Course Descriptions

Communication and Theatre
LA 600, 406-657-2178

COMT 502 Research Methods 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Surveys qualitative and quantitative research methods utilized in the field of communication.

COMT 510 Advanced Interpersonal Communication 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Considers major concepts relevant to the study of interpersonal communication, explores some of the most important and recent research in the area of interpersonal communication, and provides experiences for the practical application of these ideas.  The content centers on such issues as self-disclosure, interpersonal conflict, perception of self and others, empathic listening, and the study of various specific types of interpersonal relationships such as inter-personal guidance and loving relationships.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 514 Issues in Organizational Communication 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Covers climate, leadership, and conflict issues related to organization.  Includes assessment center process, communication training, managing work team effectiveness, functional managerial metaphors, communication audits, communication ethics, planned change in organizations, cognitive mapping as a managerial skill, dealing with ambiguity, and managerial creativity.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 416/516 Leadership and Communication 3 cr. Offered ONLY Online.  Presents material related to leadership theories, leader-participant relations, vision/mission/goals, structure and design, culture, capacity building and social responsibility.

COMT 420/520 Media Advertising (TN) 3 cr. Provides a critical look at the role(s) of advertising in a market economy, its contributions to and influences upon the mass media, and its powers as a mirror and a shaper of society and culture. Students will acquire insights into the methods, policies, problems, opportunities, and ethical issues of advertising as a business, as a cornerstone of Western-world media systems, and as a socio-cultural force. Assignments will include the development of original creative work as well as critical assessments of current advertising.

COMT 421/521 Communicating Through the Internet 3 cr.  Examines the major principles influencing the construction and dissemination of online communication.  May address topics such as the conventions of web page design, effective utilization of the internet as a communication channel, differentiating useful messages from spam, and identifying the strengths and limitations of online communication.

COMT 422/522 Issues in Public Relations 3 cr. Prerequisite: COMT 322.  Explores advanced public relations strategies and the role of public relations in society.  Topics may include (but are not limited to) Corporations and their publics, Not-for-profit public relations, Socially responsible marketing, Public relations theory, Crisis communication, and Public Relations for Multicultural Audiences.

COMT 425/525 Media Criticism 3 cr. Prerequisites: COMT 320 and COMT 321. Engages students in the in-depth exploration, analysis, and criticism of the media as foundational components of democracies, as economic institutions, as producers of text (rhetoric), and as meaning-making systems. Students will learn a variety of critical methods and apply them to the analysis of pressing contemporary issues of media and society.

COMT 426/526 Case Studies in Public Relations 3 cr.  Uses actual cases to assess strategic decisions concerning internal and external publics and appreciate the accompanying ethical, legal, economic, psychological, organizational, political, and media impact of such decisions.

COMT 427/527 Public Relations Ethics 3 cr.  Explores ethical issues in public relations from a case study approach.  Students will critically examine the structures, work and business of the public relations industry, and discuss the implications of ethical standards applied to the field.

COMT 428/528 Advanced Video Production  3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides instruction in advanced video production techniques including camera operation, sound design, lighting, and scriptwriting.  Examines studio production systems and equipment.  Activities include the production of video projects including news packages and other short video programs designed by the instructor.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 429/529 The Law of Public Communication 3 cr.  Examines major principles in communication law that influence media and public relations professionals.  Students will become familiar with landmark court decisions and contemporary issues in first amendment jurisprudence.

COMT 530 Public Influence 3 cr.  Examines the leading theories of persuasion/rhetoric and argumentation—including their nature and history—with special time and attention given to contemporary perspectives on rhetorical theories of influence.

COMT 431/531 Political Communication 3 cr.  Explores communication methods and strategies employed by political campaigns to influence voters.  Students will analyze political discourse produced by national, state, and local campaigns in order to understand the communication patterns and interactions that occur.

COMT 440/540 Popular Culture and Cultural Studies 3 cr. Prerequisites: COMT 320 and 321. Provides an introduction to the history, theory, and practice of studying popular culture. Explores a variety of theoretical approaches to pop culture, including classical Marxism, the Frankfurt School, structuralism, feminism, and postmodernism. Throughout the course, theoretical methodologies will be illustrated through their ability to interpret and/or decode cultural objects ranging from HBO television to science fiction to hip hop. Students will be encouraged to take these applications as models for their own work in choosing, reading, and analyzing specific instances of pop culture.

COMT 461/561 Multicultural Mass Communication 3 cr. Prerequisites: COMT 320 and COMT 321. Explores and critically analyzes mass mediated communication in a multicultural world and the U.S. as a multicultural nation. Provides an understanding of the roles of media corporations and media texts in the construction of cultural, subcultural, and individual identities. Considers media as transnational businesses, as expressive forms, and as mirrors and shapers of culture. Investigates theories, practices, and outcomes of mediated cultural imperialism and the unique role played by U.S. media organizations and U.S.-produced texts.

COMT 565 Communication Theory 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides the student with a theoretical/conceptual framework for understanding human communication.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 470/570 Capstone Project 3 cr.  Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Explores how people apply their knowledge of communication in practical contexts.  Addresses applied topics such as dealing with conflict, conducting meetings, leading effectively, managing rumors, advocacy, and political communication.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 480/580 Health Communication 3 cr.  Explores key findings in health communication research and practice, focusing on a wide range of media (e.g., brochures, posters, radio, television, telephone hotlines, Internet) and a wide range of health objectives (e.g., STD/HIV prevention, smoking cessation, cardiovascular disease prevention).  We will examine the literature and key health communication campaigns to determine what are the key ingredients of successful or effective approaches in each medium, for different types of messages and target audiences.

COMT 481/581 Media for Social Change 3 cr.  Examines the application of commercial campaign technologies to the analysis, planning, execution, and evaluation of programs designed to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences in order to improve their personal welfare and that of their society.

COMT/HHP/HADM 482/582 Women, Media and Health 3 cr. Corequisites: COMT 480/580, COMT 481/581. Analyzes gaps in basic health care needs for women, both domestically and abroad, emphasizing the role of mass media both in promoting and hindering basic reproductive health. A special emphasis will be placed on women’s reproductive rights and the ways in which political movements have limited and advanced needs in this area.

COMT 588 Colloquium in Communication 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides students with the opportunity to research, prepare, and present before the faculty a final project that exemplifies the culmination of their course of study as Communication and Theatre majors.  Graduate students will be required to present an extensive research paper/project.

COMT 590 Internship 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides graduate students on-site observational and involvement opportunities.

COMT 591 Independent Study 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides graduate students of outstanding ability an opportunity to explore material not covered by regular Communication courses.

COMT 592 Seminar  3 cr.  Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  This course may be offered ONLY Online. Provides graduate students an opportunity to investigate topics pertinent to the field of Communication.

COMT 593 Workshop 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides graduate students an opportunity for experimental study in areas of Communication.

COMT 596 Cooperative Education/Internship V 1-9 cr. Provides university credit for graduate work experience in the area of Communication and Theatre, supervised by faculty.  Learning agreement must be completed prior to registration (restricted).

COMT 598 Research Project Seminar 3 cr. Prerequisite: COMT 570 and consent of instructor.  Executes project developed in COMT 570 Capstone Project.  Requires practicum, paper, and formal presentation to fulfill Option 2 of the Master of Science in Public Relations program.

COMT 599 Thesis 6 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.  Provides graduate students with guided instruction on their thesis.

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