction. Includes an introduction to how language constructs a version of the world in interaction. Must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward communication major.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Social & Behavioral Science: COMM, Ethnic Diversity
COMM 108 | Media and Society | 3 cr
Explores digital, broadcast and print media in the context of contemporary life. Must earn a grade of C or better for credit toward the major.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Social & Behavioral Science: COMM
COMM 168 | Introduction to Visual and Digital Communication | 3 cr
Introduces visual communication through visual imagery and digital media. Explores the concepts, theories, aesthetics and skills of visual communication, covering visual persuasion, photography, design, cultural and ethical issues, visualization of ideas, and others.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Humanities and the Arts: COMM
COMM 205 | Oral Interpretation | 3 cr
Provides experience performing literature in front of a live audience or on video for online audiences. Emphasizes the improvement of oral expression, enhanced vocabulary, inflection, delivery, and engaging an audience while reading text.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Humanities and the Arts: COMM
COMM 207 | Introduction to the Communication Discipline (Part I) | 3 cr
Introduces the communication discipline as a community of practice. Emphasizes the practical uses of contemporary communication theory and research to solve problems.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 208 | Introduction to the Communication Discipline (Part 2) | 3 cr
Develops student's professional identities as practitioners of communication research.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
COMM 255 | Writing for Multimedia | 3 cr
Explores writing for print, digital and social media. Community-based learning designation.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 258 | Podcasting | 3 cr
Introduces the uses and practical applications of sound for multimedia. Covers the components of podcast production including interviewing, story development, script writing, remote recording and digital audio recording, editing of sound, mixing, and final production for broadcast. Community-based learning designation.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Spring.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 275 | Introduction to Constructive Communication | 3 cr
Introduces the theory and practice of performance and improvisation to develop pro-social communication skills, including mindfulness, emotion management, self-expression, listening, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. Community-based learning designation.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 285 | Introduction to Conflict Analysis and Resolution | 3 cr
Examines approaches to understanding, transforming, and resolving conflicts. Includes case studies at the interpersonal, organizational, community, cultural, and international levels.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Occasionally.
Meets: Humanities and the Arts: COMM
COMM 290 | Special Topics in Communication | 1-3 cr
Selected topics in communication will be examined.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Occasionally.
COMM 299 | Independent Study | 1-3 cr
Individual investigation of selected problems in communication. May be repeated for credit. Does not count toward major.
Prerequisites: Core courses and consent of instructor, department chair.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
COMM 303 | Organizational Communication | 3 cr
Examines the role of communication in organizational settings. Includes organizational communication theories and elements, as well as contemporary organizational systems and their functioning.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 315 | Communication and Gender | 3 cr
Explores the role of communication in the construction of gender, the role of gender in the social organization, and use of language and communication systems. Cross-listed with: WGSS 315.
Prerequisites: COMM core courses or consent of instructor.
Offered: Spring.
COMM 320 | Privilege and Power | 3 cr
Examines oppressive social systems constituted by inequitable distributions of privilege and power. Focuses on the relationship between dominant groups and historically underrepresented groups in the U.S. Emphasis on issues of social justice and personal responsibility. Cross-listed with: ETHN 320.
Prerequisites: Junior standing or consent of instructor.
Offered: Yearly.
Meets: Ethnic Diversity
COMM 322 | Public Relations Concepts and Practices | 3 cr
Surveys theoretical and practical concepts involved in the practice of public relations such as rhetorical theory, interviewing theory, media relations, and the public relations process of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Yearly.
COMM 335 | Language and Human Communication | 3 cr
Examines the role of language in creating, maintaining, and transforming the social world from cultural, rhetorical, and/or philosophical perspectives. Addresses the ethical implications of language use in contemporary contexts.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Occasionally.
COMM 350 | Digital Storytelling | 3 cr
Examines the ways that digital storytelling creates identity and negotiates social life. Includes structure, function, genres, and contexts of narrative.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 356 | Advanced Media Production | 3 cr
Prepares students for live digital multicamera production and develops media literacy competence by focusing on aesthetic and composition principles influencing television and film production.
Prerequisites: COMM 168.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 360 | Contemporary Media Industries | 3 cr
Examines contemporary media industries in the U.S., including broadcast and cable television, radio, film, popular music, newspapers, the internet, and others. Emphasizes industrial structures and the ways these industries work together in the 21st century.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 363 | Communication and Ethnicity | 3 cr
Examines communication practices that construct, maintain, transform, or threaten ethnic identity in a co-cultural context. May be repeated with different content. Emphasis rotates among African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/as, and Native American Indians. Cross-listed with: ETHN 363.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Winterim.
Meets: Ethnic Diversity
COMM 365 | Intercultural Communication | 3 cr
Investigates the relationship between culture and human interaction, emphasizing ethical aspects of communication. Cross-listed with: ETHN 365.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Yearly.
COMM 366 | Communication and Popular Music | 3 cr
Explores the cultural politics of popular music as communication in contemporary society.
Prerequisites: Core courses or consent of instructor.
Offered: Spring.
COMM 370 | Communication and Social Movements | 3 cr
Focuses on the role of interpersonal and media communication in organizing, carrying out, and documenting social movements.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Occasionally.
Meets: Ethnic Diversity
COMM 384 | Media, Crime and Criminal Justice | 3 cr
Examines interrelationship among the mass media, crime and criminal justice. Covers media and the social construction of crime, crime and justice in the entertainment and news media, media as a cause of crime, and media-based anti-crime efforts. Cross-listed with: CRMJ 385.
Prerequisites: CRMJ 101 or consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 385 | Conflict Mediation | 3 cr
Examines theory and practice of methods for conflict transformation. Includes facilitator training in dispute mediation, community dialogue, and the theatre of empowerment.
Prerequisites: Minimum of junior standing or consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 390 | Special Topics in Communication | 1-3 cr
Examines selected topics in communication. May repeat with different topic.
Prerequisites: None.
Offered: Occasionally.
COMM 399 | Independent Study | 1-3 cr
Individual investigation of selected problems in communication. May be repeated for credit. Does not count toward major.
Prerequisites: Core courses and consent of instructor, department chair.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
COMM 430 | Digital and Social Media | 3 cr
Examines critical analysis and application of internet communication, including social networking, crowdsourcing, online communities and collaboration, identity and privacy issues, and other topics.
Prerequisites: Minimum of junior standing or consent of instructor.
Offered: Spring.
COMM 435 | Integrated Marketing Communication | 3 cr
Investigates theory and practice of integrated marketing communication approaches, including advertising, public relations, and emerging digital and social media. Community-based learning designation.
Prerequisites: Minimum of junior standing or consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 460 | Global Media | 3 cr
Explores global media through the lens of cultural, politics, and economics.
Prerequisites: Core courses or consent of instructor.
Offered: Occasionally.
COMM 463 | Gender, Race, Class and Sexualities in the Media | 3 cr
Explores how representations of gender, race, class and sexualities in the media contribute to views of culture, self, and others. Cross-listed with: WGSS 463.
Prerequisites: COMM Core courses or consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 468 | Media Literacy Project | 1 cr
A capstone experience in which the student, under the guidance of a faculty member, prepares and conducts a media literacy activity in the community.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department chair.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
COMM 475 | Advanced Constructive Communication | 3 cr
Explores the theory and practice of performance and improvisation to develop pro-social communication skills, including mindfulness, emotion management, self-expression, listening, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. Community-based learning designation. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits with a different topic.
Prerequisites: Junior standing and consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 480 | Practicum in Organizational Communication | 3 cr
Applies principles from public relations and/or organizational communication to an actual organization in the community. Specific topic may address developing a public relations campaign, training, and developing, or consulting. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
Offered: Yearly.
COMM 485 | Practicum in Conflict Intervention | 3 cr
Examines conflict intervention in a public setting (school, business, or community). Includes in-class training and supervised field experience. Community-based learning designation.
Prerequisites: Minimum of junior standing or consent of instructor.
Offered: Spring.
Meets: Community Based Learning
COMM 490 | Special Topics in Communication | 1-3 cr
Advanced selected topics in communication will be examined.
Prerequisites: Core courses or consent of instructor.
Offered: Occasionally.
COMM 493 | Capstone in Health Communication | 1 cr
Assesses students understanding of program learning goals through the development and presentation of a digital portfolio.
Prerequisites: COMM 340.
Offered: Fall.
COMM 494 | Communication Internship | 1-3 cr
Combines field experience with a guided, systematic and structured application of communication concepts. Consult departmental internship director for procedures. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits. Up to 3 credits may be applied to the major.
Prerequisites: Must be in good standing; consent of instructor and department chair.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
COMM 495 | Senior Seminar | 3 cr
Assesses, integrates, and extends the student's intellectual grasp of the field. Includes career development planning. Taken during a student's final semester.
Prerequisites: Core courses, graduating senior; or consent of instructor.
Offered: Fall, Spring.
COMM 499 | Independent Study | 1-3 cr
Individual investigation of selected problems in communication.
Prerequisites: COMM core courses; consent of instructor and department chair.
Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.