Course Catalog

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Course Catalog

FIRSTBRIDGE IN GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS (CM1099)

Firstbridge courses are offered to degree seeking freshmen and registration is done via webform in pre-arrival checklist.

INTRODUCTION TO FASHION STUDIES (CM1110)

This course aims to introduce students to the study of fashion, considered as a multidisciplinary field of analyses. At the intersection of theory and practice, and relying on the key texts of historians, art historians, philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and geographers, this course will examine the relationship between fashion and body, identity, art, industry, media, class, culture, subculture, gender, sex, time, space, religion and politics. With an emphasis on experiential learning and drawing on visual and film sources, on historical and contemporary examples for discussion, this class will provide students with the possibility to question the future of the fashion industry by studying the social and environmental impact of fashion and the role of social change that fashion can play.

DIGITAL TOOLKIT: COMMUNICATION DESIGN PRACTICUM (CM1500)

In this digital tools training course, students will learn skills, gain hands-on experience, and think critically and ethically about a range of contemporary digital tools for research, creative, and practical purposes in the fields of Communications, Media, and Cultural Studies. Students will acquire facility with and conceptual understanding of online publishing, search engines, privacy protecting tools, digital storytelling, and tools for data management, cleaning, and visualization, among others. As researchers, we will learn about finding quality information online, the ethics of gathering and protecting research data, and the fair and legal use of online content. Readings and lectures will interrogate the different ways in which digitization and datafication affect us as networked users, creators, citizens, and consumers, focusing on unequal access to information retrieval and creation, biases in Machine Learning, surveillance and tracking through datafication, algorithmic culture, and AI. The course prepares students to work with digital tools while critically and responsibly engaging with them. This change updates a woefully outdated description which no longer matches course content and has led to students feeling deceived.

MAGAZINE & ONLINE JOURNALISM PRACTICUM (CM1850)

This workshop trains students in magazine writing and production through hands-on experience working on a high-quality student magazine, the Peacock. Students participate in a newsroom setting in a variety of roles -- from writing and editing to pagination and layout -- to produce the Peacock in both print and online versions. Students will learn researching and writing techniques as well as how to interview and source stories for magazines. They will gain pre-professional experience preparing them for entry-level positions in magazine journalism – whether print publications or online magazines. Note: Up to 8 credits for Journalism Practica can be applied toward the degree. May be taken twice for credit.

VIDEO JOURNALISM PRACTICUM (CM1852)

This hands-on workshop trains students in video journalism in a real-time newsroom and production studio setting. Students will gain skills working with video production equipment and editing tools including Final Cut Pro. Students will contribute video journalism pieces to “PTV”, the video platform linked to the student media website where their video work contributes to the content mix of news pieces, video work, and magazine stories. Students will produce short video stories, narratives and interviews for the site. They will edit video pieces, post on YouTube, and use social media to promote their stories. The course will prepare students for entry-level positions in video journalism and for more advanced AUP courses in video and broadcast journalism. Note: Up to 8 credits for Journalism Practica can be applied toward the degree. May be taken twice for credit.

AUDIO JOURNALISM PRACTICUM (CM1853)

This hands-on workshop trains students in audio journalism in a real-time newsroom and production studio setting. Students will gain skills working with audio production equipment and editing tools. Students will contribute radio journalism and podcast pieces to the Peacock student media platform.

TOPICS IN COMMUNICATIONS (CM1910)

Topics vary by semester

PUBLIC SPEAKING IN THE DIGITAL AGE (CM2001)

Concentrates on the principles of communication in public speaking. Students learn and practice strategies and techniques for effective speech preparation and delivery of informative, ceremonial, persuasive, and impromptu speeches, and panel presentations. Helps students sharpen their oral presentation skills, express their meaning clearly, and become accustomed to public speaking.

GLOBAL FASHION: HISTORIES AND METHODS (CM2002)

This course aims to explore the histories of non-western fashion, crafts, and industries of a variety of countries. The course gives students the opportunity to explore new fields of fashion history while at the same time providing them with research methods such as image, object and film analysis, and exhibition study.

MEDIA INDUSTRIES: STRATEGIES, MARKETS & CONSUMERS (CM2003)

This course examines how the media industries – from movies and television to music and magazines – have been transformed by the disruptive impact of the Internet and new forms of consumer behavior. Economic terms such as “creative destruction” will help students understand how the Internet disrupted old media business models and shifted market power to consumers. Case studies include Apple’s impact on the music industry, the emergence of “streaming” services such as Netflix and Spotify, the decline of traditional print-based journalism with the emergence of online platforms, and Amazon’s transformation of the book industry.