This roster lists graduate-level courses in the Department of Communication, with prerequisites and brief descriptions, and units of credit shown within parentheses.
CMN 201: Theoretical Perspectives on Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Explores the intentional use of discourse and nonverbal behavior to reach goals. Explores theories and models that elucidate the processes that enable the realization of intentions in message plans and discourse.
CMN 202: Communication Theory Construction (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor; graduate standing.
Alternative meta-theoretical perspectives for theory generation in communication inquiry. Processes of construct explication, operationalization and theory construction. Emphasis on the critique of extant communication theories and the development of theory construction skills. Offered irregularly.
CMN 203: Scientific Methods for Communication (4)
Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite — any one of the following: CMN 201, 202, Psychology 204A, 204B or equivalent.
Social scientific research methods commonly employed in communication. Topics include research design, measurement sampling questionnaire construction, survey research experimental design, evaluation research content analysis, and qualitative field methods.
CMN 204: Biological Foundations of Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Communobiological, evolutionary, neuroscience, and neurophysiological perspectives on communication. Methodologies for examining human physiological responses to messages, such as heart rate, skin conductance, electromyography, and cortical activity are explored.
CMN 210: Experimental Methods and Analysis in Communication (4)
Lecture—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; one course in inferential statistics; consent of instructor.
Experimental designs in communication. Topics include: causation; threats to validity; conceptualization, operationalization and measurement; hypothesis testing; ethics; data analysis software focusing on the analysis of variance and planned contrasts; and the practical and effective implementation and writing of experiments.
CMN 211: Survey Research Methods in Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; one course in inferential statistics; consent of instructor.
Methods for designing personal interview, phone, mail and web-based surveys in communication. Topics include: sampling strategies, sources of error and bias in survey designs, questionnaire construction, cognitive interviewing, interviewer behavior, and analysis of complex survey data using standard software packages.
CMN 220: Persuasion Theories and Message Design (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Major social scientific theories and perspectives on attitude change and persuasion. Application of persuasion theories and principles to persuasive message design in applied contexts.
CMN 221: Communication and Cognition (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Explores the cognitive structures and processes that enable production, comprehension and interpretation of messages in face-to-face and mediated communication contexts. Explores the communication outcomes associated with these processes. Offered in alternate years.
CMN 222: Risk Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Theories and models of individual risk information processing. Media depictions of threats and risk-related information and their potential effects on audiences. Implications for the design and implementation of messages concerning threat and risk. Offered irregularly.
CMN 230: Social Interaction Theory and Research (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Survey of theories and research on social interaction and interpersonal communication. Covers communication codes, individual differences in communication, communication and relationship development, family communication, conflict, cognitive and emotional processes underlying social interaction, social influence, intercultural communication, and nonverbal behavior.
CMN 231: Tactics in Interpersonal Influence (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Achievement of interpersonal goals in social interaction. Topics include message production; tactics, strategies and planning; anticipating potential obstacles; resisting and thwarting goals; plan recognition; and goal detection. Examined goals include compliance gaining, attitude change, ingratiation, information seeking, comforting and deception. Offered in alternate years.
CMN 232: Health Communication (4)
Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
Health communication theories and research traditions. Topics include consumer health information seeking; physician-patient interaction; information, social marketing, "edutainment," and media advocacy campaigns; social networks and coping; media influences on health; and new communication technologies in health promotion and health care delivery. (Same course as Public Health Science 232.) Offered in alternate years.
CMN 233: Persuasive Technologies for Health (4)
Lecture/Discussion -- 3 hours; term paper.
Theorizing, designing and evaluating ethical technology-based health communication interventions. Uses of social media, mobile communication apps, wearable devices, computer-generated tailored messages, educational games, and computational approaches in health promotion and healthcare delivery
CMN 234: Intercultural Communication (4)
Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate standing.
Theories and research on intercultural communication. Topics include national, racial and ethnic similarities and differences in communication practices; cultural beliefs and values; identity and conflict; and technological influences on intercultural communication. Methodological issues in intercultural communication research are also examined.
CMN 243: Media and Health (4)
Seminar—3 hours; term paper. Restricted to graduate standing.
Survey of research on media and health. Topics include health news coverage; depictions of health, illness and disability in entertainment; health campaigns; advertising of health products and services; and the influence of gaming and other new media on health behaviors. Offered irregularly.
CMN 235: Health Communication Campaigns (4)
Lecture/Discussion — 3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Principles of health communication campaign planning, implementation and evaluation. Strategies for changing health behaviors, shaping policy, and improving healthcare organizations’ relations with stakeholders. Same Course as SPH 235.
CMN 244: Organizational Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and consent of instructor.
Theory and research on communication processes in organizations.
CMN 250: Mediated Communication Theory and Research (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Survey of major theories on the intended and unintended effects of mediated communication. Topics include media's effects on learning, political behavior, interpersonal violence, sexual socialization, consumer behavior, race relations, gender socialization and cultural processes.
CMN 251: Digital Technology and Social Change (4)
Seminar—4 hours.
Conceptual, theoretical, and international consideration of how digital communication technologies transform social organization and development. Topics include social media, big data, political revolutions, e-democracy, digital divide, e-education, e-health, entrepreneurship, public policies, poverty reduction, technological innovations, microfinance and entertainment.
CMN 252: Computer-Mediated Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
The effects of computer-mediated communication on the ways in which people express themselves, form impressions about strangers, develop and maintain relationships, collaborate on group work, and expand social network, especially in comparison to face-to-face communication. Offered in alternate years.
CMN 253: Children, Adolescents and the Media (4)
Lecture/Discussion--3 hours; term paper.
Theory and research on the uses and effects of traditional and new media on children and adolescents, emphasizing social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. Methodological approaches and ethical issues in studies of underage populations. Parent and family mediation of effects. Offered in alternative years.
CMN 254: Communication Campaigns (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Strategic uses of media and interpersonal channels to promote social change through social marketing, information, and media advocacy campaigns. Focus on theory-based interventions in a variety of applied contexts. Offered in alternate years.
CMN 255: Social Media (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Theoretical, conceptual and analytic issues pertaining to social media research. Topics include motivation, participation, virality and social-technical capital. Examination of social media in various contexts. Introduction to online behavioral data collection and analysis methods.
CMN 256: Communication Perspective on Video Games (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Review of theory and research on the uses and effects of video games and virtual environments developed for entertainment and education. Study of the research methods available for documenting and measuring game use and effects on behavior.
CMN 259: Cognitive Approaches to Media (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Interdisciplinary examination of cognitive approaches to mediated communication. Application of studies on mediated message processing, cognitive and emotional information processing, psychophysiology and neuroscience to mass communication. Review of media research and methods on attention, memory, motivation and limited capacity
CMN 260: Political Communication (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Theories and research on the connections between media, politics, and citizens in the digital age. Critical framework for understanding the nature of mediated politics by assessing inter-relationships between production of news, political elites’ campaign strategies, and behaviors of citizens.
CMN 270: Diffusion of Innovations (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Communication processes by which information and innovations spread through social systems. Models of diffusion, including spatial, network, time dependent, semantic and cognitive frameworks. Impact of communication technologies on diffusion. Practical application of diffusion models in a variety of contexts.
CMN 271: Communication Networks (4)
Seminar—3 hours; TMP.
Theoretical, conceptual and analytic issues pertaining to network perspectives on communicating and organizing. Consideration of both structural and dynamic features of communication networks. Examination of the impact of emerging technologies on communication networks. Introduction to network analysis software.
CMN 280: Special Topics in Social Interaction (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Reading, discussion, research and writing on a selected topic in the specialty of social interaction. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. Offered irregularly.
CMN 281: Special Topics in Mediated Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Reading, discussion, research and writing on a selected topic in the specialty of mediated communication. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. Offered irregularly.
CMN 282: Special Topics in Health Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Reading, discussion, research and writing on a focused topic in health communication. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. (Same course as Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine 282.) Offered irregularly.
CMN 283: Special Topics in Organizational Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Reading, discussion, research, and writing on a selected topic in the specialty of organizational communication. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. Offered irregularly.
CMN 284: Special Topics in Political Communication (4)
Seminar—4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; consent of instructor.
Reading, discussion, research and writing on a selected topic in the specialty of political communication. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. Offered irregularly.
CMN 298: Group Study (1–5)
Lecture—3 hours.
(S/U grading only.)
CMN 299: Individual Study (1–12)
(S/U grading only.)
CMN 299R: Thesis/Dissertation Research and Writing (1–12)
Independent study—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing in Communication.
(S/U grading only.)
CMN 396: Teaching Assistant Training Practicum (1–4)
Prerequisite: graduate standing.
May be repeated for credit. (S/U grading only.) — Theobald