learn how to write up and present the results of their research. Students should take this course prior to the semester in which they begin their theses. Prerequisite: Research and Writing Methods
480.602 Changing Behavior through Communication The goal of many communication initiatives is to encourage some type of behavior change. Communication professionals who understand how people change their behavior can create more successful campaigns. This course surveys major theories used to predict when and under what circumstances individuals are most likely to change their behavior. Behavior change includes a variety of actions, such as voting for a candidate, purchasing a product, joining a social networking group, or adopting a new health habit. Individual-level, interpersonal-level, and community-level models of change are covered. By becoming familiar with specific theories and the empirical support for those theories, students learn how to use social-science based models to guide their communication strategies effectively. Prerequisite: Research & Writing Methods
480.609 Applied Qualitative Research Communication professionals use qualitative methods to craft messages that resonate with audiences. This hands-on class exposes students to qualitative research methods that can be used on the job to guide communication efforts more strategically. Students learn how to design and conduct studies to gain insight into audience perceptions on a variety of issues. Specific techniques covered include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and rhetorical analysis. Through applied activities, students learn how to collect, analyze, and present qualitative research data. Students should take this course prior to the semester in which they begin their theses. Prerequisite: Research and Writing Methods
480.604 Media Effects This course surveys major theories about mass media, focusing on those theories that have empirical support. The course covers readings on how media affect what people think about, how people underestimate the effect of media on themselves, and how media affect what people see as the causes and solutions to social problems. The course also explores violence on television, the media’s role in dividing and uniting society, and the influence of commercialization on news production. Other topics include diffusion of innovations, cultivation theory, and the hostile media effect. Prerequisite: Research & Writing Methods
480.608 Applied Quantitative Research This hands-on course guides students through the various types of quantitative research they may need to perform on the job, such as, analyzing an audience, testing a message, doing a media audit, or demonstrating the effectiveness of a department. Students learn how to develop and design good survey questions, experiments, and content analyses, and how to run basic statistics on their data including the following: chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. Students also
Elective Courses 480.605 Organizational Communication This course explores the complexities and strategies of internal and external communication in public, private, and non-profit organizations. As a leadership tool, communication serves a political, informational, symbolic, and influential function. Organizational theory and research are core components of this course. Specifically, this course equips students to critique and develop the fundamentals of vision and mission statements, strategic plans, white papers, annual reports, crisis communication, and marketing and promotional communication. 480.623 Political Communication Campaigns This course exposes students to practical applications of modern political communication. Through discussion and example, students gain working knowledge of recent and current campaign communication operations and their effectiveness, as well as an understanding of where the modern political communication operation and political media are heading in the 21st century. Students learn about the latest technological advancements and their role in the modern political campaign while gaining practical knowledge of a political press office or a political campaign press office. The course also examines the duties of a political press secretary, media advisor, or communication director, and the media professionals who cover them. 480.624 Press Secretary: Theory and Practice This class focuses on the skills required to be a press secretary and communication advisor working both inside and outside of government. It examines the roles, duties, and responsibilities of press secretaries in a variety of settings: working for members of Congress, federal agencies, the White House, industry associations, non-profits, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns. It provides insight from journalists—the immediate audience for much of a press secretary’s efforts—about effective techniques. Students create a variety of materials and deal with typical situations that a press secretary faces in the course of a day. By the end of the course, students will be able to draft and
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Academic Year 2010–2011
480.606 Persuasion Underlying virtually all communication is the idea of persuasion. This course tackles how to create a persuasive message, whether it is a press release, speech, advertisement, or letter. The primary goal of this course is to examine major theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence about what makes messages persuasive. Topics covered include source characteristics such as expertise, trustworthiness, and likeability; the use of emotions such as fear and humor; and the sequencing of messages for maximum impact. The course explores how psychological theories about consistency, conformity, and reciprocity help one understand what is persuasive and why. Prerequisite: Research & Writing Methods
Master of Arts in communication
explored through primary research across a range of subjects including public relations, political communication, and health communication. Prerequisite: Research & Writing Methods
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