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Courses - COMM Graduate Level

531. Administering the Forensic Program (3)

Prerequisite: "Permit" required to enroll with consent of instructor.
Principles of constructing and administering a forensic program, including recruiting, squad direction, budgeting, tournament policies, and current literature on forensics direction.
Letter grade only (A-F).

541. Rhetorical Theory and Criticism I (3)

Introduction to research in rhetorical studies. Examination of major figures and schools of thought on rhetorical theory and criticism from the Pre-Socratics through the contemporary modern British era.

546. Communication Theory and Research I (3)

Examination of theories and research in social cognition, interpersonal, small group, organizational, intercultural, mass, instructional, language and behavior, and nonverbal communication. Critical analysis of empirically-based articles in the field. Social-scientific research proposal required.
Letter grade only (A-F).

590. Selected Topics in Communication Studies (3)

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Investigation of topics of current interest and concern to students in communication and allied areas.
May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units with different topics, no more than 3 units may count toward the Communication Studies master's degree. Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes.

590A. Theory and Criticism of Presidential Rhetoric (3)

Examines presidential communication theory and criticism. Topics under consideration include the changing office of the US presidency as well as the evolving role of the first lady. Rhetorical artifacts for analysis span the history of the US presidency.

610. Seminar in Interpersonal Communication (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Current theories and research in interpersonal communication.
Letter grade only (A-F).

611. Seminar in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3)

Prerequisites: COMM 411 or COMM 421 and COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Investigation, analysis, and criticism of the nature, development, and dynamics of conflict and the role of negotiation in interpersonal, group, organizational, and international and intercultural communication; study and understanding of conflict management.
Letter grade only (A-F).

614. Gender and Family Research (3)

Major theoretical perspectives on the role of communication in family and gender issues; epistemological, conceptual, and methodological issues in researching family and gender communication.
Letter grade only (A-F).

620. Seminar in Organizational Communication (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Theories and models of communication in large organizations; design and management of organizational communication systems.
Letter grade only (A-F).

630. Seminar Intercultural Communication (3)

Prerequisites: COMM 541 and COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Analysis of cultural influences on interpersonal communication; emphasis given to cultural values, perception, social organization, language and nonverbal codes; development of strategies of effective intercultural communication in international and domestic settings.

633. Seminar in Interpretive Communication (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541 or consent of instructor.
Theories of communicative interpretation of literature, with emphasis on the theory and evaluation of oral presentation of literature as art form and pedagogical instrument.
Letter grade only (A-F).

634. Performance and Ethnography (3)

Students use ethnographic methods to explore the relationship between culture and performance. Students choose a community, conduct fieldwork and collect/ferform stories in order to better understand a particular population.
Letter grade only (A-F).

635. Seminar in Communication Criticism (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541 or consent of instructor.
Critical theories of rhetoric and major systems of communication criticism; development of criteria and approaches for the evaluation of select communication acts and contexts.
Letter grade only (A-F).

636. Seminar in American Public Communication (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541 or consent of instructor.
Studies of American rhetorical events and their social, political and intellectual settings; application of rhetorical theory in the analysis of these events.
Letter grade only (A-F).

637. Seminar in International Public Communication (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541 or consent of instructor.
Studies of international rhetorical events and their social, political, and intellectual settings; application of rhetorical theory in the analysis of these public communication events.
Letter grade only (A-F).

639. Seminar in Communication and Popular Culture (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541 or consent of instructor.
Survey of literature on rhetoric, critical studies, and popular culture to provide a basis for investigating communication in popular culture.
Letter grade only (A-F).

640. Rhetorical Theory and Criticism II (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 541.
Examination of major figures and themes in rhetorical theory and criticism in the contemporary era.

646. Communication Theory and Research II (3)

Prerequisites: COMM 307 (or equivalent) and COMM 546.
Empirical research methodologies applied to communication research; theory and design of scientific research; analysis of findings; computer applications; research report required.

649. Seminar in Persuasion and Attitude Change (3)

Prerequisite: COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Contemporary theories and models of persuasion; structure and relationships of beliefs, values and attitudes; methods of assessing persuasive effects; analysis of research literature.
Letter grade only (A-F).

650. Seminar in Instructional Communication (3)

Prerequisites: COMM 541 and COMM 546 or consent of instructor.
Designed for teachers/trainers, the course will identify communication variables and strategies which contribute to greater student/client learning as well as greater satisfaction with the learning process. Students will develop an instructional/training package.
Letter grade only (A-F).

697. Directed Research (1-6)

Prerequisites: COMM 541 and COMM 546; authorization of the department Graduate Advisor, Agreement for Independent Study Course form, consent of instructor.
Directed research leading to the definition and discussion of a selected problem or issue in communication and the presentation of research results in a formal paper submitted to the department.
May be repeated to a maximum of 6 units with different topics. Letter grade only (A-F).

698. Thesis (2-4)

Prerequisites: COMM 541, COMM 546, COMM 640 and COMM 646, authorization of the department Graduate Advisor, Agreement for Independent Study Course form, consent of instructor.
Preparation, completion and submission of an acceptable thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master's degree.
Credit/No Credit grading only.


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