(1994) Professor of Communication Studies. B.S. 1988, Northwestern University; Ph.D. 1997, University of Iowa.

(1973) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.S. 1960, Northwestern University; M.A. 1963, California State University, Los Angeles; Ph.D. 1969, University of California, Los Angeles.

(1982) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.A. 1973, Texas Christian University; M.A. 1974, North Texas State University; Ph.D. 1982, University of Texas.

(2006) Director of Academic Assessment and Program Review; Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 1990, M.A. 1992, Arkansas State University; Ph.D. 2001, The Ohio State University.

(1960) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.A. 1953, M.A. 1957, University of Montana; Ph.D. 1960, Northwestern University.

(2012) Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 1992, M.A. 2003, Pepperdine University; Ph.D. 2000, University of Washington.

What We Do Communication is central to the ongoing processes of culture and society and, thus, is vitally important to study. The field has a rich and diverse foundation of specializations, ranging from public address to critical and cultural studies to interpersonal and small-group communication to organizational communication to intercultural and international communication to performance …

The ability to construct, receive and analyze communication is critical for all aspects of human interaction; thus, a minor in Communication Studies provides students with theoretical, analytical and practical approaches to participate effectively in the workplace, in relationships, and in society.

The Department of Communication Studies offers a strong curriculum that embraces a range of traditions in the discipline. Humanistic, aesthetic and social scientific methods are used to examine communication processes and patterns in a variety of contexts and the promises and challenges people experience when they use language and other symbolic systems to work with …

The Master of Arts in Communication Studies provides advanced study of human communication in its various and diverse forms, contexts and processes. The program prepares students to pursue academic and professional career paths such as a Ph.D. in the field, community college instruction or a career in the communication industry. The M.A. in Communication Studies …

The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, Title 5 (United States History and Government), and lower division core requirements for this major. See General Education Rules for more information. Lower division major requirements can be found by looking at the 4-Year Degree Road Map for this …

All lower division GE completed as part of the AA-T in Communication Studies. Transfer Year 1: First Semester Course Units COMS 301 3 COMS 321 3 COMS 327 3 COMS 356 (satisfies GE F*) 3 Elective 3 Total 15 Transfer Year 1: Second Semester Course Units COMS 351 3 Communication Methods. One course from: COMS …

All lower division GE completed as part of the AA-T in Communication Studies. Transfer Year 1: First Semester Course Units COMS 301 3 COMS 321 3 COMS 327 3 COMS 356 (meets GE Upper Division F Comparative Cultural Studies) 3 Elective 3 Total 15 Transfer Year 1: Second Semester Course Units COMS 351 3 Communication …

This ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2023 Communication Studies, B.A. All lower division GE completed as part of the AA-T in Communication Studies 1.0 or 2.0. Transfer Year 1: First Semester Course Units COMS 301 3 COMS 321 3 COMS 327 3 COMS 356 (meets GE Upper Division F …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2019 Communication Studies, B.A. 2020 Communication Studies, B.A. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: A2 Written Communication 3 GE Basic Skills: B4 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (MATH 131 recommended) 3 GE E Lifelong Learning 3 Electives 6 Total 15 YEAR 1: …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2021 Communication Studies, B.A. The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, Title 5 (United States History and Government), and lower division core requirements for this major. See General Education Rules for more information. Lower division …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2021 Communication Studies, B.A. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: A2 Written Communication 3 GE Basic Skills: B4 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (MATH 131 recommended) 3 GE E Lifelong Learning 3 Electives 6 Total 15 YEAR 1: 2nd Semester Course Units …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2022 Communication Studies, B.A. 2023 Communication Studies, B.A. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units GE Basic Skills: A2 Written Communication 3 GE E Lifelong Learning 3 GE F Comparative Cultural Studies 3 Electives 6 Total 15 YEAR 1: 2nd Semester Course Units GE Basic …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2022 Communication Studies, B.A. The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, the United States History and Government requirements, and lower division core requirements for this major. See General Education Rules for more information. Lower division …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2023 Communication Studies, B.A. The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, the United States History and Government requirements, and lower division core requirements for this major. See General Education Rules for more information. Lower division …

Introduction to principles, techniques, and practices in performance of poetry, fiction, and drama. (Available for General Education, C1 Arts.)

An introduction to Communication Studies with an emphasis on the history of the field and the various theories, contexts and perspectives that inform the study of human communication. (Available for General Education, E Lifelong Learning.)

Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing, or completion of 113A or 114A, or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the principles of effective public speaking. Includes extensive practice in speech development, delivery, and analysis, as well as ethical listening. (Cross-listed with AAS 151, AFRS 151, CAS 151, CHS 151 and QS …

Supervised activity in competitive intercollegiate forensics.

Supervised activity in group performance of literature. Participation in theatre programs before campus audiences. Course is repeatable for a maximum of four completions of credit.

Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing. Studies of the strategies used for rhetorical argument. Emphasis is given to ways of finding issues, using evidence and detecting fallacies in rhetorical communications. Includes intensive practice and application in the formulation and critical analysis of argument in rhetorical communications. (Available for General Education, Basic Skills A3 Critical …

This course offers a relational view of communication and explores how relationships are created, negotiated, maintained, and terminated between two people. Students will work on improving communication skills and exploring the dynamics of interpersonal communication such as intimacy, communication climates and interpersonal conflict. Interpersonal communication includes-but is not limited to-communicating with friends, family, coworkers, fellow …

Study of the complex relationships among culture, language and performance in communication. Examination of theory, behavior, practice and criticism from aesthetic and sociocultural perspectives, with emphasis on contemporary research in language, culture and performance studies.

Prerequisite: COMS 301. Theory and practice in performing narrative fiction and nonfiction. Analysis of the role of narrative in the communicative life of the individual and society. Solo and group performances.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Theory and practice in performing poetry. Analysis of the role of poetry and poetic language in the communicative life of the individual and society. Solo and group performances. Students who have taken COMS 304 will not receive credit for COMS 305. (Available for General Education, C1 Arts.) …

Prerequisite: COMS 151 or COMS 225; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Application of the principles of audience analysis to the preparation, presentation and evaluation of persuasive messages.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores the relationship between communication and health and well-being across a variety of contexts, including in interpersonal relationships, provider-patient interactions, and mediated contexts. Major topics include how people through different practices produce and process communication related to health and well-being, how messages impact specific health …

An examination of the role of agency in human communication, with an emphasis on the relationship between purpose, choice and efficacy in communicative action.

Prerequisite: COMS 351. Study of the form and structure of the language of persuasive discourse, including semantics, syntax, usage, lexicography and style.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the language and principles of human communication through the production, analysis and evaluation of rhetorical messages. Satisfies the teacher credential program requirement for competence in writing.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Principles and methods of small group communication. Development of individual and group skills through application of theory to practice. Emphasis is on intra-group behavior. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences or E Lifelong Learning.) (IC) (WI)

Study of courtroom argument, with emphasis on issues, evidence, forms of argument and language in lawyers’ pleadings and judicial opinions.

Theories of rhetoric from classical Greece and Rome to the present. Critical methodologies inherent in rhetorical theories of each period are applied to typical examples of public discourse of that period.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Exploration of scientific inquiry from a communication perspective, with an emphasis on the role figures of speech, style, and strategy play in the production and reception of scientific arguments. Students will utilize key concepts in rhetorical studies to analyze, appraise, and critique practices from a variety of …

Prerequisite: COMS 351. Discussion and examination of nonverbal communication and its effects upon the individual’s attitudes and verbal communication.

Survey of multiple theoretical perspectives on the study of human communication. Examination of the relationships among communication theory and other areas of study within the field of communication studies.

Prerequisite: COMS 301. Historical and theoretical survey of the social, cultural and cognitive impact of mediated human communication.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Cultural factors in interpersonal communication, such as perception, roles, language codes and nonverbal communication. Students will apply and evaluate theories of intercultural communication. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (IC) (WI)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Explores various approaches to the relationship between gender and communication. Emphasis is given to the critical analysis of how communication practices construct and enact gender. Strategies for fostering communication competence with regards to gender will be discussed. (Available for General Education, E Lifelong Learning or F Comparative …

Prerequisite: COMS 195 or instructor consent. Faculty mentored activity in competitive intercollegiate forensics.

Experimental courses in Communication Studies with course content to be determined.

Prerequisite: COMS 301. Work in collaboration to generate, stage, and present original performances for a variety of audiences. These performances may include original scripts as well as adaptations of poetry, prose fiction, nonfiction, and oral histories. May be taken up to four times for credit.

Prerequisites: Two units of COMS 195, COMS 199, or COMS 399, or consent of instructor. This directed oral performance course surveys the history, theory, rhetoric, performance, methodology, and strategies of nonviolent conflict. The course also briefly surveys the Women’s Movement (1910- 1920) and the Working Family Union Movement (1933-1953) examining the oral, performative, and rhetorical …

Prerequisite: COMS 301. Examination and application of contemporary theories of performance as a means of change in individual and communal life. Students employ performance methodologies to examine complexities of various communication contexts and situations and enact various strategies for working through these complexities. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: COMS 301. Examination of psychological, social, cultural, literary and hermeneutic theories of interpretation, with an emphasis on the interaction of text, context and audience. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: COMS 301 or graduate standing in Communication Studies. Corequisite: COMS 399 or graduate status in Communication Studies. Study and application of contemporary theories of performance as a means of creating, directing, and presenting original performance works. Students will develop performance composition skills in collaboration with students enrolled in Performance Ensemble, with the goal of …

This course examines a central premise in communication and performance studies that performance is integral to individual, communal and cultural processes, practices and institutions. Students will develop performances in collaboration with particular communities that express that community’s identity, experiences, issues and goals. We will employ theories and methods of performance that foster cultivating and sustaining …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the structural, psychological and semantic facets of language and their implications for the study of rhetorical communication. Regular written assignments will be required. Available for graduate credit. (Available for Section C of the Multicultural Requirement for credential candidates.)

Prerequisite: COMS 327. Exploration of theories of argument and their application to decision making. Available for graduate credit.

Exploration of freedom of speech in American society. Emphasis given to a communication studies approach to issues in freedom of speech. Focus on contemporary problems of free speech in the U.S., including sedition, obscenity, advocacy of illegal action, libel, words of provocation, copyright, academic freedom and national security. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Instruction in the methods and applications of rhetorical criticism, focusing upon the analysis and evaluation of rhetorical discourse. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: COMS 351. Logical and psychological principles used by writers and speakers to effect social control. Analysis and evaluation of recent research in attitude modification. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: COMS 327; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Analysis and evaluation of the rhetoric of women involved in political, social and economic reforms. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Exploration of food from a communication perspective, with an emphasis on the role of food in the production of nation, class, race, and gender in the U.S. Students will utilize key concepts in critical cultural studies to analyze popular cultural practices, spaces and texts related to food. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: COMS 151; Prior approval of the CYI Program Coordinator. Instruction is provided in communication education. Faculty-supervised students will teach communication skills to area youth in a community service-learning program. Students work closely with the instructor in course preparation, delivery of course content, oral and written assignment evaluation, and curricular assessment. Available for graduate credit.

Recommended Preparatory: COMS 301. This course is an introduction to the critical methods in performance studies and cultural studies. It provides instruction on critical interpretation and analysis, as well as specific methods used in performance studies and cultural studies. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: COMS 327; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Exploration of the rhetorical implications of conflict and struggle as performed in subcultural, national and international contexts. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Critical analysis of the rhetoric used in executive speaking, advertising and labor negotiations. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: COMS 327; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of rhetoric of recent U.S. political campaigns, both local and national, including persuasive techniques, ethical considerations and effectiveness. Practice in planning and developing rhetorical messages for political campaigns. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: COMS 301. A survey of theories of contemporary popular cultural forms as human communicative behavior. Students will learn to utilize theories of rhetoric, performance and critical/cultural studies to analyze popular cultural artifacts as symbolic forms. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of rhetoric of crime, criminal procedure, punishment and justice in different societies and cultures. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: COMS 327; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examination of rhetorical strategies used to advance extraordinary claims and of rhetorical methods of analysis that may be used to identify irrational appeals. Specific consideration of rhetorical discourse dealing with the paranormal, pseudoscience, cryptozoology and conspiracy theories. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examination of the strategy and methodology of contemporary research in communication. Emphasis is on scientific process, the derivation and verification of hypotheses in communication and persuasion, and basic communication research design. Regular written assignments are required. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: COMS 351. This course examines the process of interpersonal communication as a focus of research and theory. Attention will be given to relationship messages, stages of interpersonal relationships, relationship rituals, intimate dialogue, the dialogue of distance, maintaining relationships through dialogue, and developing effective communication in relationships. The course takes a “social constructionist” approach to …

Recommended Preparatory: COMS 351, COMS 450. This course is an examination and analysis of the processes and challenges of communication training and development. Through discussion and fieldwork, students explore applications of communication theory and learn how to conduct organizational culture audits and communication competency assessments through observations, evaluations, analyses, interviews, focus groups and surveys of …

Prerequisite: COMS 351. Application of the principles of human communication in the formal organizational setting, including communication channels, networks, climate and relationships. Available for graduate credit.

Exploration of the history and theory of the Internet, with particular emphasis on the cultural politics of digitally-networked spaces, practices and messages. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisites: Communication Studies major; approval through application and instructor consent; COMS 323 or COMS 351 or COMS 452 or COMS 453. Upon approval by the instructor, a student may earn up to 3 units credit per semester and up to 6 units total for practical experience dealing with communication problems and concerns in public or …

Experimental courses in Communication Studies with course content to be determined.

Independent Study

Introduction to graduate study in communication theory, rhetorical theory, performance, language and cultural studies.

This course is an introduction to the epistemological assumptions, design and methods of analysis in communication research. It provides a broad overview of humanistic, social scientific, rhetorical and critical approaches to studying communication.

Study of performance as communication. Examination of theory, practice and criticism from aesthetic and sociocultural perspectives, with emphasis on contemporary research in performance, language and cultural studies.

Study of performance implications of varying critical approaches to text.

Corequisite: COMS 600. Advanced study of new and current developments in performance studies. May be repeated once for credit.

Study of contemporary theories of language and linguistics as applied to principles of communication. Emphasis on language and social interaction, linguistic pragmatics and systems of symbolic representation.

Advanced study in rhetorical theory, from ancient Greece through the Renaissance.

Advanced study in contemporary rhetorical theory.

Advanced study in postmodern rhetorical theory.

Advanced study of the application of rhetorical theories to situated discourse. Topics include rhetorical criticism, argumentation analysis and/or the application of critical and social theory.

Study of contemporary feminist theories applied to communication research.

Corequisite: COMS 600. Advanced study of new and current developments in Rhetorical Studies. May be repeated once for credit.

Study of historical and contemporary trends in theory and research on communication and communication processes.

Study of advanced principles of communication as applied to interpersonal communication theory. Special emphasis on research in the area of interpersonal communication.

Study of advanced principles of communication as applied to small-group communication theory and research.

Study of advanced principles of communication as applied to the organizational setting, with special emphasis on research in organizational communication.

Advanced study of the principles of communication technology, with emphasis on theory and research.

Study of advanced principles of communication as applied to intercultural communication. Special emphasis on research in the area of intercultural communication.

Corequisite: COMS 600. Advanced study of new and current developments in communication theory. May be repeated once for credit.

Exploration of the communication dimensions of adult education and critical pedagogy. Application of theory in a wide range of instructional settings, including teaching college and university classrooms, training in nonprofit and for-profit business environments and facilitating educational programs for community organizations.

Experimental Topics

Enrollment is required in the semester in which the comprehensive examination is taken.

Prerequisites: COMS 601; Classified graduate status; Consent of graduate coordinator. Open by special permission to students electing to do a thesis or graduate project in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

Independent Study

(2020) Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2008, California State University, Los Angeles; M.A. 2010, Ph.D. 2015, University of California, Los Angeles.

(1990) Associate Vice President Emeritus of Undergraduate Studies; Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.A. 1961, Clarke College; M.A. 1971, Ph.D. 1975, Northwestern University.

(2018) Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2004, University of Arizona; M.A. 2009, University of New Mexico; Ph.D. 2013, University of Arizona.

(2011) Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2002, University of California, Berkeley; M.A. 2006, Ph.D. 2011, University of Iowa.

(2021) Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2012, M.A. 2014, California State University, Los Angeles; Ph.D. 2018, University of Denver.

(1983) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.A. 1971, Iona College, New York; Ph.D. 1976, University of Southern California.

(2017) Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2006, Columbia College; M.A. 2008, University of South Carolina; Ph.D. 2012, Louisiana State University.

(2022) Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. B.S. 2013, Northwestern University in Qatar; M.S. 2020, Ph.D. 2022, Cornell University.

(2007) Associate Professor in Communication Studies. B.A. 2002, M.A. 2005, Ph.D. 2008, University of Southern California.

(2015) Department Chair of Communication Studies; Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 1998, Columbia University; M.A. 2003, Ph.D. 2006, University of California, San Diego.

(1975) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. A.B. 1967, M.A. 1969, University of California, Davis; Ph.D. 1975, Purdue University.

(2017) Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2008, M.A. 2010, Georgia State University; Ph.D. 2016, University of Southern California.

(2005) Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2000, University of Southern California; M.A. 2002, Ph.D. 2005, University of California, Santa Barbara.

(1990) Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 1985, M.A. 1987, California State University, Northridge; Ph.D. 1990, University of Southern California.

(1986) Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 1980, Occidental College; Ph.D. 1987, University of Southern California.

(1983) Professor Emeritus, Communication Studies. BSC. 1973, M.A. 1976, The Ohio University; Ph.D. 1987, Southern Illinois University.

(2015) Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2003, Ohio Wesleyan University; M.A. 2006, Ph.D. 2011, Northwestern University.

(1999) Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies. B.A. 1978, Carleton College; M.A. 1992, Antioch University; Ph.D. 1999, University of New Mexico.

(2020) Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2013, University of Iowa; M.A. 2016, New York University; Ph.D. 2020, University of Iowa.

(2018) Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2011, M.A. 2013, California State University, Los Angeles; Ph.D. 2016, West Virginia University.