4000

This class prepares the student for taking the state certification exams for secondary teaching.

Presentation of portfolios, exit surveys and a service-learning project. Writing assignments related to vocation, the student’s sub-discipline of communication, and the service project. This is a Writing Emphasis (WE) course. Prerequisite: COMM 2180 or permission of instructor.

Part-time paid or unpaid field experience in print journalism. Students will pair with a mentor at a newspaper or magazine and learn writing, reporting, interviewing, time management, and research skills. Daily log of activities must be kept. Final paper and computer graphics presentation required upon completion. Prerequisite: COMM 3365 and senior standing (or permission of faculty advisor).

Part-time paid or unpaid field experience in broadcast journalism. Students will pair with a mentor at a television or radio station and learn writing, reporting, camera operation, and research skills, as well as become familiar with editing, voice-overs, and other aspects of audio/video production. Daily log of activities must be kept. Final paper and computer graphics presentation required upon completion. Prerequisite: COMM 3365 and 3368 and senior standing (or permission of faculty advisor).

Part-time paid or unpaid field experience in public relations. PR track students must complete THREE separate internships (4197.01, 4197.02, and 4197.03). Each internship is 70 hours. Students are responsible for securing their own PR internships. The PR program coordinator must approve each PR internship beforehand. Students will pair with a PR mentor/organization and learn practical PR skills.

Part-time paid or unpaid field experience in online journalism. Students will pair with a mentor at a newspaper or magazine and learn production skills related to online newspapers and magazines and the social media aspects of print media. Daily log of activities must be kept. Final paper and computer graphics presentation required upon completion. Prerequisite: COMM 3365 or 3375, a 3.0 GPA in the major, and senior standing or permission of faculty advisor.

This course focuses on contemporary issues in PR. Today’s PR professionals have to be prepared to respond to various levels of crisis. Students will evaluate crisis situations, learn to create strategic communication plans and manage the media, while maintaining the organization’s reputation. Possible topics include: strategic social media management, digital competencies, graphic design, crisis communications, digital customer service, reputation management, etc. Prerequisites: COMM 2330- (or concurrent enrollment) and COMM 2370.

Discussion of legal concepts in mass communication and journalism, including libel, obscenity, privacy, copyright, and telecommunications issues. Students will give in-class presentations on legal controversies and important court cases in the mass communication field. Prerequisite: COMM 2320 and 2360.

In-depth analysis of a specific subject in film studies. Possible topics include animation, film acting, the independent film industry, and Christian engagement with film. Students will learn in a seminar environment by researching and presenting scholarly analyses of the course topic under the guidance of the instructor. Prerequisite: COMM 2390 and 3345 or permission of instructor. Course fee.

With an emphasis on low-budget, independent film and video making, students will study all aspects of narrative film production from idea generation, conceptualization and scripting through post-production. Course fee.

Students will present their portfolios of work created while at UMHB and will take part in exit interviews and surveys; a student-driven seminar discussing the place of communication in the wider world, and a service project This course is part of the communication core common to all majors in the department and is a Writing Emphasis (WE) course. Prerequisite: Graduating senior status.

Students will work with a mentor in a speech classroom, in a local high school and learn effective pedagogical techniques in speech.

Possible topics might include Introduction to Advertising, Online Journalism, Video Editing, Popular Culture and the Mass Media, Theories of the Mass Media, etc.

Part-or full-time field experience in a communication-related field off campus. Students will keep a log of all activities and report to the sponsoring faculty member as required. On-site mentors will evaluate student's performance of agreed-upon tasks. Prerequisite: junior standing and permission of faculty advisor.