Communication
The School of Communication offers a 100% online graduate program that provides students with the ability to gain advanced professional skills that are relevant to a number of communication-based fields. Students will have the ability to apply theoretical and methodological principles toward solving practical problems in the health and/or social media disciplines specifically. The master's program prepares students for a variety of career options in social media management, public health, public relations, and human relations. The School also offers graduate certificates in health & crisis communication, strategic social media, instructional communication, and political communication.
Visit the School of Communication website to learn more about its faculty and facilities.
School of Communication (COMM)
COMM 500 History of Journalism in America (3 Units)
A review and analysis of the historical evolution of journalism in America, focusing primarily on newspapers, magazines, radio, television. (Formerly 7600:500)
COMM 501 Orientation to Communication Online Study (1 Unit)
An orientation for graduate students in the Strategic Communication MA program to understand graduate work, the field, and advising specifically for the 100% online program. (Formerly 7600:501)
COMM 502 Informatics & Data Analysis in Communication (1 Unit)
An examination of the influence that information has on communication across different contexts. Includes strategic information seeking, gathering, processing and understanding data. (Formerly 7600:502)
COMM 506 Contemporary Public Relations (3 Units)
Study and practical application of communication concepts, theories and skills relevant to public relations programs in businesses and nonprofit organizations. (Formerly 7600:506)
COMM 508 Women, Minorities & News (3 Units)
Study of images of women and minorities in U.S. news, along with the power women and minorities have as decision-makers in the news industry. (Formerly 7600:508)
COMM 510 Crisis Communication (3 Units)
This course focuses on crisis communication, crisis communication theory, and research of events that require the use of crisis communication messages. (Formerly 7600:510)
COMM 516 Social Media Content Creation (3 Units)
This course covers writing for social media and incorporates best practices for online content creation. (Formerly 7600:516)
COMM 517 Social Media Platforms (3 Units)
This course emphasizes content production in professional settings based on key social media platform characteristics, audiences, and social contexts. (Formerly 7600:517)
COMM 520 Magazine Writing (3 Units)
An advanced writing class designed to develop the specialized reporting, researching, and writing skills needed in consumer and specialized business magazines today. (Formerly 7600:520)
COMM 525 Commercial Electronic Publishing (3 Units)
This advanced class allows an in depth investigation of the business and production principles of electronic publishing of magazines. (Formerly 7600:525)
COMM 531 Risk Communication (3 Units)
This course explains and defines the applied nature of risk communication. Students will analyze risk situations, develop and execute messaging strategies, and assess message effectiveness. (Formerly 7600:531)
COMM 537 Communication and Health Disparities (3 Units)
Prerequisite: Admission to the Graduate School. This course takes a critical cultural approach to studying health communication disparities across contexts. Students critically examine the ways power disparities impact effective communication in a host of settings, including patient-provider relationships, health care organizations, and public health campaigns. The goal is to raise awareness of the role communication plays in both perpetuating and challenging health care disparities that exist along the lines of gender, sex, sexuality, race, citizen status, and socio-economic status.
COMM 538 Health Communication (3 Units)
This course presents an overview of health communication theory and research issues in interpersonal, small group, organizational, public relations, and mass media contexts. (Formerly 7600:538)
COMM 539 Health Informatics (3 Units)
COMM 540 Strategic Social Media (3 Units)
This course provides an overview of the current social media landscape, and explores theories, research, business models and strategies of social media marketing and communication. (Formerly 7600:540)
COMM 541 Social Media Entrepreneurship (3 Units)
Prerequisite: Admission to the Graduate School. This course provides an overview of how business is conducted in social media industries and helps students identify business and entrepreneurship opportunities in a convergent environment. (Formerly 7600:541)
COMM 542 Social Media Metrics and Analytics (3 Units)
Prerequisite: COMM 540. This course gives students the knowledge and tools to measure social media effectively. Students will learn how to measure, monitor, and evaluate social media communication. (Formerly 7600:542)
COMM 546 Women, Minorities & Media (3 Units)
Examination of the media's portrayal of white women and people of color and the roles of media decision-makers as powerful counterparts to these images. (Formerly 7600:546)
COMM 550 Sport Communication (3 Units)
This course provides an intensive overview of the field of sport communication, and explores opportunities and challenges of sport communication. (Formerly 7600:550)
COMM 554 Theory of Group Processes (3 Units)
Group communication theory and conference leadership as applied to individual projects and seminar reports. (Formerly 7600:554)
COMM 557 Public Speaking in America (3 Units)
Survey and critical analysis of major speakers, speeches and speech movements in American history. Examines how style and content of American speaking influenced events and reflected their times. (Formerly 7600:557)
COMM 559 Leadership and Communication (3 Units)
Theories of leadership and communication across public, organizational, small group, interpersonal, and political contexts. Assessments tools provided. Guest speakers. (Formerly 7600:559)
COMM 560 Science Communication (3 Units)
Provides an overview of popular communication approaches in science, the role of communication in science, and how to communicate science to non-technical audience. (Formerly 7600:560)
COMM 561 Ethics in Science Communication (3 Units)
Prerequisites: COMM 560. This course will explore professional approaches to ethical decision making and apply them to science communication. (Formerly 7600:561)
COMM 562 Advanced Media Writing (3 Units)
Practical applications of script writing principles and techniques, focusing on the skills and discipline required to finish an entire script. (Formerly 7600:562)
COMM 568 Advanced Audio and Video Editing (3 Units)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. A study of film and video editing. It provides practical experience and exposure to the various creative approaches and techniques of film / video editing. (Formerly 7600:568)
COMM 571 Theories of Rhetoric (3 Units)
Study of key figures in history of rhetorical theory, stressing interrelationships among theories of rhetoric, intellectual climates and social climates. (Formerly 7600:571)
COMM 575 Political Communication (3 Units)
Students explore the relationship between politicians, citizens, and media. Topics include media coverage, campaign technologies, advertising, debates, engagement, rhetoric, and attitudes. Theories and methodologies analyzed. (Formerly 7600:575)
COMM 581 Film As Art: An Introduction to the Film Form (3 Units)
A study of the role and function of Cinematography, Editing, Sound, and Mise-en-scene as they shape the meaning of the film, within the context of the traditional / non-traditional narratives and the documentary structure. (Formerly 7600:581)
COMM 590 Workshop in Communication (1-3 Units)
(May be repeated for a total of six credits) Group study or group projects investigating a particular phase of media not covered by other courses in curriculum. (Formerly 7600:590)
COMM 599 Capstone (1 Unit)
Prerequisite: Completion of 21 credits in the Strategic Communication curriculum. Required capstone project for eligibility for graduation in the online MA in Strategic Communication. (Formerly 7600:599)
COMM 600 Introduction to Graduate Study in Communication (2 Units)
Introduction to the ideas and scholarship that constitute the various research interests in the department. (Formerly 7600:600)
COMM 601 Applied Methods of Communication Research (3 Units)
Prerequisite: Admission to the Graduate School. This course focuses on the basic concepts of how to conduct and analyze communication research using various methodologies utilized in professional settings. Students will learn quantitative and qualitative methods. (Formerly 7600:601)
COMM 602 Qualitative Methods in Communication (3 Units)
Prerequisite: COMM 600. The course covers paradigms underlying qualitative inquiry, major methods of inquiry, and techniques utilized in the communication discipline. The course fosters students' ability to conduct qualitative research through gathering and analyzing data. (Formerly 7600:602)
COMM 603 Quantitative Methods in Communication (3 Units)
An introduction to elementary concepts of empirical and quantitative research and their application in studies of mass media research topics. (Formerly 7600:603)
COMM 606 Communication Problems in the Basic Speech Course (1 Unit)
Designed to train a graduate student in methods and materials of introductory speech course. Required of all teaching graduate assistants. (Formerly 7600:606)
COMM 608 Communication Pedagogy (3 Units)
Overview of the foundational principles for teaching communication courses including philosophical and theoretical perspectives, strategies and tools. (Formerly 7600:608)
COMM 623 Applied Communication Theory (3 Units)
This course is designed to merge critical thinking and research skills in order to facilitate explorations of communication phenomena through a number of theoretical perspectives. (Formerly 7600:623)
COMM 624 Survey of Communication Theory (3 Units)
Study of dimensions of field of communication: information analysis, social interaction and semantic analysis. (Formerly 7600:624)
COMM 625 Theories of Mass Communication (3 Units)
Prerequisite: COMM 600 or permission of instructor. A review of theories of mass media and studies exploring the effect of media. (Formerly 7600:625)
COMM 630 Communication in Organizations (3 Units)
Overview of theories and approaches for understanding communication flow and practices in organizations; including interdepartmental, networks, superior-subordinate, formal and informal communication. (Formerly 7600:630)
COMM 631 Analyzing Organizational Communication (3 Units)
Prerequisite: COMM 630 or permission. Methodology for in-depth analysis and application of communication in organizations; team building, conflict management, communication flow. Individual and group projects; simulations. (Formerly 7600:536)
COMM 637 Training Methods in Communication (3 Units)
Prerequisite: COMM 600. Principles and concepts in the design and delivery of communication training programs; integration of theory and methodology; presentation skills; matching methods and learner needs. (Formerly 7600:637)
COMM 645 Intercultural Communication Theory (3 Units)
Analysis of the impact on the communication process of cultural difference between communicators; examination of existing literature in intercultural communication. (Formerly 7600:645)
COMM 670 Communication Criticism (3 Units)
Introduces the basic elements, approaches and types of critical discourse as it is relevant to communication and mass media studies. (Formerly 7600:670)
COMM 680 Graduate Communication Internship (1-6 Units)
(May be repeated for a total of six credits.) Prerequisites: must have attained the category of full admission and be in good standing in the School's graduate program; must receive permission and approval of internship placement and research proposal. Provides communication graduate students with opportunity to obtain experience and to apply knowledge of academic concepts in a supervised work setting in the communication field. (Formerly 7600:680)
COMM 691 Advanced Communication Studies (3 Units)
(May be repeated for a total of six credits.) Special topics in communication in areas of particular faculty expertise. Consult department for particular topic each semester. (Formerly 7600:691)
COMM 697 Graduate Research in Communication (1-6 Units)
Prerequisites: Permission of graduate faculty required. (May be repeated for a total of six credits.) Graduate-level research in the communication discipline. (Formerly 7600:697)
COMM 698 Masters Project/Production (1-6 Units)
(May be repeated for a total of six credits.) Prerequisite: Permission of the school director. (Formerly 7600:698)
COMM 699 Masters Thesis (1-6 Units)
(May be repeated for a total of six credits.) Prerequisite: Permission of the school director. (Formerly 7600:699)