Communication Courses

COM 101 - Survey of Communication (3 hours)
Basic communication concepts and issues. Overview of mass media history and profession.

COM 103 - The Oral Communication Process (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SP
Theories and skills of oral communication. Emphasis on basic principles of thought, content, organization, style, delivery, and the interaction of communication and culture.

COM 112 - Introduction to Media Production (1 hour)
Tools and aesthetics of media production: word processing and photography. The desktop computer interface. Desktop publishing, presentation software, multimedia documents. Internet navigation and page production. Credit by examination available. Not available for credit to students who have credit in IM 113.

COM 160 - Sports, Media and Society (3 hours)
The social, political, economic, historical, and ethical significance of the intersection of sports, media, and society. Prerequisite: COM 101

COM 201 - Journalistic Writing (3 hours)
Basic writing: selecting, organizing, and structuring information for print and broadcast journalism. Prerequisite: COM 101; ENG 101.

COM 202 - Basic Advertising Writing (3 hours)
Principles and practice of effective advertising writing. Selecting, organizing, and structuring information for advertising writing. Prerequisite: COM 101; ENG 101.

COM 203 - Introduction to Electronic Media (3 hours)
Overview of electronic media industries: radio, television, cables and related electronic technologies. Local, regional, national, and international networks and programming services. Broadcast and broadband distribution; roles of government, advertisers, agencies, and audiences. Prerequisite: COM 101

COM 204 - Audio Production (3 hours)
Study and practice in the operation of basic audio production equipment. Production techniques and production criticism. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201; or consent of instructor.

COM 209 - Forensics (1 hour)
Research and performance laboratory for students who participate in intercollegiate and community speech activities. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: COM 103; consent of Forensics Director.

COM 215 - Basic Reporting (3 hours)
Practice in news gathering, beat reporting, interviewing, and writing basic news stories. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201; ENG 101

COM 219 - Public Relations (3 hours)
Nature, practices, ethics, and problems of public relations. Prerequisite: COM 101, COM 201 or COM 202; ENG 101.

COM 220 - Advertising As Communication (3 hours)
Introduction to the foundations, nature, and practice of advertising; commercial aspects of communications. Ethical, legal and social responsibility aspects of advertising. Prerequisite: COM 101

COM 225 - Visual Storytelling (3 hours)
Practice in visual storytelling using video, audio, still photography, and other means of conveying information to create a journalistic report in a documentary style for multiple publishing platforms. Prerequisite: COM 101, COM 201.

COM 260 - Sports Writing and Announcing (3 hours)
The skills of writing and announcing for the electronic media. Prerequisite: COM 101, ENG 101, IM 113; and COM 201 or COM 202

COM 265 - International Issues and Ethics in Sports (3 hours)
A global perspective on sports including a discussion of nationalism and global advertising. Prerequisite: COM 101 and COM 160

COM 291 - Topics in Communication (1-3 hours)
Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. May be repeated under different topics. Topic and prerequisites stated in current Schedule of Classes. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

COM 292 - Organizational Communication (3 hours)
Introduction to organizational communication including perspectives on organizing, the nature of communication within organizations, organizational culture, enhancing communication competence, innovation, technology, and organizational change, and contemporary issues. Prerequisite: COM 103.

COM 300 - Communication Theory (3 hours)
Theories and variables of human communication in the interpersonal, group, organizational, intercultural, mediated, and global systems. Prerequisite: COM 101; minimum of 45 credit hours.

COM 303 - Rhetorical Perspectives in Organizational Communication (3 hours)
Rhetoric is the strategic use of symbols to generate meanings. Studying rhetoric examines how people are coordinated via discourses thereby producing critical interpretations of how, when, and why discourses are effective and persuasive. Organizational rhetoric is the strategic use of symbols to influence the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of audiences important to the operation of organizations. The course focuses on rhetorical perspectives in five typical and recurring organizational contexts: identity rhetoric, issues rhetoric, risk rhetoric, crisis rhetoric, and rhetoric for internal audiences. We will emphasize the ethical dimensions of organizational communication during the strategic use of discourse. Prerequisite: COM 103; junior/senior standing; COM 292 or consent of instructor

COM 305 - The Persuasive Process (3 hours)
How persuasive communication influences human behavior. Emphasis on recent theories of persuasion and experimental research. Creating persuasive messages and evaluating persuasive attempts. Prerequisite: COM 103 or consent of instructor.

COM 307 - News Feature Writing (3 hours)
Writing local news features and special feature stories for Sunday supplements, magazine sections, and magazines. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215; ENG 101.

COM 310 - Broadcast News Writing and Reporting (3 hours)
Focus on producing, writing, reporting, and critiquing broadcast news. On-air performance including in-studio and live breaking news. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215; ENG 101.

COM 314 - Introduction to Video: Studio Production (3 hours)
Television production techniques, theories, and fundamental skills as applied to studio production and COM 335. May be taken concurrently with Com 335 only with consent of instructor. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 203, 204; or consent of instructor.

COM 315 - Intercultural Communication Theory (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. CD
Communication across diverse cultures. Intercultural communication theory, skills, and concepts. Developing specific communication skills to facilitate effective communication in intercultural settings. Prerequisite: COM 103; junior standing.

COM 316 - Researching Communication in Organizational Culture (3 hours)
Introduction to qualitative approaches to studying cultural forces in organizational communication, including ethnography of communication, conversation analysis, rhetorical analysis of texts, interviewing, and communication audits. Prerequisite: COM 103; junior standing.

COM 320 - Advertising Creative Strategy (3 hours)
Formulation and techniques of creative strategy. Copywriting for print and electronic media. Prerequisite: COM 101, 202, and 220; ENG 101.

COM 322 - Advertising Media Planning (3 hours)
Development of media plans and schedules to deliver advertising messages to target markets in media audiences. Advertising media vehicles evaluated in terms of creative requirements, audience characteristics, and cost efficiency. Prerequisite: COM 101, 220; MTG 315.

COM 323 - Newspaper Editing and Design (3 hours)
Extensive practice in copy editing and headline writing for newspapers with an emphasis on grammar, style, and accuracy. Introduction to the principles of newspaper design. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215; ENG 101.

COM 325 - Advertising Design and Production (3 hours)
Application of advertising principles and techniques in the design and preparation of ads for newspapers, posters, magazines, sales brochures, and direct marketing. Prerequisite: COM 101, 202, 220, and 320; ENG 101.

COM 327 - Public Relations Writing (3 hours)
Promotional writing for publicity and public relations; practice preparing product, personnel, and organizational news releases. Special needs of various media. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215, and 219; ENG 101.

COM 330 - Communication Law and Ethics (3 hours)
Laws covering all the media; libel, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property; federal and state laws; unique broadcast and Internet regulations; nexus between the legal and the ethical in the practice of journalism. Prerequisite: junior standing.

COM 335 - Introduction to Video: Field Production (3 hours)
Use of portable field video production techniques (ENG/EFP) and post-production editing facilities for a variety of assignments in news, feature, and television commercial production. Aesthetics, visualization, and societal impact of the medium. May be taken concurrently with COM 314 only with consent of instructor. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 203, 204 or consent of instructor.

COM 340 - Magazine Production (3 hours)
Magazine publishing: writing, editing, production, design, and management. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, and 215.

COM 345 - Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (3 hours)
Technical, aesthetic, and ethical concerns of the photojournalist and documentarian. Photographs for newspapers, magazines, and interactive media. The photographic essay. Pictorial coverage of events. Prerequisite: ART 225; IM 113; or consent of instructor.

COM 360 - Digital Journalism (3 hours)
Designed to help students effectively use cutting-edge interactive technologies employed in online journalism and to understand their applications. Prerequisite: COM 101, ENG 101, IM 113; and COM 201 or COM 202.

COM 383 - Desktop Publishing (3 hours)
Desktop publishing. Lecture, discussion, and preparation of public relations portfolio using various software.

COM 386 - Media, Race, and Gender (3 hours)
Gen. Ed. CD
An examination of the historical and current media portrayal and involvement of women and ethnic minorities indigenous to America, with special emphasis on the growth and development of minority media and media systems. Prerequisite: junior standing.

COM 391 - Topics in Communication (1-3 hours)
Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. May be repeated under different topics. Prerequisite: Junior standing.

COM 392 - Case Studies in Organizational Communication (3 hours)
Problems and issues in organizational communication are analyzed through case histories, exercises, and projects. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292.

COM 393 - Small Group Communication (3 hours)
Examines theory and research in small group communication in the context of the organization. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292; or consent of instructor.

COM 394 - Communication and Conflict Management (3 hours)
Furnishes learners with an understanding of the nature, purpose, and function of conflict and communication rules and strategies for managing and resolving conflict. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292, or consent of instructor.

COM 395 - Interviewing Communication: Process and Strategy (3 hours)
The purpose, structure, focus, and techniques employed in effective interviewing. Furnishes knowledge and skills necessary for enhancing effectiveness in several types of interviewing contexts, including employment interviews, journalistic interviews, appraisal interviews, and counseling/medical interviews. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292; or consent of instructor.

COM 396 - Communication and Organizational Change (3 hours)
Examines the use of communication technology in organizations and the range of factors which foster the need for organizational change. Furnishes an understanding of how to analyze and diagnose organizational problems and situations and identify and evaluate communication-relevant change management strategies. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292; or consent of instructor.

COM 397 - Virtual Team, Communication and Collaboration (3 hours)
Furnishes conceptual understanding of: 1) the nature of human communication and collaboration; 2) collaboration technologies; and 3) rules and strategies for using technology to enhance team and organizational effectiveness. Prerequisite: COM 103, 292; or consent of instructor.

COM 398 - Communication Training and Development (3 hours)
Theory and practice of training for developing the human resources in the organization. Topics include adult learning theory and research, methods of assessing communication training needs and learning styles, design of effective communication training, presentation skills, and evaluation methods. Prerequisite: COM 103.

COM 399 - Communication in Computer-Mediated Environments (3 hours)
Nature, function, and process of communication in diverse computer-mediated environments. Enhances learners' ability to communicate competently in technologically complex computer-mediated environments.

COM 400 - Communications Research (3 hours)
Research procedures commonly used in communications research, including qualitative and quantitative methods. Emphasis on sampling data collection and analysis. Not open to students with credit in COM 440. Prerequisite: COM 101, 300; minimum of 45 credit hours.

COM 409 - Advanced Screenwriting Workshop (3 hours)
Creative writing workshop in screenwriting taught by English faculty member in collaboration with professionals in the entertainment industry. Cross-listed with ENG 409/509. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: COM 101; 201 or 202; and consent of instructor

COM 414 - Advanced Video: Studio Production (3 hours)
For students entering broadcasting. Preparation and development of television programs; emphasis on creative formats and uses of the camera, sound, music, lighting, and graphics. Development of production and critical skills. This course may be taken concurrently with COM 435 only with consent of instructor. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 203, 204 and 314; senior standing.

COM 415 - Global Media Systems (3 hours)
Study of mass media systems throughout the world: their history, development, theories of control, international news agencies, and new technologies. Prerequisite: COM 101; senior standing or consent of instructor.

COM 416 - Researching Communication in Organizational Culture (3 hours)
Introduces students to the use of qualitative methods of data collection aimed at understanding the relationship between organizational culture and communication. Methods include interviewing, field observations, and analysis of organizational websites and documents. Prerequisite: COM 103, COM 292, and junior status; or consent of instructor.

COM 417 - Issues and Perspectives in Communication (3 hours)
Analysis and discussion of communication issues, ethics, and perspectives. Prerequisite: COM 101, 300; senior standing.

COM 420 - Media Sales (3 hours)
The economics, strategies, and techniques involved in media sales. Prerequisite: COM 203 and junior standing

COM 425 - Advanced Reporting (3 hours)
Intensive practice in multiplatform coverage of urban affairs; introduction to methods of investigative reporting. Focus on the social and political context of the news. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215, 225, 360; ENG 101.

COM 430 - Media Management (3 hours)
Theory and operation of media organizations including management and administrative issues. Cost and revenue analysis, budgeting, and personnel management. Prerequisite: COM 203; senior standing or consent of instructor.

COM 435 - Advanced Video: Field Production (3 hours)
Advanced work in portable video communication systems and electronic editing. Exploration of various media applications and individual style of exposition. Video communication and societal effects. This course may be taken concurrently with COM 414 only with consent of instructor. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 203, 204, and 335.

COM 437 - Advertising in A Global Environment (3 hours)
Comparative analysis of interaction among advertising, cultures, and economic, legal, and political systems. Designing and developing appropriate advertising strategies for diverse cultural markets. Prerequisite: COM 101, 220; MTG 315; or consent of instructor.

COM 438 - Public Relations in A Global Environment (3 hours)
Public relations theory and practice in conjunction with cultural, geographic, and historic components of international practice of the profession. International media-public relations exchange and international public relations. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 219; ENG 101.

COM 445 - Nonlinear Postproduction (3 hours)
Fundamental principles and practices of digital, non-linear video editing and related postproduction processes and procedures. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 203, 204, and 335.

COM 447 - Issues and Ethics in Advertising (3 hours)
Students will explore current issues in advertising with special emphasis on present advertising industry development, advertising laws, advertising literature, special interest research, ethical issues, and problem-solving techniques. Prerequisite: senior standing.

COM 450 - Electronic Media Programming and Promotion (3 hours)
Acquisition, distribution, and evaluation of radio and television program content across various electronic media platforms. Application of programming and promotion strategies to specific situations. Prerequisite: COM 101, 203; senior standing; or consent of instructor.

COM 460 - Sports Promotion and Publicity (3 hours)
Basic principles involved in communicating activities of professional and non-professional sports organizations and institutions to their target audiences. Examination of sports-related corporate social responsibility and community relations initiatives in local, national, and international settings. Prerequisite: COM 101, ENG 101, IM 113, COM 160, COM 360; and COM 201 or COM 202.

COM 474 - Advanced Copywriting (3 hours)
Advanced advertising copywriting for various advertising media. Prerequisite: COM 101, 202, 220, 320, 325; ENG 101; senior standing.

COM 480 - Public Relations: Case Studies and Campaigns (3 hours)
The capstone course in the PR sequence. Theory and strategy are stressed through studies of classic PR case programs and development of PR campaigns for actual businesses and organizations. A final campaign requires research, writing, production, application and analysis skills. Prerequisite: COM 101, 201, 215, 219, 300, and 327; ENG 101; senior standing.

COM 481 - Advertising Campaigns (3 hours)
The capstone course in the advertising sequence. Basic principles and applications of advertising campaign planning, preparation, and presentation taught in a problem-solving mode. Prerequisite: COM 101, 202, 220, 320, 322, 325, and 400; ENG 101.

COM 490 - Independent Study (1-3 hours)
Individual creative research into various problems and aspects of the mass media. Requires application (available in Department Chair's office). May be repeated for a total of six hours. Prerequisite: junior standing and consent of instructor.

COM 491 - Topics in Communication (1-3 hours)
Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. May be repeated under different topics. Topic and Prerequisite: senior standing.

COM 492 - Seminar in Communication (1-3 hours)
Advanced study and/or work in performance, production, historical, critical, and theoretical aspects of communication. May be repeated under different topics, for a total of three semester hours. Prerequisite: junior standing.

COM 494 - Communication Expedition (1-3 hours)
Students travel to observe professional communication and/or to engage in creative production making use of the resources of the particular location. Advanced study and/or experiences in communication settings. May be repeated under different topics for a maximum of 9 hours credit. Topics, destination, and prerequisites stated in current Schedule of Classes.

COM 495 - Communication Internship (1-3 hours)
Supervised experience at media outlets, companies, or organizations utilizing communication involving all phases of media operations. Application required (available from Intern Director). May be repeated once if in a different experience. Only 3 hours count toward major where applicable. Prerequisite: junior standing; 2.5 overall GPA, 2.75 major/minor GPA; completion of required courses in concentration (required courses listed on internship application form).

This is the official catalog for the 2014-2015 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.