Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in Communication Studies (Non-thesis Option)

COMM 5100. Teaching Communication Studies.

This course introduces curriculum design, instructional practices, and assessment approaches relevant to teaching Communication Studies at the college level. Students examine foundational principles of the COMM 1310 basic course, including learning objectives, administrative procedures, and instructional formats. The course provides opportunities to plan, prepare, and facilitate applied learning activities using established instructional communication frameworks. Additionally, students analyze communication processes associated with teaching, such as clarity behaviors, immediacy, and classroom management strategies. Students also study approaches to assessing student performance, applying standardized course policies, and interpreting evaluation data for instructional improvement. Throughout the course, communication behaviors relevant to teacher–student interaction and instructional organization are treated as subjects of academic study rather than prescriptive teaching requirements.

COMM 5301. Quantitative Research Methods in Communication.

This course provides an overview of foundational quantitative research methods in Communication Studies. Students develop a critical framework for evaluating quantitative research and gain applied experience conducting quantitative investigations. Coursework emphasizes identifying research problems, distinguishing among research designs, and collecting and analyzing quantitative data. Students examine textbook materials and published research to understand methodological choices and research practices in the field. Through structured assignments, students build skills related to research design, data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation of findings. Curriculum treats quantitative research as a systematic and evidence‑based process for advancing communication scholarship.

COMM 5302. Rhetorical Methods.

This course introduces students to major methodological approaches in rhetorical studies. Students explore a tradition spanning millennia to examine foundational and emerging frameworks for analyzing rhetorical artifacts, with attention paid to how critics select, justify, and apply methods in scholarly research. The course emphasizes various approaches to the practice of rhetorical criticism, including but not limited to narrative criticism, metaphoric criticism, generic criticism, and more. Students select and apply appropriate rhetorical methods through advanced analysis of rhetorical artifacts.

COMM 5303. Qualitative Research Methods in Communication.

This course examines qualitative research methods used to study communication as lived, relational, and socially situated practice. Students engage with qualitative research traditions, epistemological foundations, and ethical considerations shaping communication inquiry. Emphasis is placed on research design, data collection methods (e.g., interviews, observations, etc.), analytic strategies, and reflexive practice. Through intensive readings, methodological exercises, and applied research projects, students develop the skills necessary to design, conduct, analyze, and represent qualitative communication research grounded in theory and context.

COMM 5304. Work-Life Communication.

This course examines how people use communication to create, negotiate, and manage the interconnections of work and life. Students theorize work-life communication intersections including: how organizational communication shapes relational and family interactions, how relational and family communication impact professional experiences, and how the rhetoric of work-life is communicated in society and media. Through reviewing scholarly research in communication studies alongside U.S. and international applied work-life examples, students examine personal, professional, and societal communication contexts where work and life intersect.

COMM 5305. Communication Ethics.

This course explores common ethical dilemmas in personal and professional communication contexts. Students analyze various ethical frameworks to better understand decision-making, dialogic communication styles, and case studies in communication ethics. In addition to reading primary texts in the philosophy of communication ethics, students examine how ethics affects strategic communication choices across various platforms, audiences, and situations. Students discuss ethical issues in media, public policy and deliberation, education, research, technology, health, and relationships.

COMM 5306. Communication for Leadership & Management.

This course examines communication processes associated with leadership and management in a range of organizational contexts. Students study theories, models, and research addressing communication challenges such as power dynamics, conflict, decision-making, socialization, support, technology use, and well‑being. Emphasis is placed on analyzing leadership and management communication using applied case studies and evaluating how communication patterns function across professional settings. The course treats leadership and management practices as objects of scholarly inquiry rather than promoting particular ideological or personal viewpoints. Students interpret research findings, assess situational factors, and apply communication concepts to understand how leadership and management communication operates in diverse organizational environments.

COMM 5307. The Dark Side of Communication.

This course takes a research-based approach to the exploration of seminal scholarship on common aversive communication behaviors. The curriculum also emphasizes the nuances and complexities of communication across various interpersonal interactions. As such, students will read scholarly literature that emphasizes both the dysfunctional nature of seemingly prosocial communication behaviors and the functional nature of seemingly problematic communication behaviors. Sample topics include, but are not limited to deception and honesty, secrecy and privacy, (in)civility, teasing and bullying, and relational transgressions and repair.

COMM 5308. Communication and Negotiation.

This course examines how communication shapes conflict management and negotiation across interpersonal, organizational, and mediated contexts. Students explore major theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and applied frameworks that explain how individuals construct meaning, manage disagreement, and pursue goals through strategic interaction. Topics include message design, relational dynamics, individual and cultural differences, communication technologies, and facilitation processes that influence negotiation outcomes. Emphasis is placed on analyzing negotiation as a communication-centered activity through scholarly reading, instructor- and student-led discussion, and structured simulations that cultivate skills in diagnosis, planning, message execution, and evaluation of negotiation processes.

COMM 5309. Proseminar in Communication Research Methods.

This course explores core skills and competencies relevant to graduate-level learning and research in Communication Studies. Students examine how the discipline is organized, how scholarship is produced, and expectations for researchers and practitioners in academic and industry settings. The course provides an overview of research methods and processes in the communication discipline. Through analysis of academic literature, students assess approaches to scholarly writing, ethical conduct, and professional development. Emphasis is placed on understanding disciplinary and departmental standards and research practices in Communication Studies.

COMM 5311. Communication and Emotion.

This course examines how communication and emotion intersect in interpersonal and relational contexts. Students engage theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and applied approaches that explain how emotional experience and expression shape communication processes. Topics include emotion management, emotional intelligence (as defined in academic research), relational maintenance, conflict, and the role of communication in facilitating or constraining emotional meaning making. Emphasis is placed on analyzing scholarly research, comparing academic and popular accounts of emotion, and evaluating emotional communication within varied relational environments. Students participate in analytical reading, discussion, and original research to investigate how emotion influences interaction and to develop skills for scholarly inquiry into emotional communication.

COMM 5312. Intercultural Communication.

This course examines how culture evolves and is maintained through communicative systems of meaning. It explores the ways language, culture, and communication interact and manifest in everyday experience. The course addresses communication across cultural and geographic contexts, including intercultural interaction, negotiation, and conflict. Students analyze pragmatic components of communication in intercultural settings and examine how cultural differences shape communication at interpersonal, group, and societal levels. Emphasis is placed on theoretical frameworks and research related to cross-cultural communication and the analysis of intercultural interactions.

COMM 5313. Relational Communication.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of relational communication theories and research that address communication dynamics in intimate relationships. Students engage with theoretical and empirical frameworks to examine relational communication perspectives, including their strengths and limitations. The course covers topics such as social support and isolation, conflict, relational turbulence, resilience, relational development, maintenance, and dissolution. Emphasis is placed on analyzing scholarly research and evaluating communication processes within close relationships.

COMM 5314. Family Communication.

This course examines how communication functions within diverse family systems and across the lifespan. Students explore major theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and applied perspectives that explain how families create meaning, manage change, and navigate challenges through communication. Students examine relational maintenance, conflict processes, rituals, transitions, health-related communication, and care-giving. Emphasis is placed on analyzing communication patterns, evaluating evidence-based findings, and interpreting family interactions within broader social, cultural, and generational contexts. Students engage in analytical reading, discussion, and original research to evaluate how communication practices shape family relationships and to develop skills for conducting systematic inquiry into family interaction.

COMM 5315. Directed Research in Communication Studies.

This course provides students with guided instruction and supervised research opportunities in areas of communication that extend beyond the standard curriculum. Students may engage in scholarly projects such as synthesizing literature, designing methodological approaches, or collecting and analyzing data. Applied projects may focus on translating communication research into practice across various contexts. Working closely with a faculty mentor, students identify research questions, project goals, and appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks. The course emphasizes independent inquiry, analytical rigor, and the development of skills needed to conceptualize and complete a scholarly or applied communication project. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

COMM 5318. Interpersonal Communication.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of interpersonal communication theories, research, and applications. Interpersonal communication serves as a foundation for social interactions across contexts such as friendships, workplace relationships, patient-provider communication, and close relationships. Students engage with major theoretical frameworks and empirical research, examining contributions, strengths, and limitations of different perspectives. The course emphasizes critical analysis of interpersonal communication scholarship and the application of theory to varied relational contexts. Students also develop theoretically grounded work that applies, tests, or extends interpersonal communication concepts through structured assignments.

COMM 5319. Organizational Communication.

This course applies communication and management theories, along with contemporary research, to the study of communication practices in corporate, nonprofit, and volunteer organizations. Students examine how communication shapes organizational processes such as supervision, conflict management, culture, and decision making. The course emphasizes analyzing organizational experiences using theoretical frameworks and empirical findings. Students practice interpreting communication patterns, diagnosing communication problems, and forming evidence-based assessments of organizational processes across various professional contexts.

COMM 5321. Communication Assessment.

This course introduces theoretical and applied approaches to evaluating communication behaviors across verbal, written, and nonverbal channels. Students examine research-supported tools used to assess communication processes such as clarity, listening, message structure, and tone. Emphasis is placed on understanding how communication assessments are designed, implemented, and interpreted in academic, organizational, and training environments. The course addresses distinctions among assessment types, the purposes for which assessment data are used, and considerations that shape the interpretation of communication measures. Students analyze communication assessment instruments, apply evaluation frameworks to structured examples, and explore how assessment practices inform instructional, organizational, and developmental decision-making. Communication assessment is treated as an analytical and methodological subject rather than a clinical or diagnostic practice.

COMM 5324. Seminar in Instructional Communication.

This course explores scholarship at the intersection of pedagogy, educational psychology, and communication, with an emphasis on research examining how communication functions in the teaching and learning process. Students engage with instructional communication theories, variables, and models used to study classroom interaction across varied educational contexts. Topics include instructor clarity, immediacy, student responsiveness, engagement, and related instructional communication processes. Course activities emphasize analyzing scholarly research and applying theoretical frameworks to structured examples of teacher-student communication. Instructional communication behaviors are treated as objects of academic study rather than prescriptive teaching requirements. The course supports students interested in research on instructional communication as well as those seeking to understand how instructional communication concepts operate in professional or educational environments.

COMM 5325. Communication Theory.

This course examines advanced communication theories used to analyze, critique, and extend understandings of communication across interpersonal, organizational, cultural, rhetorical, and mediated contexts. Students engage deeply with theoretical traditions, epistemological assumptions, and debates that shape the field of Communication Studies. Emphasis is placed on theory comparison, application, and critique, as well as the relationship between theory, methodology, and practice. Through intensive readings, scholarly discussion, and theory-driven projects, students develop the capacity to use communication theory as a tool for research design, critical inquiry, and professional scholarship.

COMM 5327. Contemporary Rhetorical Theory.

This course surveys major theoretical perspectives and debates in contemporary rhetorical criticism. Through close reading of foundational texts and contemporary scholarship, students analyze how rhetoric works in political, cultural, and social contexts. Students read a selection of primary theoretical works as well as touchstones in debates about the role of rhetoric and rhetorical scholarship in the 20th and 21st centuries. This course engages key theoretical movements including but not limited to narrative theory, constitutive rhetoric, public sphere theory, feminist rhetoric, psychoanalysis, critical rhetoric, and material/affective turns in rhetoric.

COMM 5329I. Relational Health Communication.

This course reviews the intersection of interpersonal and health communication theory, highlighting the impact of social involvement and communication processes on health outcomes, as well as the application of health communication theories in close relationship contexts.

COMM 5329O. Communication in Understudied Close Relationships.

This course focuses on important relationships that may get ‘glossed over’ in standard interpersonal communication seminars. More specifically, we will examine the various types of close relationships that comprise modern society, and current issues that affect those bonds. Students will investigate how communication functions to develop, maintain, enrich, or limit these understudied relationships.

COMM 5330. Nonverbal Communication.

This course provides a graduate-level examination of nonverbal communication as a core component of human interaction across interpersonal, organizational, and intercultural contexts. Students analyze major theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and applied methodologies to understand how nonverbal codes, including kinesics, vocalics, proxemics, haptics, appearance, olfactics, chronemics, and environmental cues, shape meaning and relational processes. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis of research findings, interpretation of complex nonverbal behavior, and the use of observational methods common in scholarly inquiry. Through readings, observation assignments, and empirical projects, students evaluate how nonverbal practices function across diverse settings and apply nonverbal concepts in research and professional environments.

COMM 5331. Persuasive Communication.

This course examines the major theories of persuasion as they have developed in the rhetorical and social scientific traditions of communication research. It emphasizes the disciplinary histories of persuasion theory; theories of attitude formation and change; examination of perspectives on ethics in persuasion; contemporary questions in persuasion research; and the application of persuasion theory and research to personal, professional, and civic communication contexts. Students engage with foundational and contemporary academic research on persuasion across various cultural contexts and academic disciplines.

COMM 5332. Communication and Technology.

This course examines the relationships between communication and technology across interpersonal, group, and organizational contexts. Students study foundational and contemporary theories of mediated communication and explore emerging technological trends. The course investigates how communication through digital platforms, artificial intelligence systems, and social technologies influences identity, privacy, self-presentation, trust, relational processes, and networks. Students examine the social, cultural, and organizational dimensions of mediated communication and analyze scholarly debates in the field. Emphasis is placed on synthesizing research and developing evidence-based analyses of communication behavior in technologically mediated environments.

COMM 5333. Health Communication.

This course introduces major theories, concepts, and research in health communication. Students examine how communication influences health practices, patient-provider interaction, information seeking, and message design across varied cultural and technological contexts. Using peer-reviewed research, students analyze topics such as audience segmentation, misinformation, health technology, and interpersonal communication in clinical settings. Coursework includes readings, discussion, and applied assignments designed to strengthen students’ ability to interpret evidence, evaluate communication strategies, and understand how health communication functions across individual and organizational environments.

COMM 5334. Relational Health Communication.

This course introduces communication research at the intersection of health and close relationships. Students examine theoretical frameworks and empirical findings that explain how communication practices influence both health processes and relational dynamics. The course explores how health-related theories inform communication in close relationships and how relational theories contribute to understanding communication in health contexts. Through academic readings, discussion, and analytical assignments, students investigate communication patterns related to illness, support, coping, and decision-making. Coursework emphasizes evidence-based approaches to understanding how relational communication shapes and reflects health-related experiences.

COMM 5335. End-of-Life Communication.

This course examines communication processes surrounding end-of-life care across interpersonal, family, clinical, and organizational contexts. Students study research on decision-making, final conversations, uncertainty, cultural variation, and the role of communication in shaping experiences of serious illness and care transitions. The course emphasizes analytic and evidence-based approaches to understanding how individuals, families, and professionals exchange information, negotiate preferences, and manage relational dynamics during end-of-life situations. Students will critically assess theoretical frameworks, communication strategies, and ethical considerations without promoting particular policy, moral, or ideological positions. Through case analyses and research application, students develop advanced skills for examining communication practices in diverse end-of-life settings.

COMM 5336. Communication in Understudied Close Relationships.

This course examines communication processes within close relationships that have received comparatively limited scholarly attention. Students explore theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and methodological approaches used to analyze how individuals create, sustain, and interpret meaning in diverse relational contexts. Emphasis is placed on understanding how situational, cultural, and structural factors shape communicative experiences, relational maintenance, and constraints. Through critical reading, analytical writing, and guided discussion, students evaluate research on understudied relational forms and develop skills for interpreting interaction patterns, assessing evidence-based claims, and formulating scholarly analyses of communication in varied interpersonal contexts.

COMM 5337. Health Communication Campaigns.

This course provides an overview of theoretical and applied perspectives on health communication campaigns. Students study research on planning, implementing, and evaluating campaigns across various contexts. Readings and discussions address how social scientific theories inform message design, audience analysis, and communication strategies. Emphasis is placed on assessing evidence-based practices, analyzing campaign effectiveness, and understanding how communication functions within public-health contexts. Students develop analytical skills for examining health campaigns across varied contexts.

COMM 5340A. Rhetorical Movements.

This course examines the unique phenomenon of “rhetorical movements”. Unlike rhetorical inquiries that typically focus upon the discourse of those in power, the study of rhetorical movements analyzes how individuals, who often have no other resources but their voices and their bodies, come together to attempt social and political changes.

COMM 5341. Historical and Contemporary Rhetoric of Women's Rights.

This course examines the rhetoric of women's rights in the United States through historical, legal, and theoretical perspectives. Students analyze rhetorical strategies used in women's rights discourse across different periods, including nineteenth-century abolitionist, temperance, and women's rights movements, as well as contemporary contexts. Readings focus on rhetorical forms associated with advocacy, legal arguments, policy discourse, and media representations. Students evaluate how different communication strategies frame gender-related issues and shape public discourse surrounding women’s rights.

COMM 5342. Historical Rhetoric and Social Influence.

This course examines historical issues in rhetorical theory, criticism, and practice across a range of social, cultural, and political contexts. Students engage in analytical study of speeches, speakers, groups, movements, and rhetorical strategies in history. The curriculum centers on how rhetoric is employed to frame issues, mobilize audiences, and circulate messages and focuses on public address and other historic topics of interest. Emphasis is placed on analyzing the complexity, function, and implications of rhetorical strategies in history that have implications for everyday and public discourse.

COMM 5343. Contemporary Rhetoric and Social Influence.

This course examines contemporary issues in rhetorical theory, criticism, and practice across a range of social, cultural, and political contexts. Students analyze rhetorical practices associated with social movements from historical and contemporary periods, including movements of the twentieth century and the present. The course examines how rhetoric is employed to frame issues, mobilize audiences, and circulate messages, including through digital and social media platforms. Emphasis is placed on analyzing the complexity, function, and implications of rhetorical strategies in everyday and public discourse.

COMM 5344. American Speeches.

This course surveys the history of American public address. The course examines significant and representative speeches from different periods of American history. Primary texts, including speeches and other public messages, are analyzed from selected historical periods. Methods of rhetorical criticism, including approaches applicable to public discourse, are introduced and applied to these texts. The course analyzes how American public address reflects communication practices and social influence across historical contexts. Political and social topics are examined analytically.

COMM 5345. Political Communication.

This course examines historical and contemporary examples of political communication in the United States, with particular attention to the rhetorical study of political campaigns and performances in public office. The course analyzes how ethical frameworks, genre conventions, media, audience, identity, and institutions shape political communication across different contexts. Major scholarly approaches and research findings in the field are introduced and applied to case studies to examine communication strategies and their effects in the political process.

COMM 5346. Rhetoric and Difference.

This course examines research on rhetoric and difference and analyzes how such strategies may reflect underlying assumptions or argumentative frameworks within rhetorical discourse. Students analyze rhetorical texts, theories, and concepts related to difference, such as disability, race, age, and gender, across a range of contexts. The course emphasizes examination of how rhetorical strategies address, construct, and respond to differing viewpoints, and how rhetorical strategies are used to engage differing viewpoints, and how scholars analyze assumptions within arguments.

COMM 5347. Small Group Communication.

This course examines theories and research related to communication in small groups. The course covers classic and contemporary concepts, including group processes, roles, norms, leadership, and decision making. Emphasis is placed on applying theoretical perspectives to analyze small-group interactions and on exploring pedagogical strategies for presenting these concepts in instructional or professional settings. Readings, discussion, and applied activities support evaluation of small-group research and the communication of complex concepts for academic and organizational audiences.

COMM 5348. Rhetorical Movements.

This course examines rhetorical movements as a distinct area of rhetorical inquiry. The course explores how groups use communication strategies to coordinate action, articulate shared goals, and influence public discourse. Coursework surveys definitions of rhetorical movements, analyzes their rhetorical features, and examines approaches used to investigate movement discourse. A broad range of rhetorical practices is considered, including speeches, slogans, performances, marches, music, confrontational actions, and digital communication. Emphasis is placed on evaluating how rhetorical choices shape movement communication across varied historical and contemporary contexts.

COMM 5349. Argumentation and Public Advocacy.

This course examines theories and practices of argumentation and public advocacy in contemporary communication studies. Students study major models of argument, standards for reasoning and evidence, and approaches to constructing and evaluating public arguments. Emphasis is placed on how arguments function in civic, organizational, and mediated contexts, as well as how public advocates design messages for varied audiences. Curriculum introduces key scholarly traditions and research findings on argumentation, debate, and public discourse. Students apply these frameworks to analyze arguments on a range of public issues.

COMM 5352. Science, Health, and Environmental Rhetoric.

This course explores the history, theories, and applications of rhetoric in scientific, health, and environmental contexts. Students examine how these fields develop distinct rhetorical traditions while also intersecting in public discourse. Coursework analyzes rhetorical constructions of concepts such as nature, scientific expertise, health communication, and environmental risk. Students apply classical and contemporary rhetorical theories to evaluate how arguments, narratives, and symbols shape communication about scientific, health‑related, and environmental issues. Emphasis is placed on rhetorical criticism as an analytic method.

COMM 5353. Free Speech and Extremism.

This course examines historical and contemporary perspectives on freedom of speech in the United States, with an emphasis on how communication practices shape public debates about expression. Students study legal, rhetorical, and institutional frameworks that define and challenge the boundaries of free speech. Because disputes over expression often involve controversial or extremist discourse, the course also analyzes rhetorical strategies used by groups operating at the margins of public communication. Using rhetorical criticism, particularly narrative approaches, students investigate how free‑expression debates develop, how messages circulate, and how courts, institutions, and publics respond to contested speech.

COMM 5354. Managing Communication Technologies in the Workplace.

This course examines how digital tools and communication technologies shape organizational interaction. Students study theories of mediated communication, technology adoption, and organizational processes while analyzing empirical research on digital collaboration platforms, social technologies, artificial intelligence systems, and monitoring tools. The course emphasizes evidence‑based approaches to understanding how technology influences communication networks and workplace coordination. Through case studies and analytical activities, students evaluate communication challenges in varied organizational settings and apply theoretical frameworks to examine technology‑mediated communication in contemporary workplaces.

COMM 5355. Media Criticism.

This course provides an advanced analysis of contemporary critical and communication theory to examine the relationship between mass media systems and sociopolitical structures. Students engage in rigorous theoretical and rhetorical analysis utilizing foundational frameworks categorized by their focus on technological materiality, political economy, rhetorical messaging, and audience reception. Students use theory to evaluate how media can shape attitudes and personal subjectivities through messages of identity and power. This graduate-level seminar culminates in the production of an original research project based on students' research interests utilizing media criticism methods and theories.

COMM 5356. Gender and Communication.

This course examines scholarly research on relationships between gender and communication. Students analyze theoretical approaches and empirical studies addressing how communication practices and gendered expectations are examined in communication scholarship. Through reading, research, and analysis, students evaluate how social assumptions and communication norms related to gender are represented across interpersonal, organizational, and public communication contexts.

COMM 5357. Communication and Organizational Culture.

This course examines how organizational culture is produced, communicated, and interpreted through everyday interactions and member practices. Students explore theories and research on cultural elements, artifacts, identity, socialization, and communication processes across workplace, nonprofit, and volunteer settings. Emphasis is placed on how culture influences sensemaking, coordination, and organizational routines, as well as how members communicate cultural expectations to insiders and outsiders. Through research analysis and case‑based discussion, students evaluate cultural communication patterns and develop skills for interpreting organizational culture across varied contexts.

COMM 5358. Work, Identity, and Difference.

This course examines how communication shapes experiences of work, identity, and difference across historical and contemporary contexts. The course analyzes theories and research that explore how individuals construct meaning, interpret work practices, and understand identity through communication. Topics include work-life dynamics, technology, health, community, and representations of work. Research evaluation, analytical writing, and case-based examples are used to examine how communication reflects and structures diverse work experiences. Coursework emphasizes evidence-based inquiry in the study of communication and work.

COMM 5359. Communication and Training Across Differences.

This course examines advanced approaches to communication-centered training in organizational and community contexts. The course covers theoretical frameworks, instructional design principles, facilitation strategies, and ethical considerations that shape training effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on needs assessment, program design, implementation, and evaluation using evidence-based methods. Case studies and research on communication in varied interactional settings are analyzed, and instructional communication concepts are applied to the development of training plans. Coursework focuses on analytical skill development in communication training contexts.

COMM 5371. Communication Training and Development.

This course provides a research‑supported examination of communication training and development in organizational contexts. Students explore theories and practices of instructional design, adult learning, organizational communication, and professional development. Emphasis is placed on analyzing organizational communication needs, designing evidence‑informed training interventions, and evaluating learning programs using established assessment tools. Through case studies and applied projects, students study how communication training frameworks are developed, implemented, and assessed. The course treats leadership, coaching, and training methods as objects of scholarly inquiry rather than prescribed workplace behaviors. Students interpret research, compare training approaches, and apply instructional concepts to structured examples relevant to organizational learning environments.

COMM 5374. Organizational Rhetoric.

This course examines organizational rhetoric as the strategic use of symbols through which organizations communicate with internal and external audiences. Drawing on concepts from rhetorical criticism and organizational communication, students analyze how organizations construct meaning, identity, and legitimacy. The course focuses on the study of organizational texts related to identity, issues, risk, crisis, and internal communication. Using a range of rhetorical methods, students examine how symbolic messages function within organizational contexts and how rhetorical choices shape interpretation and response. Organizational rhetoric is treated as an object of scholarly analysis, emphasizing theory‑based inquiry and critical evaluation of communicative practices.

COMM 5390. Communication Internship.

This course provides graduate students with supervised professional experience in organizational settings related to communication, including strategic communication, corporate communication, marketing, digital media, nonprofit communication, and organizational communication. Students integrate communication theory, research, and strategic decision‑making while observing and participating in workplace processes. Emphasis is placed on analyzing organizational communication practices, evaluating data‑informed strategies, and applying graduate‑level knowledge to complex professional tasks. Through guided reflection and applied assignments, students connect academic learning with organizational communication practices and develop advanced competencies relevant to diverse professional environments. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

COMM 5399A. Thesis.

This course supports completion of original, independent research in Communication Studies under direct supervision of the student’s thesis advisor and represents initial thesis enrollment. Students engage in the development, execution, and documentation of graduate-level research that contributes to knowledge and practice in the communication discipline. Continuous enrollment during long semesters ensures sustained research progress, faculty mentorship, and academic oversight throughout the thesis research and writing process. This course is a required component of the master’s degree in Communication Studies for students selecting the thesis option. No thesis credit is awarded until the student has completed the thesis in Communication Studies 5399B. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

COMM 5399B. Thesis.

This course supports completion of original, independent research in Communication Studies under direct supervision of the student’s thesis advisor and represents continuing thesis enrollment. Students engage in the development, execution, and documentation of graduate-level research that contributes to knowledge and practice in the communication discipline. Continuous enrollment during long semesters ensures sustained research progress, faculty mentorship, and academic oversight throughout the thesis process. This course is a required component of the master’s degree in Communication Studies for students selecting the thesis option. Students continue to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

COMM 5599B. Thesis.

This course supports completion of original, independent research in Communication Studies under direct supervision of the student’s thesis advisor and represents continuing thesis enrollment. Students engage in the development, execution, and documentation of graduate-level research that contributes to knowledge and practice in the communication discipline. Continuous enrollment during long semesters ensures sustained research progress, faculty mentorship, and academic oversight throughout the thesis process. This course is a required component of the master’s degree in Communication Studies for students selecting the thesis option. Students continue to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

COMM 5999B. Thesis.

This course supports completion of original, independent research in Communication Studies under direct supervision of the student’s thesis advisor and represents continuing thesis enrollment. Students engage in the development, execution, and documentation of graduate-level research that contributes to knowledge and practice in the communication discipline. Continuous enrollment during long semesters ensures sustained research progress, faculty mentorship, and academic oversight throughout the thesis process. This course is a required component of the master’s degree in Communication Studies for students selecting the thesis option. Students continue to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.