Mass Communication

Return to School of Communication | Courses Index

[1] Courses in Mass Communication (MCOM)

1300 MEDIA AND SOCIETY A required course for all journalism majors and a lower-division UCA Core elective (Responsible Living). Designed to give students an understanding of the role and function of the media in contemporary society. The course examines the historical, economic, social, political, technological, aesthetic, legal, and ethical foundations of media. Lecture.

3V22 DIRECTED STUDY IN COMMUNICATION (Variable credit: 1-3 credit hours) An elective course for journalism majors and minors. Involves concentrated study of a topic or topics to be determined by individual student need. May be repeated for up to three hours of credit. May be used for honors studies with the consent of the department chair. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

3301 MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS A required course for journalism and public relations majors and an elective for minors. This course covers legal boundaries within which media professionals must operate as well as ethical issues in media careers. Lecture. Prerequisite: JOUR 2300 or consent of instructor. [UD UCA Core: D, R]

3302 MEDIA HISTORY An elective course for journalism majors and minors. The course provides an in-depth study of the development of news media. Lecture. Prerequisite: JOUR 2300.

3307 THEORIES OF MASS COMMUNICATION An elective course for all journalism majors and minors. The course explores major theories of mass communication, focusing on those theories that have come to influence how we understand the relationship between media and society. Prerequisite: JOUR 2300.

3320 INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH METHODS An elective course for journalism majors and minors. The course explores the tools and techniques of social scientific research used in the study of mass communication, including surveys, content analysis, and experiments. Students will work on formulating research questions, collecting data, performing basic statistical analysis, and reporting the results. Lecture. Prerequisite: MCOM 3307.

3391, 4391 TOPICS IN MASS COMMUNICATION An elective course for journalism majors and minors. Special topics in advanced issues in journalism. May be repeated for up to nine hours credit at each level. Prerequisites: JOUR 2300, with other prerequisites possible, depending on topic.

4302 MEDIA EFFECTS An elective course for journalism majors and minors. The course introduces and surveys empirical work on the effects of media content, form, and technology upon individuals, society, and culture. The course will focus primarily on social and/or behavioral approaches to understanding the effects of media. Lecture: Prerequisite: MCOM 3320 or consent of instructor.

4323 SEMINAR IN MASS COMMUNICATION An elective course of journalism majors and minors. Various topics relevant to media careers. May be repeated for for up to nine hours credit. Prerequisite: JOUR 2300 or consent of instructor.