This course focuses on the development of professional level written and oral communication skills. Students will learn how to conduct a meeting, do an effective oral presentation, write technical descriptions, instructions and reports, and effectively present information to their clients. Standard business formats (memo, letter, etc.) will also be reviewed. Prerequisites: ENGL1050 and ENGL2050 (3 credits)

These courses present topics that are not covered by existing courses and are likely to change from semester to semester. Refer to the Class Schedule for a specific semester for the courses offered that semester. Prerequisite: completion of an English Sequence (1 - 4 credits)

This course serves as an overview to the mass media and the process of mass communication including its historical aspects, as well as the relevance of the mass media messages that our students will face today and tomorrow. Prerequisite: completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

This course directs students in developing a perspective for the basics of the news process: gathering, reporting and disseminating news. The role of the journalist in American society and the changing role of news and society will be discussed. The changing role of news and the newspaper is also discussed and analyzed, particularly as they pertain to an increasing population of society that access, read and interpret the news via on-line newspapers, logs, streaming and archived podcasts, and via the Internet and websites. Prerequisite: completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

This course will introduce the student to the basics of public speaking and communications. Students will be involved in speech preparation, development and delivery. This course also provides students with assistance in developing and using appropriate visual aids. Topics pertaining to audience analysis, speech anxiety, research, performance and wording will also be addressed. Individual and team presentations will be required. Prerequisite: completion of an English sequence (4 credits)

The goal of this course is to prepare students for all types of professional communication they are likely to engage with in the workplace. Specifically, it focuses on strengthening both written and verbal communication skills by building awareness of audience, context and genre. Students will be working both individually and in teams to draft emails, reports proposals and present information. Prerequisite: completion of English sequence (4 credits)

Humans are a social species, and we create and maintain relationships ( friendly, romantic and professional) through communication. This course helps students understand how to improve relationships with others and understand the human experience by learning more about contemporary theories on how we communicate. Specifically, we examine theories about communication in one-to-one, small group and organizational contexts. By the end of the course, student will have an increased body of knowledge about the effects of communication from psych-social and cultural perspectives. Prerequisites: completion of an English sequence (4 credits)

In this course, students gain the skills to communicate scientific research and related findings to general or non-expert audiences. To do this, students explore the role of science communication in disseminating findings to the broader public and how elements of narrative and storytelling can impact public reception. Students then complete a portfolio of communication pieces that convey scientific findings from their own disciplinary backgrounds across multiple genres, including newspaper articles, press releases, social media posts, and TED Talks. (4 credits)

Students will be exposed to and examine the issues and role of the public relations practitioner and media messages. They will also learn public relations writing/communication style which will be utilized to prepare press releases, public service announcements and other related materials. Prerequisite: completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

Claims of democratizing power of the media are ubiquitous: the media (and in particular the internet) have been credited with the rebirth of democracy. Simultaneously, the relaxation of media ownership rules in the U.S., the degradation of journalism and newspapers, the increased pressures on profitability over high quality content pose questions about whether media's impact has been entirely positive. These competing perspectives force us to ask, specifically; is media creating a thriving democracy or failing "idiocracy"? The goal of this course will be to consider what the ethical obligations of the media are in a democratic society and whether the media have met those obligations. Prerequisite: completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

Students learn how to use Google Analytics to measure performance of a website and how to adjust content to increase clicks and improve site performance .Additional emphasis is given to Facebook and Twitter analytics. Other topics include fundamentals in research design, measurement, data collection and analysis; the design and execution of surveys, focus groups, content analyses, among other primary research methods; industry applications for media research. Students improve their communication, writing and social science research skills by interpreting the meaning of data, documenting their recommended course of action, and communicating their findings to stakeholders. Teaching methods in this course include interactive software training, client projects, discussions and lecture. Prerequisites: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

Strategic decisions that led to some of the greatest successes and failures of companies like Netflix, Google and Nintendo are studied to establish an understanding of foundational economic and managerial principles. Students learn to apply traditional strategic management techniques including Porter's Five Focus, VRIO tables, and the BCG matrix, as well as innovation-driven approaches that address how to create blue ocean strategies and benefit from disruptive technologies. Consideration is given to what makes media companies unique, and how the need to satisfy both audiences and advertisers can affect day-to-day operations. Students improve their professional communication, writing and social science research skills by composing and presenting an original case study about a contemporary media/tech firm. Teaching methods in this course include discussions, lectures, presentations, and project-based learning. Prerequisites: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

Students learn how the fundamentals of advertising lead to successful multiplatform campaigns across television, radio, print and social media. The course balances industry related topics, including market segmentation, targeted advertising, and account planning, with artistic-related topics, including creative strategy development, visual art design, and copywriting. Additional emphasis is given to automated online advertising platforms and native advertising. Students improve their persuasive communication, media literacy, and multimedia production skills by creating and pitching a multiplatform ad campaign. Teaching methods in this course include lecture, case study discussions, multimedia content analyses, and ad production training. Prerequisites: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

The ubiquity of the camera makes us all amateur photographers and consumers of imagery. This course is designed to examine the visual medium of photography both from a production and consumption perspective. Students will be introduced to the technical elements of digital and analog cameras to develop a clearer use of photographic "language." In addition, students will be introduced to the history of photography and discuss the socio-cultural impact of its democratization, including photography's relationship with social media. Students will produce photographic works weekly and learn to hone their ability to communicate through the visual medium. Prerequisite: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

This course allows students to explore the creative and expressive elements of the time based medium of video. Students will become proficient in using digital camera, sound equipment, and editing software as a vehicle for developing their own personal vocabulary of the formal elements of cinematography. Because this is a studio course, students will work individually and in small groups to produce a variety of short films that span a wide variety of genres. Prerequisite: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

In this course, students will plumb film’s relationship to three forms of code –aesthetic conventions and practices, social codes and laws, and more recently software code –to come to a fuller appreciation of how film has evolved since its invention in the late 1800’s and how it continues to work its magic on us through its adaptive dance with those three forms of code. Prerequisite: Completion of an English Sequence (4 credits)

Regardless of profession, being able to gather, analyze, and visualize high quality data to gain insight into an issue and successfully articulate your findings to key decision-makers makes you a more valuable asset. This course takes a holistic approach to data-driven decision-making by introducing the theory, practice, and ethics of effective project and audience definition; data collection and survey design; data scraping, blending and cleaning; and data analysis and visualization using a variety of software applications. You will leave this course with improved abilities to collect, analyze, and visualize data –and in a way that has integrity and validity and that successfully engages your audience. Prerequisite: Completion of English Sequence (4 credits)