Communication Studies (COMS)
Courses
COMS 0185. FORENSICS. 1 Hour. (TCCN = SPCH 1144)
Preparation for and participation in intercollegiate and intersquad forensic activities. Students engage in supervised research, development of debate skills and individual speaking activities. Prerequisite: permission.
COMS 1301. FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING. 3 Hours. (TCCN = SPCH 1311)
Stress on development of the individual's speaking abilities and confidence in a variety of speaking situations.
COMS 1302. VOICE AND DICTION. 3 Hours. (TCCN = SPCH 1342)
Designed to improve the quality of the individual's speech. Enunciation, articulation, pronunciation, and the fundamentals of voice production. The phonetic alphabet as a visual means of teaching auditory differences.
COMS 2302. PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.
Theory and practice in written and oral presentations with an emphasis on professional and technical communication for science and engineering. Prerequisites: 30 or more hours earned; ENGL 1301 and either ENGR 1300 or ENGL 1302.
COMS 2304. GROUP COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES. 3 Hours. (TCCN = SPCH 2333)
Principles and practice of effective interaction within small groups including meeting planning, agenda setting, conflict management, and decision making.
COMS 2305. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION. 3 Hours. (TCCN = SPCH 1321)
Insight into communication skills. Designed to give the student experience in interviewing, business presentations, organizational reports, and the relationship of visual and oral presentations to business.
COMS 3309. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION. 3 Hours.
Communication functions within formally structured social systems such as business, government, and education. Emphasis on conceptual schemes for conducting analysis of training programs in organizational communication. Credit will not be given for both COMS 3309 and PCOM 3309. Prerequisite: COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0), COMS 1301, and 3 hours of Math.
COMS 3310. GROUP COMMUNICATION THEORY. 3 Hours.
Characteristics of group communication including group function and formation, norms, cohesion, problem solving, leadership, and ethics. Prerequisite: COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0) and 3 hours of Math.
COMS 3312. BACKGROUNDS OF PUBLIC ADDRESS. 3 Hours.
Traditional works pertinent to theories of communication. Emphasis on discovering the traditional bases shared by empirical and critical studies of rhetorical communication. Prerequisite: COMS 1301 and COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0), or permission of the department.
COMS 3315. COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS. 3 Hours.
Basic concepts, theories, research and processes relevant to formal and informal instructional situations. Units of study will focus on intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, and presentational communication. Prerequisite: COMS 1301 and COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0), or permission of the department.
COMS 3316. COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS. 3 Hours.
The human communication process within social, business, and family contexts. Theories and principles of interpersonal communication. Prerequisites: COMM 3315 and COMS 1301. COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0).
COMS 3320. INTERVIEW PRINCIPLES. 3 Hours.
Theory and practice in interviewing as it relates to information-gathering, questioning, and response analysis in probing, persuasive, employment, and survey interviews; practical and legal application in employment interviews; preparation of resume and cover letter. Prerequisite: One of the following: COMS 1301, COMS 2302, or COMS 2305.
COMS 3321. ORAL INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE. 3 Hours.
The fundamental principles of oral interpretation and techniques of interpretation. Stresses background research concerning author and type of material. Prerequisite: COMS 1301. COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0).
COMS 3323. ORAL INTERPRETATION OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE. 3 Hours.
Traditional oral interpretation principles and performance techniques as applied to various genres of children's literature. Prerequisite: COMS 1301, COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0).
COMS 4300. PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION. 3 Hours.
Analysis of the means by which persuasive communication affects individuals and society. Extensive reading of theories of techniques of persuasion. Study of the adaptation of motivational appeals, structural strategies, and other persuasive techniques in interpersonal and public contexts. Prerequisite: COMM 3315 and COMS 1301; COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0).
COMS 4302. MODERN PUBLIC ADDRESS. 3 Hours.
Analysis of major 20th-century forms of public address and speakers. Application of various models for criticism and public address. Prerequisite: COMM 3315 and COMS 1301. COMS 2304 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0), or permission of the department.
COMS 4315. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS. 3 Hours.
The role of internal and external informative and persuasive presentations in business organizations. Extensive readings and practice with an emphasis on research, development, organization, and critical evaluation of oral and visual presentations. Credit will not be given for both COMS 4315 and PCOM 4315. Prerequisite: COMS 1301 and a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0) in COMS 2302 or COMS 2305.
COMS 4320. MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION. 3 Hours.
Analysis of the role of the business manager; readings in research and theory with emphasis on problem-solving and motivation. Credit will not be given for both COMS 4320 and PCOM 4320. Prerequisite: COMM 3315 and COMS 3309 with a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0), or permission of the department.
COMS 4321. READERS THEATRE. 3 Hours.
Readers interpret various kinds of literature for an audience. Analysis and criticism of literature are stressed. Prerequisite: COMM 3315, a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0) in COMS 3321 or COMS 3323, or permission of the department.
COMS 4322. COMMUNICATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. 3 Hours.
The process of analyzing communication problems and providing training skills for businesses and organizations. Emphasizes practical knowledge of facilitating skill improvement in verbal and nonverbal communication. Prerequisite: COMS 1301 and a grade of C or better (2.0/4.0) in COMS 2302 or COMS 2305.
COMS 4391. CONFERENCE COURSE. 3 Hours.
Topics assigned on an individual basis, covering research or study in the designated areas. May be repeated when topic changes, for a maximum of six credit hours. Prerequisite: 60 or more hours earned and permission.
COMS 4393. COMMUNICATION TOPICS. 3 Hours.
Special studies in speech. Topics will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated once when topics vary. Prerequisite: 60 hours earned, and permission.
COMS 4395. PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP. 3 Hours.
Individual research while working with business and industry. Individual conference to be arranged. Graded Pass/Fail. Prerequisite: 60 or more hours earned, and permission.