Organizational Communication

Bachelor of Arts - Communication Studies; Organizational Communication Option

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2015-2016

Degree Specific Credits: 45

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: To graduate with a degree in Communication Studies, the student must complete 36 COMX (COMM) credits with 18 of those credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Students must also complete an approved statistics course. In the Organizational Communication option, students must complete an additional 9 credits in Allied courses to reach 45 degree credits. A maximum of 6 credits in COMX 312 (COMM 360) and a maximum of 6 credits in COMX 398 (COMM 398) may count toward a major in communication studies.

Lower Division Core Courses

Rule: Must complete all of the following courses:

Note: Must complete COMX 111A, 2 other lower division COMX courses, and 16 university credits to move from Pre-Comm to Comm. Pre-comm majors are not eligible to take upper division courses.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description COMX 111A - Intro to Public Speaking
Offered every term. Preparation, presentation, and criticism of speeches. Emphasis on the development of public speaking techniques through constructive criticism. Credit not allowed for both COMM 111A and COM 160A.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 115S - Intro to Interpersonal Communc
Offered autumn and spring. An overview of the process of human communication with special emphasis on analyzing communication patterns and improving interpersonal communication skills. Credit not allowed for both COMM 110S and COM 150S.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 220S - Intro to Organizational Comm
Offered yearly. Theory and research on communication in organizations. Focus on topics such as productivity, power, culture, socialization, technology and globalization covering a wide range of organizations including corporations, government, educational institutions, non-profit agencies and media organizations.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 240H - Intro to Rhetorical Theory
Offered yearly. An overview of rhetorical theory including an exploration of classical rhetoric, British and Continental rhetorical theory, and contemporary theories of language and persuasion.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 12 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Core Courses

Rule: Must complete the following subcategories

Minimum Required Grade: C-
6 Total Credits Required

Research

Rule: Must complete the following course

Note: Students taking COMX 460 in the fall or spring semester will also be required to take COMX 461, Communication Research Seminar. Those taking COMX 460 in summer are exempt from this requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description COMX 460 - Research Methods
Offered autumn and spring. Open only to majors in COMM. Prereq. grade of C- or better in EDU 421 or EDLD 486 or PSYX 222 or SOCI 202 or STAT 216. Introduction to the major types of communication research and the foundations of quantitative research methods.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Writing

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following courses

Note: One of these courses is required to complete the upper division writing requirement in the major. This counts toward the total credits need for the major.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description COMX 347 - Rhetoric Nature & Environmtlsm
Offered every other year. Same as ENST 377. Not open to PCOM. Survey of rhetorical texts that shape public understanding of nature and environmental issues. Analysis of a range of historical and contemporary environmental texts using theoretical concepts from the rhetorical tradition.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 413 - Comm & Conflict-Writing
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Conceptual and practical discussions of communication and conflict in interpersonal relationships, organizational settings and overall cultural milieu. Fulfills Upper-Division Writing requirement for Communication Studies majors. Credit is not allowed for both COMX 413 and COMX 412.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 414 - Comm in Personal Relationshps
Offered yearly. Prerequisite, COMX 115S or consent of instructor. Not open to PCOM. An examination of the functions, types, and historical context of close personal relationships with an in-depth study of the role of communication in friendships and romantic relationships.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 421 - Comm in Non-Profit Organizatns
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Focuses on issues in nonprofit organizational communication at macro and micro levels. Topics include: organizational identity, change processes, public relations, fund-raising, advocacy, socialization, stress and burnout, board management and professionalization.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 422 - Communication and Technology
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. This course takes a critical look at the influence of communication technologies on organizational communication. Students will examine how the world of work is changing due to new technologies and explore the social and ethical implications of technical innovation, adoption and use.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 424 - Risk Crisis & Comm
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. This course explores the communicative dynamics that both prevent and cause organizational crisis. Through case studies, the class examines how people plan, communicate and make good decisions in high-risk situations, as well as how to manage crisis public relations effectively.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 445 - Rhetorical Criticism and Theor
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Introduction to study of rhetorical criticism and theory. Current theoretical and methodological issues and approaches including traditional criticism, experiential criticism, dramatism, narrative criticism, feminist criticism, postmodern criticism.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 447 - Rhetorical Constrctn of Woman
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. Explores the rhetoric surrounding contemporary women's social "activism" in the U.S. Topics include women's rights, women's liberation, consciousness raising as a rhetorical form, reproductive rights, sexuality, and intersections between gender, race, and class.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 449 - Rhetoric of Women's Activism
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. Explores the rhetoric surrounding contemporary women's social "activism" in the U.S. Topics include women's rights, women's liberation, consciousness raising as a rhetorical form, reproductive rights, sexuality, and intersections between gender, race, and class.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Organizational Communication Option

Rule: Must complete the following subcategories

27 Total Credits Required

Major Courses

Rule: Must complete at least 5 of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description COMX 210 - Communication in Small Groups
Offered autumn and spring. Theory and research related to communication roles, collaboration, cohesion, leadership, and decision-making. Experiences provided in task oriented groups and field analyses of group processes.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 351 - Principles of Public Relations
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. The many uses of communication in the endeavor of public relations. Communication theories and models including interpersonal communication, organizational communication, and mass communication are applied to explore the internal and external communication behavior associated with public relations.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 352 - Public Relations Portfolio
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Writing documents such as press releases, fact sheets, brochures and speeches to create relationships between organizations and their publics.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 412 - Communication and Conflict
Offered autumn and spring. Not open to PCOM. Conceptual and practical discussions of communication and conflict in interpersonal relationships, organizational settings and overall cultural milieu. Topics include culture, power, styles, negotiation and bargaining, mediation, dissent, dispute systems, and crisis communication. Credit is not allowed for both COMM 413 and COMM 412.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 413 - Comm & Conflict-Writing
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Conceptual and practical discussions of communication and conflict in interpersonal relationships, organizational settings and overall cultural milieu. Fulfills Upper-Division Writing requirement for Communication Studies majors. Credit is not allowed for both COMX 413 and COMX 412.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 415 - Intercultural Communication
Offered autumn and spring. Not open to PCOM. Communication principles and processes in cross-cultural environments. Non-Western cultures are emphasized by contrasting them to Western communication norms.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 421 - Comm in Non-Profit Organizatns
Offered yearly. Not open to PCOM. Focuses on issues in nonprofit organizational communication at macro and micro levels. Topics include: organizational identity, change processes, public relations, fund-raising, advocacy, socialization, stress and burnout, board management and professionalization.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 422 - Communication and Technology
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. This course takes a critical look at the influence of communication technologies on organizational communication. Students will examine how the world of work is changing due to new technologies and explore the social and ethical implications of technical innovation, adoption and use.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 423 - Org Comm Consult
Offered every year. Prerequisite, COMX 220S or consent of instructor. Not open to PCOM. Emphasis on the theoretical and practical issues involved in communication training and consultation. Overview of theoretical models followed by the "nuts and bolts" of communication training, development, and assessment. Students will carry out a training or consultation project (e.g., planning, execution, and evaluation) to sharpen the issues explored.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 424 - Risk Crisis & Comm
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. This course explores the communicative dynamics that both prevent and cause organizational crisis. Through case studies, the class examines how people plan, communicate and make good decisions in high-risk situations, as well as how to manage crisis public relations effectively.
 3 Credits
Show Description COMX 425 - Comm in Health Organizations
Offered every other year. Not open to PCOM. This course explores the key issues at the intersection of health communication and organizational communication by considering communication processes that occur in a number of distinct contexts of health organizations. Through case studies and health campaigns students explore contemporary concerns and theory in the area of health communication.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 15 Total Credits Required

Allied Courses

Rule: Must complete at least 3 of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BMGT 340 - Mgmt & Organization Behavior
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business. An intensive examination of the fundamentals of management and organization supported by the application of behavioral science principles to the management of people in organizations.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMGT 444 - Management Communications
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business; BMGT 340. This course focuses on four modules managing external and internal communications: Communication of Innovations; Communications with Company Leadership; PR Crisis Communications; and Business Negotiations. Course projects include team research, team oral presentations, individual written executive reports, case studies and analysis, and competitive negotiations.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMGT 480 - Cross-Cultural Mgmt
Offered autumn. Prereq., junior standing in Business. Study of issues related to cultural diversity within the work force and the problems inherent in the management of a firm's activities on an international scale.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMKT 325 - Principles of Marketing
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business. The marketing environment, product, price, distribution, and promotion strategies including government regulation and marketing ethics.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMKT 343 - Integrated Marketing Comm
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., junior standing in Business, BMKT 325. An integrated course in promotion strategy. Topics include advertising message design, media selection, promotions, public relations, personal selling, and other selected topics.
 3 Credits
Show Description BMKT 412 - Non Profit Marketing
Offered intermittently. Prereq., junior standing in Business and  BMKT 325. Integration of core concepts of marketing into philanthropic and other nonprofit organizations. Includes strategies for large-scale enterprises such as unions, educational and religious institutions to small organizations that provide local support such as cultural services, human and environmental services. Student work with nonprofit organizations creating marketing communications plans in an experiential learning environment.
 3 Credits
Show Description CHTH 355 - Theory Pract Comm Hlth Ed
Offered autumn. Prereq., KIN 205. History, philosophy, and theory related to community health education and health promotion. Includes the application of program development principles and health promotion strategies to community health programs.
 3 Credits
Show Description CHTH 445 - Prgrm Plan in Comm Health
Offered spring. Prereq., CHTH 355. Overview of the issues, approaches, and techniques community health educators and professionals utilize in planning and implementing programs to assist communities in improving health status and reducing risky behaviors and their determinants. This course co-convenes with HHP 541.
 3 Credits
Show Description HTH 465 - Leading Hlth, Hmn Perform Orgs
Offered every term. Prereq., KIN 205 and junior standing. Leadership, management, organizational structure assertiveness, conflict management, public relations, decision-making, budget management, and a broad overview of human resource management, all as they relate to health and human performance settings.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSCI 361 - Public Administration
Offered autumn. Prereq., PSCI 210S and junior standing. Legal and institutional setting of the administrative system; dynamics of organization and processes of public management.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSCI 462 - Human Resource Management
Offered spring. Study of the essential elements of human resource management, including analysis and evaluation of work, and the selection, management, and evaluation of public employees.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSCI 466 - Nonprofit Adm & Pub Svc
Offered autumn. Prereq., junior standing. Investigation of the aspects involved in nonprofit management and public service and the complexity of the role of nonprofit organizations in society.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSCI 467 - Adv Nonprofit Adm
Offered spring. Prereq., PSCI 466. In-depth exploration of the special issues related to nonprofit management including fund raising, budgeting, and program planning.
 3 Credits
Show Description SOCI 306 - Sociology of Work
Offered intermittently.  An introduction to contemporary sociological debates on work including overwork, working poor, housework, globalization, mechanization, routinization, surveillance, and unions. Special focus on gender and class impacts on working life.
 3 Credits
Show Description SOCI 345 - Sociology of Organizations
Offered intermittently. Prereq., SOCI 101S. Historical and analytical study of organizations as social systems, with an emphasis on applying theoretical models to analyzing organizational behavior and change.
 3 Credits
Show Description SOCI 371 - Gender and Global Development
Offered every other year. Prereq., SOCI 270 or consent of instructor. Intermediate level perspectives on colonization, international development, and globalization, with an emphasis on gender issues and impacts.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 9 Total Credits Required

Additional Major Electives

Rule: May take any COMX courses to achieve 36 degree credits

Statistics

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description EDU 421 - Statistical Procedures in Educ
Prereq., M 115 or equiv. or consent of instr. Same as HHP 486. Concepts and procedures characterizing both descriptive and inferential statistics. Awareness of common statistical errors.
 3 Credits
Show Description PSYX 222 - Psychological Statistics
Offered every term. Prereq., PSYX 120; M 115, M 162 or 171. Application of statistical techniques to psychological data. Credit not allowed for both PSYX 222 and SOCI 202.
 3 Credits
Show Description SOCI 202 - Social Statistics
Offered every term. Prereq., or coreq. M 115, Sociology majors only, or consent of instr. Application of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to sociological data. Required of all majors.
 3 Credits
Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 132, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required