Courses
CMTM-105. Introduction To Journalism. 3 Hours.
This survey course introduces students to the field of journalism, its basic concepts, processes and practices. It is intended as a guide to the workings of the journalism industry, including its various branches, the basis of news judgment, and the nature of journalism in the era of new media. Its hands-on approach is designed to provide a theoretical as well as "real world" understanding of the news and application of principles related to the production and dissemination of the news.
CMTM-109A. First Year Experience: Chicago On Video: One Pixel At A Time. 3 Hours.
In this course, the five foundations of the First-Year Experience (Future Planning, Integral Preparation, Research, Self-discovery and Transitions) are interwoven with the field-specific concepts and terminology of video production. Students in this dynamic, hands-on class will turn the lens on other students engaged in hands-on learning….producing children’s theatre, testing water samples, conducting fieldwork, examining issues of social justice…and get a taste of both documentary production and advanced undergraduate coursework at NEIU. Students will also get to explore uses of video at the community level - from high school students covering sports events, to local immigrants keeping their cultural ties alive.
CMTM-160. Introduction To Cinema. 3 Hours.
This course introduces students to the basic elements of cinema (editing, cinematography, sound, etc.) and explores how these elements contribute to our understanding of the themes and meanings of a particular film. After gaining a foundational understanding of these formal elements, students assess how topics such as genre, narrative, authorship, and ideology help to shape cinema.
CMTM-205. Fundamentals Of Media Writing. 3 Hours.
This course helps students solidify grammar and writing skills so they can enter the competitive field of media. It focuses on punctuation and spelling issues and introduces the"Bible" of print media, The Associated Press Stylebook. Fundamentals of Media Writing picks up where Introduction to Journalism, CMTM-105, leaves off by moving students from talking about and analyzing journalistic writing to learning the basic tools to begin practicing the profession. The course serves as a skill-building foundation and prerequisite for News Writing, CMTM-367.
CMTM-250. Introduction To Audio Production. 3 Hours.
This course introduces students to the process of audio production. The course also explores sound as an industry and an art form, as well as a tool of self-expression and of story telling. Through a series of production exercises, working individually and in groups, the student becomes familiar with the process of audio production from concept to field recordings, to scripting and editing, to producing and mixing and then to sharing the finished work with others.
CMTM-260. Introduction to Video Production. 3 Hours.
This class will introduce students to the principles and practices of digital video production, with an emphasis on single camera field production and digital, non-linear editing. Aesthetics and conventions of television programs, independent/ art videos, and documentaries will also be examined.
CMTM-265. Mass Media and Society. 3 Hours.
Development and problems of the media; the history, regulation, and social and economic implications of the media; American media systems and their relation to the media's cultural content and function.
CMTM-310. Independent Study In Media. 3 Hours.
Individual investigation into a topic of the student's choice. Must have approval of instructor, chair and dean.
CMTM-3111. Fieldwork in Video Production. 1 Hour.
Academic credit (1-6 cr.) for guided video production fieldwork. Reserved for students who have been invited to participate in documentary, narrative, experimental, commercial or other relevant and typically off-campus field production opportunities. Student enrolls with media faculty who directs project and oversees student performance. Students will utilize research skills, apply principles learned in classroom, contribute meaningfully to a long-strand production, earn credit in a broadcast or higher-profile production, and explore career options. May be taken more than once, for a maximum of six credit hours.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-3112. Fieldwork in Video Production. 2 Hours.
See CMTM-311 for course description.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-3113. Fieldwork in Video Production. 3 Hours.
See CMTM-311 for course description.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-3114. Fieldwork in Video Production. 4 Hours.
See CMTM-311 for course description.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-3115. Fieldwork in Video Production. 5 Hours.
See CMTM-311 for course description.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-3116. Fieldwork in Video Production. 6 Hours.
See CMTM-311 for course description.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-350. Podcasting And Audio Documentary. 3 Hours.
This course will focus on the production of podcasts from conception to completion. Students will analyze and understand the history of the growing medium. They will learn basic audio production skills such as recording and mixing and then create their own podcast episode using digital audio tools. Students will develop interviewing and storytelling skills to compose stories with dialogue, ambient sound, and music. Students will learn from professionals in the industry and examine how podcasts are promoted to reach niche and/or mass audiences.
CMTM-360. Advanced Video Production. 3 Hours.
This hands-on class will expand students' understanding and application of the tools of video production. Student projects will primarily be individually produced, single camera video programs. We will screen many examples of video works, of a variety of genres and with an eye for the impact of the mode of transmission on the product. We will pay critical attention to audio for video, focus on the development of one's own "voice," and emphasize constructive criticism and revision.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-361. Digital Video Editing. 4 Hours.
This hands-on class introduces students to the principles and practices of digital, non-linear video editing, including the aesthetics and conventions of film and video cutting, history and theories of editing, and technical aspects of editing. Students will use sample footage to edit, present and critique several projects, and they will edit a final piece using footage of their own choosing.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-362. Video Production Workshop. 3 Hours.
In this intensive, hands-on class students will produce short non-fiction video modules, linked to a specific theme each term. Students will work in small production teams, and will write, direct, shoot and edit their segments, rotating responsibilities. Students will screen, critique and revise modules, create finished shows, and organize and promote screenings.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-260 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-363. Documentary Film. 3 Hours.
Historical survey of the international non-fiction film, including creative films, anthropological films, and television journalistic documentaries.
CMTM-364. Writing For Media - Revolving Topics. 3 Hours.
This revolving topics course provides exposure to a variety of writing topics and writing formats that will give students studying media the opportunity to develop in-depth written works in a workshop environment, with an emphasis on constructive criticism and revision. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics.
CMTM-364A. Writing The Sitcom. 3 Hours.
This is a course devoted to writing the television half-hour situation comedy - a highly conventionalized television form. Students will discuss theories of comedy, analyze the structure of the sitcom, and learn industry standards for formatting and developing a script from initial idea to final script. Students will work in an approximation of a television “writers’ room” in which feedback and critique are part of the creative process.
CMTM-364B. Solutions Journalism. 3 Hours.
This version of Writing for Media will focus on a new way of covering the news called “Solutions Journalism.” Students will read, analyze, and write news stories that address problems but also focus on the solutions.
CMTM-365. Contemporary Issues in Mass Media. 3 Hours.
This course provides an advanced study of the socio-psychological impact of the media upon contemporary society.
Prerequisite: CMTM-265 with a minimum grade of C or MASS-265 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-366. Multimedia Storytelling. 3 Hours.
This course will involve writing for various media platforms with practice in the multimedia creation of original works; experience in writing forms and content typical of various media and criteria for evaluating written work; discussion of career opportunities.
Prerequisite: CMTM-260 with a minimum grade of C or CMTM-250 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-367. News Writing. 3 Hours.
This course will take students through the basics of news writing and reporting. The course will demand in-class writing assignments that will help students prioritize information and write with accuracy under deadline. Students will discuss and be tested on current affairs and evaluate a variety of news sources. Students will cover local events and generate story ideas.
Prerequisite: CMTM-205 with a minimum grade of C.
CMTM-368. Community Media. 3 Hours.
The course will familiarize students with the important journalistic function uniquely served by community-based media, a function increasingly important in today's media landscape of centrally produced content controlled by fewer and fewer owners focused primarily on the economic needs of those owners and the advertisers. The course will introduce students to different forms of community media - print, video, audio, and new technologies - and how these contribute to the building of community.
CMTM-369. Special Topics In Journalism. 3 Hours.
This special-topics course will cover a particular aspect of journalism each time it is offered. Example topics include: Journalism of Impact, News and Social Media, Sports Journalism, Health Reporting, and The Future of News. Students in each class will take a deep analytical dive into a topic within the field of journalism. Depending on the topic, students may be expected to do original reporting, produce news stories, or complete a research project. Students will also be encouraged to work with campus media outlets.
CMTM-370. Public Relations. 3 Hours.
Examination of the history, development and practice of the public relations field, with attention to the planning, implementation and execution of public relations campaigns and the survey techniques and strategies used by public relations practitioners.
CMTM-371. American Cinema (Origins-1950). 3 Hours.
This course is an investigation of the evolution of American film history from its origins to the end of World War II. Students are introduced to the creative, industrial, and technological developments of the given period using a variety of analytical approaches. Films are investigated according to their historical, technological, aesthetic, and ideological significance as well as their genre placement.
CMTM-372. American Cinema (1950-Present). 3 Hours.
This course is an investigation of the evolution of American film history from the end of World War II until the present. Students are introduced to the creative, industrial, and technological developments of the given period using a variety of analytical approaches. Films are investigated according to their historical, technological, aesthetic, and ideological significance as well as their genre placement.
CMTM-373. World Cinema. 3 Hours.
An examination of the major influential film movements and filmmakers from around the world and their impact on the language of cinema. This course is intended to develop an understanding of the evolution of narrative film history by analyzing films according to their historical, technological, aesthetic and ideological significance.
CMTM-374. Special Topics In Film. 3 Hours.
This revolving topics course provides exposure to a variety of topics that will give students studying film the opportunity to engage in broader as well as more in-depth investigations of the history, concepts and theoretical approaches to film studies and the body of scholarship in this field. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics.
CMTM-374A. American Horror Film. 3 Hours.
As one of the revolving topics in the Studies in Film course, this class will introduce the history, evolution, and important themes of the American horror film, serving as an overview of the genre and locating it in American historical, cultural, and literary contexts. Approaches will include close readings of films as well as psychoanalytic, ideological, and feminist analyses. A number of films and clips will be screened and discussed in the context of course readings.
CMTM-375. Contemporary Hispanic Cinema. 3 Hours.
An introduction to some of the major contemporary films and filmmakers from Spain and Latin American countries. The course will not only analyze the artistic merits of the films, but also examine the social, economic, historical and political context within which they were created and how their themes are related to national identity, as well as international concerns.
CMTM-376. Television History. 3 Hours.
An overview of the cultural history of television from its origins in radio to cable and satellite communication, primarily in the U.S., but with some comparison to international contexts. Television programs are the primary focus and will be used to explore topics such as technology, regulation, audience measurement, commercial and educational/public broadcasting, advertising and programming strategies.
CMTM-377. Gender And Media. 3 Hours.
This course examines representations of gender and sexuality in popular media. Students will begin with feminist theories of representation and follow theoretical developments that include issues of race, ethnicity, masculinity, and queer theory as they relate to film, television, and new media.
CMTM-378. New Media Technologies. 3 Hours.
This course explores emerging media technologies, including descriptions of the technologies, how their implementation affects existing media institutions, and social implications of the technologies. Emphasis is on historical perspectives on emerging media technologies in the global information society including digital audio-visual media, computers and consumer electronics, and various networking technologies. The course provides students with an understanding of the background, structure, functions, and current status for each technology. Emerging convergent media revolutionizing the global knowledge system will also be covered, including deregulatory policies, corporate mergers, and industrial restructuring.
CMTM-379. Media Law & Ethics. 3 Hours.
This course introduces students to the study of legal and ethical issues affecting U.S. mass media from journalistic and business perspectives. Specifically, the course will explore the legal and ethical responsibilities and rights of communicators and media professionals across various issues, including the First Amendment, defamation, privacy, newsgathering, regulation over media content, intellectual property rights, and regulation of electronic media and advertising industry. It will also help students think through media issues from a moral reasoning perspective by taking a variety of cases through an ethical framework.
CMTM-380. Special Topics In Television. 3 Hours.
This special topics course provides exposure to a variety of topics in television studies. Students will investigate historical, industrial, theoretical, and critical approaches to television studies. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific topics.
CMTM-380A. Television Genres. 3 Hours.
Television Genres will cover a variety of scholarly approaches to the study of television programs. Genres can be studied for how they change over time, in response to cultural changes or economic exigencies. This course will take up theoretical questions of televisuality (the aesthetic conditions of the television text), and then focus on a number of particular genres. We will be primarily focusing on U.S. television, but there will be some attention to global questions, especially those of flow and format.
CMTM-381. Video Games & Interactive Media Studies. 3 Hours.
This course will cover a brief overview of the history of video games and then explores academic approaches to considering video games’ cultural values, analytical interpretations of games, and consideration about the evolving interactive media landscape. Students study the rich world of video games and interactive media through experiential and community learning and auto-ethnographic and academic research/writing lenses.
Prerequisite: (100 - 399 or 100A - 399Z).
CMTM-383. Professional Internship 1. 3 Hours.
Professional activities in a selected field of media, performed and supervised at public or private facilites, corporations, business agencies, etc.
CMTM-384. Professional Internship 2. 6 Hours.
(See CMTM-383 for description).
CMTM-385. Professional Internship 3. 9 Hours.
(See CMTM-383 for description).
CMTM-390. NEIU Cinémathèque. 1 Hour.
A “cinémathèque” is a small, specialized theater where important films are screened, discussed, archived, preserved, and loved. Drawing upon the tradition of cinémathèques across the world, this course will provide an opportunity for students to screen, discuss, and research important works of cinema here at Northeastern Illinois University. With on-campus resources such as 35mm prints screened by the Chicago Film Society and our extensive holdings of the Criterion Collection in the Ronald Williams Library, students will learn about the material practices surrounding film such as archival collection, preservation, and restoration as well as distribution, exhibition, criticism, and reception.
CMTM-410. Independent Study In Media. 3 Hours.
Individual investigation into selected topics in theory and practice of media. Independent studies require the approval of the instructor, Department Chair and appropriate College Dean (s).
CMTM-465. Mass Communication Theory. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to investigate the concepts, ideologies, and resulting scholarship that are relevant to the study of mass communication. Students will study a variety of mass communication theories and will critically evaluate the merits of these perspectives. Students will develop research projects to further interpret and utilize mass communication theories.
CMTM-466. Media And Cultural Studies. 3 Hours.
This graduate seminar is designed to expose students to a “cultural studies” approach to media. Cultural studies scholars are primarily concerned with issues of power, and this approach has long informed the discipline of critical media studies. The focus on media will explore structures of power and inequality as they relate to the politics of identity and experience. Drawing upon foundational readings in the field as well as current media and cultural studies scholarship, students will spend the semester exploring the way in which these structures of power materialize in media texts and industrial formations.
CMTM-467. Special Topics In Film & Television. 3 Hours.
This special topics course provides graduate students an opportunity to explore historical and theoretical approaches specific to studies of film and television. Special topics may include film history and theory, television history, national cinemas, genres, industrial technologies and trends, and issues of representation such as race, class, and gender. Required: Graduate standing.
CMTM-468. Seminar In New Media. 3 Hours.
This course will explore critical approaches to “new media” by considering the dual meaning of the term. On one hand it describes the sense of “newness” often accompanying emerging media technologies throughout history, but it also describes the important contemporary shift from analog to digital media. Students will examine the history of several media technologies at critical moments of development, change, or rupture as well as analyze issues relevant to digital media such as file sharing, social networking, identity theft, surveillance, and cyberwarfare.