Official Course Descriptions

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Supplemental Course Descriptions

COM 3014 - Communication and Gender - 3 credit(s)
Explores sexual biases that affect male/female communication. Distinct verbal and nonverbal vocabularies of men and women that affect the way people interact in education, politics, marriage, family, business, and broadcasting are examined. Consideration is given to how gender affects credibility or status in discussion, debate, mass media portraits, and other realms of discourse.

COM 3120 - Org Comm Behavior - 3 credit(s)
Examines communication within organizations with emphasis on organizational theory and structure, systems analysis, and communication networks.

COM 3343 - Rhetorical Criticism - 3 credit(s)
Studies the methods of modern rhetorical critics. Emphasizes research and writing skills for a critical evaluation of rhetorical artifacts.

COM 3344 - Rhetoric of Social Movements - 3 credit(s)
Examines the rhetorical impact social movements have upon a culture, including their influence on identity formation.

COM 3462 - Communication and Conflict - 3 credit(s)
This course will explore communication theories, principles, and methods associated with conflict, conflict escalation, conflict management, and conflict resolution in contexts such as interpersonal, family, neighborhood and region, nation and global community as well as environmental conflict.

COM 3510 - Political Campaign Rhetoric - 3 credit(s)
Introduces students to rhetorical techniques, strategies, and constraints in political campaigns. Includes an examination of speechwriting, advertising, and organizational public relations techniques.

COM 3540 - Persuasion and Propaganda - 3 credit(s)
An advanced introduction to rhetorical and behavioral theories, principles, and strategies that will be examined and applied to contemporary persuasive communications.

COM 4312 - Research Methods - 3 credit(s)
Research methods most commonly used in the study of communication are examined. Both qualitative and quantitive methods are taught. Students are required to conduct a major communication research project.

COM 4930 - Spec Topics in Communication - 1 to 6 credit(s)
Topics may vary from semester to semester, as may hours. Junior status is required.

CRW 4120 - Advanced Fiction Writing - 3 credit(s)
Development of an individual style in writing fiction; critiquing, editing, and revising original fiction and preparing fiction for publication.

CRW 4320 - Advanced Poetry Writing - 3 credit(s)
Development of an individual style in writing poetry; critiquing, editing, and revising original poetry; and preparing poetry for publication.

ENC 3250 - Professional Writing - 3 credit(s)
Techniques and types of professional writing, including correspondence and reports most often found in business, technical, and scientific communities. At least 6,000 words of graded written work are required (Gordon Rule).

ENC 3310 - Expository Writing - 3 credit(s)
Techniques for writing effective prose, excluding fiction, in which student essays are extensively workshopped, edited, and discussed in the classroom and with the instructor. At least 6,000 words of graded written work are required (Gordon Rule).

EVR 3020 - Environmental Philosophies - 3 credit(s)
Examination of a number of different environmental philosophies as they have been presented through a variety of forms of human expression. Topic center on environmental thought in North American, but philosophies from other cultures, particularly indigenous peoples, will also be studied.

EVR 3021 - Environmental Literature - 3 credit(s)
Fictional and nonfiction written expression of the natural environment and its significance to different cultures and philosophies will be studied in relation to ecological concerns and cultural values by means of integrated lectures and class projects.

EVR 4035 - Environmental Law - 3 credit(s)
The evolution of environmental law at international, federal, state, and local levels will be studied in relation to the development environmental issues, technologies, and attitudes. Florida-oriented issues will be emphasized in the course with integrated lectures and class projects.

JOU 3101 - Journalism - 3 credit(s)
An overview of topics including news gathering techniques, investigative reporting, story construction, and press law and ethics. This writing workshop allows students to experience newspaper reporting firsthand, testing concepts in journalism by producing articles for the university community.

PHI 3106 - Principles of Rhetoric & Argum - 3 credit(s)
Introduction to the formal principles of argumentative discourse, both logical and rhetorical, and application of those principles to the tasks of critical reading and constructing sound arguments.

PHI 3223 - Philosophy Human Communication - 3 credit(s)
The philosophical foundations of thinking, speaking, and writing: the nature and structure of human knowing; the mediation of inter- subjective relations through spoken language; and the fixing of human experience in texts.

POS 3250 - Political Communications - 3 credit(s)
Examines the inter-relationship between Political Science and Speech, with emphasis on how political leaders communicate in a democratic society.

POS 3270 - Political Campaigns/Elections - 3 credit(s)
Examines political campaigns and elections in the U.S., focusing on the national level. Major topics include systems of political representation, political parties, campaign planning and management, campaign finance, and campaign ethics.

POT 3075 - Culture and Politics - 3 credit(s)
An examination of the interrelationship between culture and politics, with particular emphasis on the symbolic and material impacts of culture on policy making.

PUP 4004 - Policymaking & Administration - 3 credit(s)
An examination of the analysis and politics of public policy, with attention to both the traditional tools of policymaking and contemporary efforts to reconcile the tensions between politics, policymaking, and ethics.

PUP 4712 - Problems of Market and Govt. - 3 credit(s)
Examines the interrelationship between public- sector and private-sector management and problem- solving, with particular emphasis on managerial innovation in the public sector. Includes an assessment of the possibilities for, and limits of, public-private partnerships and privatized approaches to public service delivery. Required for Political Science majors in the Governance and Managerial Innovation track.

PUR 3004 - Principles of Public Relations - 3 credit(s)
An introduction to the field and study of public relations. Explores the history of the profession, the nature of public relations, its establised code of ethics, and the responsibilities and duties of public relations professionals.

PUR 3100 - Public Relations Writing - 3 credit(s)
Addresses several common forms of public relations writing, including press releases, public service announcements, pitch letters, and newsletters. Students work with a local client (nonprofit organization or campus organization) so as they develop their writing skills, they are contributing to the good of our campus and our community.

PUR 3600 - Public Relations Strategy - 3 credit(s)
This course addresses the theories and norms used in the selection of strategies. This course will encourage students to think from a managerial, decision-making standpoint that focuses on planning and program development based on research findings.

PUR 4000 - Public Relations - 3 credit(s)
Case study analysis and discussion approach to managing the relation of a company or organization with both its consumer and non-consumer publics, including the media, community, government, investors, distributors, and employees.

PUR 4420 - Nonprofit Public Relations - 3 credit(s)
An advanced PR class designed to help students gain an understanding of the specialized PR needs of nonprofit organizations. Through a service-learning project, students will gain hands-on experience and connect theories to practice as they work for local nonprofit organizations.

PUR 4430 - Environmental Public Relations - 3 credit(s)
An advanced PR course that examines government policies, corporate programs, and communication strategies appropriate to environment PR. Students to earn service learning hours by providing PR support to campus and community environmental groups.

PUR 4500 - Public Relations Research - 3 credit(s)
Course addresses both quantitative and qualitative research design, processes and techniques including public opinion polling and survey research; fact-finding and applied research; issue tracking; focus groups and interviews; media and clipping analysis and historical research.

PUR 4800 - Public Relations Campaigns - 3 credit(s)
Through specific case studies of PR campaigns (both successful and unsuccessful), this course teaches students about planning and program development, an emphasis on decision theory and management theory.

SPC 3330 - Nonverbal Communications - 3 credit(s)
Examines nonverbal communication theory and behavior including the areas of kinesics, proxemics, haptics, object language, paralanguage, and chronemics.

SPC 3350 - Listening Theory - 3 credit(s)
Examines the full range of listening theory and practice from the discriminative level all the way up to the metacognitive level. Covers theories of and approaches to interpersonal, empathic, academic, therapeutic, and appreciative listening.

SPC 3360 - Interviewing - 3 credit(s)
Teaches the principles of interviewing both from the interviewer and interviewee perspectives, including how to structure an interview, question development, and understanding the interviewing process. Practice in a variety of types of interviews including employment, survey, performance appraisal, and persuasive interviews.

SPC 3425 - Group Communication - 3 credit(s)
Students study small group discussion and problem solving in this course. A basic understanding of theory behind purposeful discussion is taught in addition to providing students with practical experiences participating in or leading small groups. Permission of Instructor.

SPC 3513 - Argumentation and Debate - 3 credit(s)
Study of the theory and practice of argumentation and debate as applied in oral discourse, analysis of evidence and modes of reasoning. Practical experience with debate preparation, delivery, analysis, research and critical evaluation.

SPC 3543 - Enviro Persuade Activism - 3 credit(s)
Theories and practice of persuasion and activism are examined and are related to environmental movements. Successful environmental persuasive messages and activists strategies will be examined and students will apply concepts to a real environmental cause.

SPC 3593 - Intercollegiate Speech Debate - 1 credit(s)
Competitive forensics participation for students with experience. May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credit hours. Prerequisites: Good academic standing, Junior Status and consent of the instructor.

SPC 3594 - Forensics Activity - 1 credit(s)
Noncompetitive forensics participation for students of Junior or Senior standing. May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credit hours.

SPC 3602 - Advanced Public Speaking - 3 credit(s)
Development of public speaking abilities to become proficient in both the construction and delivery of a speech. Students will be required to deliver speeches both to their classmates as well as in the community.

SPC 3604 - Environmental Public Speaking - 3 credit(s)
Gives students the opportunity to develop further their public speaking abilities with specific emphasis on the construction and delivery of speeches on environmental themes. Students will be required to deliver speeches both to their classmates as well as in the community.

SPC 3721 - Interracial/Intercultural Comm - 3 credit(s)
Examines interracial and intercultural communication theory and behavior. Explores the effect of race, gender, exceptionality, age, regionality, occupation and education.

SPC 4932 - Senior Seminar - 3 credit(s)
Supervised senior projects. Examination of relevant current communication research. Shared results of student research.

SPC 4941 - Internship - 1 to 6 credit(s)
Supervised professional experience in a communication related field. Interns report to and are assessed by a faculty member.

SPC 4944 - Enviro Communication Internshp - 1 to 6 credit(s)
Supervised professional experience with environmental organizations. Internships involve work with bona fide professional organizations strongly involved with environmental communication. Interns report to and are a