Communication Course Descriptions
Scroll down to read descriptions of the communication courses offered at Carthage, or click on these links for additional resources:
Human Communication (SI)
CDM 1150 / 4 credits
This course provides a broad grounding in the history and current interdisciplinary understandings of human communication. Students will explore the role of identity/self and perception, verbal and nonverbal communication, listening, and culture in human interaction. These concepts will be further applied to the study of relationships, small groups, organizations, rhetoric, and media.
Prerequisite: None
Public Speaking (OC)
CDM 1200 / 4 credits
A study of the role, rights, responsibilities, and ethics of the speaker, medium, and audience in a variety of speech situations in a democratic society. Speaking techniques examined include the processes of invention, organization, and presentation in informative, demonstrative, persuasive, and ceremonial settings. Students must demonstrate effectiveness in integrating media (e.g., presentation software or other video or audio elements) into their speech communications. Targeted instruction is arranged as necessary to ensure basic competency in the technical use of presentation software.
Prerequisite: None
Visual Communication (AI)
CDM 1300 / 4 credits
An introduction to the practice of critical observation and analysis of static, dynamic, and interactive visual information. Students develop theoretical and applied skills in interpreting a wide range of visual information, and demonstrate their own abilities to design and produce visual information.
Prerequisite: None
Adobe Creative Cloud: Level Up (AI)
CDM 1900 / 4 credits
This course focuses on each student’s individual need to increase knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Students will “test in” to a specific level of each program in Adobe- and build from there. Students will create and edit multiple small projects within the programs- a crucial skill for many majors seeking to gain entry into their professional field.
Basic Adobe Creative Cloud
CDM 1925 / 4 credits
This course focuses on learning the basics of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign for students planning to work in the realm of communication, marketing, and other fields within the creative industry. Students taking this course should be a total beginner or have very limited knowledge of the programs. They will use these software tools to create and edit multiple small projects, a crucial skill for many majors seeking to gain entry into their professions. The steps of the creative process will also be introduced, from brainstorming to final solution. Students will be required to have access to a computer with Adobe CC, which can be found in several labs on campus.
Advanced Adobe Creative Cloud
CDM 1950 / 4 credits
This course focuses on enhancing students’ previous knowledge of Adobe and progressing their skill set to the level of advanced work with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. It is intended for students planning to work in the realm of the creative, communication, and marketing industry. Students will create and edit multiple projects with the Adobe tools as a base| other supplemental programs may be introduced as well. The steps of the creative process will also be used for project advancement, from brainstorming to final solution. Students will be required to have access to a computer with Adobe CC, which can be found in several labs on campus. For students to do best in this course they should have existing knowledge of the following: Adobe Illustrator: creating basic vector graphics through image trace or drawing tools such as the pencil or blob brush tool, color swatches, affecting line, pathfinder, and basic pen tool Adobe Photoshop: editing image size and resolution, basics of selections and using layers, healing tools, adjusting images using levels and color correction, layer adjustment and styles. Adobe InDesign: creating multiple page layouts, with placed image and type, laying out guides and grids, using typography tools such as creating columns, master pages, and swatches.
Prerequisite: CDM 1925 or instructor approval.
Graphic Design
CDM 2000 / 4 credits
This studio course serves as an introduction to the practice of graphic design. Basic design and communication principles, along with the processes and techniques associated with the creation of effective visual communication, will be emphasized. Students will also be instructed in the use of digital drawing and painting programs for the production of graphic design solutions. Projects will range from visual exercises addressing basic principles of twodimensional design to practical design problems requiring conceptual and critical as well as compositional evaluation. Exploration of materials and creative ideation, along with industry trends, issues, and significant practitioners, will also be discussed.
Prerequisites: CDM 1300 and ART 1070
Health Communication (SI)(IDP)
CDM 2100 / 4 credits
The primary purpose of this course is to investigate the phenomena of communication, theoretically and practically, as it occurs in health care contexts. Private and public messages, internal and external to health institutions, will be examined to explore how those messages affect health care decisions and outcomes. Health communication includes many diverse cultures and communities of practice, including patient-provider communication, marketing and public health campaigns, use of technology in health care, and communication within and across allied fields.
Prerequisite: None
Principles of Public Relations (OC)(SI)(IDP)
CDM 2200 / 4 credits
An introduction to public relations as the theory and practice of effective communication between organizations and their diverse publics. Explores the role of public relations in organizational culture and in society, with particular emphasis on ethics, corporate integrity, and local and global contexts. Case studies provide opportunities for students to engage in research on the public relations of actual organizations, and to develop writing and presentation skills required of public relations practitioners.
Prerequisite: None
Interpersonal Communication (SI)
CDM 2300 / 4 credits
Theories and research of one-to-one human interaction. Topics include communication models, identity, social roles and expectations, self-disclosure, listening, conflict, trust, and the development, maintenance, and termination of relationships. Survey and application of intra- and interpersonal communication in friendships, families, romantic partnerships, and other social and professional contexts.
Prerequisite: CDM 1150 or consent of instructor
Gender Communication (CL)(SI)(DIV)
CDM 2400 / 4 credits
In-depth study of interaction within and between groups with regard to gender, sex, and sexuality. Topics include the continua of gender and sexuality, gender development, cultural roles and expectations, verbal and nonverbal communication, rhetoric of gender/sex-based social movements, power and violence, and gendered communication in education, close relationships, organizations, and media. Cross-listed as WMG 200R.
Prerequisite: None
Nonverbal Communication (SI)
CDM 2450 / 4 credits
Comprehensive study of nonverbal codes and systems, including kinesics, proxemics, haptics, vocalics, olfactics, chronemics, oculesics, facial expression, and environments. Foundations of nonverbal communication will cover innate and socialized behavior development, and the role of perception on interaction expectancies. Particular exploration of the relationship between nonverbal and verbal interaction in social, intimate, professional, educational, and mediated contexts.
Basic Digital Photography (FAR)(AI)
CDM 2500 / 4 credits
An introduction to photography in which students practice the art of photography, introducing them to the technical and stylistic aspects of digital photo making. Students are required to supply their own digital camera, which has manual capabilities such as aperture and shutter speed priority mode. Using Photoshop software, students will also work with their own photos in the digital realm, applying what they learn to select, manipulate, display, and print work.
Prerequisite: None
New Media Theory and Aesthetics (FAR)(CL)(IDP)(AI)
CDM 2600 / 4 credits
Students will learn and apply a variety of critical methods for understanding and evaluating the current landscape of new media. The course will investigate mobile technology, social networks, streaming, the internet and its cultures, as well as various other forms of emerging media (including VR, AR, and interactive technologies). The course is designed to provide students with a knowledge base for future work in emerging arts and sciences, digital production, screen arts and cultures, and other communication-related fields.
Prerequisite: None
Film Analysis (FAR)(CL)
CDM 2620 / 4 credits
This course will provide an introduction to the study of film. Students will learn about the history and economics of the film industry, engage in textual analysis of film, and/or consider film’s cultural impact.
Prerequisite: None
Studies in Media (AI)(FAR)
CDM 2630 / 4 credits
In this variable content course, students develop a historically informed understanding of a specific audio/visual mode contextualized through a given culture, subculture, movement, geography, and/or society in the global context (outside normative North American society).
Photographing Nature: Investigating Biodiversity and Conservation (FAR)(AI)(IDP)
CDM 2650 / 4 credits
This course introduces the student to the use of digital photography to explore plant and animal species and their habitats. The course begins with instruction in digital photopraphy and then moves outside where students will focus on organisms, learning to photograph them while exploring their biology. Photography will be used to engage students in making detailed observations and beginning the process of scientific discovery. After learning about species, their ecological interactions, and conservation, students will complete a final project that utilizes visual imagery to educate others about the value of biodiversity, ecology, and/or conservation issues.
Prerequisite: None
Film and New Media Production (FAR)(AI)(IDP)
CDM 2700 / 4 credits
This course engages students in the process of developing, writing, producing, shooting, and editing content for audio, video, virtual reality, and new media. Students study the process of media production by critical analysis of film texts and by active participation in the production process.
Prerequisite: None
History of Film: From the Nickelodeon to Netflix (CL)(ITL)
CDM 2750 / 4 credits
This course surveys film movements, industries, and periods of national cinemas that have sought to redefine the dominant ideologies, modes of production, and aesthetics of the cinematic artform from 1895 to the present.
Exploring the Documentary (FAR)(CL)(ITL)
CDM 2800 / 4 credits
Film is an important and intrinsic medium for understanding our culture and its values. More specifically, nonfiction film has played a critical role in educating society on important issues and histories, often shaping public policy and opinion through production processes. Students will learn about the components of documentary and its production, while exploring the form’s history and various modes of representation that have been cultivated and conceptualized over the past century.
Prerequisite: None
Typography (AI)
CDM 2850 / 4 credits
This studio course is a hands-on introduction to typography, or the use and design of type. Students will become familiar with the history, classification, and anatomy of type. This course will emphasize the abstract visual design principles critical to the effective use of type in graphic design, and will consider the expressive, communicative potential of typographic form. Course projects will include exercises, studies, and formal design problems. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to a variety of design-related practitioners, publications, ideas, methods, and objects.
Prerequisites: CDM 1300 and ART 1070
Sports Media
CDM 2900 / 4 credits
This course will be a broad survey of sports and the communication media. The course will explore the history of media and sport, sports journalism, sports marketing, and technology’s influence on the sports marketplace. The course is a study of sports media, as well as a course where students write sports journalism and investigate careers in sports organizations and media.
Prerequisite: None
Rhetoric and Persuasion
CDM 3000 / 4 credits
A study of rhetorical theory as it provides models for the construction and criticism of public discourse. Classical and contemporary writings on rhetoric are explored in the context of theories of language, representation, communication, and ethics.
Prerequisite: CDM 1150 or consent of instructor
History of Graphic Design
CDM 3150 / 4 credits
This course provides students with the knowledge and understanding of the places, people, and events| historical and cultural factors| and technological innovations that have influenced the development of graphic design into the practice that it is today. Historical awareness provides a meaningful context for students to evolve and to contribute in positive ways to the cultures in which they live and work. Students will also be asked to apply what they are learning and design several projects, incorporating the styles they are observing.
Prerequisite: CDM 1300 or consent of instructor
Words and Images in Motion (AI)
CDM 3200 / 4 credits
This course addresses the creation of motion graphics for graphic design students. Students will be introduced to strategies for communicating with kinetic visual elements that focus on form, speed, rhythm, orientation, color, texture, and quality of motion. The course will include lectures and screenings of the history, techniques, and applications of motion graphics, as well as demonstrations using modern software such as Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. Additional topics include basic animation principles, screen design and composition, timing, storyboarding, sound and music development and synchronization, as well as project management and organization. Students will learn to make informed design decisions, and will draw on the basic principles of visual communication, graphic design, and motion literacy in the creation of time-based work that is expressive, dynamic, and inventive.
Prerequisite: CDM 2000
Graphic Design Practicum (AI)
CDM 3250 / 4 credits
This course will introduce graphic design students to the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the field of graphic design as a professional. Students will embark on a path leading toward the compilation of an entrylevel design portfolio. Topics will include self-promotion, creative briefs, client relations, print production, fee estimates, and presentation skills. Students will typically work with one or more real-world clients during the course of the semester. They will learn to effectively market themselves through the creation of a visual identity and a branded basic website. Class discussions and presentations will also address current graphic design techniques, trends, and trendsetters as well as topics more directly related to the student’s individual creative practice, such as effective brainstorming, critical analysis, and reasoning in the evaluation and development of their design solutions.
Prerequisite: CDM 2850
Journalistic Writing
CDM 3310 / 4 credits
This course develops awareness and understanding of the conventions and practices that lead to effective writing for various media outlets. Emphasis may include newspapers, magazines, television, the internet, and radio. The focus is on developing writing skills through exercises in a variety of formats and styles appropriate to specific media. Students will also understand the history of the journalism industry and the contemporary changes in the environment.
Prerequisite: None
Screenwriting
CDM 3320 / 4 credits
Screenwriting introduces students to writing for film, television, the web, and other mass media outlets. Students will identify and develop a script for short film, long-form, documentary, broadcast news, commercials, the web, and the other types and formats of screenwriting. Students will also apply the concepts of copyright, fair use, licensing, and creative commons.
Prerequisite: None
Public Relations Writing
CDM 3350 / 4 credits
Writing plays an integral role in modern public relations. This course develops an understanding of the conventions and practices of effective public relations writing for contemporary media, with special emphasis on writing for social media, as they relate to public relations. Coursework includes extensive exercises designed to develop skills in a variety of formats, styles, and rhetorical strategies appropriate to public relations.
Prerequisite: CDM 2200 or consent of the instructor
Social Media (SI)
CDM 3400 / 4 credits
This course examines digital technology as a medium of communication. Issues covered include the social, economic, civic, and global implications of the information age. The course will explore trends, ethics and best practices for social media practitioners in both business and non-profit settings. Students will gain practical experience planning, creating, and implementing campaigns across a variety of social media.
Prerequisite: CDM 1150 or consent of instructor
Communications Management (SI)(ITL)
CDM 3420 / 4 credits
This is an advanced course for public relations majors or other students who wish to understand the nature and management of effective communication within and among organizations. Students will develop insights and capacities in organizational communication leadership| careers and cultures in corporations, agencies, small business, and nongovernmental organizations| client relations| communication planning strategies and systems| stakeholder communication| stockholder and financial communication| reputation management| global communication| crisis management| change management| tracking issues and trends and managing communication about them| and funding and evaluating communications campaigns.
Mass Communication (SI)(CL)
CDM 3450 / 4 credits
An advanced survey of the media and their role in culture. This course examines the economic, textual, and cultural dimensions of several mass media.
Prerequisite: CDM 1150 or consent of instructor
Advanced Digital Photography
CDM 3500 / 4 credits
Advanced Digital Photography is an advanced class for participants who have taken basic digital photography and want to expand their photographic skills. The majority of the class time will be concentrating on the two broad goals of 1) thinking creatively about photography and 2) enhancing technical aspects of photography.
Prerequisite: CDM 2500
Web Design I (AI)
CDM 3530 / 4 credits
This course is an introduction to web design aimed at the graphic design major. The course will introduce computer technologies used in page and screen layout for web design. Students will become familiar with the basic technical tools, standards, and guidelines involved in web page design including the hand coding of HTML and CSS documents. In addition, students will be expected to apply the conceptual and technical design skills addressed in Graphic Design I. Coursework will include readings and exercises taken from texts and online sources, along with at least one more extensive project.
Prerequisite: CDM 2000
Web Design II (AI)
CDM 3540 / 4 credits
An advanced web design course that builds on the skills and topics addressed in Web Design I. The course will address advanced aspects of web design including the design of responsive websites for display on desktop and mobile media devices, and web app design. Topics addressed include user interface design, JavaScript library integration, and the use of a CMS (content management system). In addition, students will be expected to apply the conceptual and technical design skills addressed in CDM 1300 Visual Communication. Coursework will include readings, exercises taken from the texts, and online sources, along with more extensive web design projects.
Prerequisite: CDM 3530
Communication Skills Assessment
CDM 3545 / 0 credits
This e-portfolio assessment for every Communication major must be taken during the spring of the third/junior year. Assessment is pass/fail. Students are expected to revise and resubmit if necessary. Students may repeat the assessment until a passing grade is earned in order to take CDM 4010. The website will have been developed in a previous course. Students are expected to update their websites during their program to include new or improved content, including scholarly research and writing, speech content in presentation software form, current resume, and optional elements (creative pieces, etc.).
Spring, taken during junior/third year
Communication Internship
CDM 3550 / 4-8 credits
An internship enabling students to gain practical experience in communication. The internship is typically arranged by the student, and must be approved by a department faculty member and by The Aspire Center. Students meet regularly with the supervising professor, maintain a log or journal of the experience, and complete a major paper documenting, analyzing, and interpreting the internship experience.
Prerequisite: None
Intercultural Communication (CL)(ITL)
CDM 3600 / 4 credits
Exploration of the various theories, opportunities, and problems related to communication by individuals within and across different cultural groups.
Prerequisite: CDM 1150
Organizational Communication (SI)
CDM 3700 / 4 credits
This course will help students understand organizational communication theories, models, and processes. Students will apply these principles in organizational communication through case studies and research presentations. Additionally, students will examine the impact of diversity, globalization, and leadership on organizational communication.
Prerequisite: None
Crisis Communications
CDM 3820 / 4 credits
The importance of an organization’s image or reputation becomes readily apparent when organizations face crises of many types. How well they anticipate, communicate during, and respond meaningfully to these crises can enhance or destroy the organization’s reputation. Reputation management and crisis communication have long been a significant aspect of strategic communication and public relations. This course blends theory and practice in examining recent trends and issues in the related areas of organizational image, reputation management, and crisis communication.
Leadership and Small Group Communication (SI)
CDM 3900 / 4 credits
This course will examine how people work in small groups with an emphasis on elements that influence group productivity and effective communication: leadership, group development stages, group goal setting, social and task maintenance roles, membership diversity, motivation, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict resolution, argumentation, critical thinking, and ethics.
Prerequisite: None
Advanced Film and New Media Production (AI)
CDM 3950 / 4 credits
This course draws on principles and skills developed in CDM 2700. Students will design, produce, and edit several types of advanced video, audio, virtual reality, and/or new media projects, culminating in a single major work.
Prerequisite: CDM 2700 or consent of instructor
Communication Senior Seminar
CDM 4010 / 4 credits
This capstone experience provides communication seniors the opportunity to integrate and utilize the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their course of study. The course culminates in the completion and public presentation of a senior project or thesis.
Prerequisite: CDM 3545
Methods and Materials in Teaching Communication
CDM 4200 / 4 credits
A study of communication teaching methods and instructional materials. Special attention is given to the selection and organization of subject matter and learning activities. Fieldwork required. Prerequisite: Must be accepted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
Topics in Communication — relevant topic
CDM 200T/400T / 4 credits
Topics in communication.