Curriculum

Our curriculum has been honored with an award for Excellence from the Central States Communication Association.

The communication curriculum is clustered into three conceptual areas of study: rhetoric and public address, communication theory and media studies. The three major areas provide students with breadth and depth in the communication discipline and an excellent preparation for graduate studies in communication and for communication-related careers.

Students majoring in communication must complete at least two of the introductory foundation courses, including Persuasion in Society, Media and Society, and Introduction to Human Communication.

Communication majors are also required to select at least one course from each of the three areas of study and an additional five courses of their choice. Two of these courses may be taken from a specified list of art, English, theater, peace studies, psychology and sociology offerings. Students pursuing a communication minor complete one of the foundation courses and choose five additional courses, one of which may be from the previously listed departments.

The communication major is flexible enough to allow students to customize their course selections to meet their personal and career goals.

Sample courses in the three conceptual areas:

Rhetoric and Public Address

• Applied Persuasion
• Argumentation and Advocacy
• Environmental Rhetoric
• Freedom of Speech
• Persuasion in Society
• Political Communication
• Public Address
• Rhetoric of Advertising

• Communication Theory
• Conflict
• Effective Listening
• Communication Research Methods
• Gender and Communication
• Group Communication
• Intercultural Communication
• Interpersonal Communicaiton

Media Studies

• Introduction to Media Writing
• Introduction to Film
• Advanced Film Studies
• Advanced Media Writing
• Media and Children
• Media and Elections
• Media and Society
• Media Effects
• Strategic Communication Campaigns