Communication (COMM)

Centenary's interdisciplinary program in Communication provides students with a rich body of courses through which to explore the practices and theories of human communication as a social and cultural phenomenon. The program allows students the flexibility to concentrate their major coursework in an area that best suits their personal and professional goals; after receiving an introduction to communication studies, students may pursue one of three tracks: Professional Writing, Film/Television/Video, or New Media. The program also encourages students to gain practical training in communication through internships with either local or national companies and organizations.

Professional Writing Track

The required interdisciplinary courses in the professional writing track allow students to investigate varied aspects of communication as they pertain to writers; individual students can tailor the track to accommodate their own particular fields of interest within writing and the larger field of communication. Students in the track receive a strong grounding in writing practice as well as vital experience in visual and speech communication and cultural analysis.

Requirements for the B.A. in Communication - Professional Writing:

  1. COMM 180: Public Communication in the Digital Age
  2. COMM 181: Introduction to Communication Studies
  3. COMM 472 & COMM 441: Senior Seminar in Communication and coordinate tutorial
  4. At least twelve hours in advanced writing to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ENGL 212: Advanced Grammar, Rhetoric, and Composition
    • COMM/ENGL/BUSN 217: Communication for Business and the Professions
    • COMM/ENGL 219: Creative Writing
    • COMM/ENGL 314W: Advertising and Public Relations
    • COMM/ENGL 315: The Essay
    • COMM/ENGL 316: Writing for the Mass Media
    • COMM/ENGL 319S: Screenwriting
  5. At least three hours in visual, audio, and multimedia production to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ART 218: Introduction to Photography
    • COMM/ART 221: Introduction to Video and Film Production
    • COMM/ART 251: Design Communication
    • COMM/ENGL 282: Multimedia Writing and Literature
    • COMM/ART 318: Advanced Photography
    • COMM/ART 321: Advanced Video and Film Production
    • COMM/ART 351: Multimedia Design
    • COMM/ENGL 382: Radio Broadcasting
    • COMM/ART 451: Topics in Multimedia Design
  6. At least six hours in cultural history and analysis to be selected from the following:
    • ART 101: Survey of Art History I
    • ART 102: Survey of Art History II
    • THEA 112: Analysis and Criticism
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 172: Introduction to Visual Culture
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 178: Introduction to Film Art
    • COMM/ENGL 262: Shakespeare and Film
    • ART 305W: History of American Art
    • ART 306S: Foundations of Modern Art
    • ART 310: History of Photography
    • THEA 307S: History of the Theatre
    • THEA 308W: History of the Theatre
    • COMM/ENGL 361: Arts of Representation
    • COMM/ENGL 368: History of Film to 1939
    • COMM/ENGL 369: History of Film from 1939 to the Present
    • COMM/ENGL 373S: Theory and Criticism of Film
    • COMM/ENGL 383: Digital Cultures
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 399: Seminar in Film and Television Studies

At least twelve hours of coursework in Communication must be at the 300- or 400-level.

All communication majors are strongly encouraged to take COMM 400: Internship in Communication. COMM 400 can be substituted for a 300- or 400-level course that covers an advanced topic related to the internship work. In other words, a writing internship can substitute for an advanced writing course, a film/television internship can substitute for an advanced film course, and a multimedia internship can substitute for an advanced multimedia course.

Ten Courses: 30 hours

Supportive Requirements:

  • Completion of the intermediate level of a foreign language

Requirements for a Minor in Communication – Professional Writing:

  1. COMM 180: Public Communication in the Digital Age
  2. COMM 181: Introduction to Communication Studies
  3. At least twelve hours in advanced writing to be selected from the following:
    • ENGL 212: Advanced Grammar, Rhetoric, and Composition
    • COMM/ENGL/BUSN 217: Communication for Business and the Professions
    • ENGL 219: Creative Writing
    • COMM/ENGL 314W: Advertising and Public Relations
    • COMM/ENGL 315: The Essay
    • COMM/ENGL 316: Writing for the Mass Media
    • COMM/ENGL 319S: Screenwriting

At least six hours of coursework in Communication must be at the 300- or 400-level.

Six Courses: 18 hours

Film /Television/Video Track

The Film/Television/Video track is structured to teach students to express themselves and to communicate with others using various electronic and film media. With a liberal arts perspective and extensive production experience, students will have the opportunity to become creative artists and analysts of the media who have a strong sense of the complex realities of the role of film, television, and video play in communication.

Requirements for the B.A. in Communication - Film /Television/Video:

  1. COMM 180: Public Communication in the Digital Age
  2. COMM 181: Introduction to Communication Studies
  3. COMM 473: Senior Seminar in Communication
  4. At least six hours in visual production to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ART 218: Introduction to Photography
    • COMM/ART 221: Introduction to Video and Film Production
    • COMM/ART 251: Design Communication
    • COMM/ART 318: Advanced Photography
    • COMM/ART 321: Advanced Video and Film Production
  5. At least nine hours in Film Studies to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 178: Introduction to Film Art
    • COMM/ENGL 262: Shakespeare and Film
    • COMM/ENGL 368: History of Film to 1939
    • COMM/ENGL 369: History of Film from 1939 to the Present
    • COMM/ENGL 373S: Film Theory and Criticism
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 399: Seminar in Film and Television Studies
  6. At least three hours in cultural history and analysis to be selected from the following:
    • ART 101: Ancient Through Medieval Art
    • ART 102: Renaissance Through Contemporary Art
    • THEA 112 Analysis and Criticism
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 172: Introduction to Visual Culture
    • ART 305W: History of American Art
    • ART 306S: Foundations of Modern Art
    • ART 310: History of Photography
    • THEA 307S: History of the Theatre
    • THEA 308W History of the Theatre
    • ENGL 361: Arts of Representation
    • COMM/ENGL 383: Digital Cultures
  7. At least three hours of audio, multimedia and theatre production to be selected from the following:
    • THEA 205: Technical Production
    • COMM/ENGL 282: Multimedia Writing and Literature
    • THEA 303: Acting: Character Development
    • COMM/ENGL 319S: Screenwriting
    • COMM/ART 351: Web Design
    • COMM/ENGL 382: Radio Broadcasting
    • THEA 401: Directing I
    • COMM/ART 451: Topics in Multimedia Design

At least twelve hours of coursework in Communication must be at the 300- or 400-level.

All communication majors are strongly encouraged to take COMM 400: Internship in Communication. COMM 400 can be substituted for a 300- or 400-level course that covers an advanced topic related to the internship work. In other words, a writing internship can substitute for an advanced writing course, a film/television internship can substitute for an advanced film course, and a multimedia internship cans substitute for an advanced multimedia course.

Ten courses: 30 hours

Supportive Requirements:

  • Completion of the intermediate level of a foreign language

Requirements for a Minor in Communication – Film/Television/Video

  1. COMM 180: Public Communication in the Digital Age
  2. COMM 181: Introduction to Communication Studies
  3. At least twelve hours in Film Studies to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 178: Introduction to Film Art
    • COMM/ENGL 262: Shakespeare and Film
    • COMM/ENGL 368: History of Film to 1939
    • COMM/ENGL 369: History of Film from 1939 to the Present
    • COMM/ENGL 373S: Film Theory and Criticism
    • COMM/ENGL 399: Seminar in Film and Television Studies

At least six hours of coursework in Communication must be at the 300- or 400-level.

Six Courses: 18 hours

New Media Track

New media has emerged as a crucial component of communication practice. The new media track allows students to explore more fully the methods and practices associated with multimedia design, web design, and electronic graphic design while also developing knowledge and practices associated with more traditional communication concentrations.

Requirements for the B.A. in Communication - New Media:

  1. COMM 180: Public Communication in the Digital Age
  2. COMM 181: Introduction to Communication Studies
  3. COMM/ENGL 282: Multimedia Writing and Literature
  4. COMM 473: Senior Seminar in Communication
  5. At least six hours in multimedia production to be selected from the following:
    • COMM/ART 251: Design Communication
    • COMM/ART 351: Multimedia Design
    • COMM/ART 351: Topics in Multimedia Design
  6. At least six hours in visual and audio production to be selected from the following:
    • ART 103: Beginning Drawing and Design
    • COMM/ART 218:Introduction to Photography
    • COMM/ART 221: Introduction to Video and Film Production
    • COMM/ART 318: Advanced Photography
    • COMM/ART 321: Advanced Video and Film Production
    • COMM/ENGL 382: Radio Broadcasting
  7. At least six hours in cultural history and analysis to be selected from the following:
    • ART 101: Survey of Art History I
    • ART 102: Survey of Art History II
    • THEA 112: Analysis and Criticism
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 172: Introduction to Visual Culture
    • COMM/ENGL/ART 178: Introduction to Film Art
    • COMM/ENGL 262: Shakespeare and Film
    • ART 305W: History of American Art
    • ART 306S: Foundations of Modern Art
    • ART 310: History of Photography
    • THEA 307S: History of the Theatre
    • THEA 308W History of the Theatre
    • ENGL 361: Arts of Representation
    • COMM/ENGL 368: History of Film to 1939
    • COMM/ENGL 369: History of Film from 1939 to the Present
    • COMM/ENGL 373S: Theory and Criticism of Film
    • COMM/ENGL 383: Digital Cultures
    • COMM /ENGL/ART 399: Seminar in Film and Television Studies
  8. At least three hours in advanced writing to be selected from the following:
    • ENGL 212: Advanced Grammar, Rhetoric, and Composition
    • COMM/ENGL//BUSN 217: Communication for Business and the Professions
    • ENGL 219: Creative Writing
    • COMM/ENGL 314W: Advertising and Public Relations
    • COMM/ENGL 315: The Essay
    • COMM/ENGL 316: Writing for the Mass Media
    • COMM/ENGL 319S: Screenwriting

At least twelve hours of coursework in Communication must be at the 300- or 400-level.

All communication majors are strongly encouraged to take COMM 400: Internship in Communication. COMM 400 can be substituted for a 300- or 400-level course that covers an advanced topic related to the internship work. In other words, a writing internship can substitute for an advanced writing course, a film/television internship can substitute for an advanced film course, and a multimedia internship cans substitute for an advanced multimedia course.

Ten Courses: 30 hours

Supportive Requirements:

  • Completion of the intermediate level of a foreign language

Program Honors in Communication

In order for a student to be considered for admission to the Honors Program in Communication, he or she must meet the general College criteria for admission to such programs. In addition, each student must:

  1. Major in Communication.
  2. Hold a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.25 GPA overall.
  3. Complete a substantial project appropriate for his or her track in at least three hour of Independent Study (COMM 491-496). This project must be approved by an Honors Committee made up of three faculty members teaching in the communication program and must be published or presented at a public venue approved by the student’s Honors Committee.

Communication Courses

172. Introduction to Visual Culture (3)
This course introduces issues and debates about how we shape, and are shaped by, different forms of visual culture such as film and video, television, painting, photography, performance art, the built environment, and information technology. Issues such as the role of visual cultures in (re)producing ideas about race, identity, sexuality and gender will also be explored. Every spring. (Same as ENGL 172 & Art 172).

178. Introduction to Film Art (3)
This course provides an introduction to the study and analysis of film. Students will learn the fundamentals of film form, style, and history. Topics include narrative structure, cinematography, editing, sound, and genre. This course also prepares students for more advanced study in film seminars as well as film and video production. This course meets six hours per week, three of which are devoted to screenings. Every Fall. (Same as ENGL 178 & ART 178).

180. Public Communication in the Digital Age(3)
This course explores the rhetorical challenges posed by new digital communication technologies. Students will investigate how these technologies have altered audience expectations for public presentations and learn when and how to use these technologies to enhance their public communication efforts. The course will require students to deliver a substantial number of oral presentations and use digital tools and communication forums to enhance these presentations when appropriate. Every semester.

181. Introduction to Communication Studies (3)
This course provides a survey of human communication and an Introduction to the assumptions and methods of analysis central to communication studies. Topics include the communication theories and models, the social roles that communication plays in interpersonal, group, and organizational settings, methods for analyzing the mass media, and current controversies and debates within the field. Every spring.

200. Radio Practicum (1)
COMM 200 is a practicum/workshop required for all students expecting to work on the staff at KSCL. This practicum provides an introduction to and training in the fundamental tasks and responsibilities that all participating students will be expected to understand and perform. Students will be graded on their work in the course, and they will need to demonstrate proficiency and professionalism in order to continue working with the station. This practicum also stresses the link between your engagement with the radio station and your academic and community responsibilities. (Beginning Fall 2009)

212. Advanced Rhetoric, Grammar, and Composition (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. English 212 is an advanced writing class in which students develop their writing through intensive composition, combined with close readings of essays and literature. The course also examines the impact of current transformations in the rhetorical world due to the rapid proliferation of computer technologies. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 212)

217. Communication for Business and the Professions (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. Instruction and practice in the various forms of practical communication, such as correspondence and reports, with an emphasis on communicating through electronic technology. Offered on demand. (Same as ENGL 217 & BUSN 217).

218. Introduction to Photography (3)
An Introduction to the basic principles of photography as an art form, focusing upon composition, types of cameras, fundamental lens designs, and printing. Students furnish their own adjustable cameras and supplies. With weekly critique sessions. Every fall. (Same as ART 218).

219. Creative Writing (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. An advanced course in writing for students interested in producing original pieces of prose fiction and verse. Every fall. May be elected for up to six hours credit as topic changes. (Same as ENGL 219)

221. Introduction to Video and Film Production (3)
Students will learn the basic terminology, methods, and principles of film and video production through classroom lecture and laboratory production work. Every fall. (Same as ART 221)

251. Design Communication (3)
This course investigates the role design plays in human Communication. Students will gain familiarity with the basic concepts and assumptions underlying design practice and learn to see applied arts such as graphic design, industrial design, architecture, and multimedia design function as communicative activities. Special attention will be given to the rhetorical methods associated with identifying design problems and implementing design solutions. Every fall. (Same as ART 251).

262. Shakespeare and Film (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. This course is the meeting ground of the single most influential English author, Shakespeare, and the most distinctive and pervasive modern artistic form, the film. From its beginnings, film recognized Shakespeare as one of its most reliable and popular sources of material, and Shakespeare remains a potent presence in contemporary film. The course investigates this peculiar dedication to Shakespeare by considering both film versions of Shakespeare's plays ("Shakespeare on Film") and the frequent presence of Shakespearean material in films that have only the most tenuous connection to the actual playwright ("Shakespeare in Film"). Fall of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 262).

282. Multimedia Writing and Literature (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A survey of multimedia literature in English, fro the medieval illuminated manuscript through contemporary hypertext. This course also introduces students to practical electronic media writing and hypertext design. Every fall. (Same as ENGL 282).

312. Literacy Journalism (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A seminar and workshop for writing literary journalism. Students will survey the genre from a historical perspective, analyze contemporary examples that may serve as models, and produce substantial work of their own. Students will gain experience in interviewing and research as well as employing literary techniques such narrative, description, and dialogue. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 312)

314W. Advertising and Public Relations (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. This course surveys the related fields of advertising and public relations and examines their role in contemporary society. Topics include history, law, ethics, social dynamics, and economic implications as well as creative and technical elements of the advertising and public relations campaign. The process of advertising and public relations is studied from the perspectives of art, business, and communication. Every fall. (Same as ENGL 314W).

315. The Essay (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A workshop course for belletristic or personal essay. Includes an overview of the essay genre as well as readings from representative essay literature. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 315).

316. Writing for the Mass Media (3)
Students study basic techniques and formats used in print and broadcast journalism, along with similarities and differences in style among them. Grammar, syntax accuracy, logical construction, and other elements of good writing are emphasized, along with learning to write, under deadline pressure, basic, error-free copy. Additional emphasis on keeping up with current events and trends in the world through improved research skills. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 316).

318. Advanced Photography (3)
Prerequisite: Art 218 or Instructor's approval. A continuation of the study of basic photography as an art form, focusing upon composition, printing, lighting design, and studio photography. Students furnish their own adjustable cameras and supplies. With weekly critique sessions. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ART 318).

319S. Screenwriting (3)
This course is primarily a writing workshop in which students produce several different kinds of scripts for broadcast media - specifically film and video, television, and radio. Student peers as well as the instructor will act as both audience and critics in helping participants become more imaginative and disciplined writers. Goals of the course include polishing the Art of good storytelling and learning how stories work within the system of the media as business. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 319S).

321. Advanced Video and Film Production (3)
Prerequisite: Art 221 or instructor's approval. Students will enhance their understanding of film and video through advanced lectures and laboratory production work. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ART 321).

351. Web Design (3)
Prerequisite: COMM/ART 251. This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts, issues, and concerns associated with web site design. Course readings and exercises encourage students to explore the aesthetic and historical/cultural dimensions of design and then use this knowledge as they plan, propose, implement, and rationalize their own web site designs. Every spring. (Same as ART 351).

368. History of Film to 1939 (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A chronological survey of the cinema from its beginnings in the 1890s to the development of Classical Hollywood Cinema to 1939. Special attention is paid to major directors (Griffith, Eisenstein, Renoir), influential national cinemas (American, Russian, French, and German), and to dominant styles and genres (silent comedy, expressionism, Hollywood gangster and Western films). Fall of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 368)

369. History of Film From 1939 to the Present (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. A chronological survey of film from 1939 to the present. Special attention is paid to the breakdown of the classical Hollywood model, the reaction of film makers to the challenge of television, and the rise of independent filmmaking. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 369)

373S. Theory and Criticism of Film (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. This course is concerned primarily with the aesthetics of film and the ways in which these theories are applied to practical criticism. Among those approaches to be studied will be feminist, semiotic, and historical methods of analysis. Fall of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 373S)

382. Radio Broadcasting (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. This course is a workshop in radio history, production, and station management. The class works in close association with the student-operated KSCL radio station, creating projects for possible broadcast. Students will read media texts, interact with local radio professionals, write scripts, and design programming. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 382).

383. Digital Cultures (3)
Prerequisites: CSC 106, COMM/ENGL 282 or permission of instructor. This course explores the intersections of contemporary critical theory, new digital technologies, and literature. By examining computer-mediated cultures and major topics through these lenses, students develop sophisticated, scholarly and critical analyses of this rapidly-developing world. Spring of alternate years. (Same as ENGL 383).

399. Seminar in Film and Television Studies (3)
Prerequisite: ENGL 101. An analysis of cinema or television as aesthetic forms and social documents, usually with an emphasis on American and European film or television. Recent topics have included: "Masculinity and Femininity in Film," "Film and Literature" and "Television Studies." May be elected for up to six hours credit as topic changes. Spring of alternate years. (same as ENGL 399)

400. Internship in Communication - (1-6)
Prerequisite: Permission of the Biedenharn Chair in Communication. Supervised internship with an approved company or organization in any of the professional areas covered by the Communication major, such as video/film/television production, advertising, public relations, news or feature writing, new media design, graphic design, or marketing. Students will be required to submit a term report or project at the end of the internship to the Biedenharn Chair in Communication. May be repeated for credit for internship in another area up to a maximum of six hours. Offered each semester.

451. Topics in Multimedia Design (3)
Prerequisite: COMM/Art 351. This course will address a particular multimedia design issue or problem, guiding students in the implementation of an appropriate design; topics will vary. Course work will require students to attend supervised lab sessions outside of the scheduled class period. On demand. (Same as Art 451). May be elected for up to six hours credit as topic changes.

473. Senior Seminar (3)
Requires concurrent enrollment in COMM 441. The course guides students in the design and preparation of a portfolio promoting their professional identities and activities. Every fall.

491-6. Independent Study (1-6)
Prerequisite: Permission of the Biedenharn Chair in Communication and the student’s communication advisor. Guided study in a particular area of communication directed toward the completion of substantial project appropriate for the student’s track. The course is restricted to students seeking honors in communication. This course can be repeated for up to six hours of credit. On demand.

Last updated April 29, 2008.