Requirements

Major/Minor

The mission of the general communication major is to provide a curriculum and community that will enable students to understand the implications of the communication process as it relates to leadership; to distinguish themselves by their eloquence in speaking and writing; to have exposure to and facility in using several contemporary communication technologies; and to gain demonstrable skills in all areas of interpersonal communication.

Major Requirements
Forty semester hours chosen in conference with a department advisor, including:
• One course in each of the department’s four areas (general speech, corporate communication, media and film)
• One course selected from each of the two separate areas in theatre (performance and production, dramaturgy)
• CAS 415 or English 345
Courses in language and in international studies as well as a semester abroad are recommended for the student who desires to add a global perspective to his or her career focus.

A minimum of twelve hours in the major field must be completed at Dominican.

Minor Requirements
Eighteen semester hours offered within the department, including CAS 415 or English 345 during senior year. A minimum of nine hours in the minor field must be completed at Dominican.

General Speech Courses

150. SPEAKING AND LISTENING (3)
Basic communication skills in speaking and listening. The principles described in traditional public speaking texts are presented in full and are treated as tools for use in specific speech assignments.

160. VOICE AND DICTION (3)
Listed also as Theatre 160.

221. ELEMENTS OF DEBATE (3)
This class will introduce the structure of parliamentary debate. Students will strengthen their writing, oral and research skills. Throughout the course, students will learn to identify faulty arguments and propositions. This course will include in-class team debate opportunities to sharpen presentation and listening skills, and will also promote greater self-confidence in speaking and making oral arguments. This class is ideal for any student who would like to improve the strength of their speaking and writing skills, those students planning to attend graduate school and for students preparing for any vocation, especially those entering business and law. No prior speech experience is necessary.

241. FAMILY COMMUNICATION (3)
This course explores the communication concepts of effective interaction in the family, including verbal and non-verbal communication, family meetings as a mode of communication and casual barriers to effective communication.

Corporate Communication Courses
180. COMMUNICATION: PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND CAREER FOCUS (3)
This introductory course includes theory, techniques and practical exercises in intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, covering a variety of social and work situations. The Myers-Briggs character and temperament types, as well as Stephen Covey’s personal leadership text will be covered in full. Students will create a personal mission statement based on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

200. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SPEECH (3)
Students participate in realistic communication activities, giving presentations in various communication situations.

222. MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY (3)
Listed also as Sociology 222 and American
Studies 222.

240. SELF AND SOCIETY (3)
Listed also as Sociology 240.

246. THE ART OF LEADERSHIP (3)
An analysis of the field of leadership and of the achievement of organizational goals in business organizations, as well as in not-for-profit and educational institutions. Students will learn the steps to quality leadership and the practices of exemplary leadership.

250. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION (3)
Concepts and insights for a better understanding of the dynamics of face-to-face interpersonal relations. Students experiment and practice ways of improving communication patterns.

306. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (3)
Listed also as Business Administration 245.

320. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND BEHAVIOR (3)
An experimental learning laboratory for developing skills associated with the responsibility of leadership; learning to contend with others on a face-to-face basis; understanding the human needs of others; learning to motivate others to action; and exercising authority in a just and satisfactory manner.

321. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (3)
This course is aimed at demonstrating how the theory and insights of cultural anthropology and communication can positively influence the conduct of global business and intercultural communication. World culture and economic geography are also included.

326. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION (3)
This course has two areas of concentration. It examines, through case studies, the corporate communication function within organizations, including topics such as managing image, corporate advertising, media and investor relations and government affairs. It also provides experiential learning in the critical interpersonal skills needed to manage.

361. INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY (3)
Listed also as Psychology 360.

396. LEADERSHIP IN A DIVERSE MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT (3)
This course provides leaders with the tools necessary to interact effectively with all individuals and subcultures. Rather than expatriates and international assignments, the focus in this course is on leaders in domestic organizations, providing them with the skills to develop their own multicultural awareness and knowledge.

415. COMMUNICATION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF PERSONAL POWER (3)
This course examines the skills and knowledge necessary to develop a strong base for multiple career paths. An executive coach guides students in preparing for positions requiring a high level of communication skill. Course content includes journaling, resume construction, techniques and media authorship.

Journalism/Media Courses

130. INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN APPLICATIONS (3)
Listed also as Art 208.

224. RADIO PRODUCTION (3)
A hands-on course in radio broadcasting, management, writing and production.

229. MAGAZINE WRITING (3)
Students will learn to write in a range of magazine and newspaper feature styles.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 256 and sophomore standing

230. TELEVISION PRODUCTION I (3)
A basic laboratory experience in television production.

236. WEB PAGE DESIGN (3)
Listed also as Art 227.

237. INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHIC DESIGN I (3)
Listed also as Art 240.

239. TELEVISION PRODUCTION II (3)
Advanced laboratory experience in television production.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 230

244. NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE EDITING (3)
Students will learn how to transform raw stories written for magazines and newspapers into clear, compelling and polished news and feature articles. The course also includes units on headline writing and design.
Prerequisites: Communication Arts and Sciences 256 and sophomore standing

256. INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM (3)
Students will study the basics of journalism and of the media business and will practice fundamental news writing and reporting skills. The class will include lecture, discussion and deadline news-writing exercises on a range of topics. Students also will report stories on campus events and issues.
Prerequisite: English 101

259. INTRODUCTION TO TELEVISION AND RADIO INDUSTRY (3)
This course is an introduction to the American broadcast and cable industry. Students will look behind the microphones and cameras to examine the history of the industry and to analyze the forces that shape it and influence everything from federal regulations to the choice of music on the radio.

264. JOURNALISM PRACTICUM (1)
Students will write for the school newspaper, the Dominican Star, using the knowledge gained from Introduction to Journalism and gaining valuable published samples of their work for their portfolios. This practicum can be taken four times.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 256

268. FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS (3)
This course focuses on the “working tools” required for employment in public relations: doing research, developing PR strategies, writing press releases and feature stories, creating special events and managing media relations. Analysis of PR case studies will be included.
Prerequisites: Communication Arts and Sciences 256 and sophomore standing

269. ADVANCED PUBLIC RELATIONS (3)
In this class, students will build on the skills acquired in CAS 268 and design strategies and campaigns for corporations, non-profit agencies and advocacy groups.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 268

274. INTRODUCTION TO ADVERTISING (3)
A study of basic functions, principles and techniques of advertising, including the role of advertising in the marketing system and as a process of mass communication.

275. ADVERTISING STRATEGY (3)
Students will learn how to plan advertising accounts and develop advertising campaigns, with an emphasis on research, analyses of consumer behavior, strategic planning and creative execution. Much of this course will consist of case studies and hands-on team applications.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 274

293. MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS (3)
Students will examine ethical and legal issues in journalism, public relations and advertising. They will cover the constitutional basis of press freedom, as well as legal developments relating to government regulation, copyright protection, libel, invasion of privacy and journalistic privilege. This course will critically analyze the media’s ethical standards and shortcomings and will help students develop their sense of personal and professional ethics.

294. AMERICAN MASS MEDIA HISTORY (3)
This course analyzes the sources of American news and entertainment media and examines their development up to the present day.
Listed also as American Studies 294 and History 296.

296. BEGINNING COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
Listed also as Art 230.

298. GLOBAL MEDIA (3)
Students will explore the role of news and entertainment media in a rapidly globalizing world. This course will examine national, regional and global media, and place media globalization in the context of broad economic, political, social and cultural developments.

316. TELEVISION CULTURE (3)
This course critically examines television as a cultural force in our society. It covers production techniques, genres and narrative strategies, and it examines how television both reflects and influences dominant American cultures.

351. PROPAGANDA, PERSUASION AND THE
MASS MEDIA (3)
This course examines the nature, use, history and ethics of propaganda in modern Western society. Students study how governments and movements harness literature, journalism and film to further their agendas, and how others try to resist and subvert those efforts. Topics include war propaganda and censorship, Nazi and Communist propaganda and modern American public relations/advertising.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent
of instructor

352. CONVERGENT JOURNALISM (3)
In this course students take on the rapidly changing world of Web-based converged news--where journalists use text, sound and visuals to report the news and tell stories. Students will learn the necessary technical skills and apply them by reporting stories and packaging them for the converged media.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 256

356. INTERMEDIATE JOURNALISM (3)
This class builds on the reporting, writing and editing skills learned in Introduction to Journalism. Students will report real stories in real time—both on campus and in the surrounding community—and write them on deadline. Most articles will be submitted for publication.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 256

358. GENDER AND MEDIA (3)
All cultures recognize differences between the sexes. Yet “masculinity” and “femininity” are understood by anthropologists to be culturally determined. This course studies theories and instances of gender differences as they are articulated in mass-mediated popular culture discourses. It considers the relationship between gender and genre, explores advertising and consumer ideologies, and considers historical and contemporary film, television, and print media texts.

359. ARTS CRITICISM PRACTICUM (3)
Listed also as Art 354.

411. NEWSPAPER PRACTICUM (3)
Students will lead the Dominican Star newspaper and related on-line productions.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

420. SPECIAL TOPICS IN JOURNALISM (3)
Students will study and critically analyze major issues facing journalists and the news media.
Prerequisite: Junior standing

422. ADVANCED JOURNALISM (3)
Students will study investigative and specialized reporting techniques, cover an area community, and write in-depth stories on a variety of topics.
Prerequisite: Communication Arts and Sciences 356

Film Courses

205. MASTERPIECES OF THE CINEMA (3)
This course will be devoted to works that have withstood the test of time. Films will include such works as Citizen Kane, The Godfather and Casablanca, as well as films from European cinema. The course will focus on the merits of each work, as well as on what the films reflect about society and individual values.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

207. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FILMS (3)
This course concentrates on recent works by directors such as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. The course will also focus on recent economic trends in film production, the reworking of older genres and the social-political aspects of contemporary film.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

219. THE ROAD IN AMERICAN CULTURE (3)
This course will focus on how road travel has been represented in the American cinema. The aim of the course is to understand the significance of the road in American culture and its relationship to concepts of freedom and individuality. Films include Easy Rider, Thelma and Louise and Motorcycle Diaries.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

226. INTRODUCTION TO FILM STUDIES (3)
This course introduces students to basic concepts that will enable them both to appreciate and analyze films on their own. Lectures will illustrate techniques such as editing, camera movement, composition, sound, lighting, color and special effects. The course will demonstrate how these techniques create meaning.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

227. DISCOVERING DISNEY (3)
This course will study all aspects of the Disney empire: early cartoons, classic fairy tales and recent animated features. Attention will also be given to the commercialization of Disney products and the development of theme parks. Focus will be placed on what the creative works reveal about American ideology, gender, race and nation.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

266. THE AMERICAN CINEMA (3)
This course will cover the entire history of American cinema from the silent period to the 1990s. Topics include the Hollywood style, the studio system, the star system, various film genres and recent developments in contemporary film.
Listed also as American Studies 266.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

272. FILM GENRE (3)
Most Hollywood films follow familiar formulas that audiences readily recognize and love. The class will study three or four of these genres, such as gangster films, westerns, horror films and road movies, to determine how they remain consistent over time and how and why they change.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

277. WOMEN AND FILM (3)
This course will examine the images of women in Hollywood film and new possibilities offered by independent female directors. The course will relate film to social, political and personal issues, including work, marriage, motherhood, sexuality and violence. Discussions will focus on stereotyping, the male “gaze” and new images, like the woman warrior.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

278. SEEING HITCHCOCK (3)
This course will analyze the personal vision and visual style of Alfred Hitchcock. Films include black-and-white works and his color masterpieces, Rear Window and Vertigo. Topics include the transfer of guilt, the “wrong man” theme, voyeurism, black humor and gender.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

279. FILM AUTHORSHIP (3)
This course focuses on individual directors, their personal vision and their artistic style. By looking at several works by the same director, students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of each film. Directors will be chosen from the following list: Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

291. FILM NOIR (3)
This course will focus on one of the most fascinating areas of American cinema: crime films and suspense thrillers, such as Double Indemnity and Gilda. These films haunt the imagination, combining stunning visuals with twisted plots. Lectures will discuss the themes and the psychological/political significance of these works.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

353. FILM AND FAIRY TALES (3)
This course will study films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Red Shoes and Edward Scissorhands. Topics include the history and purpose of fairy tales and how they have changed over time. The films will be approached in terms of politics, psychoanalysis and gender.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

373. FILM COMEDY (3)
This course is an overview of film comedy beginning with the silent clowns like Charlie Chaplin through the sound pictures of the Marx Brothers, Mel Brooks and the Simpsons. The course will also treat the current comedy. Discussion will include comedy as a genre, the unique aspects of film comedy, the use of parody and other topics.
This course will satisfy the fine arts core area requirement.

385. POLITICS AND FILM (3)
Listed also as Political Science 262 and International Studies 262.

Additional Courses
299. SERVICE LEARNING (1)
Taken in conjunction with a regularly listed communication course, this one credit-hour option involves community service and guided reflection.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

450. INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-8)
Open to majors with the consent of instructor.

455. INTERNSHIP (1-8)
Internships are offered in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences for from one to eight semester hours of credit; however, at least 28 of the 40 minimum number of semester hours required for the major must come from traditional academic courses.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OR CREATIVE INVESTIGATION (1-3)
Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced, Senior Thesis Independent Research or Creative Investigation is a course in which students collaborate with faculty
mentors on an ongoing faculty research project or conduct an independent project under the guidance of a faculty member. This directed undergraduate research or creative investigation culminates in a conference presentation, journal article or other creative/scholarly project.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor