Courses in Communication | University at Albany

General Foundation Courses

ACOM 100 Introduction to Human Communication (3)

This course offers an introduction to the diverse ways in which human beings create shared meaning through the production and exchange of messages. The primary focus will be on processes of human communication that occur within interpersonal, organizational, and public contexts. Required to register for ACOM 265X.

ACOM 203Y Public Speaking (3)

Introduction to the composition and presentation of speeches. Course includes guided practice in topic development, organization, and the oral presentation of various kinds of speeches.

TCOM 203Y Public Speaking (3)

Introduction to the composition and presentation of speeches. Course includes guided practice in topic development, organization, and the oral presentation of various kinds of speeches. TCOM 203Y is the Honors College version of ACOM 203Y, only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

ACOM 212 Argumentation and Debate (3)

Study of and practice in the methods of argument. Special emphasis upon skills needed in oral argumentation.

ACOM 238 Introduction to Mass Communication (3)

This course provides an overview of the types and functions of various mass communication tools -- from traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, film, and television to new media such as the Internet, mobile media, and social media. Since mass communication technologies relate to and influence each other, this course examines the dynamic relationship between traditional and new media formats. To deepen students' understanding of mass media's roles, this course also emphasizes the impact of mass communication on society and individuals. Through this course, students will develop their media literacy skills to be an educated media consumer and producer.

ACOM 265X Introduction to Communication Theory (3)

Approaches to the study of human communication. Consideration of major research findings, methods and conceptualizations in such areas as persuasion, interpersonal communication, group communication, organizational communication, and mass communication. ACOM 265X is restricted to A-E grading for intended and declared Communication majors and for Communication minors. Prerequisite(s) ACOM 100.

ACOM 275 Introduction to Communication Research Methods (3)

Students will learn how to evaluate research and follow the steps in completing a research project including hypothesis development, collecting and analyzing data. This course will focus specifically on the role of research in the communication discipline and provide a foundation of the fundamental components of the research process. Communication majors, but not minors, need a statistics class to advance. Prerequisite(s): open to Communication majors, minors and intended Communication majors.

Note: Some courses appear in multiple categories.

Courses in Public and Mass Communication

ACOM 260 Media in Everyday Life (3)

This course explores contemporary media and their economic, political, and sociocultural implications for individual consumers and society. Based on media literacy principles and theories, students will analyze, evaluate, and critique various genres of media, such as news, advertising, entertainment, and social media, interpret meanings embedded in messages, understand the structure and economics of the media industry, and examine their own media use habits. The goal of this course is to help students develop a constructive, critical attitude toward the media.

TCOM 285 Understanding Media Audiences through Data Analytics (3)

This course is to acquaint students with data analytic skills that help profile target audiences and support decision making in the public relations, advertising, and/or marketing industries. Students will learn how to apply methods for obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting audience data, to inform effective decision-making in complex settings. Topics include quantitative and qualitative research designs, sampling, data analysis techniques, and practical application of research methods. Open to Honors College students only.

ACOM 356 Social Media and Public Memory (3)

On social media something old becomes new again in an instant. A forgotten song gains new relevance. An image or meme triggers waves of nostalgia or is the centerpiece of a socially conscious advertising campaign. At the same time, our social media use can come back to haunt us. Social media is at the heart of how we remember as both individuals and groups. Your phone notifies you of a new memory, a slide show set to pensive music prepared by an algorithm. Families, fanbases, communities, and nations construct, negotiate, and argue over pasts, futures, and identities online. We will examine how media structures the way we remember and imagine as groups and how social media runs on the exchange of memories and visions of the future to generate user engagement. We will cover a variety of contexts, including advertising, social justice movements, technology, popular culture, politics, music, journalism, and film. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed ACOM 275.

ACOM 359 Environmental Communication and Media Advocacy (3)

The aim of the course is to provide students with a critical understanding of how perceptions about climate change and its associated risks are understood, discussed, manipulated, measured, and acted upon. Bringing together theory, research, and practice from the fields of environmental communication and media advocacy, the course covers: risk perception, climate change narratives, media framing, visual communication, and coalition building as well as issues tied to social media, misinformation, and local news. Students will apply what they learn by crafting a Media Advocacy Plan focused on a local issue tied to climate change. Prerequisite(s): Declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed ACOM 275.

ACOM 360 Digital and Social Media in Strategic Communication (3)

The course addresses such topics as search engine optimization, social media publishing, audience research, online press releases, email marketing, Web analytics, online advertising, and video production. Students will write blog posts, create videos, and manage social media. Non-profit organizational context is emphasized. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 361 Public Relations Research Methods (3)

This course acquaints students with quantitative and qualitative research methods that support decision making in the public relations industry. Students learn how to apply those methods for decision making and problem solving in complex settings. Topics include research designs, questionnaire construction, sampling, data analysis techniques, and practical application of research methods. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 370 Theories of Mass Media (3)

The theories, research methods, and empirical research findings related to the effects of mass communication on individuals and society. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 372 Persuasion in Media (3)

Advertising Fundamentals provides a foundation in message design for marketing communications. From creating concepts to coordinating art and copy in media executions, students will understand and practice strategic messaging in the context of advertising. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 374 Podcasting & Radio Programming (3)

Podcasting and Radio Programming provides a foundation in the history, business and practice of audio programming with a focus on the tools and techniques for creating a podcast. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 375 Computer-Mediated Communication (3)

We now communicate in technologically mediated ways that offer different possibilities for social interaction than those afforded by in-person communication. In this course we explore how different ways of communicating afforded by new and emergent technologies have altered our understanding of communication and impact how we engage in social interaction. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 376/376Z Empirical Studies of Persuasion (3)

In this course, students will be introduced to fundamental concepts, classic and contemporary theories, and foundational studies in persuasive communication. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 378/378Z Topics in Communication (3)

These courses focus on a range of current issues, applications, and research studies in communication. Topics explored in these courses change from semester to semester. Please see the Schedule of Classes for more information about a specific section. May be repeated for a total of 15 credits when content varies. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 379 Rhetoric and Social Movements (3)

Social movements are unique because, lacking other financial and political resources, they must rely upon rhetoric and persuasion. This course surveys the major approaches for studying the rhetoric of social movements and uses a case study approach to identify, describe, and evaluate the rhetoric of current social movements. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 381 Risk and Crisis Communication (3)

The dual aim of the course is to provide students with an understanding of how risk and crisis communication is done and a knowledge base from which to critically assess such practices. This course addresses and assesses current thinking about the practice and make up of risk and crisis communication, including how risk and crisis are perceived by the public and how they are theorized by practitioners and critics. The course will critically engage with a variety of contexts - (cyber)security, social conflict, policing, environmental disasters - and examine a breadth of actors and technologies that are involved in communicating risk and crisis to the public: government officials, journalists and mass, digital and social media. Students will apply what they learn to current and past events/campaigns. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 382 Political Communication (3)

This course is designed to foster critical thinking about the complex interplay between politics and communication, which involves citizens, politicians, the news media, entertainment media, and communication technologies, among others. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 383 Social Media: Theory and Practice (3)

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of social media in an online learning context. The course includes communication theory, readings on social media and the practical application of social media skills to better understand the relationship between society and social media platforms. Students will have the opportunity to use different social media technologies to design, execute and promote user-generated communication campaigns in virtual communities and networks. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 385 Communicating Terror: Political Violence and Media (3)

This course begins from two basic assumptions about terrorism: it is a historical, political and ill-defined concept that takes many forms and it is a mediated phenomenon. The course will analyze the various ways that media, broadly defined, have been connected to terrorism, focusing on the media used in acts deemed terroristic (e.g., the mass media, the airplane, the bomb, the body and the internet), how terrorism is represented in popular media, and the media deployed in counterterrorism efforts. The aim of the course is to go beyond popular narratives of terrorism and foster a broader understanding of the history, politics and unequal social consequences of framing an increasing amount of actors, actions and utterances as terroristic. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 386/386Z Persuasion and Film (3)

This course will examine cinema as a vehicle of persuasion. Cinematic themes will be analyzed for their manifest and latent advocacy of various positions and points of view. A variety of films will be critically evaluated, including those that raise issues about race, gender, and power. Contemporary thinking about persuasive message design will be drawn upon to investigate the cinematic presentation of these and other issues. Only one version may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 387 Communicating Politics Through Film (3)

This course focuses on cinematic representations of politics that shed light on politicians, political institutions and political events. Films explored include biographical dramas about political actors, stories about governance and campaigning, and representations of partisan disputes over public policy. In this course students will investigate how films typically address broader issues of justice, fairness, civic engagement, and the nature of argument and public discourse. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 465 Advanced Topics in Communication (3)

These advanced courses focus on a range of current issues, applications, and research studies in communication. Topics explored in these courses change from semester to semester. Please see the Schedule of Classes for more information about a specific section. May be repeated for a total of 15 credits when content varies. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 470 Methods of Communication Research (3)

Intermediate-level study of research strategies, design of experiments, and field methods in human communication. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

Courses in Interpersonal Interaction/Cultural Practices

ACOM 201 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (3)

Introduction to the broad field of interpersonal communication. The course focuses on practical and theoretical issues in interpersonal interaction and social relationships.

ACOM 340 Health Communication (3)

Students explore the role of communication in the delivery and receipt of health care, especially with respect to physician-patient encounters, organizations in the health care system, and the design and execution of health care campaigns. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 343 New Media and Health (3)

This course will introduce basic concepts of new media and computer-mediated communication, and explore the impact of digital media technologies on health behaviors. Topics include online social support, health information-seeking online, social media of health promotion, and emergence of mobile health (mHealth). Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 367 Theories of Interpersonal Communication (3)

The theories, research methods, and representative research findings related to experimental and observational studies of interpersonal communication. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 371 Theories of Intercultural Communication (3)

Communication between people from different cultures and/or subcultures, including racial and ethnic groups. Focus is upon appropriate theories, concepts, research findings, and practice in intercultural settings. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 425 Communication, Self and Society (3)

Explore the contribution of language and social interaction to the formation of mind, the sense of personal identity, and the nature of intimate practices in modern and non-modern cultures. Special attention is given to understanding difficulties of being and relating that have become prominent in modern societies in recent decades. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 465 Advanced Topics in Communication (3)

Courses in Organizational Communication

ACOM 204 Group Communication (3)

The theory and practice of small group interaction. Examination of both group dynamics and cognitive processes, as they relate to group deliberation.

TCOM 250 Communication in Organizational Life (3)

This course examines how individuals negotiate their relationships with organizations primarily as employees of organizations, but also as consumers of services offered by organizations. In the context of internal stakeholders, or employees of organizations, the course addresses topics such as organizational assimilation, identification, resistance, and the management of work and personal-life interrelationships, including the impact of new information and communication technologies. We will consider employing organizations as sources of identity, sites for entertainment and socializing, sites for enacting spirituality (broadly defined) and religion, sources of social relationships and support, and substitutes for different aspects of family (e.g., mentor-parents; co-worker spouses). Relationships of external stakeholders to organizations are also considered, focusing on consumers of health care services. Only one of TCOM 250 and ACOM 412 can be taken for credit. May not be taken by students with credit for topics courses, “The Individual and the Organization” and “Interacting with Organizations.” Open to Honors College students only.

TCOM 285 Understanding Media Audiences through Data Analytics (3)

ACOM 301 Introduction to Strategic Communication (3)

This course offers an introduction to the fundamental principles and practices of strategic communication used to influence stakeholders and accomplish organizational goals. Strategic practices in corporate communication, advertising, public relations, and social media marketing communication will be examined. Application of strategic communication to real-world case studies and contemporary organizational communication challenges will broaden strategic perspectives and strengthen critical thinking and communication skills. Prerequisites: Declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logics course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 304 Conference and Group Leadership (3)

Advanced study of small group deliberation, with special emphasis upon theories of group leadership as they apply in business and professional group communication settings. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 320 Leadership Communication (3)

This course provides students with in-depth knowledge of the various leadership theories and insight into effective leadership practices. A critical examination of leadership theories and research will be undertaken. Students will evaluate leadership communication in “real world” cases and reflect on their own leadership skills. Areas of leadership covered include management versus leadership; trait theories of leadership; behavior theories of leadership; contingency theories of leadership; “modern” theories of leadership, and more. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors who have matriculated prior to Fall 2024 must also have completed one of these statistics/logic courses (AMAT 108, ASOC 221, RCRJ 281, APSY 210, or APHI 210); majors who have matriculated Fall 2024 or later must have completed one of these courses (ACOM 275 or ASOC 221).

ACOM 349 Public Relations Strategies (3)

This course provides an introduction to the field of public relations (PR), exploring its role in shaping public perception and building relationships between organizations and their key audiences. Students will learn about the fundamental principles, strategies, and tools used in PR to effectively manage communication, reputation, and media relations. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 357 Strategic Writing & Storytelling (3)

In this course you will learn the fundamentals of effective writing in strategic communication professions (e.g., public relations, advertising, promotions). You will develop skills to write and analyze messaging that achieves strategic communication goals. Prerequisites: Declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 358 Communication in Professional Contexts (3)

Employers frequently identify oral and written communication as two of the most desirable skills for recently graduated new hires. This course focuses on developing effective communication practices in professional contexts and understanding the theories and research behind these best practices. Topics covered will include job-seeking processes, effective communication in diverse workplaces, technology in the workplace, work-life integration and more. Declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors who have matriculated prior to Fall 2024 must also have completed one of these statistics/logic courses (AMAT 108, ASOC 221, RCRJ 281, APSY 210, or APHI 210); majors who have matriculated Fall 2024 or later must have completed one of these courses (ACOM 275 or ASOC 221).

ACOM 360 Digital and Social Media in Strategic Communication (3)

ACOM 361 Public Relations Research Methods (3)

ACOM 362 Brand Communication (3)

This course provides a foundation in the strategic design and execution of brands with a focus on the craft of brand identity and brand storytelling. Students will assess an existing brand and develop brand communication. Areas of focus include the branding process, the influence of advanced technology on brand development, effective practices for brand identity communication, and managing brand assets. Prerequisites: Declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors who have matriculated prior to Fall 2024 must also have completed one of these statistics/logic courses (AMAT 108, ASOC 221, RCRJ 281, APSY 210, or APHI 210); majors who have matriculated Fall 2024 or later must have completed one of these courses (ACOM 275 or ASOC 221).

ACOM 363 Marketing Communication and Media Campaigns (3)

In this course students design, construct, and present a campaign plan for a business or organization. This course provides an overview and application of marketing communication and campaign principles and strategies to practical problems of marketing communication and media campaigns. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 364 Corporate Communication and Rhetorical Advocacy (3)

This course focuses on the corporation as a rhetorical advocate for its interests in political, economic and social forums. Using case study examples, the course will explore the role of advocacy in corporate communication, the development of rhetorical advocacy in corporate communication, the forms of rhetorical advocacy used in corporate communication and an assessment of corporate advocacy in public discourse. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 365 Strategic Communication Challenges (3)

In this course students learn to apply strategic communication skills to an existing communication challenge. Students gain experience managing communication challenges in real-time scenarios to create commitment to an organization's mission, help execute its initiatives and improve organizational value and effectiveness. Working in small teams, students design, construct and present communication that delivers on stated objectives, leverages limited resources and achieves measurable outcomes for an organization. Course assignments allow students to create samples of work appropriate for a portfolio in corporate communication. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 369 Theories of Organizational Communication (3)

Theoretical models and empirical studies of communication within complex organizations. In-depth case study of one or more organizations. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 377 Communication and Technology in Organizations (3)

This course reviews perspectives on technology, communication and work. Students will analyze the introduction and use of technology in organizations and its impact on daily collaboration and interaction practices. They will study the way organizational members negotiate and make sense of technology in their individual and collaborative work. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 388 Communication and Global Organizations (3)

Through a series of readings, case studies, and video programs, students in this class investigate what globalization is and how it is transforming organizations across the world. The course is designed to enable students to understand why and how communication is a critical process through which these transformations are taking place. Students will explore, for example, how new communication technologies have led to the emergence of network, virtual, and web organizations, and what the implications of these developments are for both organizations and the individuals that are part of them (e.g., as employees, clients). Moreover, this course aims to highlight those unique and often unexpected ways, in which the processes of globalization, communication, and organization intersect and affect our lives today. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 410/410Y Organization Image Building (3)

Students will learn the fundamentals of integrated communication strategies and how they can be applied effectively to present and advance business, organizations, products and issues. Topics covered include the basics of communication theory; the importance of clearly evaluating and defining organization objectives as the foundation of communication planning activities; how branding decisions affect a communication campaign, etc. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 412 Communication, Work and Organization Life (3)

This course examines how individuals negotiate their relationships with organizations primarily as employees of organizations, but also as consumers of services offered by organizations. Topics include organizational controls, employee identification and resistance, and the management of work and personal-life interrelationships, including the impact of new information and communication technologies. Organizations are considered as sources of identity, sites for entertainment and socializing, sites for enacting spirituality and religion, sources of social relationships and support, and substitutes for different aspects of family (e.g., mentor-parents; co-worker spouses). Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 415 Persuasion and Public Relations (3)

This course combines the study of theories of persuasive communication with the practice of persuasive communication campaign. Through readings, lectures, and classroom activities, students will become acquainted with the nature of persuasion, and then apply the concepts in practical exercises. The goals are to develop an understanding of the nature of persuasion, theoretical approaches to influence, managing campaigns, measurement and research design in persuasion, free and paid communication modalities, and using mass media in public relations campaigns. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 465 Advanced Topics in Communication (3)

Courses in Applied Studies

TCOM 285 Understanding Media Audiences through Data Analytics (3)

ACOM 290 (formerly ACOM 390) Internship in Communication (1–6)

Formerly ACOM 390. Supervised participation in communicative practices. Variable credit. Can be taken in multiple semesters for a maximum of 6 credits overall. Can be taken for 6 credits in one semester, but if so taken, cannot be repeated. This course is designed to provide practical experience. Course can be counted towards lower-level elective credits needed for the major as well as credits needed to meet the residency requirement for majors. Open only to Communication majors or minors in their junior or senior years with a GPA of 2.00 or higher. Prerequisite(s): ACOM 265X and permission of Internship Coordinator. S/U graded.

ACOM 297 Research Practicum (1–3)

Supervised participation in established research projects. Course may be repeated for a total of 6 credits, but only a maximum of 3 credits may be applied toward major requirements. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor. S/U graded.

ACOM 301 Introduction to Strategic Communication (3)

This course offers an introduction to the fundamental principles and practices of strategic communication used to influence stakeholders and accomplish organizational goals. Strategic practices in corporate communication, advertising, public relations, and social media marketing communication will be examined. Application of strategic communication to real-world case studies and contemporary organizational communication challenges will broaden strategic perspectives and strengthen critical thinking and communication skills. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have already completed ACOM 365 Strategic Communication Challenge. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210).

ACOM 349 Public Relations Strategies (3)

ACOM 357 Strategic Writing & Storytelling (3)

ACOM 360 Digital and Social Media in Strategic Communication (3)

ACOM 383 Social Media: Theory and Practice (3)

ACOM 392 Internship in Operational and Applied Communication Theory (9)

Supervised field placement in an approved setting. Cumulative average of at least 2.50 required. (Open only to communication majors and minors, except with permission of instructor.) Student attends a weekly seminar (ACOM 393Z) and prepares a major project and weekly reports in conjunction with that seminar. Does not satisfy major or minor requirements. Internships are open only to qualified juniors and seniors who have an overall grade point average of 2.50 or higher. Corequisite(s): ACOM 393Z, and permission of instructor. S/U graded.

ACOM 393Z Seminar in Operational and Applied Communication Theory (6)

Advanced applications of rhetoric and communication theory. Participants will complete a major project describing in detail each segment of their work. Each participant will also complete five ten-page analytical papers in addition to a series of weekly seminar papers. (Open only to rhetoric and communication majors and minors, except with permission of instructor.) Yields credit toward rhetoric and communication major or minor. Corequisite(s): ACOM 392, and permission of instructor.

ACOM 397 Independent Study and Research in Communication (1–3)

Directed reading and conferences on selected topics. Course may be repeated for a total of 6 credits. Prerequisite(s): declared COM major/minor with ACOM 265X, and majors must have completed a statistics/logic course (ACOM 275 or AMAT 108 or ASOC 221 or RCRJ 281 or APSY 210 or APHI 210); and permission of instructor.

ACOM 499 Senior Honors Project (3–6)

Design and implementation of an investigation of some clearly defined problem in rhetoric and communication, under faculty supervision. Students may repeat this course once, for a maximum of 6 credits, for those projects requiring two consecutive semesters of study. Prerequisite(s): admission to the honors program in communication; enrollment by permission of the director of undergraduate studies.