COM 101 - Intro to Media Communication
3 credits; Offered fall and spring; Required for communication majors Students are introduced to the latest developments in media communication, as well as to the significance of the First Amendment in preserving democratic freedoms. Students learn how the media have developed so that they can be critical consumers and producers of news, advertising, public relations, and entertainment. A survey of the changing media landscape of journalism, entertainment, and persuasion, including evolving and emerging sources of news, radio, recording, video, film photography, advertising, and public relations provides as overview of media career paths. COM 103 - Freshman Professional Devevlopment Program
1/2 credit each semester; Offered fall and spring
Required for all Communication first-year majors, both semesters, except graduate students This course, part of the department’s four-year professional development program, assists first-year students in exploring their interests, abilities, and values; helps them discover the wide range of career possibilities available; introduces them to the opportunities in the department; and promotes a close working relationship with the student’s academic advisor. Students are responsible to check the course Blackboard site periodically for dates and assignments. The course meets approximately twice a month according to the schedule on Blackboard. COM 140 - Cabrini High School College: Public Speaking
3 credits This course reviews basic skills of speech composition and delivery. Students learn about audience analysis, organization and outlining, and the effective use of non-verbal materials for different types of vocal presentations. These techniques are applicable to a variety of settings in business or education. Student progress in enhanced by periodic instructor evaluation, peer feedback, and frequent recording of speeches. COM 203 - Sophomore Professional DevProg
1/2 credit each semester; Offered fall and spring
Required for all Communication major sophomores, both semesters, except graduate students This course, part of the department's four-year career development program, assists sophomores in expanding career possibilities, finding appropriate courses to develop their abilities, learning about opportunities available to Communication majors, and promoting a close working relationship with the student's academic advisor. Students are responsible to check the course Blackboard site periodically for dates and assignments. The course meets approximately twice a month according to the schedule on Blackboard. COM 221 - The Writing Process: Theory & Tutoring
3 credits; Offered spring In order to prepare students for careers in secondary English education, this course addresses critical components of written English. Students will practice various modes of writing as a means to: strengthen their understanding and experience of writing as a process; improve their consideration of audience and purpose; provide evaluative feedback on drafts; and strengthen skills in grammar, mechanics, and usage. By studying research on writing, analyzing one's own writing and that of others and tutoring students in the Writing Center, students in this course will improve their own writing and help others to improve theirs. COM 246 - Photojournalism Practicum
Credit to be arranged; Offered fall and spring; May be repeated for a credit.
Prerequisite: COM 247 or 248 Students perform advanced work in photography for a campus publication. COM 247 - Basic Photography
3 credits; Offered fall and spring; May be repeated for a credit.
Prerequisite: COM 247 or 248 Coursework reviews basic concepts of still photography: camera usage, exposure, and use of software for digital enhancement. Students are exposed to the factors relating to making a precise visual statement. Weekly photo assignments will require the use of a digital camera with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO manual settings. Students may use their own cameras if they meet requirements. A limited number of digital cameras are available to be signed out for class assignments. Students will be required to purchace a memory card and card reader. COM 248 - Photography for Publication
3 credits; Offered fall and spring Students will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of digital photography as a means of expressing a unique and artistic view of the world around them. Students work collectively as staff photographers of the College newspaper (Loquitur) and website and will produce an extensive portfolio of published photographs from weekly class and Loquitur assignsments. Weekly photo assignments will require the use of a digital camera with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO manual settings. Students may use their cameras if they meet requirements. A limited number of digital cameras are available to be signed out for class assignments. Students will be required to purchase a digital memory card and card reader. COM 250 - Journalism I: Reporting & Writing
4 credits; Offered fall and spring; Must be taken in conjunction with COM 251 This course introduces students to the broad range of skills essential for journalism, including techniques for gathering information, interviewing, organizing information, and writing. Course stresses the criteria for judging the importance of news stories, professional conduct, and effective writing. Students write stories for publication in the College newspaper (Loquitur) and website. Students will report and write weekly for the entire academic year. This is a one-year course, and students must complete the full year to receive grade and credit. COM 251 - Journalism I: Editing & Production
4 credits; Offered fall; Must be taken in conjunction with COM 250 Students learn editing and production principles and skills such as copy editing, use of AP Stylebook, rewriting, headline writing, effective visual communication, and caption writing. Ethical and legal considerations important for work in journalism and related fields like magazine editing, book publishing, public relations, and advertising are stressed. Students edit stories for publication in the College newspaper (Loquitur) and website and work in production of Loquitur. This is a one-year course, and students must complete the full year to receive grade and credit. COM 254 - Newspaper Design
3 credits; Offered spring
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor This course will provide an introduction to three major software programs of publication design: Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Students will learn principles of good publication design, and produce a portfolio of newspaper pages that demonstrate competence in newspaper design. COM 270 - Video Production
4 credits; Lecture and Lab; Offered each fall and spring as needed This hands-on course is designed to provide students with basic video production skills. Opportunities are provided to create and execute video productions both in the studio and in remote locations. Digital video editing techniques are also included. Students write, produce, direct, and crew video productions while learning to use video as a tool for communication. COM 290 - Radio Broadcasting
3 credits; Offered fall and spring Students in this course study job descriptions, station formats, broadcast law, ratings and sales, promotional techniques, and other topics. Students learn to write news, produce a demo tape, produce a commercial, keep logs, and manage other aspects of production. Course includes one hour of production time per week and production of a five-minute demo tape. COM 301 - Special Topics in Communication
3 credits The instructor selects the content of this course each semester to meet the needs of students and to provide opportunities for experiments in creative teaching. H-COM/PSY 302 Honors Communication/Psychology: Psychology in the Media
3 credits; Offered fall
Prerequisite: PSY 101 This course examines media formats such as books, magazines, movies, video, music, video games, marketing, and advertising through the lens of psychological theory and research. Activities and assignments include critiques, debates, reaction papers, field and analytic research. COM 303 - Junior Professional Development Program
1/2 credit each semester; Offered fall and spring;
Required for all Communication major juniors, both semesters, except graduate students This course, part of the department's four-year career development program, assists juniors in developing significant achievements related to their abilities and in further exploring ways to match their talents to potential careers. Students are responsible to check the course Blackboard site periodically for dates and assignments. The course meets approximately twice a month according to the schedule on Blackboard. COM 305 - Digital Color Theory
3 credits; Offered spring
Prerequisite: GRA/COM 205 & 210 or permission of the instructor The importance of Color Management is essential to the designer. Learning how to manage your color workflow, adjusting colors and calibrate different devices to achieve your expectation. Fundamental color theory principles will also be addressed using the computer. Mastering color corrections, spots colors, and printer calibration will be just some of the exercises reviewed. COM/PHI 307 - Ethics and Communication
3 credits; Offered fall, alternate years Ethical theories are applied to actual cases in the media industry. All aspects of the media are considered: broadcast and print media, advertising and public relations, as well as entertainment. Students analyze the loyalties of case participants to understand the underlying moral values and ethical principles. COM 330 - Organizational Communication
3 credits Human beings live and work within a network of organizations: family, school, club, team, profession, government. This course examines the nature and psychology of organizational communication. Special attention is given to games people play, the impact of non-verbal communication (including body language and environment), and the nature of leadership communication. Teaching methodologies used include role playing and guest lecturers from industry. COM 331 - Presentation Communication
3 credits This course is designed to prepare students to develop and deliver effective presentations in a corporate or academic setting. It focuses on "presentational speaking," which is the primary method of communication used in most professional organizations today. Presentational speaking expertise is required for those individuals who want to succeed at workplace activities such as facilitating small group meetings, participating in sales calls, or conducting a training event. Topics include audience analysis, organization of ideas, outlining, delivery, use of visual aids and printed material, presenting a positive and credible image, soliciting feedback, fielding questions, and performing self-evaluation. COM 332 - Writing for the Workplace
3 credits Students learn principles and practices of clear business writing. Students will write for various internal and external audiences and for a range of purposes including explanation and persuasion. Assignments will range in complexity from memos to reports. Course includes a brush-up of grammar, style, and conventions. COM 333 - Research for Communication
3 credits This course focuses on the methods of social scientific research with primary emphasis on developing real-world research skills for journalism, public relations and advertising. Students study how a research question is designed and learn to accurately implement and analyze interviews, surveys, focus groups, and content analyses to answer their question. Each student will design a real-world study during the semester, preferably with a community partner or with instructors and students in other Cabrini courses and projects, and may showcase results at the annual Cabrini Undergraduate Arts, Research, and Scholarship Symposium or in another appropriate forum. COM 334 - Persuasion and Progaganda in Media
3 credits This course covers the nature of persuasion and helps students analyze, evaluate and, use ethical persuasion in personal, group, and public settings. Students will learn how persuasion operates in the world around us in both overt and subtle ways, and be able to articulate some of the implications/consequences of persuasion. Students also will learn to understand the process of persuasion and propaganda, and use theories and critical approaches to recognize and apply the principles as well as the practices of persuasion. COM 335 - Communicate Globally
3 credits This class integrates the theory and skills of intercultural communication with the current practices of multinational organizations and international business world. The class provides students with an opportunity to build awareness of diverse worldviews, insights on understanding and overcoming cultural differences, and appreciation of all cultures and ethnic groups. Through case studies, hands-on activities, and group presentations, students acquire practical knowledge in cross-cultural communication, as well as the trend of globalization and its impact in various regions of the world. COM 336 - Crisis Communication
3 credits This course provides students insights regarding key concepts, theoretical perspectives, and critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for effective crisis communication and management within organizations. Students will learn about stage-based crisis analyses, successful and unsuccessful crisis communications, and developing crisis-management plans. Topics include how public relations and advertising are used to alleviate crisis, how the broadcast and print media cover crises, and how to create internal and external communication strategies for a business or nonprofit organization. COM 347 - Advanced Photography
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 247 This course is for photography students who want to develop their creative skills beyond the level of earlier courses. Students will experiment with a variety of alternative techniques for creating and manipulating black and white images. Class is devoted to demonstrations, display, and critique sessions. Students may borrow a digital camera. COM 348 - History of Photography & Basic Technique
3 credits This course will give students an academic and practical experience of the history of photography. We will accomplish this by studying the great photographic movements of the 18th and the 19th centuries with text, illustrations, and shooting assingments. These photographic assignments will be drawn from and inspired by the photographic trends of this still-young visual medium. Students must have a 35mm and/or digital camera for this course or may borrow one. COM 352 - Journalism II: Advanced Reporting and Writing
2 credits each semester; Offered fall and spring; must be taken in conjunction with COM 353
Prerequisite: COM 250 Advanced journalism skills, including enhancement of those learned in COM 250. Emphasis is on writing effective leads, structuring complex stories, and writing advanced feature, investigative, and interpretive stories. More complex ethical and professional problems are considered. Students write stories for publication in the College newspaper (Loquitur). This is a one-year course, and students must complete the full year to receive a grade and credit. COM 353 - Journalism II: Advanced Editing and Production
2 credits each semester; Offered fall and spring; must be taken in conjunction with COM 352
Prerequisite: COM 251 This course reviews advanced editing and production skills, including enhancement of those learned in COM 251. Emphasis is on rewriting, use of creative design principles, planning of pages and sections, and publication design. Ethical and legal considerations are stressed. Students edit stories for publication in the College newspaper (Loquitur) and work in production of paper. This is a one-year course, and students must complete the full year to receieve a grade and credit. COM 354 - Journalism Practicum
Credit to be arranged; Offered fall and spring; Course may be repeated for credit Students work on a campus publication. Practicum may include experience in planning publications; editorial leadership and decision making; writing and editing; all phases of layout, design, and production; and financial aspects: budgeting, advertising, and accounts. COM 355 - Website Practium
1 credit; Course may be repeated for credit This practicum is designed for students working on the newspaper website and gives students the opportunity to learn and work on all aspects of a communication website. COM 360 - Public Relations
3 credits; Offered fall Students explore the ways businesses and other organizations evaluate public attitudes, identify the policies and actions of the organizations with the public interest, and execute a communication program to bring about public understanding and acceptance. Knowledge of news writing and editing (COM 250 and 251) highly desirable. COM 361 - Public Relations Case Studies
3 credits; Offered spring, alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 360 This course studies the application of public relations theory and techniques to case problems in industry, labor, education, government, social welfare, and trade organizations. COM 362 - Public Relations Campaigns
3credits; Offered spring, alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 360 This course studies the application of public-relations theory in the design of a complete media campaign. COM 365 - Advertising
3 credits Students are introduced to advertising, including social and economic roles, the organization of the advertising industry, the advertising campaign, market definition, budget, evaluating effectiveness, creation of the message, and other topics. COM 366 - Advertising Copywriting
3 credits; Offered fall
Prerequisite: COM 365 This is an intensive course on writing advertising copy for a variety of media. COM 367 - Advertising Case Studies and Campaigns
3 credits; Offered spring
Prerequisite: COM 365 & 366 This course presents an integration of advertising and marketing principles through study of selected cases and application in student-designed campaigns. COM 369 - Intergrated Marketing Communications
3 credits This course will provide students with both a theoretical and practical understanding of integrated marketing communication (IMC). IMC considers all means by which a unified message is communicated to the public. These methods include the obvious promotional channels: adveritsements, direct marketing, public relations, sponsorship, sales promotion, interactive media, and more. However, messages also are communicated via a product's craftsmanship, price, and distribution channels. Without even "saying" a word, marketers can communicate effectively with customers and prospects. Students will create an IMC plan based on an organization's stragetic marketing and business goals. COM 372 - Video Producing/Directing
3 credits; Offered alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 270 This course covers the basic principles and techniques of video producing and directing. Students analyze the decisions a producer/director makes developing a program from concept to execution. While creating video productions, students take program material from idea through writing, organizing crew, budgeting, and handling the actual studio/remote production. COM 373 - Loqation News Production
Variable credits; Offered each semester
Prerequisite: COM 270 This course addresses basic principles and techniques of news gathering, writing, reporting, and producing for the electronic media. Emphasis is on news writing as well as the necessary production techniques. COM 374 - Remote Video Production
3 credits; Offered alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 270 This course provides advanced video production students with a working knowledge of single-camera production. Post-production editing is included. Special attention is paid to remote lighting, remote audio acquisition, sequencing shots to tell a story, and recording outside the video studio. COM 375 - Corporate Video
3 credits; Offered alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 270 Students are introduced to video production techniques for business, education, and government. Emphasis is on scripting, production techniques, and the latest video technologies available to business and education. COM 376 - Video Editing
3 credits; Offered alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 270 This course provides students with advanced skills in digital video editing. Hands-on projects stress effective video techniques for both new and traditional media, video compression, and special effects. COM 377 - Video Documentary Production
3 credits; Offered alternate years
Prerequisite: COM 270 This course is designed to provide advanced video production students with a working knowledge of documentary video storytelling and production techniques. By the end of this course students will have practical experience cooperatively designing, writing, directing, and producting documentary video productions. COM 379 - Video Practicum
Credit to be arranged; Course may be repeated for credit
Students must have video projects approved by instructor before registering. This course offers guided individual advanced work in video. COM 391 - Radio Practicum
1 credit; Course may be repeated for credit
Prerequisite: COM 290 This one-credit course involves hands-on experience in radio through working for WYBF, the campus radio station. Students train on studio equipment and learn station policies and FCC regulations. Students also work in a department, such as news, production, music, promotions, public affairs, sales, or sports and may do an air shift, if desired. COM 392 - Advanced Radio Practicum
3 credits; Course may be repeated for credit
Prerequisite: COM 391 This course focuses on radio-station management. Students will oversee all operations of one of WYBF's departments, such as news, production, music, promotions, public affairs, sales, or sports. Students will also do advanced work in programming, production, and promotion. COM 393 - Advanced Radio Broadcasting
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 290 This course furthers the course objectives of Radio Broadcasting and offers specialized study in two key areas of radio: consulting and production. Students will be exposed to the core business of radio: audience building retention, programming techniques and station management. In addition, they will collaborate with classmates to develop and produce special programs and series for for 89.1 WYBF-FM, the campus radio station. Course includes one hour of production per week and development of a 30-minute documentary. COM 394 - Digital Audio Production
3 credits; Fee This hands-on course looks at the fundamentals of digital audio production. Topics discussed include sampling fundamentals, MIDI production, software synthesis, mixing, signal processing, and sound-to-picture. Students will be exposed at an entry-level workstation, Garage Band, as well as an advanced workstation, Logic Pro. Empahasis will be placed on preparing professional projects that are "air ready" and developing an artistic voice in the medium through both media and music production. COM 403 - Senior Professional Development Program
1/2 credit each semester; Offered fall and spring; Course may be repeated for credit
Required for all Communication major seniors, both semesters This course, part of the department's four-year career development program, assists seniors in integrating their experiences obtained during college, in relating their collegiate experiences to potential employers and in developing methods of life-long learning. Students are responsible to check the course Blackboard site periodically for dates and assignments. The course meets approximately twice a month according to the schedule on Blackboard. COM 465 - Marketing Communications Campaigns
3 credits
Prerequisite: COM 360 or COM 365 or COM 369 Using primary and secondary research activities and a wide variety of marketing communication tools, students will identify and define business problems and opportunities for the purpose of creating marketing communication campaigns for real clients. R-COM 466 Undergraduate Research
1–3 credits; Offered fall, spring, or summer
Prerequisite: Department Chair approval This course offers an independent but directed collaborative course of study involving a specific research agenda in the discipline under departmental faculty supervision. Research projects typically require a review of the literature, a paper developing and defending a hypothesis, and a poster or an oral presentation of the completed research project. COM 472 - Senior Convergence: Media for Social Justice
3 credits
This course or the two-course honors sequence is required of all seniors. This communication capstone course results in the creation of media focused on social justice. Students will research issues and produce pieces in at least two media dealing with those issues. COM 474 - Senior Honors Convergence Fall Seminar
3 credits; Offered fall
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor or department chair Senior students plan and oversee production of media content that will be assembled into a converged-media project in the spring. This is a one-year course and continues as COM 475, Senior Honors Convergence Spring Seminar, during spring semester. Participation in the convergence sequence is limited to students who have distinguished themselves in prior communication courses and whose participation is endorsed by department faculty. Students must be approved each semester by the instructor to advance to the next level. COM 475 - Senior Honors Convergence Spring Seminar
3 credits; Offered spring
Prerequisite: COM 474 and permissions of instructor Students with considerable experience working on one or more media platforms plan and produce a department-converged media project that uses audio, video, text, photographic, and marketing assets produced in fall courses. Students develop project management and leadership skills and will enhance their ability to tell a story via multiple media for web distribution. The Senior Convergence Seminar is the department's culminating senior seminar limited to those students whose work in previous department courses has prepared them for the very highest level communication experience the department offers. Participation in the three-course convergence sequence is limited to students who have distinguished themselves in prior communication courses and whose participation is endorsed by department faculty. Students must be approved each semester by the instructor to advance to the next level. COM 487 - Career Preparation & Job-Search Techniques
3 credits; Offered fall and spring; Best taken in junior year or fall of senior year
Prerequisite: COM 360 or COM 365 or COM 369 The course increases the likelihood of professional and academic success in life after graduation. It focuses on aspects of the career-preparation and job-search process: the steps involved in both the job search process and the graduate school admissions process; factors leading to success in the first entry-level job or in the first year of graduate school; self-evaluation of transferable skills and how they can be demonstrated academically experientially; pairing talents, interests, and abilities with the needs of society. More than simply focused on the mechanics of finding a job, this course asks students to look
within themselves—and outside of themselves—to market their skills effectively. COM 488 - Internship
Credit to be arranged; Offered fall and spring - COM 488a Journalism Internship
- COM 488b Television Internship
- COM 488c Publishing Internship
- COM 488d Advertising Internship
- COM 488e Theater Internship
- COM 488f Public Relations Internship
- COM 488g Radio Internship
- COM 488h Technical Writing Internship
The department offers qualified upper-division students the opportunity for communication internships. Internships are conducted on campus and at the facilities of cooperating
professional communication media. The department must approve all internships. COM 489 - Communication/English Curriculum & Methods
3 credits; Offered upon sufficient enrollment
Required for Secondary Education certification in Communication Students are introduced to methods and materials of instruction for teaching literature, composition, speech, and related communication skills on the secondary level. COM 499 - Independent Study
Credit to be arranged; Fee; Offered fall and spring
Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, department chair, and Dean for Academic Affairs This course offers directed but independent study. Course content is determined after consultation with the instuctor. |