Graduate Information

Degree Program

Course Breakdown  |   M.A. Program  |   Ph.D. Program Course Breakdown

1. Communication Theories
    
   1. Basic Communication
      Basic communication theory involves the study of those constructs which overlay communication in differing contexts. These constructs are treated both historically as they developed out of differing cultures to meet differing needs, and comparatively, as they reflect the varying perspectives of current disciplinary interests.
   1. Historical Antecedents
      932   Theories of Rhetoric: Classical
      933   Theories of Rhetoric: Neo-Classical
   2. Contemporary Perspectives
      859   Proseminar in Communication Studies
      958   Comparative Theories of Speech Communication
      959   Theories of Rhetoric: Contemporary
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area.
   2. Theories of Personal and Social Influence
      Theories of personal and social influence involve the study of those communication behaviors by which individuals or groups attempt social action or control. The scope of this study include: (1) the communicator and his/her credibility; (2) the message -- its structure and language on its argumentative form, and the choice of content; (3) the receiver -- his/her belief systems, value structure, and personality variables, which affect response to the message; and (4) the situation in which influence occurs and its effect on that influence.
      

      537   Communication in Conflict Resolution
      538   Persuasion
      539   Argumentation
      938   Seminar in Persuasion
      939   Seminar in Argumentation

2. Communication Contexts
    
   1. Interpersonal and Small Group Communication
      The scope of this area includes the process of interpersonal perception, the constraints of language on interpersonal behavior, the operation of interpersonal and cognitive processes in human interaction, and the study of interaction between two or more individuals in both task-oriented and group maintenance situations.
      

      543   Group Leadership Practicum
      544   Advanced Interpersonal Communication: Theory and Research
      590   Nonverbal Communication
      843   Changing Communication Behavior
      846   Communication and Aging
      936   Seminar in Language and Discourse
      942   Seminar in Small Group Communication
      949   Communication Strategies and Human Resources
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area.

   2. Public and Political Communication
      Public communication involves the study of those situations in which one person or a group of persons publicly address themselves to others. This may occur in face-to-face situations or through media that physically separate the speaker from his/her audience. The scope of this study includes: (1) situational forces that give rise to public communication; (2) the motives of the communicator; (3) the manner in which he/she constructs a fitting response to the rhetorical situation; (4) the different forms of public communication--the single message, the campaign, the movement; (5) the role of media in public communication; (6) an assessment of the personal and social influence of public communication and (7) the ethical responsibilities of those engaged in public communication. These phenomena are studies historically and in terms of their contemporary significance.
      

      551   The Rhetoric of Black Americans
      552   The Rhetoric of Women's Rights
      553   The Rhetoric of Political Campaigns
      603   Topics in Presidential Rhetoric:______________
      605   Speech Writing
      607   Political Communication
      807   Rhetoric, Politics and the Mass Media
      907   Seminar in Political Communication
      950   Studies in Public Address
      Note: Additional s pecial 930 seminars may be offered in this area.

   3. Organizational Communication
      Organizational communication involves the study of communication within formally structured social systems. The scope of such a study includes: (1) analysis of the structure of organizations in business, industry, government, religion, professions, and education; (2) the examination of relationships between communication methods and the effective functioning of organizations; (3) the development of perspective concerning appropriate goals, methods, and techniques of organizational communication; and (4) the specification of problems and methods of research in organizational communication.
      

      530   Internship in Communication Studies
      531   Leadership Strategies and Applications
      548   Theories of the Interview
      549   Communication in Service and Sales
      810   Organizational Communication Theory and Research
      848   Communication Audits in Organizations
      948   Seminar in Organizational Communication
      949   Communication Strategies and Human Resources
      953   Seminar in Organizational Rhetoric
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area such as Micro-level Organizational Communication, Macro-Level Organizational Communication, Communication and Organizational Cultures, and Communication Technology and Organizational Change.

   4. Intercultural Communication
      Intercultural communication involves the study of communication between individuals or groups from differing cultures or subcultures. The scope of such study includes: (1) the effects of differences in verbal and non-verbal signals in cross-cultural communication; (2) the manner in which cultural perceptions, attitudes and motivations influence communication behavior; (3) the reciprocal influences between communication channels and cultural traditions, political structures, economics, kinship patterns and social systems; and (4) the role of communication in diffusion of innovation and modernization.
      

      547   Communication and Culture
      647   Issues in Intercultural Communication
      667   Interpersonal Communication in Multinational Organizations
      946   Communication and Intergroup Relations
      947   Communication and Cultural Innovation and National Development.
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area.

   5. Legal Communication
      Legal communication involves the study of communication as it occurs in the legal setting, whether district, state or federal, and whether civil or criminal. It concerns exploring message variables, argument strategies, juror perception and response, and the research done on those variables.
      

      537   Communication in Conflict Resolution
      539   Argumentation
      639   Legal Communication
      938   Seminar in Persuasion
      939   Seminar in Argumentation
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area.

   6. Communication and New Technology
      Communication and new technology involves study of emerging technologies and their impact on messages, message reception and response, and how technological changes alter both communication behavior and theory.
      

      620   Communication and the New Technology
      860   New Communication Technology and The Work Place
      Note: Additional special 930 seminars may be offered in this area.