Undergraduate Courses in Communication (COMM)

Subject course numbers in parentheses at the end of the course description represent the course equivalent in the Texas Common Course Numbering system.

1101 Communication Practicum (0-2)
Supervised instruction for students in extracurricular activities related to video operations and forensics. May be repeated once for credit.

1303 Introduction to Speech Communication (3-0)
Theory and practice of speech communication behavior in interpersonal, small group and public communication situations. Meets oral communication requirement. (SPCH 1311)

1304 Introduction to Mass Communication (3-0)
A survey and analysis of the history, regulations, scope, social implications and problems of electronic mass media, including radio, television and news media.

2101 Communication Practicum (0-2)
Supervised instruction for students in extracurricular activities related to video operations and forensics. May be repeated once for credit.

2304 Public Discourse (3-0)
An investigation of significant public communication interactions, including Black Rhetoric and the Civil Rights Movement; Chicano Rhetoric and the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement; and the student protest movement during the Vietnam War. The course will provide knowledge of the self in relation to the society in which humans must relate now and throughout their lives.

2305 Small Group Communications (3-0)
Emphasis on effective group interaction in task-oriented situations. Course will focus on elements of small group structures and communication styles which influence the problem-solving process. Includes small group participation and analysis of group communication. (SPCH 2333)

2306 Basic Television (1-2)
A background course; exploration of studio operation and control, fundamental production skills (camera and microphone usage, lighting, editing, etc.), studio assignments and activities. Student should also enroll in one hour of Communication Practicum.

2307 Basic Radio (1-2)
Theory and practice of audio production and radio station operation. Students prepare and present materials in a broadcasting situation. Student should also enroll in one hour of Communication Practicum.

2308 Web Page Design (1-2)
A computer-based course in which students learn to design, construct and evaluate web pages. Will include the use of web page software. Course meets university computer competency requirement.

3101 Communication Practicum (0-2)
Supervised instruction for students in extracurricular activities related to video operations and forensics. May be repeated once for credit.

3302 Broadcast News Gathering (2-2)
Philosophy and techniques of electronic journalism; laboratory practice in writing and editing news copy; preparation of newscasts and news features; reporting; utilizing the special tools of the broadcast journalist.

3303 Radio Workshop (1-4)
Application of basic audio skills in radio station setting. Students will produce individual and group projects/productions. Emphasis will be placed on the creative use of the audio medium. Prerequisite: COMM 2307 or instructor's permission. Course may be repeated for credit but not more than once for credit toward a communication major or minor.

3304 Critical Reasoning (3-0)
This course is designed to provide an introduction to ideas about rationality and criticism Through the study of the practical reasoning process, students will learn how to articulate the stages through which actual arguments and discussions go. Class discussion and exercise assignments are used to explore the human transaction known as reasoning.

3305 Media of Mass Communication (3-0)
This course is designed to serve both as an introduction to mass communication for students majoring in communication and as a general education for students from other disciplines who seek to understand the processes and impact of the media of mass communication. Individual media examined will include books, newspapers, magazines, film, radio, television, recordings and advertising.

3306 Communication in Business and Professions (3-0)
This course will focus on the study of communicative skills in both the oral and written aspects of presentation in the fields of business and the professions. It will include an analysis of the organizational structures of the workplace as well as job-oriented interviewing from the standpoint of the employer and the employee. Meets oral communication requirement.

3307 Studies in Film (3-0)
Students will be exposed to classic methods of film analyssis(e.g. historical, content, psychological, genre studies, liturgical, and cultural, et al.). Utilizing a combination of full length films and "film on film," students will gain and understanding of film and related mass media. Course may be repeated when film topic changes (e.g. Women in Film; minorities in Film; Family in Film; et al.).

3308 Video Workshop (1-4)
This course is designed for students interested in applying basic television knowledge and skills to the production of individual and group video projects and productions. Emphasis will be placed on creative use of the video medium. Prerequisite: COMM 2306 or instructor's permission. Course may be repeated for credit but not more than once for credit toward a communication major or minor.

3309 Family Communications (3-0)
The family unit is studied from a communications perspective, considering in depth the communication processes within the family as well as the extent to which the affect and are affected by the interdependence of family members.

3311 Gender Communciation (3-0)
This course is designed to teach students how gender is socially constructed and sustained in cultural life. Students will be encouraged to expand their communication skills by utilizing styles historically associated with both genders, rather than a single-gendered form of speech.

3312 Advanced Web Page Workshop (0-3)
This course is designed for students interested in applying basic web page design knowledge and skills to the construction of individual and group projects. Emphasis will be placed on creative web page design and construction. Course meets university computer competency requirement. Prerequisite: COMM 2308 or permission of instructor.

3313 Advanced Television Production (3-1)
Continued study of camera, lighting and sound techniques. Pre-production and post-production elements also included. Course will focus on producing program content to be aired on campus television station. Prerequisite: COMM 2306 or permission of instructor.

4101 Communication Practicum (0-2)
Supervised instruction for students in extracurricular activities related to video operations and forensics. May be repeated for credit.

4301 Persuasion (3-0)
Focus in this course will be on the positioning and construction of symbolic appeals for the purpose of forming attitudes or of inducing others to a particular course of action. Various methods of persuasion will be explored through an examination of various public and televised events, ranging from human affairs to product advertising. Meets oral communication requirement.

4303 Studies in Speech
Directed individual study and practice in a selected area of speech. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

4304 Special Topics (3-0)
A course dealing with topics in speech communications. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

4305 Communication in Human Relations (3-0)
The general goal of this course is to encourage personal and relationship growth by increasing competence in interpersonal communication. Various kinds of communication styles and skills will be examined with focus on the development, maintenance and termination of relationships.

4306 Public Relations (3-0)
A study of the principles and practices in the field of public relations with special emphasis on practical case study experiences.

4307 Intercultural Communication (3-0)
An examination of the interpersonal dimensions of intercultural communication as it occurs in a variety of contexts. Topics include international cultures, co-cultures, cultural contexts, verbal processes, nonverbal interaction and ethical considerations for the future. This course may be used to meet the university's multicultural requirement.

4310 Senior Capstone (0-3)
The senior capstone is the culminating course in the Communication major sequence. Each Capstone is implimented by students by students with the help and encouragement of an academic advisor. Capstone experiances allow each student to demonstrate the capacity to bring information, skills, and ideas acquired from the majorto bear on one significant project. It is aimed at providing students with the oppurtunity to integrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired as communication majors as well as provide experiances for students to exhibit competent skills learned during their program oof study in order to prepare for a career in communication.