The
University Senate of Michigan Technological University
PROPOSAL 50-04
BA IN COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE STUDIES WITH CONCENTRATIONS IN
COMMUNICATION IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE; COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN INTERACTIONS AND
GLOBAL CONTEXTS; COMMUNICATION MEDIA
1. Executive Summary
Communication is a field in great demand. Numerous job paths are open to those
with degrees in communication, and large numbers of students choose the
communication major where one is offered. We plan to establish a major in
Communication and Culture Studies to grow enrollment and provide alternatives
for students at Michigan Tech who choose a non-engineering path. In this way,
we can offer much needed options for Michigan Tech students, promote diversity,
aid in student retention, and provide an opportunity for student recruitment to
a traditionally very popular major. This degree will draw on the well-developed
strengths of the Department of Humanities that include minors in Communication
Studies, Journalism, Media Studies, Philosophy, Modern Languages, and majors in
Liberal Arts and Scientific and Technical Communication.
2. Need for Proposed
Degree
The need for the BA in Communication and Culture Studies originates from many
directions: from the internal need of the university to enhance enrollment,
from the need of the university to offer a curriculum that responds to
contemporary demands for communication proficiencies, from the needs of
students for meaningful program options at Michigan Tech, and from the needs of
organizations to recruit college graduates savvy in the ways of communication.
Key components of
Michigan Tech's Strategic Plan are 1) to aggressively recruit and retain a
larger and diverse student body and 2) to offer programs in new areas,
particularly interdisciplinary areas. The BA in Communication and Culture
Studies would contribute significantly to these goals.
The proposed degree
would offer opportunities to increase enrollment numbers generally and to
diversify the student body more particularly. Typically, programs in
communication attract large numbers of students, many of whom are women,
minorities, rural, urban, business, and graduate school-bound students. So, for
example, of the 56,910 degrees in communication conferred in 2000, 34,847 were
awarded to women (http:///www.natcom.org/ComProg/Stats/earned.htm). At many
universities of comparable size to Michigan Tech, a large percentage of
students major in communication. For example, of the 7,500 students as
Millersville University, 450 students major in Speech Communication. Of the 28,931 students at Western Michigan University, 1100
students major and 400 minor in Communication. Of the approximately
25,000 students at Virginia Tech, a peer institution, 750 students major in
Communication (as of September 2003).
Apart from attracting
new students to Michigan Tech, the major will help the university meet its
retention goals. Retention has been a major focus at every level of the
university. One critical aspect of retention, as recognized in the strategic
plan, is the need to provide alternatives to the "engineering-only"
reputation that impedes both recruitment and retention. The proposed degree in
Communication and Culture Studies will contribute to retention rates by
offering a high quality alternative that draws on current strengths within the
university.
The uniqueness of this
major is its interdisciplinary nature and its focus on the cultural contexts
within which practices of communication matter. Communication programs
throughout the country, even within Michigan, vary somewhat in the
"complexion" of their curricula. Each has its own emphasis. For
example, some programs will emphasize more mass media, speech communication,
media production, interpersonal communication, and journalism. What is unique
about the proposed BA is its cultural orientation, that is, its emphasis on the
larger cultural context within which practices of communication matter. In
foregrounding this emphasis we offer students a unique and timely orientation
to communication in a changing world, while at the same time offering a degree
that is clearly recognizable to other educators and practitioners in the field
as a degree in communication. Students learn the complexities and possibilities
of communication modes and practices, including familiarity with a second
language and culture, so that they are well prepared to take up leadership
positions in their communities, country, and world. While the proposed program
offers skills in such areas as oral and visual competencies and media applications,
there is considerable emphasis on developing conceptual understandings that
give students an edge in not just using communication but in shaping
communicative practices and future possibilities. The degree is unique in yet
another way: Because the interdisciplinary contributions of linguists,
rhetoricians, modern language scholars, and so on, are located within
the departmental structure, we can assure a level of coordination and
cooperation that is rare in communication degrees.
Beyond the internal need
of the university to build a diverse student body, there is a consistent demand
for communication professionals. In 1998 the Wall Street Journal
reported that excellent communication skills were the premier characteristic
sought out in prospective employees. Industry representatives who have visited
Michigan Tech have consistently told us that the skills they most value are
savvy communication skills. These skills involve more than the basic ability to
read, write, and speak effectively. They also involve the cultivation of the
knowledge and communication skills that are increasingly demanded by a
changing, global environment: the ability to negotiate in diverse cultural
contexts, to work constructively in complex organizational settings, and to
imagine and institute creative solutions in a fast-paced and rapidly changing
world. These are all matters that the BA in Communication and Culture Studies
emphasizes.
The career
paths open to graduates of a degree in communication are many. Positions such
as the following are possible: communication coordinator/consultant,
information specialist, facilitator/mediator, community relations director,
speech writer, grant writer, lobbyist, company spokesperson, fund raiser,
customer service specialist, multi-cultural specialist, print and radio
journalist, and related positions in fields such as sales, education, human
resources, tourism, and entertainment. (For an expanded list of such options,
see Appendix I: National Communication Association graphic: "What Can You
Do with a Communication Degree?")
As a first step toward
responding to the need for an emphasis on Communication and Culture Studies at
Michigan Tech, the Department of Humanities established the minor in
Communication Studies two years ago. The minor has already successfully
attracted a diverse student population. The BA in Communication and Culture
Studies will build on this success and permit students to more fully prepare
for the changing communication environment of the future.
3. Degree Objectives:
The following objectives have been identified for the BA in Communication and
Culture Studies:
4. Programmatic
Resources
All of the faculty and courses necessary for this degree are already in place
in the Department of Humanities. Faculty in areas such as Communication,
Cultural Studies, Linguistics, Modern Languages, New Media, and Rhetoric have
been consistently offering courses that have addressed the goals of the
Communication and Culture Studies major. Until recently these faculty and these
courses have been perceived in terms of contributing solely to programs
such as Scientific and Technical Communication or to the General Education
curriculum. In recent external department reviews, the capacity and desire of
department faculty and staff for another major degree program has become
increasingly evident. By creatively organizing how a student can bring current
course offerings together that takes advantage of existing faculty expertise,
the Humanities Department can readily support the proposed degree program and
contribute to the education of communication professionals.
The Humanities
department currently has 26 full-time tenured and tenure track faculty, many of
whom teach in the areas that constitute this degree: Communication, Cultural Studies,
New Media, Journalism, Rhetoric, Linguistics, Modern Languages, and Philosophy.
(See Appendix IV for faculty profiles.) Communication courses have been offered
consistently since the establishment of the undergraduate degree in Scientific
and Technical Communication in 1984. Focused courses in communication and
culture studies have been added in the intervening years in response to the
demands of the changing and challenging communication environment and for the
benefit of students in the Scientific and Technical Communication, Liberal
Arts, and General Education programs. As part of these programs, Communication
and Culture Studies has grown, but we have come to recognize the need to and
value of developing a focused degree that foregrounds matters of communication.
The masters and PhD in
Rhetoric and Technical Communication, established in 1985 and 1989
respectively, have also contributed to the growing expertise of the faculty in
the area communication and culture. Graduate faculty currently teach courses in
communication and culture, cultural studies, communication theory,
organizational communication, interpersonal communication, documentary
communication, intercultural communication, risk communication, communication
ethics, linguistics, applications of media, communication and community, and
communication technologies and culture. All of these areas provide a rich
ground from which to provide undergraduates with a quality education that takes
advantage of the expert knowledge developed by graduate faculty. Notably, as
part of a recent revision of the curriculum in the graduate program in Rhetoric
and Technical Communication, three new courses were added that focus on
fundamental areas of scholarship, one of which is HU5004, Communication in Cultural
Contexts. This course, proposed by the communication faculty and piloted by
those faculty members during the first two years, offers graduate students an
introduction to humanistically-oriented scholarly
work in communication and culture and attests to the centrality and
availability of such perspectives and expertise among Humanities faculty and
within the curriculum. In short, the Department of Humanities has the resources
in place to support the undergraduate major in Communication and Culture Studies.
5. Relationship to
Existing Programs
The proposed BA in Communication and Culture Studies draws on programs that
have developed within the Department of Humanities: the BS and BA in Scientific
and Technical Communication (STC); the BA in Liberal Arts; and courses
developed for the general education mission of the department. However, the BA
in Communication and Culture Studies differs significantly from the degrees
offered by the department. Although the term "communication" appears
in both the proposed major and the STC majors, the two programs take different
orientations and are designed to produce different kinds of graduates. Because
both draw from the Humanities area and depend on Humanities faculty expertise,
there are bound to be commonalities. However, the BA in Communication and
Culture Studies is distinguished by its emphasis on communication per se.
While STC educates and prepares students for the specific technically-oriented
career paths of technical communicators, Communication and Culture Studies
educates and prepares students to work across a broader range of applications
with an especially rich understanding of communication theory and practice in
diverse cultural contexts.
The proposed core
curriculum of the BA in Communication and Culture Studies differs from the core
of STC. The only shared core course is HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication; and the STC BA option, like Communication and Culture Studies,
requires a year of language. What is unique about Communication and Culture Studies
is first, its core, and second, its organization into concentrations. The core,
with two lower level courses and one capstone senior project will provide
students with common tools of analysis and a sense of identity in the field.
The three concentrations ensure that students will be extensively exposed to
concentrated and coherent study of widely-acknowledged areas of importance in
the field of communication.
STC and Communication
and Culture Studies major share courses in media. The media area is a critical
area of knowledge and skill in the world today and students must have an
understanding of new media to compete as either communication generalists or as
technical communication specialists. The STC degree requires 6-12 credits in
this area and students choose from 7 courses to fulfill this requirement; the
Communication and Culture Studies degree includes 5 of these courses and some
additional, but not the 2 courses focused on technical communication. Notably,
other programs across campus such as Business also require Humanities media
courses in recognition of the critical nature of this area.
STC students currently
do have options that allow them to avail themselves of some, but only some of
the courses offered in the Communication and Culture Studies degree. A student
in the STC BA option can take courses from one of the Communication and Culture
Studies concentrations to fulfill their 24-credit concentration requirement.
They can even take a minor in Communication to meet 12 of their concentration
credits. (We currently have students doing this.) However, the requirements of
the STC degree (in either option) and the particular range of options open to
them prohibit students from putting together a profile that would be equivalent
to the BA in Communication and Culture. Consequently, STC core requirements,
its range of options, and the limited opportunity to take courses in
Communication and Culture Studies clearly differentiate STC from the BA in
Communication and Culture Studies. Students graduating with these different
degrees will look significantly different than one another.
6. Institutional Impact
Given the established appeal of the Communication minor and Communication
majors at other universities, we anticipate that new enrollments in the BA in
Communication and Culture Studies would be significant within a few years once
this major is offered. (See Appendix II: Resource Analysis.) We anticipate that
the degree will increase the university's total incoming freshmen enrollment by
attracting students whose interests have not been so clearly addressed up to
now. Given the diverse student body attracted to the study of communication
nationwide (see National Communication Association:
http:///www.natcom.org/ComProg/Stats/earned.htm), the major in Communication
and Culture Studies should contribute significantly to helping Michigan Tech
achieve its diversity goals. In addition, offering a home for undeclared
students and those who wish to transfer out of other degree programs will
contribute to university retention rates.
No new courses and no
new faculty are required for this degree. Given the popularity of degrees in
communication, a conservative estimate of enrollment within 6 years would be
50. The addition of these students will be the primary impact on the Department
of Humanities. Given that some upper level Humanities courses have been
under-subscribed since the institution of the General Education curriculum, the
added enrollment of students in Communication and Culture Studies would make use
of currently under-utilized resources and still keep the student/teacher ratio
in Humanities at an acceptable level. We expect to achieve sustained enrollment
figures of 35 by year 4. At that point, we recommend the addition of one new
faculty line to assist with advising and course delivery. (See Appendix II:
Resource Analysis). This added expense would, however, be more than offset by
the increased enrollment.
7. Schedule For
Implementation
Because this degree program is based on existing faculty, courses, and the
current scheduling of courses, it can be implemented as soon as it is approved.
Thus, we would initiate the degree in the Fall of
2004.
We recommend that
Admissions recruiters begin an outreach program during the fall of 2004 to
recruit students for the fall of 2005.
8. Outside Reviewer
Comments
Utilizing a number of professional electronic networks in communication, we
asked communication scholars to read and comment on the soundness of the
proposal for the BA in Communication and Culture Studies and on its likelihood
for success. We received assessments from department chairs, graduate program
directors, the previous director of the National Communication Association,
distinguished professors, and a number of highly reputable scholars in North
America from institutions such as University of North Carolina, University of
Massachusetts, Arizona State University West, Miami University, Virginia Tech,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Washington. (See Appendix
V for reviewer comments).
We here highlight
comments received from Dr. William Keith of the Department of Communication at
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Professor Keith, who has experience a
major engineering school, Oregon State University, speaks specifically to the
need for this degree in Communication and Culture Studies at MTU in the
following way:
This major is also part
of a trend across schools which were founded as "tech schools" to
broaden their mission and majors. I don't know what schools are the peer comparators
for MTU, but schools like Purdue, RPI, Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Oregon
State, and Washington State all have well developed undergraduate communication
majors. Instituting this major confirms MTU's place among these schools.
. . .
I particularly like the
combination of core tracks with interdisciplinary offerings; that's a rough
tough thing to put together, and you've done a great job balancing breadth and
depth. I'd say that this curriculum would be recognized as cutting edge at
almost any school in the country.
9. Curriculum
Based on the program objectives outlined above, the course requirements of the
proposed degree in Communication and Culture Studies emphasize the following:
Areas of Concentration:
Students take at least
27 credits in their concentration. At least 6 credits must be taken in each of
the other concentrations (called secondary areas) to insure adequate exposure
to the range of issues of importance in Communication and Culture Studies. An
additional 9 credits are chosen from either the concentration or the secondary
areas.
Communication and Culture Studies with a
Concentration in Communication in Contemporary Culture
CORE REQUIREMENTS (15 credits)
HU2820 Communication and
Culture (f) 3
HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication (f) 3
HU4890 Project in
Communication and Culture 3
HU 2 courses in a
Modern Language (for at least 6 credits) 6
CONCENTRATION IN COMMUNICATION
IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
(27 credits including the three required courses designated with stars **.)
Communication in
Contemporary Culture
HU3840** Organizational
Communication (s) 3
HU3850** Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3890** Documentary (s) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3151 Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
(s) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
SECONDARY AREAS (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be taken in both of the secondary areas from among the
starred courses, for a total of 12 credits.
Communication in Human
Interactions and Global Contexts
HU3261** Intercultural
Communication (f, s) 3
HU3545** Literature Across
Borders 3
HU3820** Interpersonal
Communication (f) 3
Upper Division
Language Courses Up to 9
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
(f) 3
HU2910 Language and Mind ( f) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3150 Reading and Writing (f) 3
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3263 Topics in German Speaking
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3264 Topics in
Spanish-Speaking Cultures (s) 3
HU3850 Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s)
3
Communication Media
HU3150** Reading and Writing (f)
3
HU3701** Philosophy of
Technology (s) 3
HU3870** Communication Technologies
and Culture (f) 3
HU2324 Introduction to Film (f,
s) 3
HU2631 Fundamentals of
Photography (f) 3
HU2645 Graphic and Information
Design (f) 3
HU2650 Introduction to Web Site
Design (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism (f) 3
HU3642 Introduction to
Multimedia Development (f)
3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3890 Documentary (s) 3
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum (f) 3
HU4642 Special Topics in
Advanced Media Development (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
COMMUNICATION AND
CULTURE STUDIES ELECTIVES (9 credits)
9 additional credits from either the concentration or the secondary areas
APPROVED ELECTIVES (9 credits)
Approved electives are any academic courses determined by the advisor of
Communication and Culture Studies to contribute to a student's major program.
Excluded are ROTC, PE, and Fine Arts performance.
FREE ELECTIVES (9
credits)
GENERAL EDUCATION (44
credits)
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry (3); UN1002 World Cultures (4); UN2001 Revisions
(3); UN2002 Institutions (3); Distribution Courses (15); Science and math (16)
(minimum one semester lab science and one math class at the 1000 level);
Co-curricular Physical Education (6 half units)
TOTAL CREDITS 125
Communication and Culture Studies with a
Concentration in Communication in Contemporary Culture
CORE REQUIREMENTS (15 credits)
HU2820 Communication and
Culture (f) 3
HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication (f) 3
HU4890 Project in
Communication and Culture 3
HU 2 courses in a
Modern Language (for at least 6 credits) 6
CONCENTRATION IN
COMMUNICATION IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
(27 credits including the three required courses designated with stars **.)
Communication in
Contemporary Culture
HU3840** Organizational
Communication (s) 3
HU3850** Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3890** Documentary (s) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3151 Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
(s) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3870 Communication Technologies
and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
SECONDARY AREAS (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be taken in both of the secondary areas from among the
starred courses, for a total of 12 credits.
Communication in Human
Interactions and Global Contexts
HU3261** Intercultural
Communication (f, s) 3
HU3545** Literature Across Borders
3
HU3820** Interpersonal
Communication (f) 3
Upper Division
Language Courses Up to 9
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
(f) 3
HU2910 Language and Mind ( f) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3150 Reading and Writing (f) 3
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3263 Topics in German Speaking
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3264 Topics in
Spanish-Speaking Cultures (s) 3
HU3850 Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s)
3
Communication Media
HU3150** Reading and Writing (f)
3
HU3701** Philosophy of
Technology (s) 3
HU3870** Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU2324 Introduction to Film (f,
s) 3
HU2631 Fundamentals of
Photography (f) 3
HU2645 Graphic and Information
Design (f) 3
HU2650 Introduction to Web Site
Design (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism (f) 3
HU3642 Introduction to
Multimedia Development (f)
3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3890 Documentary (s) 3
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum (f) 3
HU4642 Special Topics in
Advanced Media Development (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
COMMUNICATION AND
CULTURE STUDIES ELECTIVES (9 credits)
9 additional credits from either the concentration or the secondary areas
APPROVED ELECTIVES (9 credits)
Approved electives are any academic courses determined by the advisor of
Communication and Culture Studies to contribute to a student's major program.
Excluded are ROTC, PE, and Fine Arts performance.
FREE ELECTIVES (9
credits)
GENERAL EDUCATION (44
credits)
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry (3); UN1002 World Cultures (4); UN2001 Revisions
(3); UN2002 Institutions (3); Distribution Courses (15); Science and math (16)
(minimum one semester lab science and one math class at the 1000 level);
Co-curricular Physical Education (6 half units)
TOTAL CREDITS 125
Communication and Culture Studies with a
Concentration in Communication in Human Interactions and Global Contexts
CORE REQUIREMENTS (15 credits)
HU2820 Communication and
Culture (f) 3
HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication (f) 3
HU4890 Project in
Communication and Culture 3
HU 2 courses in a
Modern Language (for at least 6 credits) 6
CONCENTRATION IN
COMMUNICATION IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
(27 credits including the three required courses designated with stars **.)
Communication in Human
Interactions and Global Contexts
HU3261** Intercultural
Communication (f, s) 3
HU3545** Literature Across
Borders 3
HU3820** Interpersonal
Communication (f) 3
Upper Division
Language Courses Up to 9
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
(f) 3
HU2910 Language and Mind ( f) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3150 Reading and Writing (f) 3
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3263 Topics in German Speaking
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3264 Topics in
Spanish-Speaking Cultures (s) 3
HU3850 Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s)
3
SECONDARY AREAS (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be taken in both of the secondary areas from among the
starred courses, for a total of 12 credits.
Communication in
Contemporary Culture
HU3840** Organizational
Communication (s) 3
HU3850** Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3890** Documentary (s) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3151 Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
(s) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
Communication Media
HU3150** Reading and Writing (f)
3
HU3701** Philosophy of
Technology (s) 3
HU3870** Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU2324 Introduction to Film (f,
s) 3
HU2631 Fundamentals of
Photography (f) 3
HU2645 Graphic and Information
Design (f) 3
HU2650 Introduction to Web Site
Design (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism (f) 3
HU3642 Introduction to
Multimedia Development (f)
3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3890 Documentary (s) 3
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum (f) 3
HU4642 Special Topics in
Advanced Media Development (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
COMMUNICATION AND
CULTURE STUDIES ELECTIVES (9 credits)
9 additional credits from either the concentration or the secondary areas
APPROVED ELECTIVES (9 credits)
Approved electives are any academic courses determined by the advisor of
Communication and Culture Studies to contribute to a student's major program.
Excluded are ROTC, PE, and Fine Arts performance.
FREE ELECTIVES (9
credits)
GENERAL EDUCATION (44
credits)
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry (3); UN1002 World Cultures (4); UN2001 Revisions
(3); UN2002 Institutions (3); Distribution Courses (15); Science and math (16)
(minimum one semester lab science and one math class at the 1000 level);
Co-curricular Physical Education (6 half units)
TOTAL CREDITS 125
Communication and Culture Studies with a
Concentration in Communication in Contemporary Culture
CORE REQUIREMENTS (15 credits)
HU2820 Communication and
Culture (f) 3
HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication (f) 3
HU4890 Project in
Communication and Culture 3
HU 2 courses in a
Modern Language (for at least 6 credits) 6
CONCENTRATION IN
COMMUNICATION IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
(27 credits including the three required courses designated with stars **.)
Communication in
Contemporary Culture
HU3840** Organizational Communication
(s) 3
HU3850** Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3890** Documentary (s) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3151 Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
(s) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
SECONDARY AREAS (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be taken in both of the secondary areas from among the
starred courses, for a total of 12 credits.
Communication in Human
Interactions and Global Contexts
HU3261** Intercultural
Communication (f, s) 3
HU3545** Literature Across
Borders 3
HU3820** Interpersonal
Communication (f) 3
Upper Division
Language Courses Up to 9
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
(f) 3
HU2910 Language and Mind ( f) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3150 Reading and Writing (f) 3
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3263 Topics in German Speaking
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3264 Topics in
Spanish-Speaking Cultures (s) 3
HU3850 Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s)
3
Communication Media
HU3150** Reading and Writing (f)
3
HU3701** Philosophy of
Technology (s) 3
HU3870** Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU2324 Introduction to Film (f,
s) 3
HU2631 Fundamentals of
Photography (f) 3
HU2645 Graphic and Information
Design (f) 3
HU2650 Introduction to Web Site
Design (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism (f) 3
HU3642 Introduction to
Multimedia Development (f)
3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3890 Documentary (s) 3
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum (f) 3
HU4642 Special Topics in
Advanced Media Development (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
COMMUNICATION AND
CULTURE STUDIES ELECTIVES (9 credits)
9 additional credits from either the concentration or the secondary areas
APPROVED ELECTIVES (9 credits)
Approved electives are any academic courses determined by the advisor of
Communication and Culture Studies to contribute to a student's major program.
Excluded are ROTC, PE, and Fine Arts performance.
FREE ELECTIVES (9
credits)
GENERAL EDUCATION (44
credits)
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry (3); UN1002 World Cultures (4); UN2001 Revisions
(3); UN2002 Institutions (3); Distribution Courses (15); Science and math (16)
(minimum one semester lab science and one math class at the 1000 level);
Co-curricular Physical Education (6 half units)
TOTAL CREDITS 125
Communication and Culture Studies with a
Concentration in Communication Media
CORE REQUIREMENTS (15 credits)
HU2820 Communication and
Culture (f) 3
HU2830 Introduction to Speech
Communication (f) 3
HU4890 Project in
Communication and Culture 3
HU 2 courses in a
Modern Language (for at least 6 credits) 6
CONCENTRATION IN
COMMUNICATION MEDIA
(27 credits including the three required courses designated with stars **.)
Communication Media
HU3150** Reading and Writing (f)
3
HU3701** Philosophy of
Technology (s) 3
HU3870** Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU2324 Introduction to Film (f,
s) 3
HU2631 Fundamentals of
Photography (f) 3
HU2645 Graphic and Information
Design (f) 3
HU2650 Introduction to Web Site
Design (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3621 Introduction to
Journalism (f) 3
HU3642 Introduction to
Multimedia Development (f) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3890 Documentary (s) 3
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum (f) 3
HU4642 Special Topics in
Advanced Media Development (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
SECONDARY AREAS (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be taken in both of the secondary areas from among the
starred courses, for a total of 12 credits.
Communication in Contemporary
Culture
HU3840** Organizational
Communication (s) 3
HU3850** Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3890** Documentary (s) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3151 Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts (s) 3
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis (s)
3
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
(s) 3
HU3860 Popular Culture (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and Community
(alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s) 3
Communication in Human
Interactions and Global Contexts
HU3261** Intercultural
Communication (f, s) 3
HU3545** Literature Across
Borders 3
HU3820** Interpersonal
Communication (f) 3
Upper Division
Language Courses Up to 9
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
(f) 3
HU2910 Language and Mind ( f) 3
HU2920 Language and Society (s) 3
HU3130 Rhetorical Theory and
Criticism (s) 3
HU3150 Reading and Writing (f) 3
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3263 Topics in German Speaking
Cultures (f, s) 3
HU3264 Topics in
Spanish-Speaking Cultures (s) 3
HU3850 Cultural Studies (s) 3
HU3870 Communication
Technologies and Culture (f) 3
HU3880 Communication and
Community (alt f) 3
HU3910 Language Issues in the
World (s) 3
HU4625 Risk Communication (s) 3
HU4703 Communication Ethics (s)
3
COMMUNICATION AND
CULTURE STUDIES ELECTIVES (9 credits)
9 additional credits from either the concentration or the secondary areas
APPROVED ELECTIVES (9 credits)
Approved electives are any academic courses determined by the advisor of
Communication and Culture Studies to contribute to a student’s major program.
Excluded are ROTC, PE, and Fine Arts performance.
FREE ELECTIVES (9
credits)
GENERAL EDUCATION (44
credits)
UN1001 Perspectives on Inquiry (3); UN1002 World Cultures (4); UN2001 Revisions
(3); UN2002 Institutions (3); Distribution Courses (15); Science and math (16)
(minimum one semester lab science and one math class at the 1000 level);
Co-curricular Physical Education (6 half units)
TOTAL CREDITS 125
10. Sample Student
Program
With Concentration in Communication in Contemporary
Culture
1st year
Fall Spring
Perspectives 3 World Cultures 4
Lab Science 4 Math (1033 or other) 4
Modern Language 3 Modern Language 3
Com and Culture 3 Lab Science 4
Intro to Speech Com 3
Total 16 Total 15
2nd year
Fall Spring
Revisions 3 Institutions 3
Math or Lab Science 4 Language & Society 3
Elective 3 Intercultural Comm 3
Reading & Writing 3 Intro to Film 3
Distribution course 3 Distribution course 3
Total 16 Total 15
3rd year
Fall Spring
Intro to Rhetoric 3 Rhetoric Theory & Crit 3
Language & Mind 3 Cultural Studies 3
Interpersonal Comm 3 Popular Culture 3
Elective 3 Organizational
Comm 3
Elective 3 Distribution course 3
Total 18 Total 15
4th year
Fall Spring
Proj in Com & Culture 3 Elective 3
Comm & Community 3 Visual Media Analysis 3
Comm Tech & Culture 3 Elective 3
Distribution course 3 Documentary 3
Elective 3 Philosophy of Tech 3
Total 15 Total 15
TOTAL CREDITS 125
11. Courses
HU2130 Introduction to Rhetoric
Examines the classical origins, cultural contexts, and
contemporary relevance of rhetorical traditions.
HU2324 Introduction to Film
An introduction to the concepts, terminology, history,
and criticism of film. Emphasizes a critical examination of film within its social,
cultural, and historical contexts.
Assignments may include essays, short writings, or exams in which students
demonstrate their knowledge of concepts and issues introduced through readings,
screenings, and discussions.
HU2631 Fundamentals of Photography
Students will explore the history, theory, and applications of traditional
black and white photography through readings, lecture, student presentations,
and hands-on camera and darkroom work.
Students will learn in-depth camera techniques and darkroom processes
while also having an opportunity to explore related areas such as digital
photography, color slide photography, and other photographic processes through
special projects.
HU2645 Graphic and Information Design
A computer intensive introduction to the principles
for creating clear, effective graphic communication. Students critique the work of other designers
in terms of the work’s audience and intended effect, and they construct and
critique their own design projects as well.
Prerequisite: HU2644
HU2650 Introduction to Web-Site Design
Provides experience in planning and constructing web pages. Discusses historical,
ethical, and social implications of the Internet and digital culture. Students will develop a balance of technical
and esthetic knowledge and an understanding of some of the problems and
limitations of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Prerequisite: HU2644
HU2820 Introduction to Speech Communication
Introduces the diversity of perspectives in speech
communication with emphasis on public speaking.
Topics include the nature of the public sphere, co-cultural contexts,
speaking, anxiety, conventional and non-Western models of structure and
evidence, and speaking/listening competencies.
HU2910 Language and Mind
Introduction to the linguistic study of structural and cognitive aspects of
language. Topics may include examination of
sounds, words, sentences, and discourse; oral, written, and electronic
variation; the comparison of human ability with animals and computers; first
and second language acquisition; brain architecture; the classification and
distribution of world languages.
HU2920 Language and Society
The study of how societies regard, use, and organize themselves with respect to
language. Topics may include dialect
variation based on geography, class, ethnicity, gender, etc.; language
distribution and multilingualism around the world; the history and future
position of English; language standards and attitudes towards minority language
variants or bilingualism.
HU3130
Rhetorical Theory and Criticism
A study of contemporary theories of rhetoric and their application to
understanding and critiquing various forms of persuasive discourse. Prerequisite:
UN1001 or 1003
HU3150
Reading and Writing
A study of how and why different groups of people use reading and writing
differently in varying situations and in varying textual media. Topics may include the various ways texts
function and reading is used; the authority of written texts; access to reading
and writing and to various textual media.
Prerequisite: UN1001 or 1003; UN2001
HU3151 The Rhetoric of Everyday
Texts
The examination and production of everyday texts such as image-texts, e-mail,
web pages, signs, museum exhibits, architecture, and fashion in terms of their
theoretical, historical, cultural, and technological contexts. Students should expect to produce “everyday
texts” of their own as well as write about texts examined in the course. Prerequisite:
UN1001 or 1003
HU3261
Intercultural Communication
Comparative study of interpersonal communication across cultures by both
foreign and American students, with emphasis on cultural patterns, attitudes,
values, and nonverbal behaviors.
Instructor selects cultures for study from Third World, Western, or
non-Western regions. Prerequisite: UN1001 or 1003
HU3262 Topics in Francophone
Cultures
An introduction to Francophone cultures (in English) in a comparative
perspective. Includes
a survey of French history and its influence on modern-day French and
Francophone societies through movies, media, and recent technologies, and a
critical examination of cross-cultural differences between French and American
cultures. Prerequisite: UN1001 or 1003
HU3263 Topics in German-Speaking
Cultures
An introduction to German-speaking culture (in English) in a comparative
perspective. Includes
a survey of Central-European history and its influence on modern-day
German-speaking societies through movies, media, and recent technologies, and a
critical examination of cross-cultural differences between German and
North-American cultures.
Prerequisite: UN1001 or 1003
HU3264 Topics in Spanish-Speaking Cultures
An introduction to Spanish-speaking culture (in English) in a comparative
historical perspective. Includes a survey and a critical cross-cultural examination of
Latin-American culture and Spanish-speaking societies (European, Caribbean, and
North, Central and South American) through literature, music, film, art, and
other media. UN1002 or 1003
HU3324 Visual Media Analysis
Introduction to selected topics in contemporary visual media. Topics may include genre studies, national
cinema, independent film and video, auteur approaches, and other contemporary
issues. Students are expected to examine
critically the theoretical, industrial, cultural, and aesthetic challenges
posed by particular visual media and the contexts from which they emerge. Prerequisite:
UN1001 or 1003
HU3545 Literature Across Borders
Study of literary genres, themes, and movements, with emphasis on comparing and
contrasting perspectives reflected in literatures from Western and non-Western
cultures. Topics may focus on historical,
social, aesthetic, and cultural factors as they influence these
literatures. Films may be used.
HU3621
Introduction to Journalism
Introductions to the history and practice of journalism. Includes critical analysis
of journalistic coverage, journalistic style and editing, and ethical issues in
journalism. Prerequisite: UN1002 or 1003; UN2001
HU3642
Introduction to Multimedia Development
A hands-on and theoretical introduction to multimedia development. Students construct a prototype multimedia project. They plan a project; construct a project
team; design an effective interface integrating color, sound, and graphics; and
test. Students analyze multimedia
projects and writings about multimedia.
Prerequisite: UN1002 or 1003;
HU2644
HU3701 Philosophy of Technology
A study of philosophical aspects of technology.
Topics may include technology and progress; technology and ideology;
technology and nature; technological determinism; ethics and technology;
technology as a world view; gender, race, class, and technology; and the
relationship between technology and dystopias, utopias, and the “good
life.” Prerequisite: HU2700 and UN2002
HU3820
Interpersonal Communication
Examines practices and issues of relational communication and encourages
critical awareness of common assumptions.
Topics include verbal cues, conflict models, friendship, intimacy, and
the interpersonal significance of race, gender, class, and disability. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3840
Organizational Communication
An approach to understanding organizations in their socio-historical contexts
from a variety of theoretical perspectives in communication. Explores meanings, roles,
relations, interactions and structures from a communication perspective. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3850 Cultural Studies
Examines the way that culture communicates values, feelings, beliefs;
structures differential relations of power and possibility; creates difference
and hierarchy. Considers the struggles
over meaning that open up possibilities for diversity and change. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3860
Popular Culture
Explores specific examples of popular culture that reveal how popular values,
feelings, and beliefs are created and maintained. Consider the historical, social, political, and
economic contexts of popular culture from a communication perspective. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3870
Communication Technologies and Culture
Examines the historical relationships between communication technologies (such
as oral, print, electronic) and culture.
Considers relationships of technology to politics,
economics, space, time, power, literacy, meaning, etc. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3880
Communication and Community
Examines the relationship between communication and public and private
life. Focuses on the role of public
space; global, local, and virtual sites of community; and the ways diverse
community life is created, sustained, repaired, and transformed. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU3890
Documentary
Considers representations of cultural experience, focusing on written,
photographic, filmic, and audio approaches to documentary in an effort to
better understand the ways in which people struggle to grasp and explain the
contradictions and instability of cultural life. Prerequisite:
UN2002
HU3910
Language Issues in the World
A consideration of particular issues of language use in the world today. Topics considered may include endangered
languages and the future of English; how technology relates to discourse; how
language is used in academia; how power is created, enacted and maintained
through language; gender variation in language, etc. Prerequisite:
UN1002 or 1003
HU4625 Risk Communication
Examines models for communicating risks associated with environmental, safety,
and health hazards. Considers the
diverse roles assumed by the public under each of these models and means of
ensuring that risks are communicated fairly, honestly, and accurately. Prerequisite:
UN2002
HU4630 Teaching with Technology
Across the Curriculum
Designed to explore use of technology-rich environments in improvement of
teaching and learning and how such environments should be designed,
implemented, and assessed. Includes introduction to Internet, video and audio, presentational,
and online assessment/portfolio technologies.
HU4642
Special Topics in Advanced Media
Critical and practical topics in the quickly changing media of our time. Topics may include digital photography,
advanced multimedia development, advanced graphic design, color theory, or
three-dimensional modeling and rendering.
Prerequisite: UN1002 or 1003
HU4703 Issues in Communication
Ethics
Application of major theories to ethical issues in communication. Topics may include truth in advertising,
censorship, whistle-blowing, propaganda, abuse of language, media power,
etc. Prerequisite: UN1002 or 1003; HU2700
HU4890 Topics in Communication
(the title will be changed to Project in Communication and Culture and will be
an independent project conducted under the guidance of a faculty member)
In-depth examination of selected issues or problems in the study of
communication, such as gender and communication, the environment and
communication, sound and communication, violence
and communication. Prerequisite: UN1002 or 1003