The Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

      Commencing in the Fall of 2008, the College of Communication will offer a variety of courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. The program explores effective and participatory communication in interpersonal,small group. public, organizational, intercultural rhetorical and performative contexts.  Through a blend of theory and practice, students are encouraged to think, speak, and write clearly; to develop confidence and ability as ethical communicators; to view communication events from multiple perspectives; to understand the multicultural character of communication in contemporary society; to analyze and evaluate variables operating in verbal transactions; to probe the basic problems of human communication in order to understand self, others, and events; and to recognize the connections between communication studies and other disciplines.

      Students whose professional goals are in the public, private, or non-profit sectors, such as government, corporations training and human resources, and social and human services are well served by relational, group, and organizational communication, as well as courses in communication and culture, performance studies, and rhetoric.  In addition, the B.A. in Communication Studies prepares students who want to continue their education, to excel in academic or professional graduate programs.

The Communication Studies Full-Time Faculty 

JACQUELINE TAYLOR, PH.D.,

                Professor and Dean

                University of Texas, Austin

DAVID BRENDERS, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                Purdue University

LEAH BRYANT, PH.D.,

                Assistant Professor

                University of Nebraska

TIM COLE, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor            

                University of California, Santa Barbara

STEPHANIE HOWELL, M.A.,

                Instructor

                Southern Illinois University

LUCY XING LU, PH.D.,

                Professor

                University of Oregon

DANIEL MAKAGON, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                University of South Florida

DONALD MARTIN, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                University of Texas, Austin

ALEXANDRA MURPHY, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                University of South Florida

JILL O’BRIEN, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor and Associate Dean

                University of Illinois, Urbana

WILLONA OLISON, PH.D.,

                Assistant Professor

                Northwestern University

BARBARA SPEICHER, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                Northwestern University

JC. BRUNO TEBOUL, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor and Associate Dean

                Ohio State University

KAREN ROLOFF, M.A.

                Instructor

                University of Illinois

BARBARA WILLARD, PH.D.,

                Associate Professor

                University of  Iowa

MICHAELA WINCHATZ, PH.D.,

                Assistant Professor

                University of Washington

KAY YOON, PH.D.,

                Assistant Professor

                University of Illinois, Urbana

                                                                                              
Degree Program Requirements
 
.  Key Changes over former track-based curriculum (Communication Major)  · Merger of Relational, Group, Organizational Communication track with Culture and Communication track; name change to Communication Studies.
·  No change in common core course requirements.
·  Two new required courses for the major: one fulfilling a method requirement, the other a presentation requirement. CMN 291: Research Methods had been a track requirement for students pursuing Relational, Group and Organizational Communication; CMN 220: Public Speaking or CMN 230: Performance of Literature had been required of students taking the Culture and Communication track. These classes now figure among a list of classes that fulfill the method and presentation requirement for the major in communication studies.
·  Updated course offerings.  

         The Communication Studies Major
 
            Communication Studies majors must complete the three core courses required of all College of Communication students. In addition, they must take seven classes from among the Communication Studies course offerings. One of these must be a methods course, another must be a presentation class, and of the seven, five must be 300-level courses.  Communication Studies majors must also take  any three electives within the College of Communication.  All Communication Studies majors must complete a total of 13 classes, or 52 credit hours.           

         Common Core
              Three core courses are required of all College of Communication students:  CMN 101, Introduction to Human Communication ·  CMN 102 (formerly CMN 110), Introduction to Mass Communication ·  CMN 103 (formerly CMN 203), Intercultural Communication
  Students are encouraged to complete all three prior to taking additional coursework in the major. 
  
          Method Requirement
 
            All Communication Studies majors are required to take one communication methods course. Students may choose from the following selection of methods classes:
 
·         CMNS 291 (formerly CMN 291), Research Methods
·         CMNS 331, Communication Fieldwork
·         CMNS 310 (formerly CMN 310), Discourse Analysis
·         CMNS 321 (formerly CMN 321), Cultural and Symbolic Criticism
·         CMNS 332, Topics in Communication Methodology 
  
          Presentation Requirement
 
          All Communication Studies majors must take one presentation skills course from the following selection of classes:
 
·         CMNS 220 (formerly CMN 220), Public Speaking
·         CMNS 230 (formerly CMN 230), Performance of Literature
·         CMNS 322 (formerly CMN 322), Advanced Public Speaking (prerequisite CMNS 220, or permission)
·         CMNS 330 (formerly CMN 330), Topics in Performance
·         CMNS 354 (formerly CMN 354), Interviewing
·         CMNS 306, Topics in Presentation
 
            Electives in Communication Studies
 
Communication Studies majors must take an additional five courses from the list of offerings below.
 
·         CMNS 205 (formerly CMN 205), Communication, Culture and Community ·         CMNS 211 (formerly CMN 211), Interpersonal Communication
·         CMNS 212 (formerly CMN 212), Small Group Communication
·         CMNS 220 (formerly CMN 220), Public Speaking
 
 
         Electives in Communication Studies (cont.)
 
·         CMNS 221 (formerly CMN 221), Christian Preaching as Communication
·         CMNS 230 (formerly CMN 230), Performance of Literature
·         CMNS 251 (formerly CMN 251), Organizational Communication
·         CMNS 291 (formerly CMN 291), Research Methods
·         CMNS 306, Topics in Presentation
·         CMNS 307 (formerly CMN 307), Topics in Political and Social Communication
·         CMNS 308 (formerly CMN 308), Topics in Communication and Culture
·         CMNS 309 (formerly CMN 309), Global Communication
·         CMNS 310 (formerly CMN 310), Discourse Analysis
·         CMNS 311 (formerly CMN 311), Topics in Relational Communication
·         CMNS 313 (formerly CMN 313), Nonverbal Communication
·         CMNS 314 (formerly CMN 314), Family Communication
·         CMNS 315 (formerly CMN 315), Health Communication
·         CMNS 316, Communication and Group Decision-Making
·         CMNS 317, Topics in Group Communication
·         CMNS 318 (formerly CMN 318), Close Relationships
·         CMNS 319 (formerly CMN 319), The Dark Side of Personal Relationships
·         CMNS 320, Deceptive Communication
·         CMNS 321 (formerly CMN 321), Cultural and Symbolic Criticism 
·         CMNS 322 (formerly CMN 322),  Advanced Public Speaking
·         CMNS 323 (formerly CMN 323), Social Movements
·         CMNS 324 (formerly CMN 324), Culture of Consumption
·         CMNS 325, Environmental Communication Workshop
·         CMNS 326, Environmental Politics and Rhetoric
·         CMNS 328 (formerly CMN 328), History of Rhetoric and Communication
·         CMNS 329 (formerly CMN 329), Persuasion
·         CMNS 330 (formerly CMN 330), Topics in Performance
·         CMNS 331, Communication Fieldwork
·         CMNS 332, Topics in Communication Methodology
·         CMNS 333, Cultural Ways of Speaking
·         CMNS 334, Urban Communication
·         CMNS 337, Asian-American Media Representations
·         CMNS 338, Asian Culture and Communication
·         CMNS 350 (formerly CMN 350), Communication and Socialization to Work
·         CMNS 352 (formerly CMN 352), Communication and Corporate Culture
·         CMNS 353 (formerly CMN 353), Communication and Organizational Change
·         CMNS 354 (formerly CMN 354), Interviewing
·         CMNS 356, Communication Consulting
·         CMNS 357 (formerly CMN 357), Topics in Organizational Communication
·         CMNS 358 (formerly CMN 358), Leadership and Team Building
·         CMNS 360 (formerly CMN 360), Relational, group and Organizational Theory
·         CMNS 361 (formerly CMN 361), Gender and  Communication
·         CMNS 366 (formerly CMN 366), Communication, Technology, & Society
·         CMNS 367 (formerly CMN 367), Performance for Social Change
·         CMNS 393 (formerly CMN 393), Communication Practicum
·         CMN 294, Communication Internship
·         CMN 394: Advanced Communication Internship
 
 
            College of Communication Electives
 
            Students majoring in Communication Studies may take as many as three electives from any College of Communication offerings.
 
           
            Internship Credit
 
            Students in the major may take CMN 294, Communication Internship or CMN 394, Advanced Communication Internship (when placement relates to the major) for credit. In order to take CMN 294, or CMN 394, students must have completed the three communication core courses (CMN 101, CMN 102, CMN 103), two courses in the chosen major and have fulfilled internship program eligibility requirements.
 
            Unrestricted Electives
 
            Students complete the bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies by taking an additional 56 quarter hours selected from any courses offered by DePaul University.
 

 
Course Descriptions
 
CMN 101 Introduction to Human Communication
This core course is required of all majors in the College of Communication. The class provides an introduction to the field of relational, group, and organizational communication. Students become acquainted with the basic terms, concepts and theoretical perspectives used to examine communication in dyadic, group, and organizational contexts.
 
CMN 102 Introduction to Media Communication (formerly CMN 110)
This course offers students a broad overview of the mass media (print, film, video, recorded music, radio, television and the internet) with a particular focus on how these media impact our everyday lives. Students will develop critical frameworks for understanding how power operates across the media spheres of production, circulation, representation and reception. Attention is placed on how the social categories of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age and nationality inform each of these media spheres. The course also considers how recent developments in digital technologies, media convergence and globalization have transformed our media culture.
 
CMN 103 Intercultural Communication (formerly CMN 203)
This course is required is required for all majors in the College of Communication. The class explores issues pertaining to communication and culture. Here, we consider the important role of context (social/political, historical, and interpersonal) in cultural interactions. Specifically, we examine the complex relationship between culture and communication from three conceptual perspectives: the social/psychological, the interpretive, and the critical.
 
CMNS 205, Communication, Culture, and Community
Examines the relationships among culture, communication, institutions, and public and private life. Students explore the possibilities and problems of contemporary forms of community through service in community organizations. The course also fulfills the junior year experiential learning requirement through community based service learning.
 
CMNS 211, Interpersonal Communication
An introduction to the factors that shape communication between two people. Topics include self-concept formation, perception, message formation, verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, and defensiveness.
 

CMNS 212, Small Group Communication
A survey of the variables operating in group interactions. Combines principles with practice through participation in small group experiences. Topics include group formation, group formats, organizational approaches, decision-making models, group observation and evaluation.
 
CMNS 220, Public Speaking
Introduction to the skills required in a variety of public speaking settings. Includes units on delivery, language, defining speech purposes and content, finding supporting material, organization, and audience analysis. Students will be required to present speeches. Background in basic writing and library skills is necessary.
 
CMNS 221, Christian Preaching as Communication
Rooted in Catholic tradition but inclusive of the call for all Christians to proclaim the Good News. This class explores preaching as a graced communication and, in addition to transactional and theological communication theory, examines the preacher's: call, spiritual formation, present mandates and future potentials, scripture study fundamentals and presentational approaches. The course provides opportunities for in-class, on-campus, and off-campus preaching and observation experiences as well as listener feedback and diversity education.
 
CMNS 230, Performance of Literature
Introduction to the communication of literature through oral interpretation. Involves critical analyses of selected literary works and preparation for and delivery of short performances.
 
CMNS 251, Organizational Communication
This course focuses on the role of communication in organizational life. Attention will be devoted to exploring how communication simultaneously shapes and is shaped by organizations. Topics include conflict and mediation, stress and social support, the supervisor-subordinate relationships, workplace diversity, organizational consultation and new communcation technologies in organizations.
 
CMNS 291, Research Methods
This course is an introduction to the study of communication through the observation and analysis of empirical (i.e. aspects of the observable world) data. It will stress how to form appropriate questions from the theories (or hunches, dreams etc.) and rigorously test these propositions (quantitatively and qualitatively) to see how well they correspond to the world outside ourselves. An added benefit of the course will be to show how to be a more informed judge of the claims of others. The format of the course is lecture/discussion.
 
CMNS 306, Topics in Presentation
Courses offer advanced analysis of presentational forms. Students will enact presentational theories in relational, small group, or public communication contexts.
 
CMNS 307, Topics in Social and Political Discourse
Examines intensively one or more issues in the Culture and Communication Track. The topics differ each term focusing on a particular area of discourse such as environmental communication, political communication, and sexuality and communication.
 
CMNS 308, Topics in Cultural Discourse
Examination of the application of linguistic and rhetorical theories to various specializations in cultural discourse. The course focuses each term on one particular area such as semiotics, language acquisition, or language and power.
 
CMNS 309, International/Global Communication
Focuses on the world of international/global news flow and media systems in a comparative manner. Emphasizes changes that have followed the modernization of the media, the impact of globalization on individual countries, attempts to preserve the cultural character of domestic media content in the face of increased amounts of imported products, and the effects of new communication technologies, particularly the Internet.
 
CMNS  310, Discourse Analysis
An analytical examination of the ways in which people locate meaning cooperate, coordinate, and find coherency in conversations and in other forms of discourse, both spoken and written. The class will analyze and disclose meanings hidden in public discourse.
 
CMNS 311, Topics in Interpersonal/Relational Communication
Explores specialized topic within the field of interpersonal communication. Past topics have included: emotions & communication, gender & its relation to interaction, the "social construction" of interpersonal realities, etc.
 
CMNS 313, Nonverbal Communication
This course surveys various conceptual areas generally subsumed under the broad rubric of nonverbal  communication. Topics include: physical appearances, gestures, face and eye behavior, vocalics, proxemics, touch, time, environmental contexts as well as application of nonverbal behaviors to specific interpersonal communication contexts.
 
CMNS 314, Family Communication
This course surveys topics relevant to understanding communication phenomena in the setting of the family. Topics include: family systems, patterns, meaning, themes, roles and types, family life cycles, stressors and conflict, changing family forms and contexts.
 
CMNS 315, Health Communication
This course overviews the theory and practice of communication in the health care setting. Topics include the dynamics of doctor-patient interaction and the cursory nature of health care campaigns.
 
CMNS 316, Communication and Group Decision-Making
Advanced undergraduate course in small group communication. Students develop skills and abilities in identifying various factors that contribute to the success and failure of group decision-making in organizational contexts. Class sessions will focus on theories, research, and practices in group processes, and their applications to issues in real life.
 
CMNS 317, Topics in Group Communication
Examines selected topics in group communication processes. Topics may include group creativity, communicating in virtual teams, conflict in groups, and group facilitation.
 
CMNS 318, Close Relationships
This course examines the role of communication in the development, maintenance, and deterioration of romantic attachments. Topics include attraction, intimacy and self-disclosure, attachment beliefs, jealousy, satisfaction, commitment, trust, betrayal, conflict, autonomy, interdependence, etc.
 
CMNS 319, Relational Problems
This course explores the "dark side" of interpersonal communication by examining the growing literature on the troubling or problematic aspects of close relationships. Topics covered include relational dilemmas, relational control and dominance, hurtful messages, paradoxical communication, social predicaments, relational transgressions, privacy violations, physical abuse, verbal aggression, etc. CMNS 320, Deceptive Communication
Explores the use of deceptive communication in social and personal relationships from a range of theoretical perspectives including ethics, evolutionary biology, linguistics, social and developmental psychology, and jurisprudence.
 




CMNS 321 Cultural and Symbolic Criticism
Introduction to the critical methodologies of rhetorical analysis. Students are instructed in ways to become more reflective consumers of discourse by examining how rhetoric instructs reality, shapes the social and political agenda and engages questions of ethics, power and persuasion. The course promotes a critical awareness of the role symbols play in influencing human perception, attitude, and action in a diverse culture.
 
CMNS 322, Advanced Public Speaking
Analyzes theories and develops skills required in persuasive speaking situations. This course is an extension of the public speaking class (CMN 220) and explores in greater detail than the first course the analysis of audiences, sources of resistance to persuasion, and appropriate logical and psychological strategies for persuasive speeches.
 
CMNS 323, Communication and Social Movements
This course examines the rhetoric of social movements throughout American History.  As a rhetoric class, the focus is primarily on the symbolic creation of movements in order to provide background of the political and social events that gave rise to the movement.  Using readings from a variety of sources, we will investigate the discursive construction of power as it relates to society and politics.  The class will take a case-study approach to examining social movement rhetoric, exploring the discourse that has served to resist oppressive, or perceptively oppressive, systems.
 
CMNS 324, Culture of Consumption
Introduces students to the critique of our consumer culture.  Teaches students how to be critical consumers and understand how to be critical consumers and understand how we consume lifestyles, images, aesthetics, and desire through our shopping patterns.  Provides theoretical, observational, and critical tools that allow students to critique patterns of consumption, the production of culture through consumption, and how consumption is a means of communication.
CMN 325, Environmental Communication Workshop
Provides a foundation in the communication skills necessary for achieving conservation goals.  Introduces communication approaches such as social marketing, citizen participation, public campaigns, and environmental interpretation that have proven effective in the work of conservation professionals.
 
CMNS 326, Environmental Politics and Rhetoric
Introduces students to a rhetorical perspective on environmental public discourse. Course also explores the relationship between rhetorically constituted ideas about nature and the development of political and social ideas, institutions, and practices that inform our understanding of the human place in the environment.
 
CMNS 328, History of Rhetoric and Communication
Offers an overview of historical foundations of the communication field. Examines how the formulations of rhetoric by various thinkers derived from cultural, religious, and political contexts shape human consciousness and communication patterns. Students read primary and secondary materials on classical rhetoric and rhetoric of diverse cultures. The course promotes an understanding and appreciation of antiquity and development of ideas over time in relation to current cultural and communicative patterns.
 
CMNS 329, Persuasion
Explores major theoretical assumptions of current persuasion research. Examines causes and effects of effective and ineffective persuasion.Analyzes persuasive skills and strategies for a variety of persuasion applications, e.g. political, interpersonal, intercultural, and advertising.
 
CMNS 330, Topics in Performance
Advanced study in performance focusing on a specific genre each quarter such as: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Drama or Chamber Theater. Other possibilities include: performing autobiography; life performances; ritual, ceremony, and storytelling; and radio and television performances.
 
CMNS 331, Communication Fieldwork
Provides students with experience conducting qualitative research, including data collection techniques, data coding and analysis, as well as interpretation of data and writing ethnographic reports. In addition to providing practical hands-on training in ethnographic research, this course explores the theory, ethics, and politics behind various qualitative research methodologies.
 
CMNS 332, Topics in Communication Methodology
Courses explore a range of qualitative and quantitative research strategies. Topics may include more specialized modes of gathering and assessing data, using new data technologies and software programs, and conducting communication studies.
 
CMNS 333, Cultural Ways of Speaking
Explores how speakers reveal culture through their everyday interactions. This course focuses on speaking as an activity through which individuals identify themselves with communities of discourse, within the United States as well as across cultural groups.  It provides students with experience in discovering diverse ‘ways of speaking’ and ‘codes’ concerning what it means to be a person, how people relate to each other, and how they view the world. CMNS 334, Urban Communication
Examines relationships between material features of the city and symbolic representations of urban life (e.g., photography, film, songs, public discourse) with the goal of  understanding  the city as a site of communication. Special attention is paid to expressions of hope for and fear of the city.
 
CMNS 337, Asian American Media Representations
Critically examines how Asian Americans have been represented in historical and contemporary media texts. Students explore the social construction of Asian Americans from selected films, TV shows, and print media and how these media constructions have affected Asian Americans’ self-perceived identity and perpetuated stereotypes, prejudice, and racism against Asian Americans in the United States. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach in the analysis of the media images and explores issues of power, identity, race, gender, class, sexual orientation and the interaction of  these factors in the representation of Asian Americans.
 
CMNS 338, Asian Culture and Communication
Reviews  major Asian philosophical and religious traditions such as Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism and examines how these traditions influence and affect Asian cultures and communication behaviors, particularly communication among Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and Asian Americans in various contexts
 
CMNS 350, Communication and Socialization to Work
Examines how human beings move through the world of work, paying particular attention to the role communication plays in this process. Influences that help shape people's perceptions of work during youth and adolescence are reviewed, as are those that help individuals develop expectations about life in particular organizations prior to entry. In addition, the class focuses on new hire adjustment,  the processes by which "rookies" gradually become "veterans" in the workplace, and covers voluntary and involuntary retirement.
 
CMNS 352, Communication and Corporate Culture
Focuses on the communicative implications of such cultural elements as values, heroes, rites, rituals, symbolism and storytelling. Analyzes and presents ways of adapting to the diverse components of a culture.
 
CMNS 353, Communication and Organizational Change
Explores the impact of change on the day to day work experience of organizational members. How culture, management philosophy and individual performances are influenced by change.  Political, symbolic interactional, and human resource perspectives are explored.
 



CMNS 354, Interviewing
Studies theory and practice of interviewing. Course focuses each term on a particular interview application (journalistic, employment, research, etc.) and examines strategies appropriate for interviewer and interviewee. Covers planning, conducting and evaluating interviews as well as relevant legislation. CMNS 356, Communication Consulting
Examines how to partner with a client  to facilitate constructive organizational change and behavioral growth in the workplace. Focuses on contemporary consulting through case studies.  Previous courses in organizational, small group, or interpersonal communication are suggested.
 
CMNS 357, Special Topics in Organizational Communication
Topics covered in this course might include: communication and customer service, assessment and intervention in organizations, comparative management, democratic participation in organizations, gender in the workplace, etc.
 
CMNS 358, Leadership and Team Building
This course will introduce the student to the theory and practice of self-managed work teams. This approach to group dynamics has many short term and long term benefits, such as solving problems across organizational boundaries or in changing the nature of work and supervision itself.
 
CMNS 360, Relational, Group, and Organizational Theory
This course surveys relevant theoretical developments in the field of communication. While exploring the major theoretical paradigms that inform and guide the study of human communication, students receive insight into the significance and meaning of their own day-to-day communication activities and  discover how theories provide complementary and viable explanations for analyzing as well as assessing the impact of communication in relational, group and organizational contexts.
 
CMNS 361, Gender and Communication
A review of the differences in communication patterns between women and men. Topics covered include language and language usage differences, interaction patterns, gender social movements, and perceptions of the sexes generated through language and communication.
 
CMNS 366, Communication, Technology and Society
Survey of a variety of contemporary and historical issues related to the introduction and diffusion of communication technologies in society. Especially examines how new technologies, particularly the Internet, are transforming the communication landscape.  Emphasis on issues of intellectual property, surveillance, privacy, regulation, message construction, and access will be central to this course.
 
CMNS 367, Performance for Social Change
This is an experiential field experience that examines the role of performance in social activism. Student projects will identify a social issue of critical concerns and devise a performative response.
 
CMNS 393, Communication Practicum
Structured and supervised student participation in collegiate debating, radio production or group presentations for various audiences. Includes practical experience in research, rehearsal and performance. Students may take a maximum of 2 credit hours in one quarter, 4 credit hours in the major, and 8 total credit hours.
 
CMN 294: Communication Internship
Course places students in business, industry, or not-for-profit general communication internships; opportunities; opportunities in advertising, public relations, journalism, radio and television, museums, and philanthropic outreach organizations. Program open to communication majors and minors who meet eligibility requirements.
 

CMN 394: Advanced Communication Internship
Placement of students in business, industry, or not-for-profit major specific internships. Opportunities in advertising, public relations, journalism, radio and television, museums and philanthropic outreach organizations. Program open to communication majors and minors who meet eligibility requirements.