Course Outlines Archive

CMN 200

The Craft of Professional Writing

This course introduces students to genres and styles of professional writing across organizations and industries. Considering the planning, process, and production of communication texts in professional and creative settings, topics include the variety of written professional texts, audience analysis, message purpose, selection of medium and channel, the editing/revision process, and collaborative writing. This course gives students creative and conceptual tools to develop theoretical and strategic approaches to professional writing.

August 28, 2023 8:59 am

CMN 300

Communication in the Computer Industry

In this workshop course, students learn to present technical information to audiences with a range of technical knowledge. The course teaches students various forms and content strategies relevant to the computer industry so they can communicate clearly and persuasively in online and traditional media. Students analyze and respond to professional situations involving documentation plans, style guides, usability testing and project planning.

July 27, 2023 10:36 am

CMN 313

Organizational Report Writing

Organizational report writing focuses on the selection, treatment and solution of a complex problem in an organization, through the development and preparation of a formal, analytical report. Students learn to propose solutions to an identifiable problem, customize a message for multiple audiences, create a work plan, apply primary and secondary research methods, and structure an argument logically and persuasively. Students will strengthen their critical thinking skills as they evaluate findings and formulate conclusions and recommendations.

June 6, 2023 2:17 pm

CMN 443

Contemporary Intercultural Communication

In today’s global environment, the success of almost any venture requires an understanding of intercultural issues. In this course various communication strategies and theories are analyzed in cultural context. Students learn how to overcome cultural barriers and engage in cross-cultural situations.

July 14, 2022 1:19 am

CMN 306

Risk and Crisis Communication

All organizations must manage risk and crisis in order to avoid damage or ruin. This course investigates the components of risk and crisis management and the channels and media available to communicate related messages to an organization’s audiences. Using case studies and practical applications, students will understand and analyze the process of perceiving, handling, and communicating about risk and crisis and gain experience in these areas through simulation.

July 14, 2022 12:51 am

CMN 300

Communication in the Computer Industry

July 14, 2022 12:44 am

CMN 279

Introduction to Professional Communication

This case-based, interactive course introduces students to contemporary strategies of successful communication in professional contexts. Students learn how to analyze audience, situation, and medium to create messages that respond to practical challenges and build productive relationships. Students develop sensitivity to language and tone, learn to organize and convey ideas and information, and select the best means to accomplish their intended purposes.

June 14, 2022 2:49 pm

CMN 313

Organizational Report Writing

June 6, 2022 2:11 pm

CMN 448

Introduction to Visual Communication

This course introduces students to the study of visual communication. Students will examine the ways visual images persuade us to act, think, and feel, and will also learn vocabulary, concepts, and histories related to visual meaning-making. Students will focus on the ways images, seeing, and being seen influence the ways we experience the world within professional and social contexts and how visual images and image-making manipulate and become manipulated by a surrounding visual culture.

May 25, 2022 1:49 pm

CMN 222

Digital Discourse and Design

Through a combination of writing and design assignments, lectures and discussions, this course explores the practical and theoretical consequences of the creation, delivery, and reception of texts in digital spaces and discusses effective digital writing principles and techniques. The implications of visual and interaction design are examined as they affect digital communication. Students will have the opportunity to work with digital technologies and to critique a range of online texts.

May 25, 2022 1:11 pm

CMN 211

Language and Power

Powerful texts such as influential news stories, government policies and legal decisions help shape our lives. Using concepts from critical discourse analysis, this course introduces students to the basic analytical vocabulary and tools to understand ways that powerful texts work. Students will learn to identify the linguistic techniques that characterize the important documents that affect our social worlds. They will have opportunities to respond to these texts.

May 24, 2022 2:17 pm

CMN 210

Text, Image, and Sound

In contemporary culture, we are surrounded by media and artifacts that attempt to persuade us to buy, believe or behave in certain ways. This course provides students with the analytical tools to understand the ways that text, image and sound work together to create persuasive objects. Using concepts from a wide range of theoretical frameworks related to communication, this course focuses on the design and use of media and messages in contemporary culture and the ways that text, image, and sound interact to create meaningful experiences.

May 24, 2022 2:07 pm