Courses
CMTC-100. Introduction to Communication. 3 Hours.
The study of human communication with emphasis on how we communicate, the factors that influence the success of our communication interactions, and the areas in which communication take place.
CMTC-101. Public Speaking. 3 Hours.
The development of skills common to all forms of oral communication with emphasis on public speaking. Students will study organization, delivery, sources of materials and language usage.
CMTC-102. Public Speaking For STEM. 3 Hours.
In this course, students will study argumentation, organization, delivery, sources of evidence, and language usage when preparing informative and persuasive presentations in STEM. Students will apply their knowledge to present several speeches throughout the semester, possibly including an academic conference-style presentation.
CMTC-202. Voice and Diction. 3 Hours.
Emphasis on improving voice quality, volume, projection, rate, articulation, and pronunciation.
CMTC-210. Advanced Public Speaking. 3 Hours.
Concentrated study of public speaking and research for public speech, with attention to speech criticism and providing experience in various types of public speaking. Students will videotape selected talks for critique.
CMTC-213. Interpersonal Communication. 3 Hours.
This course studies how humans relate through the use of verbal and nonverbal symbols. Through participation and involvement, students explore how communication creates, maintains, and deteriorates relationships. Students also examine messages, meanings, feedback, nonverbal elements, listening, barriers and breakdowns as they affect relationships.
CMTC-214. Business And Professional Communication. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the development of oral and written communication skills that are essential for professional life, including topics such as problem solving, listening, interviewing, and presentational skills.
CMTC-215. Small Group Communication. 3 Hours.
This course provides an in-depth study of small group communication processes. Students explore topics such as decision-making and problem solving, leadership, conflict, and diversity issues. Students are required to participate in group project.
CMTC-300. Mediated Communication. 3 Hours.
This is an investigation of the effects media and technologies have on social interaction and communication behaviors such as speaking, listening, understanding, and interpreting.
CMTC-301. Nonverbal Communication. 3 Hours.
This course explores the nature of non-verbal messages such as body language, facial expression, and artifacts in various communication contexts.
CMTC-305. Writing Intensive Program: Writing In Communication, Media & Theatre. 3 Hours.
This course is a writing intensive experience designed to introduce students to the functions and applications of various writing practices and theories in communication, media, and theatre. Students will gain an understanding of the foundations of these disciplines; recognize the broad categories of theoretical perspectives, such as humanistic, social scientific, and critical; and evaluate the contributions of various theories in interpersonal, rhetorical, organizational, media, dramatic, and intercultural contexts. This course includes formal (graded) and informal writing exercises of varying length and complexity, including but not limited to: free-writing, reading responses, and article critiques, as well as more advanced analysis and application papers.
Prerequisite: ENGL-101 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTC-306. Special Topics In Communication. 3 Hours.
This special topics course provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to study in depth a particular topic of communication. Topics will include, but are not limited to, the role and importance of communication in religion and science, politics, negotiation, intimacy and desire, and social difference.
CMTC-308. Independent Study in Communication. 3 Hours.
Individual investigation into a topic of the student's choice. Requires approval of instructor, chair and dean.
CMTC-310. Persuasion. 3 Hours.
This course examines contemporary theories and practices of persuasion through analysis and evaluation of persuasive messages in society from the used car lot to the presidential campaign.
CMTC-313. Communication, Gender & Identity. 3 Hours.
This course investigates some of the effects that gender and other identities have on communication behaviors, such as naming, language acquisition, professional orientation, conflict management, self-image, dress and social roles.
CMTC-314. Organizational Communication. 3 Hours.
This course examines organizational communication processes such as organizational culture, diversity, workplace participation and democracy. Students will assess (in)effective communication practices in organizations.
CMTC-315. Leadership Communication. 3 Hours.
This course examines the theory and practice of the social-emotional and task-related aspects of leadership processes. Students will explore standard works in classical leadership theory and contemporary frameworks related to motivation, emotional intelligence, and toxic leadership dynamics.
CMTC-316. Family Communication. 3 Hours.
This course studies the family system with a focus on the role communication plays in maintaining it. Students explore the functions of family roles, rules, and power and ways to increase or decrease communication effectiveness in this system.
CMTC-317. Intercultural Communication. 3 Hours.
This course explores issues in intercultural communication. Students will examine their own as well as other people’s cultures. Major topics include race and ethnicity, immigration, social class, intercultural conflict, and social justice and how these reflect and/or affect verbal and nonverbal communication processes.
CMTC-319. Conflict Communication. 3 Hours.
This course examines the communication processes in interpersonal, organizational, and intercultural conflict, with attention to theories, research and practice related to conflict management.
CMTC-329. Health Communication. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to provide an introduction to communication processes in various health care contexts. The course will integrate interpersonal, small group, organizational, and mass communication theory and research into a survey of areas such as communication between patients and caregivers, the role of culture in health practices, images of health in the mass media, and new directions in health communication technologies.
CMTC-330. Communication Research Methods. 3 Hours.
An introduction to the principles and methods of social scientific research as they relate to the antecedents, processes and outcomes of communication behaviors. This course is intended to cultivate skills necessary for interpreting and critically evaluating research results and for designing research projects. Topics include forming research questions and hypotheses, reviewing and critiquing literature, applying quantitative and qualitative research techniques, coding and analyzing observations and writing research reports.
CMTC-383. Professional Internship 1. 3 Hours.
Professional activities in a selected field of communication, performed and supervised at public or private facilities, corporate communication sites, businesses, agencies, etc.
CMTC-384. Professional Internship 2. 6 Hours.
(See CMTC-383 for description.).
CMTC-385. Professional Internship 3. 9 Hours.
(See CMTC-383 for description.).
CMTC-386. Professional Experience Seminar. 3 Hours.
The course will provide students with an opportunity to work in a professional communication, media or theatre position while examining the experience with a faculty member and their peers. For many students, a professional placement is a new, unfamiliar experience with a set of demands that are distinct from the academic world. This course will allow students to earn credit for an internship in their desired field, while enhancing their professionalism through discussion and reflection. Consent of the instructor is required.
CMTC-400. Special Topics In Communication. 3 Hours.
This special topics course provides graduate students with the opportunity to study in depth a particular area (e.g., intercultural, group, gender, family, organizational, interpersonal), topic (e.g., identity and difference, intimacy and desire, corporate consulting, political rhetoric), or method (e.g., rhetorical criticism, auto/ethnography, content analysis) of communication. The focus will be on critically examining foundational and contemporary works that advance the theory, research, and practice about this area, topic, or method.
CMTC-401. Introduction to Graduate Study. 3 Hours.
Problems, methods and resources involved in graduate study and research in all areas of communication, media and theatre.
CMTC-402. Seminar In Research Methods. 3 Hours.
An introduction to the principles and methods of Communication, Media and Theatre research. This course is intended to cultivate skills necessary for interpreting and critically evaluating research results and for designing research critiquing literature, applying quantitative and qualitative research techniques, coding and analyzing observations, and writing research reports.
CMTC-404. Communication Theory. 3 Hours.
An analysis of communication theories, including the nature of theories, message design and reception. Course covers a broad range of theories in the communication discipline, including both humanistic and social scientific approaches. Nonetheless, particular theories analyzed each semester will vary, depending on the instructor.
CMTC-414. Seminar In Organizational Communication. 3 Hours.
This course will provide an advanced look at the major elements of organizational theory that apply to organizational communication. This field, in a modern sense, began in the 1950's and since then has grown to be one of the biggest forces in communication today. We will examine what theories direct the reality of organizations and how much of that reality is managed for the purposes of controlling individuals, whether overtly or symbolically.
CMTC-416. Seminar In Interpersonal Communication. 3 Hours.
This is a seminar exploring the basic themes, concepts and debates in research on personal relationships. Students will learn to critically analyze theory and research about relationships. The course requires a major paper on one particular facet of communication in personal relationships.
CMTC-434. Independent Study In Communication. 3 Hours.
Individual investigation into selected topics in the theory and practice of communication. This course requires approval of the instructor, Department Chair and the appropriate College Dean(s).
CMTC-5901. Thesis Hours. 1 Hour.
Guidance of student work toward the completion of a thesis to fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Communication, Media, and Theatre. Students may register for 1--‐3 credits per term with a total of 6 credits required to complete the thesis project. This course requires approval of the instructor, Department Chair, and the appropriate College Dean(s).
Requirement: Approval of the graduate advisor.
CMTC-5902. Thesis Hours. 2 Hours.
See course description for CMTC-5901.
CMTC-5903. Thesis Hours. 3 Hours.
See course description for CMTC-5901.