Comprehensive Undegraduate Course Offerings

Considers the effects of disasters on children, families, and communities, and offers an understanding of and practice in how to lessen victims’ trauma and decrease chances of long-term damage when disaster strikes.         

051 First-Year Seminar: Organizing and Communicating for Social Entrepreneurs (3). This first-year seminar is designed to show how we can better understand organizational communication through the medium of different metaphors (e.g., machine, organism, culture, political system, psychic prison).

052 [006F]: First-Year Seminar: Cynicism, Politics, and Youth Culture (3). After initially exploring the meaning of cynicism and apathy and the problem of cultural diagnosis, this seminar will look at these issues in the political arena.  

060 [006M] First-Year Seminar: Organizing and Communicating for Social Entrepreneurs (3). This course examines the historical and current development of social entrepreneurship as a field of study and practice, with particular attention to successful organizational communication strategies designed to solve community problems.              

061 First-Year Seminar: The Politics of Performance (3). In this course students will explore the possibilities of making political performances, or making performances political. We will be particularly concerned with how performance may contribute to processes of social change.             

062 First-Year Seminar: African American Literature and Performance (3). The course examines- through performance- the question of what characterizes “Blackness” as it is manifest through experience, history, and symbol in the United States, as well as the impact of African practices and identities upon blackness in the United States. The course is concerned with what has been termed the “black literary imagination.”          

063 First-Year Seminar: The Creative Process in Performance  (3). The Memorial Hall Carolina Performing Arts Series sets the stage for this course, and students will be engaged with its multi-media, music, dance, and theater performances. We will explore the creative processes and cultural contexts of these performances and will compare the arts as a way of knowing the world to the creative processes of academic scholarship.         

070 [006F] First-Year Seminar: Southern Writing in Performance (3). A performance-centered seminar focusing on the works of North Carolina writers, especially those who write fiction and poetry, and on researching, discussing, adapting, and performing that content.     

071 First-Year Seminar: Conflict, Culture, and Rhetoric: The Search for Peace in Northern Ireland (3). This seminar will explore culture, conflict, and rhetorical practice through an extended case study of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The discourse will include speeches, pamphlets, political flyers, music, poetry, fiction, film, and graffiti. 

074 First-Year Seminar: Remembering Dixie: Exploring Rhetoric, Memory, and the South (3). We will begin by looking at controversies over such issues as public display of the Confederate battle flag, public commemorative displays like Silent Sam, arguments over “Southern Heritage,” and other controversial issues.

082 First-Year Seminar: Globalizing Organizations (3). In this course, we explore the communication issues that arise within international contexts. Through the analysis of readings and films, we will delve into the contentious debates surrounding globalization and explore the ethical and social issues that arise within global forms of communicating and organizing.

085 First-Year Seminar: Think, Speak, Argue (3). This is a course in learning to think more critically, speak more persuasively, and argue more effectively by focusing on practical skill development in reasoning and debate.

100 [010] Communication and Social Process (3). Addresses the many ways our communication—including language, discourse, performance, and media—reflects, creates, sustains, and transforms prevailing social and cultural practices.

109 Oral Communication (1). Prerequisite, test out of ENGL 101 and 102. Required of all first-year students testing out of ENGL 101and 102 with the exception of those satisfying the first-year honors literature requirement (ENGL 135H, 135HW; CLAS 133H; SLAV029; GERM 190H; or ROML 229). Includes theory and practice in small group problem solving, oral argument, and public speaking.

113 [13] Public Speaking (3). Theory and extensive practice in various types of speaking.

120 [022] Introduction to Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (MNGT 120) (3). An introduction to communication theory, research, and practice in a variety of interpersonal and organizational contexts. This course examines the role of communication in both personal and professional relationships.

130 [014] Introduction to Media Production (3). Prerequisite for all production courses. Introduces students to basic tools, techniques, and conventions of production in audio, video, and film. Interactive laboratory work included.

131 [030] Writing for the Stage and Screen (DRAM 131) (3). Prerequisite, DRAM 120 or ENGL 130 or permission of the instructor. Introduction to writing screen and stage plays. Required for the interdisciplinary minor in screen and stage writing.

140 [041] Introduction to Media History, Theory, and Criticism (3). An introduction to the critical analysis of film, television, advertising, video, and new media texts, contexts, and audiences.

142 [042] Popular Music and Youth Culture (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. This class explores the historical, social, political, and cultural significances of popular music as a communicative practice in the United States from 1950 to the present.

160 [060] Introduction to Performance Studies: Performing Literature (3). Study of a variety of literary texts (lyric, epic, dramatic) through the medium of performance.

162 [062] Oral Traditions (3). Introductory course in the form and functions of oral traditional practices. Topic areas may include dynamics of orality, slang, child lore, storytelling, the trickster, and oral history.

171 [071] Argumentation and Debate (3). Prerequisite, COMM270; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Analysis of issues, use of evidence, reasoning, brief making, and refutation. Argumentative speeches and debates on legal cases and on current issues. Designed for prospective law students, public policy students, speech teachers, and college debaters.

223 [023] Small Group Communication (MNGT 223) (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120 or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Introduction to the theory and practice of communication in the small group setting. Topics may include group development, conformity and deviation, gender, problem solving, and power and leadership.

224 [024] Introduction to Gender and Communication (WMST 224) (3). Examines multiple relationships between communication and gender. Emphasizes how communication creates gender and power roles and how communicative patterns reflect, sustain, and alter social conceptions of gender.

230 [034] Audio/Video/Film Production and Writing (3). Prerequisites, COMM 130 and 140. The material, processes, and procedures of audio, video, and film production; emphasis on the control of those elements of convention that define form in the appropriate medium. Lecture and laboratory hours.

260 [061] Introduction to Group Performance (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160 or permission of the instructor. Performance theory and rehearsal techniques explored through ensemble performance.

261 [063] African and African American Literature and Performance (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Study and performance of African American literary expressions and literary movements ranging variously from antebellum, reconstruction, Harlem renaissance, Black aesthetic, and postmodern.

270 [070] Rhetoric and Social Controversy (3). Examines the basic nature and importance of rhetoric and argumentation.  Attention is devoted to interpreting the persuasive function of texts and their relation to modern forms of life.

275 History of German Cinema (GERM 275) (3). This course explores the major developments of German cinema. All films with English subtitles. Readings and discussions in English.

312 [112] Persuasion (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Examines contemporary theory and practice of influencing others’ attitudes, beliefs, and actions.  Focuses particularly on analyzing and developing persuasive messages.

318 [080] Cultural Diversity (3). Introduction to basic paradigms of thinking about cultural difference, encouraging students to examine how these paradigms shape how we think, act, and imagine ourselves/others as members of diverse cultures.

325 [025] Introduction to Organizational Communication (MNGT 325) (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. The course explores the historical and theoretical developments in the research and practice of organizational communication.         

330 [033] Introduction to Writing for Film(3). An introduction to screenwriting for film.

364 [064] Production Practices (1–3). By permission of the department. The design and application of technical production concepts to a literary text. Includes lighting, set design, costuming, and stage management.                

372 [072] The Rhetoric of Social Movements (3). Explores the discourse of dissident voices in American society, particularly as they speak about grievances pertaining to race, gender, the environment; focuses on rhetorical strategies that initiate and sustain social movements.

374 [074] The Southern Experience in Rhetoric (3). Examines recurrent themes in the rhetoric of significant Southerners and important campaigns. Considers both the rhetoric of the establishment and the rhetoric of change.

375 [075] Environmental Advocacy (ENST 375) (3). Explores rhetorical means of citizen influence of practices affecting our natural and human environment; also, study of communication processes and dilemmas of redress of environmental grievances in communities and workplace.    

376 [073] The Rhetoric of War and Peace (PWAD 376) (3).Explores philosophical assumptions and social values expressed by advocates of war and peace through a critical examination of such rhetorical acts as speeches, essays, film, literature, and song.      

390 [095] Special Topics in Communication Study (3). A special topics course on a selected aspect of communication studies.

396 [091] Independent Study and Directed Research (1–3).By permission of the department. For the COMM major who wishes to pursue an independent research project or reading program under the supervision of a selected instructor. Intensive individual research on a problem designed by instructor and student in conference.            

397 [090] Internships (1–3). By permission of the department.  Individualized study closely supervised by a faculty advisor and by the departmental coordinator of internships. Cannot count toward the COMM major.

410 [110] Introduction to Quantitative Research (3). Basics of data collection, measurement instrument development, and data analytic approaches to communication research are presented to the student. Emphasis is placed on practical application of research. 

411 [111] Critical Perspectives (3). This course explores theories of criticism and symbolic action through readings, lecture, and practical criticism of literature, media, discourse, and other symbolic acts.

431 [130] Advanced Audio Production (3). Prerequisite, COMM140, 230, or permission of the instructor. Advanced analysis and application of the principles and methods of audio production.

432 [131] Visual Culture (3). Prerequisites, COMM 140 and 230 or permission of the instructor. Overview of, and intensive practice in, advanced directing techniques for film, video, and digital media.

433 [132] Intermediate Scriptwriting (3). Prerequisite, COMM330 or permission of the instructor. A major writing project will be completed by each student, either dramatic or nonfiction for radio, television, film, or stage.

434 [152] Minorities and the Media (3). Prerequisite, COMM140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. The course traces the development of minorities in film, radio and television, and the press, looking at trends and treatment of minorities by the media, and how and if they have changed.    

436 [117] Gender and Performance (WMST 437) (3). The course combines several fields, analyzing the construction of gender through science, science fiction, and film. Students are exposed to science issues as they are represented in popular media.       

440 [140] Media Theory and Criticism (3). Prerequisite, COMM140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Intensive investigation of the nature and role of theory in media studies, as well as the nature and role of the critical encounter with particular media texts.       

441 [141] Audio Theory Criticism and Aesthetics (3).Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. An examination of theories of aurality, psychoacoustics, and the development of the audio aesthetic. Course includes, but is not limited to, audio in film, video, and multimedia.  

442 Cultural Studies (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. This class will introduce students to the major theoretical and methodological commitments of cultural studies as a perspective on communication, culture, and society.  

450 [150] Media and Popular Culture (3). Prerequisite, COMM140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Examination of communication processes and cultural significance of film, television, and other electronic media.              

451 Special Topics in Media and Popular Culture (3).Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. A special topics course on a selected aspect of media and cultural studies.

452 Film Noir (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Course combines reading about and viewing of 1940s and 1950s films combining narrative techniques of storytelling, novels, and the stage with purely filmic uses of spectacle, light, editing, and image.              

464 [164] Poetry in Performance (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160 or permission of the instructor. Critical, aesthetic, and rhetorical approaches to performed poetry.         

466 [166] Narrative Fiction in Performance (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160 or permission of the instructor. Study of selected short stories and novels in performance with emphasis on narrative point

470 [113] Political Communication and the Public Sphere (3). A course covering the relationship between communication and political processes and institutions. Topics include media coverage and portrayal of political institutions, elections, actors, and media influence on political beliefs.

521 [121] Communication and Social Memory (3). An investigation of psychological aspects of communication, particularly the perceptual and interpretive processes underlying the sending and receiving of messages.           

522 [124] Family Communication (3). Prerequisite, COMM120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Analysis and exploration of personal experiences, family systems theory, and communication theory to describe, evaluate, and improve family communication patterns.         

523 [125] Communication and Leadership (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Critical examination of alternative theories of leadership and trends in the study of leadership; focuses on the communicative dimensions of leaderships.          

524 Gender, Communication, and Culture (3). Prerequisites, COMM 224 and 372; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor.  Course examines the speeches and other texts that announced and embodied the goals and political strategies of multiple branches of three waves of feminist activism in the United States.    

525 [123] Organizational Communication (3). Prerequisites, COMM 120 and 325; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor.  Provides a critical exploration of organizational communication theory, research, and application, examining the factors involved in the functioning and analysis of complex organizations.    

526 [126] Nonverbal Communication (3). Prerequisite, COMM120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Examines the roles and functions of nonverbal behavior in the communication process. Topic areas may include physical appearance; body, face, and eye movements; paralinguistics; haptics; nonverbal deception; the effects of environment; and personal space.      

530 [127] Introduction to Phonetics (SPHS 530) (3). A detailed study of the International Phonetic Alphabet with emphasis on the sound system of American English. Application of phonetics to problems of pronunciation and articulation. Includes broad and narrow phonetic transcription.          

532 [133] Media Acting and Performance (3). Study and practice in acting and performance for radio, television, and motion pictures.    

534 [134] Narrative Production (3). Prerequisite, COMM 230and co-requisite, one of COMM 546 or 547. The course focuses on narrative, representational, and aesthetic strategies of narrative production.           

540 [182] Speech Science (SPHS 540) (3). Introduction to the science of speech, including production, acoustics, and perception.            

543 [143] History of National Media in the West (3). Study of the development of the art and craft of the film through examining individual films and topics stressing the interaction of aesthetic considerations with socio-cultural and institutional settings.          

544 [144] Electronically Mediated Communication and Information Machines (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. A survey of developing telecommunication systems and technologies and their impact on the traditional electronic media and society.       

545 [138] Pornography and Culture (3). Examines the social, cultural, political, legal, historical, and aesthetic implications of pornography.  

546 [146] History of Film I, 1895 to 1945 (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140. Studies the development of the art of film through World War II by examining individual films and filmmakers and the emergence of national cinemas through interaction among aesthetic, social, economic, and technological factors.

547 [147] History of Film II, 1945 to Present (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140. Study of the development of the art of film from the end of World War II to the present day by examining individual films and filmmakers and the emergence of national cinemas through interaction among aesthetic, social, economic, and techno-logical factors.

548 Humor and Culture (3). Prerequisites, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Investigates how humor, comedy, and laughter function socially and culturally through close examination of selected United States popular media texts and the primary modern theoretical writings on these issues.

549 [137] Sexuality and Visual Culture (3). Examines questions about sexuality and how it has changed over time, through various media of visual communication.           

553 [153] Media and Activism (3). A study of the electronic media as a feedback mechanism for community organization and social change. A variety of broadcast and non broadcast uses of the media are studied.             

561 [160] Performance of Literature by Women of Color(WMST 561) (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160 or permission of the instructor. Explores through performance contemporary poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and feminist thought by women of color in the United States.        

562 [161] Oral History and Performance (FOLK 562, HIST 562, WMST 562) (3). This course combines readings and field work in oral history with study of performance as a means of interpreting and conveying oral history texts. Emphasis on women’s history.

563 [163] Performance of Children’s Literature (3).Prerequisites, COMM 160 and permission of the instructor. The course explores advanced performance theory while focusing exclusively on contemporary poetry, prose fiction, and drama intended for young audiences. Both solo and group performances for young viewers are included.           

565 [165] Ritual, Theater, and Performance in Everyday Life (FOLK 565) (3). Prerequisite, COMM 160 or ENGL 126 or permission of the instructor. This course will explore the dynamics of performance as it is broadly produced within the texture of individual experiences, the interaction of community memberships, and the dramas of cultural aesthetics. 

566 [168] Narrative in Fiction and Film: Adaptation and Performance (3). Study of narrative in selected short stories and novels and their adaptation for film.

570 [183] Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism (SPHS 570) (3). Anatomy and physiology of the speech producing and aural mechanisms.

571 [171] Rhetorical Theory and Practice (3). Prerequisite, COMM 270; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor.  Investigates contemporary theories of purposive symbolic behavior; focus is upon rational, psychological, and dramatistic explanations of human behavior.       

572 [172] Public Policy Argument (3). Prerequisite, COMM270; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Analyzes argument in a variety of contexts with an emphasis on public policy and exploring tensions involved in addressing both expert and public audience in the political sphere.

573 [173] The American Experience in Rhetoric (3).Prerequisite, COMM 270; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Examines public discourse from the colonial period to the present. Discourses, critical perspectives, and historical periods studied will vary.

574 [174] War and Culture (PWAD 574) (3). Examines American cultural myths about war generally and specifically about the causes of war, enemies, weapons, and warriors, and the way these myths constrain foreign and defense policy, military strategy, and procurement.

582 [180] Introductory Audiology I (SPHS 582) (3). Theory and practice of the measurement of hearing, causative factors in hearing loss, evaluation of audiometric results, and demonstration of clinical procedures.

596 [191] Advanced Independent Study/Directed Reading (1–3). Prerequisites, completion of at least one 300-level COMM course and departmental permission. For the communication studies major who wishes to pursue an advanced independent research project or reading program under the supervision of a selected instructor. Intensive individual research on a problem designed by instructor and student in conference.          

617 [684] Introduction to Communication Disorders (EDUC 617) (3). Explores the etiology, epidemiology, assessment, and educational implications of speech and language disorders.

620 [120] Theories of Interpersonal Communication (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Course focuses on how communication is used to build and sustain interpersonal relationships. Forms and functions of communication are examined as a means of testing and defining relationships.    

622 Impact of Disasters on Families (3). Examination of the effects of disasters on children, families, and communities. Course considers strategies for disaster relief and methods for decreasing long-term psychosocial damage.         

629 [129] Topics in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (3). Prerequisite, COMM 120; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Designed for advanced students, course provides in-depth examination of particular theories of human communication. Course focus varies. May be repeated.

635 [135] Documentary Production (3). Prerequisite, COMM230; co-requisite, one of COMM 546, 547, or 645. A workshop in the production of video and/or film nonfiction or documentary projects. The course will focus on narrative, representational, and aesthetic strategies of documentary production.

636 [136] Interactive Media (ART 406) (3). Prerequisite, COMM140 or permission of the instructor. Explores interactive media through creative projects that include sound, video, and graphic elements. Technical information will serve the broader goal of under-standing the aesthetics and critical issues of interactive media.

639 [139] Special Topics in Media Production (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140. A special topics course on a selected aspect of media production or writing. May be repeated.

642 Special Topics in Cultural Studies (3). Prerequisites, COMM 442; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. This course will explore various specific topics, theories, and methodologies in cultural studies.           

 645 [142] The Documentary Idea (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140;or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. Historical and theoretical examination of expressions of the documentary idea in different eras and various modes including film, television, and radio.

646 [118] Animation (3). Prerequisites, COMM 130; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. An introduction to the art and mechanics of two-dimensional digital animation.

649 [149] Third World Media (3). The cultural and educational uses of radio and television are studied in the developing countries of Africa, Latin America, and India. Emphasis will be placed on the new electronic media and their effectiveness in serving developing countries.

651 [151] Contemporary International Media (3). Study of contemporary film/television within a specific international context, such as Great Britain, with particular attention to comparisons and contrasts with the United States and Hollywood.

652 Media and Difference (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. This course examines critical and theoretical issues concerning the representation and study of various modes of difference, such as sexuality, race, and gender, in specific media texts.

656 [156] Women and Film (WMST 656) (3). This course examines the representation of women in contemporary American film and also considers women as producers of film.

658 [158] Latin American Cinema (3). This course examines the films, audiences, and social contexts of Latin American cinema from the 1930s to the present.

659 [159] Special Topics in Media Studies (3). Prerequisite, COMM 140; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. A special topics course on a selected aspect of media studies, including but not limited to media texts, contexts, and/or reception. May be repeated.

660 [162] Group Performance (4). Prerequisites, COMM 160,260, one 100-level performance course, and permission of the instructor. Theory and practice in adaptation, direction, and group performance of texts.

662 [262] Literature/Performance of Black Diaspora (3).Focuses on interpreting the literature and culture of black people in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas, including fiction, nonfiction, and film, through performance. Participants may anticipate performing every class session.              

667 [167] The Politics of Performance (3). Prerequisite, COMM160 or 162 or permission of the instructor. Course will address the relationship between performance and power, focusing on topics concerned with the potential for performance to contribute to social change.

669 [169] Special Topics in Performance Studies (3).Prerequisites, COMM 160 and one 100-level performance course or permission of the instructor. Advanced study of selected topics drawn from performance history, theory, and practice. May be repeated.   

675 [175] Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere (ENST 675) (3). Examines communication practices that accompany citizen participation in environmental decisions, including public education campaigns of nonprofit organizations, “risk communication,” media representations, and mediation in environmental disputes.

679 [179] Special Topics in Rhetoric and Cultural Studies(3). Prerequisite, COMM 270; or for non-majors, permission of the instructor. A special topics course on a selected aspect of rhetoric and cultural studies. May be repeated.

693H [098] Honors (3). By permission of the department.  Individual projects designed by students and supervised by a faculty member.

By permission of the department.  Individual projects designed by students and supervised by a faculty member.