Courses
Arts and Letters
Speech (SPCH)
- SPCH-C 205 Introduction to Oral Interpretation (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing and SPCH-S 121 or THTR-T 120; or consent of instructor. Basic principles and practice in analysis and reading of selections from prose, poetry, and drama. Lecture and recitation.
- SPCH-C 300 Practicum in Speech (1-8 cr.) Practical experience in the various departmental areas as selected by the student prior to registration, outlined in consultation with the instructor and approved by department. Must represent a minimum of 45 clock hours practical experience. Repeatable up to 8 units.
- SPCH-C 325 Interviewing Principles and Practices (3 cr.) P: Sophomore standing; or consent of the instructor. Study and practice of methods used in business and industrial interviews, emphasizing the logical and psychological bases for the exchange of information and attitudes.
- SPCH-C 392 Health Communication (3 cr.) Exploration of the communication competencies needed by health care professionals. Emphasizes interviewing, verbal and nonverbal skills, group interaction, intercultural, interprofessional, therapeutic, and organizational communication. Analysis of communication problems encountered in the delivery of health care services and development of coping strategies.
- SPCH-S 121 Public Speaking (3 cr.) Theory and practice of public speaking, training in thought processes necessary to organize speech content, analysis of components of effective delivery and language.
- SPCH-S 122 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.) Introduction to core communication concepts and processes of face-to-face interaction from the perspective of communication competence. Analyzes variability in the design, production, exchange, and interpretation of messages in relational, family, professional, and cultural contexts.
- SPCH-S 205 Introduction to Speech Communication (3 cr.) Overview of fundamental theoretical and methodological issues involved in the social scientific and critical study of human communication. Analyzes influences on and impact of communication in dyadic, group, public, and mediated contexts.
- SPCH-S 210 Survey of Communication Studies (1 cr.) This course surveys the foundational principles, theories, and practice of the major areas of the communication studies discipline.
- SPCH-S 221 Speech and Human Behavior (3 cr.) Development of speech and theories or oral discourse; the communication process and human behavior and culture; speech in conflict situations.
- SPCH-S 223 Business and Professional Communication (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 and sophomore standing; or consent of instructor. Examines organizational communication with emphasis on skills acquisition. Developed skills including interviewing, group discussion, parliamentary procedure, and public speaking.
- SPCH-S 228 Argumentation and Debate (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 and sophomore standing; or consent of instructor. Reasoning, evidence, and argument in public discourse. Study of forms of argument. Practice in argumentative speaking.
- SPCH-S 229 Discussion and Group Methods (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 with grade of C or better and sophomore standing. Leadership and participation in group, committee, conference, and public discussion; logical and psychological aspects of group process.
- SPCH-S 246 Rhetorical Skills (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121, SPCH-S 122, ENG-W 131 completed with a letter grade of C or better; a minimum GPA of 2.3 with 30 credit hours earned; or consent of the instructor. This course provides instruction and practice in intermediate skills of written communication.
- SPCH-S 306 Leadership (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 and Junior Standing. An upper-level survey course designed to familiarize students with the role of effective leadership within a business environment; students will explore and distinguish among various styles of leadership and their demand in today's global market.
- SPCH-S 307 Crisis Management (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 with a C or higher and Junior Standing; or consent of instructor. An upper-level survey course designed to introduce students to the various concepts, theories, and principles of effecive crisis management. The course explores both national and international corporate crises in regards to crisis prevention, crisis readiness, and crisis resolution.
- SPCH-S 321 Rhetoric and Modern Discourse (3 cr.) Topical analysis of the constituents of traditional rhetorical theory; application of rhetorical principles to the study of selected modern discourse.
- SPCH-S 322 Advanced Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 122 and junior standing. Advanced consideration of communication in human relationships. Emphasis given to self-concept, perception, verbal language, nonverbal interaction, listening, interpersonal conflict and communication skills in family, social, and work situations.
- SPCH-S 324 Persuasion (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 246 with grade of C or better, and Junior standing; or consent of the instructor. Motivational appeals in influencing behavior; psychological factors in a speaker-audience relationship; contemporary examples of persuasion. Practice in persuasive speaking.
- SPCH-S 325 Voice and Diction (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 or THTR-T 120. R: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor. Anatomy and functions of vocal mechanism; introduction to phonetics; improvement of student's voice and diction through exercises and practical work in area of student's special interest.
- SPCH-S 333 Public Relations (3 cr.) P: TEL-R 311, or SPCH-S 246, or ENG-W 290, and Junior Standing; or consent of instructor. Communication Studies majors and minors only. An introduction to the principles of public relations, including ethics of public relations, impact on society, and uses by government, business, and social institutions for internal and external communication. Public relations as a problem-solving process utilizing theoretical and applied communication strategies.
- SPCH-S 336 Current Topics in Communication (3 cr.) Extensive analysis of selected problems in contemporary speech communication. Topics vary each semester and are listed in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated once for credit.
- SPCH-S 353 Advanced Public Speaking (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121 and Sophomore standing; or consent of the instructor. Development of a marked degree of skill in preparation and delivery of various types of speeches, with emphasis upon depth of research, clarity of organization, application of proof, and appropriate style.
- SPCH-S 380 Nonverbal Communication (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 122 and Junior standing; or consent of the instructor. Exploration of communicative interaction that is not linguistic in nature. Emphasizes the communicative aspects of personal space, physical environment, body movement, touch, facial expression, eye contact, and paralanguage.
- SPCH-S 398 Independent Study in Speech Communication (1-3 cr.) P: Junior standing and approval of instructor. Independent study or practicum experience. Projects must be approved by the faculty member before enrolling. May be repeated for up to a total of 6 credits.
- SPCH-S 400 Senior Seminar (2 cr.) P: SPCH-S 210, SPCH-S 246 and Senior standing; or consent of the instructor. Permission required. Study of problems and issues in rhetoric and communication. Topic varies.
- SPCH-S 405 Human Communication Theory (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 210,SPCH-S 246, and Senior standing; or consent of the instructor. Survey of contemporary theories of human communication with emphasis on the nature of theory construction; contributions of allied disciplines to communication theory.
- SPCH-S 407 Historical Development of Rhetorical Theory. (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 246 and Junior standing. Survey of ancient through contemporary thought on the art of rhetoric; identification of leading trends in the history of rhetoric and the assessment of those trends in light of surrounding context.
- SPCH-S 421 Rhetorical Criticism (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 246 and Junior standing; or consent of the instructor. Rhetorical criticism exemplified by selected studies, ancient and modern; development of contemporary standards and methods of appraisal.
- SPCH-S 424 Empirical Research Methods in Speech Communication (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 246, MATH-A 118 or MATH-M 118 or higher, completed with grade of C or higher; and Junior standing . Permission required. Focuses on the objective appraisal of behavioral data in the study of speech communication. Introduces the theoretical foundation of empirical social science and offers guidelines for conducting descriptive and experimental studies.
- SPCH-S 427 Cross-Cultural Communication (3 cr.) P: Junior standing. A survey study of national, cultural, and cross-cultural persuasion in theory and practice.
- SPCH-S 440 Organizational Communication (3 cr.) P: Junior standing or consent of the instructor. Examination of internal and external communication in business and other professional organizations, with emphasis upon theory, techniques, practices, goals, and the social environment in which such communication exists.
- SPCH-S 450 Gender and Communication (3 cr.) P: SPCH-S 121, or ENG-W 290, or SPCH-S 246; and Junior standing; or consent of the instructor. Examines the extent to which biological sex and gender role orientation stereotypes influence the process of communication. Focuses on gender differences in decoding and encoding verbal and nonverbal behavior, development of sex roles, cultural assumption and stereotypes regarding gender differences in communication, and analyzes how the media present, influence, and reinforce gender stereotypes
- SPCH-S 640 Studies in Organizational Communication (3 cr.) Critical examination of quantitative and qualitative research in the area of organizational communication. Emphasizes decision making, superior-subordinate interaction, communication not works and climate and organizational culture. Focuses on critical assessment of research.