Communications
(413) 662-5017
www.mcla.edu/comm
Chairperson: Hannah Noel Haynes, PhD
Email: Hannah.Haynes@mcla.edu
Communications Major Program
In the Communication and Intercultural Studies (CICS) Program at MCLA, we educate our students to become effective, adaptable critics and creators of a variety of human discourses. CICS offers three Bachelor of Arts programs: Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Global and Intercultural Studies. We also offer a series of minors in Critical Ethnic Studies, Cross-Cultural and Social Justice Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Spanish for Professionals..
The CICS department offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Communication for individuals who are comfortable with storytelling across a range of media and who want to create stories that inform, entertain, enlighten, and educate. Students majoring in
Communication think, study, and write about the multifaceted ways people communicate across cultures. Critical thinking, strong writing, and multimedia storytelling skills are at the heart of the Communications major. Courses typically combine hands-on media production with theory across digital media platforms. The Foundation of the program provides students with a broad background in media theory and practice, offering opportunities to explore forms of storytelling across various media and cultures. Beyond the Foundation, students choose a concentration in Digital Media Innovation Studies or Multimedia Journalism.
Students graduating with a major in Communications will be able to:
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Examine and identify storytelling forms across a range of different media as well as understand their contrasts with other types of storytelling.
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Write in a clear and focused manner, according to the subject matter, genre, audience, and medium.
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Demonstrate an awareness about the considered use of language representation in media portrayals about gender, sexuality, (dis)ability and health as well as race and ethnicity.
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Undertake research into communication problems and apply methods to discover knowledge specific to the selected area of study.
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Find, analyze, and conduct secondary and primary research.
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Apply fundamental concepts from the communication discipline to understand knowledge about storytelling in the context of other story forms and approaches.
Communications Major Foundation Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses: | ||
| COMM 100 | Introduction to Communications: Media and Culture | 3 |
| COMM 201 | Media Writing and Production | 3 |
| COMM 204 | Media Self-Identity & Society | 3 |
| COMM 214 | Storytelling Across Digital Media I | 3 |
| COMM 300 | Communication Research and Methods | 3 |
| COMM 490 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| MATH 230 | Calling Bullshit | 3 |
| Senior Capstone Experience: | 3 | |
| Multi-Media Practicum | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship in Communications | ||
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Communications Courses
COMM 100 Introduction to Communications: Media and Culture3 cr
Explores the historical evolution of communication, focusing on media and culture from print and radio to mobile platforms and AI. Students critically assess technological, economic, institutional, and socio-cultural perspectives by analyzing literature, photography, film, and new media, highlighting how digital and social media practices have transformed our media systems and their implications for society.
COMM 201 Media Writing and Production3 cr
Introduces students to multiple ways of storytelling through various types of writing and working with audio, video, and interactive media. Students become familiar with audio and video recording and editing, as well as producing stories for the Web. Introduces script writing and storyboarding as part of an overall emphasis on clear and engaging writing within creative writing and journalistic frameworks.
COMM 204 Media Self-Identity & Society3 cr
Introduces the concept of self-identity, examining it within the contexts of gender, sexuality, health, and ethnicity across media and society. Using interdisciplinary approaches, this cultural studies course focuses upon themes and theories that explore identity through analyzing meanings in media and social/cultural texts. It questions how these develop across history and questions identity in everyday common sense discourse and its relationships to media and society at local and global levels.
Attributes: Core Self & Society (CSS)
COMM 205 Introduction to Photography3 cr
Introduces students to photography, digital cameras and photo editing programs. Topics include various forms of composition for communication including documentary photography. Combines lectures and discussion with hands-on experience. Instruction includes camera functions, exposure control, technical and creative control, basic computer manipulation of images and digital output options. Students must provide a digital SLR or point and shoot camera.
COMM 212 Audio Production3 cr
Introduces students to the recording and editing practices involved in producing audio stories. Explores the range of programming, both live and recorded, for an FCC-licensed non-commercial radio station. Includes news, music shows, interviews and sports. Students produce live and recorded shows for WJJW, MCLA's radio station. Adobe Audition is used for digital recording and editing.
COMM 214 Storytelling Across Digital Media I3 cr
Surveys various storytelling forms in digital video, film, and radio, initially emphasizing journalism. Explores both fictional and non-fictional genres, applying theoretical and practical knowledge in studio and external settings while considering audience reception. Students engage in individual and group projects, gaining introductory skills in audio and video editing, studio technologies, and protocols.
COMM 220 Media Theories3 cr
Examines the key themes among media theories and how they help explain important aspects of modern and postmodern society, including political, social, and cultural life, means of communication, and the changes between audiences and media institutions in the digital world. Students will learn about media effects, medium theory, symbolic interactionism and structuration, political economy, critical theory, feminism and gender studies, and postmodernity and the information society.
COMM 239 Writing and Reporting the News I3 cr
Teaches basic principles and skills involved in news reporting and writing. These include interviewing, identification of news values, formal and informal research, story organization, lead writing, transitions, attributions, and grammar and style, including application of the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual. Students develop their skills by writing several practice stories. They are invited to contribute stories to The Beacon, the weekly newspaper of MCLA.
COMM 240 Sports Journalism3 cr
Builds sports storytelling skills through writing, reporting, and commentating on sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball. Explores media formats such as radio, video, podcasts, and social media, teaching students to pitch, write, and edit with a focus on professional workflow and deadlines. Students create sports media texts, applying storytelling elements across written, radio, and visual formats like game day images, postgame posts, live stats, and photography.
COMM 250 Radio News: Reading and Reporting3 cr
Undertakes reading and reporting the news with a strong emphasis on the structure of radio news programs as a key feature in which a sustained, longer form of storytelling is advanced with interviews a central component. In a developmental approach, increasing across the semester, 5-minute news is increased to 15 before a final 30-minute form is achieved for WJJW in initially, morning and evening shows, evolving to twice a week.
COMM 260 Podcasting3 cr
Explores podcasting in two forms: prerecorded and live shows, using both internal and external interviews. Covers technical skills, research, and advanced preproduction necessary for professional-quality audio and video content. Topics include podcast trends, titles, descriptions, cover art, microphone types, best practices for field and studio recording, interviewing, listening skills, scripting, intros/outros, audio presentation, audience engagement, and essentials in ethics and law.
COMM 281 Special Topics in Communications3 cr
Studies introductory topics in media production and/or mass communications. Designed to provide foundational frameworks in communication subjects, including but not limited to media analysis, interpretation, research, media production, and media-specific writing. Content identified by subtitle.
COMM 300 Communication Research and Methods3 cr
Develops knowledge about the role of communication research in academic and professional disciplines, preparing students to better analyze data and critically engage with research findings. It introduces quantitative, qualitative, and combined communication research methods so students can begin primary research of their own.
Prerequisite: COMM 100
COMM 302 Communicating Across Cultures3 cr
Develop the skills to navigate and engage in effective intercultural communication in professional and personal contexts. Explores how cultural values, language, identity, and power shape interactions across diverse communities. Through case studies, discussions, and experiential activities, students will refine their ability to adapt, interpret, and respond to cultural differences, fostering global competence in an interconnected world.
Prerequisite: Completion of all Tier I and Tier II requirements, junior status
Attributes: Capstone Experience Tier III (CAP)
COMM 306 Business Writing and Presentation3 cr
Provides practice in writing strong, clear, and creative business communication.
COMM 309 Technical Writing3 cr
Emphasizes principles of technical communication, particularly document design and readability, and gives students the opportunity to apply these principles in writing reports, instructions, descriptions, and abstracts for science, business and communications.
COMM 314 Storytelling Across Digital Media II3 cr
Builds on COMM 214 to deepen storytelling skills across various digital media forms, producing longer features and in-depth journalistic narratives like documentaries and films. Emphasizes sophisticated narratives informed by multiple truths and explores unconventional narrative structures, focusing on trans-narrative media forms where various media components enrich the storytelling experience.
Prerequisite: COMM 214
COMM 315 Social Media Strategies3 cr
Gives students a broad-based understanding of the fundamental trends and dynamics taking place in the digital media landscape today. Students learn about new measurement metrics, how to conduct social media campaigns, and are able to practice skills that they can use when working in a range of organizations that utilize digital and social media. Guest speakers from the industry are invited, and we work with real-world clients that want to have strategic media campaigns.
Prerequisite: COMM 201
COMM 319 Global Issues in Communication3 cr
Studies in depth a specific aspect of global communication and provides the students a general knowledge of the geopolitical issues of international communication, including technological, economic and political/ideological patterns.
Prerequisite: COMM 100
Attributes: Cross-Cultural and Social Justice (CCSJ)
COMM 323 Publication Design and Typography3 cr
Studies contemporary layouts and design principles, with special emphasis on creating and integrating logos, content, typography and design for visually appealing communications packages. Includes basic typography and an overview of printing processes. Students create layouts for flyers, brochures, newsletters, newspapers, and magazines, and learn Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
Prerequisite: COMM 239
COMM 324 Broadcast Journalism3 cr
Emphasizes investigative reporting as it relates to gathering, writing and presenting news and documentary for television. Also examines the practical and theoretical concepts of electronic news gathering (ENG) and electronic field production (EFP) including analysis of broadcast journalism standards.
Prerequisite: COMM 214
COMM 328 Issues in Journalism3 cr
Discusses issues and problems central to the practice of journalism and the role of the media in a democratic society. Issues may include environmental journalism; media, law and ethics; investigative reporting; government, politics and the press; covering popular culture and others. Students may be required to produce journalism articles and/or commentaries based on those or related issues.
COMM 337 Advanced Photography3 cr
Builds upon skills learned in Introduction to Photography to include sophisticated camera techniques and advanced darkroom developing and procedures. Students are encouraged to develop various forms of composition such as photography for science, art or publication. Some consideration will be given to digital photography and related procedures.
Prerequisite: COMM 205
COMM 338 Photojournalism3 cr
Concentrates on photojournalism as a form of composition. Designed to help students to understand and master a number of techniques such as story-telling and photo editing. The subject of ethics will also be covered, as will digital camera applications. Students will be encouraged to submit work to The Beacon for consideration.
Prerequisite: COMM 205
COMM 339 Writing and Reporting the News II3 cr
Provides writing and reporting experience by crafting advanced news stories and features that involve research and interview analysis. Students cover town and campus meetings, police and safety news, local courts, and engage in investigative reporting. They deepen their understanding of ethics, libel, privacy, and freedom of information laws while exploring explanatory forms and investigative journalism, submitting their work to The Beacon and WJJW.
Prerequisite: COMM 239
COMM 350 Multi-Media Practicum3-9 cr
Allows student selection of two or more media, as a focus for multimedia skills development with one medium chosen for in-depth specialization. Focusing critically upon this medium, students apply practical and theoretical knowledge to learn how websites and/or radio and video, converge to inform storytelling and how developed skillsets are required for successful production outcomes.
Repeatable: Maximum of 18 credits
COMM 396 Public Relations3 cr
Introduces students to the broad career area of public relations. Principles, cases and problems of public relations will be studied through contact with local organizations. Topic areas include internal communications systems, applications of mass communications, researching public opinions and social responsibilities.
COMM 400 Intercultural Communication3 cr
Studies in depth the role culture plays in the communication process in various world cultures including African, Asian and Central American. Also examines the cultural differences in language, thought patterns and non-verbal behaviors.
Prerequisite: Junior status
Attributes: Cross-Cultural and Social Justice (CCSJ)
COMM 405 Data Journalism & Infographics3 cr
Teaches how to do in-depth research with large datasets and how to find stories from numbers, crucial skills for today's journalists. Relevant statistical and computer-assisted reporting (CAR) techniques are learned and applied to stories, and software and apps are used to create powerful and meaningful data visualizations and infographics to accompany stories. Previous experience with statistics and design or production software is helpful, but not necessary.
COMM 410 From Semiotics to Significations3 cr
Develops knowledge about the field of semiotics from its inception to the contemporary practice of reading significations. Focusing upon reading signs/meanings across different media and culture, students learn about symbolic activities and different interpretative models and analytical approaches. These include: de Saussure, Peirce, Burke, Marx, Freud, Lacan, Irigaray, Gramsci, Laclau and Mouffe, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, Althusser, Foucault, Williams, Hall and Lash and Urry.
Prerequisite: COMM 204
COMM 415 Media Meaning-Making: Theory/Practice3 cr
Explores genre theory and meaning-making across media, reviewing transformations in drama, documentary, comedy, film, news, and reality TV. Examines shifts in genre and meaning, with focus on animation, soap operas, and video on demand. Students create a hybrid story using at least two media, enabling a multiplatform storytelling approach.
Prerequisite: COMM 100, junior status
COMM 481 Advanced Special Topics in Communications3 cr
Studies in depth a specific aspect of mass communications. Designed to provide advanced work in media analysis, interpretation and research. Primarily for majors in the junior and senior year. Content identified by subtitle.
Prerequisite: Junior status
COMM 490 Senior Seminar3 cr
Provides a departmental capstone course in which majors meet in their final undergraduate year to explore a significant theme or topic. Students integrate what they have learned about communication and media, and together the students, polling their special knowledge in these areas, respond to the specific theme, concept, or topic.
Prerequisite: Communication major, senior status
COMM 493 Teaching Assistantship in Communications1-3 cr
Provides the opportunity for a student to assist in preparation and implementation of a communications course. Course may be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Prerequisite: Department approval
Repeatable: Maximum of 6 credits
COMM 500 Independent Study3 cr
Open to juniors and seniors who wish to read in a given area or to study a topic in depth within the fields of communications, media writing and production, or media and cultural studies. Written reports and frequent conferences with the advisor are required.
Prerequisite: Junior status, department approval
Repeatable: Maximum of 12 credits
COMM 540 Internship in Communications1-15 cr
Provides a practical, hands-on field experience to supplement classroom courses. The student works with an on-campus faculty advisor and usually with an on-site supervisor, and the two jointly evaluate the student's work.
Prerequisite: Junior status, department approval
Repeatable: Maximum of 15 credits