Canisius College

Full-Time Faculty: Barbara J. Irwin, Chair, Barry Berlin, John S. Dahlberg, Benjamin J. Dunkle, Jamie O’Neil, Melissa B. Wanzer, Charles J. Wigley III.

The Communication Studies major is grounded firmly in the liberal arts tradition. The Communication Studies curriculum reflects, therefore, an equal interest in what is communicated within and between cultures and in how communication takes place in intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational and mass contexts. The department’s curriculum addresses three major facets of the academic study of communication: theory, criticism and production.

The program has two concurrent objectives: (1) To examine the dynamic nature of modern communication processes and technologies by emphasizing the theory, structure, function, value systems and effects of society’s communication institutions; and (2) To offer students a variety of opportunities to acquire professional knowledge and production competencies relevant to a diversity of careers in many communication-related fields.

Recognizing the need to prepare students for productive lives in a changing world, the Department aims at educating its graduates to welcome change. Instead of focusing on preparation for specialized jobs that exist today but may not be viable in the future, the Communication Studies faculty provides the foundation on which to build meaningful roles in the contemporary world.

Admission
Prospective Communication Studies majors must have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.00, including a minimum grade of C- in all communication courses taken to date. The performance of all majors is subject to review relative to their continuation in the program, using such criteria as academic record, demonstration of appropriate communication skills, co-curricular activity, interdisciplinary engagement and community involvement. Communication Studies majors select an academic sequence within the Communication major. They need at least 36 hours of communication courses (or 33 hours for dual majors) but are limited to a maximum of 54 hours in communication.

Communication Studies students who are dual majors and successfully complete 3 or more credit hours in Independent Study or Internships (COM 488, COM 498 or COM 499) are required to complete 30 hours of in-class credit in order to complete the Communication Studies major (i.e., not 33 or 36 in-class hours).

A minimum overall average of 2.00 in all communication coursework is required of all Communication Studies majors in order to be certified for graduation.

Communication Studies Curriculum:

Recommended Schedule:

Digital Media Arts Degree Program
The Communication Studies Department offers a second undergraduate degree in Digital Media Arts. For further details, please refer to the subsequent section.

Additional Information
The Communication Studies major at Canisius College is based on coursework tailored toward three main areas: Advertising/Public Relations, Interpersonal/ Organizational Communication and Journalism/Media Studies.

Facilities
Four computer labs, digital video editing stations, an audio/music production studio and a television studio/control room are available for student use in Lyons Hall.

The Lyons Hall third-floor Mac Lab, in Lyons 312, features 26 Macintosh G5 iMac Flat Panel computers with DVD-RW drives, laser printer, and 1 Power Macintosh G4 tower with scanner and multimedia card reader. Software available includes Adobe Illustrator CS2 & Indesign, Imageready, Pagemill, Photoshop CS, Apple iMovie, iTunes, Appleworks 6, Realplayer, Macromedia Director, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, Microsoft Office 2004, Quark Express, Protools LE, After Effects 6.5, Cinema 4D. A scanner and a laser printer flank the room. A touch screen in an instructor’s bunker controls a VCR, DVD player and an Elmo documentation presentation system. Ports for plug-and-go setups, such as laptops and laserdisc players, are built into the bunker.

A web and imaging lab, in Lyons 325, provides 3 Macintosh G5 iMac Flat Panel computers with DVD-RW drives, a Gateway Profile running Windows XP, 2 scanners, 3 drawing tablets, a large format color inkjet printer and a color laser printer. Software is identical to the software in LY 312.

The digital imaging lab, which is maintained by the Media Center in Lyons 413, houses: 3-Final Cut Pro non-linear editing stations (MAC); 3 i-movie non-linear editing stations (MAC); 3 iMac computers for still imaging (MAC); 1 scanner workstation (MAC); 1 Laser printer; 1 audio editing workstation featuring Digital Performer, GarageBand & ProTools LE (MAC) and an audio production studio.

An additional lab, Lyons 122, features 14 dual processor G4 Macs, a laser printer and a scanner. Software includes Maya and Final Cut Pro. This computer lab is primarily used for advanced Digital Media Arts electives.

A design production lab, in Lyons 316, features mounting resources for presentations of printed digital work.

In the Media Center on the fourth floor of Lyons Hall, a 26’ x 30’ television studio features a hard cyclorama, lighting grid with dimmer control and three digital studio video cameras.

The control room has custom-built consoles to house the digital video switcher with special effects, a 16-channel audio mixing board, teleprompter, DAT audio recorder, character generator and an intercom/FB system. The digital video-mastering format is DVCAM with BetaCam SP, S-VHS and Hi-8 video transports. Four equipment racks and consoles house the audio/video distribution, including patch panels and routers.

The studio also has the capability to send video to the campus cable RF video system. The college’s Media Center provides the TV studio’s operational support.

Across from the TV studio, a screening room provides comfortable tiered seating, a video and DVD projector, as well as a professional sound system.

Students can also sign out equipment (various digital cameras, camcorders, etc.) from the Media Center on the 4th floor of Lyons Hall. Check out http://www.canisius.edu/mediacenter/equipment.asp for a complete list of available resources.

The department has co-curricular arrangements with the weekly student newspaper (The Griffin), the campus television club (CCTV), the student-operated radio station (WCCG) and campus Little Theatre. Student chapters of the American Advertising Federation, the Public Relations Student Society of America and the Association for Women in Communications, Inc. provide networking opportunities with local and national professionals.

Internships awarding up to a maximum of 12 credit hours may be earned by qualified Communication Studies majors at approved locations in Buffalo or other cities. The internships are individually arranged, require department approval, and are available only to junior or senior candidates with a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.50 and a Communication average of at least 2.70. Internships are taken on a Pass/Fail basis and are counted towards free elective credit.

Opportunity for independent study (three credits) is available for qualified upperclass students by arrangement with the Communication Studies chair and faculty supervisor.

Dual majors with Communication Studies are available with the permission and guidance of both chairs. Communication Studies dual major sequences allow several different choices; among those most frequently involved are digital media arts, political science, psychology, English, history, management/marketing, and modern languages. The department participates in programs with Women’s Studies and Fine Arts, and also offers courses towards a minor in Child, Family, and Community Studies. Photography courses cross-listed with Fine Arts are limited to six credits in the Communication Studies major.

Each Communication Studies and dual major is assigned a department faculty advisor for the purpose of planning an individual program that will satisfy the department’s requirements and the student’s personal goals. Course selections develop from communication major require-ments, prerequisites, recommended sequences and communication electives.

COURSES: 2005-2007

Note: Additional Communication Studies courses may be offered each semester in both the day and evening. Students should consult the department.

COM 101 Communication in Contemporary Society  3
Survey of current issues of human communication with emphasis on concerns of young adults. Topics include communication problems such as communication in difficult situations (e.g., apologizing, embarrassment, assertiveness), divorce communication, and death and dying. (AS II)

COM 114 (FAS 114) Introduction to Still Photography  3
See FAS 114.

COM 201 Oral Communication  3
Study and practice of concepts, processes and techniques of effective verbal communication in face-to-face, small group and public-address contexts. Speeches required.

COM 202 Communication Theory  3
Fundamental forms of communication theory and perspectives are explored and related to particular lines of research in interpersonal, group, organizational, public and mass mediated communication contexts.

COM 203 Writing for the Public Media  3
Intensive writing assignments employing message-design principles provide opportunities to prepare news, features, press releases, advertising copy and opinion pieces.

COM 204 Interpersonal Communication  3
Study of theoretical and pragmatic aspects of interpersonal communication in numerous contexts to enhance self-awareness and effective self-expression.

COM 205 Mass Communication and Society  3
Survey of mass communication processes and the mass media in terms of development, structures, functions, effects and interactive relationships with American society. (AS II)

COM 206 Introduction to Research Methods  3
The fundamentals of the scientific method, especially, the basics of research methods, designs and hypothesis testing.

COM 211 (DMA 201) Intro to Digital Media  3
See DMA 201.

COM 212 (DMA 202) Digital Media Culture  3
See DMA 202.

COM 213 (DMA 203) Digital Design Concepts  3
See DMA 203.

COM 215 (DMA 205) Digital Graphics  3
See DMA 205.

COM 216 (DMA 206) Interactive Multimedia  3
See DMA 206.

COM 226 (FAS 216) Intermediate Photography  3
See FAS 216.

COM 302 Small Group Communication  3
Communication variables in small groups involving task, maintenance, leadership, conformity, shift-to-risk and development. Some emphasis on skill development.

COM 304 (WST 376) Family Communication  3
Survey of family communication research problems and theories of interaction. Special emphasis on relating to family members and applying course material to improve family communication.

COM 310 Print Journalism (Newswriting)  3
What news is, how it is gathered, interviewing. Writing with accuracy, clarity, objectivity, precision and proper grammar.

COM 311 Principles of Advertising  3
The fundamentals of advertising, including history and development, advertising media, marketing, audiences, campaign objectives, budget, creativity and agency functions.

COM 312 Public Relations: Principles and Practices  3
Historical antecedents and contemporary practice of public relations, the nature of day-to-day tasks and communication responsibilities of practitioners in a variety of professional settings, issues in the practice and PR concepts and theories.

COM 315 Advertising and the Creative Process  3
Study of techniques, tools and theories for generating innovative concepts and ideas. Emphasize application to advertising context.

COM 316 Public Relations Campaigns  3
PR campaigns are concerted efforts of an organization to build socially responsible relationships by achieving research-based goals through the application of communication strategies and the measurement of outcomes. Students produce an actual campaign. Prerequisite: COM 312.

COM 318 Organizational Communication  3
Communication principles and practices, including communicator style variables, communication flow and superior-subordinate communication.

COM 319 Training and Development  3
Methods for assessing training needs within organizations, and designing, implementing and assessing outcomes of training. Emphasis on principles of effective training and development of training competencies. Students develop training skills. Prerequisite: COM 201.

COM 320 Advertising Writing  3
Covers a variety of ways of developing advertising copy (copywriting) and creative concepts for persuasive advertising pieces. Includes workshop writing for print, television and radio commercials.

COM 322 Feature/Magazine Writing  3
Profiles and other human-interest features developed for newspapers, magazines, broadcast. Free-lance writing introduced.

COM 325 Media Literacy  3
Focuses on theoretical approaches and practical skills enabling students to analyze, think critically and produce effective mediated messages in a variety of formats and specialized content areas. Service Learning Option

COM 326 (PSC 326, DMA 204) Digital Media Law/Ethics  3
Introduces a wide range of legal issues surrounding cyberspace, including: the First Amendment, copyright, libel, hate speech, morality/obscenity, privacy, commercial speech and national security.

COM 327 (WST 375) Gender Differences in Human Communication  3
The reasons why men and women communicate differently and how gender influences communication in personal relationships and professional environments.

COM 328 Scriptwriting  3
Students develop an original idea into a teleplay or screenplay. Exploration of character, story, dramatic structure, dialogue and the business of screenwriting. DMA elective.

COM 329 (GRN 329, ANT 329) Cross-Cultural Communication and Aging  3
See GRN 329.

COM 330 Public Relations Writing  3
Theoretical perspectives on various forms of public relations writing and the applications of each. Writing and editing skills. Students produce portfolio of PR writing tools and techniques. Prerequisite: COM 312.

COM 335 Communication and Personality  3
Individual differences in communication predispositions. Research related to communication traits, such as argumentativeness, apprehension and disclosiveness. Prerequisite: COM 204.

COM 336 Sports Journalism  3
First-hand exposure and instruction on writing for TV, print, and the Internet, broadcast anchoring and covering games. This course puts the student in front of the camera, computer, microphone and face-to-face with sports journalists and athletes.

COM 337 Constructive Uses of Humor  3
Examines classic and contemporary humor theory and research. Special emphasis on research that highlights the benefits of humor in education, medicine and organizational contexts.

COM 342 Intro. to Web Design  3
Introduction to the state of the art in on-line multimedia publishing. Students learn to work collaboratively in teams to publish well designed World Wide Web documents that communicate effectively. DMA elective.

COM 344 Producing for Television  3
Students will explore the process of how TV programs are made, from concept to budget to scripting and talent.

COM 352 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication  3
Survey of the most current and significant interpersonal communication research. Students participate in a semester-long research project that explores a particular interpersonal theory or concept. COM 204.

COM 353 Advertising Account/Media Strategy  3
Topics include client/business strategy, marketing communication planning, media plans, media mix (TV, print, Internet, etc.), media sales and the most efficient, effective way to plan and place an ad campaign.

COM 354 Persuasion  3
This course examines classic and contemporary research, theories and concepts in persuasion and social influence. Learn to become a more persuasive person and identify and resist persuasion attempts from others.

COM 361 Introduction to Television Production  3
Studio techniques, lighting, sound recording, set design, electronic graphics and editing, production of live and edited programs in studio. DMA elective.

COM 362 (DMA 308, FAM310) Digital Audio Production  3
See DMA 308.

COM 366 Broadcast Journalism (News)  3
Learn what it is like to step inside the daily inner-workings of a TV newsroom. Act as the assignment editor, reporter, producer, director. Encounter ethical dilemmas. Learn the principles and skills to make resourceful broadcast decisions.

COM 369 Television Features  3
Design, write and produce special feature reports, multiple-part series, investigative stories and mini-documentaries. Emphasis on field work.

COM 374 (FAH 374) Film History  3
Development of film-making and cinema art from 1895 through World War II. Students study, view, and discuss classic silent and sound pictures from Hollywood and abroad. DMA elective.

COM 375 (FAH 375) Film Classics  3
The development of cinema worldwide from World War II through the 1970s. Study, view and discuss films representative of major directors, genres and national cinema movements. DMA elective.

COM 381 Desktop Publishing  3
Designed for both Journalism and Advertising/ Public Relations concentrations, this Macintosh workshop helps develop skills using the most popular word processing, graphics and page layout programs for electronic publishing. DMA elective.

COM 385 Television and Children  3
Learn about the role of television in children’s lives. Course explores children’s television use, the development and content of children’s television programs (both commercial and educational), television and the family, and children’s advertising.

COM 387 (DMA 387) Digital Video Production  3
See DMA 387. Prerequisite: COM 211.

COM 394 Advanced Web Design  3
This course will focus on Flash and advanced coding languages such as XHTML, Javascript, CSS2, and PHP. Standards and accessibility will be addressed. Prerequisite: COM 342 or DMA 207

COM 411 Advertising Campaigns  3
Designed as a capstone course for advertising students, this course examines current and classic advertising campaigns for technique and effectiveness. Students also have the chance to develop their own advertising campaigns. Prerequisite: COM 311 or permission of instructor.

COM 412 Public Relations Case Studies  3
Students will become familiar with a process for public relations problem-solving through analysis of a variety of PR case studies in major areas of the field, including employee relations, consumer relations, media relations and crisis communications.

COM 414 Issues in Advertising  3
In this seminar, students explore a range of contemporary issues surrounding the advertising industry including consumerism, effects, ethics, racism and sexism, and trends. Prerequisite: COM 311 or permission of instructor.

COM 418 Interviewing  3
Research on supportive/defensive communication, nonverbal communication, communication apprehension, and disclosure in professional, business, and bargaining/negotiation situations. Interviewing techniques.

COM 461 Advanced Television (Studio) Production  3
Advanced techniques in lighting, editing, set design, special effects and photography, production of short-form projects for professional distribution. DMA elective. Prerequisite: COM 361.

COM 487 (DMA 487) Advanced Digital Video Production  3
See DMA 487.

COM 488 Internship I Seminar  3-12
Student experientially learns communication functions in compatibly matched professional setting, locally or out-of-town. Faculty and on-site supervision. Seminar required. Pass/fail. May be repeated as COM 498; 12-credit limit for COM 488/498 combined. Prerequisite: Open to junior and senior majors with G.P.A. of at least 2.50 and Communication Studies average of 2.70 and approved by department faculty. Applications on Communication Studies Department website.

COM 498 Internship II Seminar  3-9
Sequel to COM 488 for students taking a second internship. Each student is limited to a combined total of 12 credit hours for COM 488 and 498. Prerequisite: Same as for COM 488.

COM 499 Independent Study  3
Student conducts original project or self-designed course of study under the tutelage of Communication Studies faculty member. Prerequisite: Open to junior and senior majors in good standing with consent of instructor and chair.