Course Descriptions

Communications and Media

Please find below a selection of the courses associated with the Communications and Media program. For a complete list of courses, please consult the Academic Calendar. 

431.11 – COM: Introduction to Communications and Media
This course introduces the various types of contemporary public communications media and their histories, examines media audiences and identifies some pertinent issues which surround Canadian media in particular. These include globalization, regulation and ownership of media properties.

432.11 – COM: Writing for the Media
The main objective of this course is to learn how to begin a project, organize thoughts and polish writing for various media. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to both improve the technique of writing as well as the creativity involved in such writing. The course focuses on exploring techniques of organization, transition, clarity and drama.

432.12 – COM: Speaking in Public
This course introduces various types of public verbal communication and ways in which to effectively communicate verbally. The course also introduces the concept of rhetorical criticism, the basis on which speeches should be judged.

432.13 – COM: Visual Communication
The main objective of this course is to explore the ways we might understand and use images in all their forms. The analysis of photography, film, television and advertising, as well as new visual media, leads to a comprehension of how these images work and what messages they might be conveying.

432.21 – COM: Principles of Journal ism
This course introduces major philosophical, problem atic and controversial issues in global journalism. It begins by outlining theoretical concepts in Western journalism and continues to discuss global journalistic flows. An important element of the course is the exploration of journalistic ethics. Although this course is global in scope, particular attention will be given to the journalistic context in Canada.

433.31 – COM: Media in Crisis: Radio and Print
This course explores the development of radio and print as mass media in an historical context, as well as recent changes and trends within both the radio and print industries in light of the rise of new media technologies. Due to the emergence of radio streaming on the Internet, satellite radio and podcasting, as well as the decline of newspapers in North America, these media can be considered to be in crisis. (Not open to first-year students, except by permission of program coordinator.)

433.32 – COM: Television
The main objective of this course is to critically explore the medium and content of television. This course is built on the basic assumption that television is a distinctive visual medium, one that is differ ent from cinema and photography. The analysis of televisual media, as well as issues which arise from it, will make up the bulk of this course. (Not open to first-year stu dents, except by permission of program coordinator.)

433.34 – COM: Photography
This course explores the history of photography and fundamental ideas in the theory of photography. It examines how audiences engage with this important, and deeply personal, cultural product. A large part of this course emphasizes a critical perspective on photography as a cultural process. Along with theoretical perspectives on photography, there will be an introduction to the practice of photography. Access to a digital camera is required for this course. (Not open to first-year students, except by permission of program coordinator.)