MyFUA

Mass Communication

CPMCCM190 Intercultural Communication

3 semester credits. In a pluralistic and multicultural society, it is important to provide individuals with the appropriate tools to develop balanced and integrated personalities that are capable of social interaction with sensitivity and a wide understanding. A skillful communication creates positive relationships and working teams as well as social groups including individuals from different cultures, religious beliefs, sexual preferences, age, and physical characteristics. In order to arrive at this form of intercultural communication, it is necessary to acquire basic competencies and psychological knowledge of the logic-verbal, intuitive, and creative areas. Course topics analyze the subjectivity of perception, the influence of cultural patterns on identity, the interdependence of contemporary life and working contexts, and the capacity to acquire useful skills and experience for effective communication.

CPMCCP150 Introduction to Public Relations

3 semester credits. This course introduces students to the strategic roles and functions of the Public Relations (PR) practitioner. Students evaluate the context in which PR is practiced, gain an understanding of the potential and practice of PR as a management function, and critically analyze the structure of PR management, its role, and techniques. In addition, students will be introduced to the rhetorical arguments that impact PR activities and will be made aware of the importance of professionalism and ethics in the practice of public relations.

CPMCCP180 Introduction to Public Relations Experiential Learning

6 semester credits. This course introduces students to the strategic roles and functions of the Public Relations (PR) practitioner. Students evaluate the context in which PR is practiced, gain an understanding of the potential and practice of PR as a management function, and critically analyze the structure of PR management, its role, and techniques. In addition, students will be introduced to the rhetorical arguments that impact PR activities and will be made aware of the importance of professionalism and ethics in the practice of public relations. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management.

CPMCCT330 Critical Thinking

3 semester credits. This interdisciplinary course helps students from all areas of study to develop their critical thinking skills. The principles of reasoning, analysis, logic, and rhetoric will be introduced in both ancient and modern contexts during lectures. Students will be asked to participate in classroom exercises, examine arguments from both sides, learn to better analyze materials and therefore acquire a more thorough analysis of evidence, and apply these concepts to decision-making situations. The aim of the course is to arrive at a real-life application of these practical techniques that are relevant to all individuals, from the managerial level for professionals to everyday contexts.

CPMCEC315 Ethics in Communication

3 semester credits. This course examines ethical issues in the field of communication. As globalization continues to spread and a world of differences continually comes into contact, a critical need for the study of ethics in communication across contexts, cultures, the various media used in communication, and on both public and private levels becomes essential. Ethical issues will be applied to the study of communicational behavior, decision-making, the quality of communication, public and private dialogue, and how the need to consider the ethical approach to this field impacts the individuals, communities, and societies that populate the world today.

CPMCIC440 Interpersonal Communication

3 semester credits. This course is based on the examination of personal and small group communication with particular emphasis on methods of perceiving information and transmitting messages, gender bias in communication, nonverbal behavior, and methods of communicating ideas and emotions. Students also learn about decision-making in groups and forces that influence group behavior. Course topics include a review of the ways in which people communicate with each other and an introduction to the skills needed to communicate effectively in professional environments. Students participate in small and large group discussions and problem-solving situations involving listening skills, interviewing skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, and public speaking.

CPMCNV250 Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication in Italy

3 semester credits. This course explores the realm of communication in Italy through non-verbal communication and body language. As a millennial crossroads of cultural contamination due to its central position in the Mediterranean area, Italy has always been a point of collision and absorption of communication and language. The course topic explores the evolution of non-verbal languages that arose as a universal mode of communicating across cultures, with a particular focus on contemporary uses in Italy. Considering the infinite diversity of spoken Italian due to a linguistic history of regional dialects, Italian non-verbal communication is a unique example of how bodily gestures have become a codified form and occupy a significant role in Italian culture and society. Various socio-cultural-political contexts, areas of scholarly research/study, and field experiences will be regularly examined and applied throughout the course.

CPMCPP480 Public Relations Strategies

3 semester credits. This course further examines topics gained in introductory public relations courses. PR is considered in terms of strategy and development when building relations. Coursework involves research and campaign building in the context of diverse communication and marketing environments. Course participants will analyze from an advanced perspective the uses and best practices of the visual aspects, professionalism and ethics, and relations management in public relations. Prerequisites: One communication course, introductory PR course, or equivalent.

CPMCSM250 Social Media

3 semester credits. What do we mean by "community"? How do we encourage, discuss, analyze, understand, design, and participate in healthy communities in the age of many-to-many media? With the advent of virtual communities, smart mobs, and online social networks, old questions about the meaning of human social behavior have taken on renewed significance. Although this course is grounded in theory, it is equally rooted in practice, and much of the class discussion takes place in social cyberspaces. This course requires the active engagement of students and a willingness to experience a full immersion in social media practices. Much of the class discussion takes place in a variety of virtual world environments during and between face-to-face class meetings. Students who participate in this course will actively and productively engage in established and emerging forms of social media - and have some notion of how these practices affect the self and the community.

CPMCSM255 Social Media Experiential Learning

6 semester credits. What do we mean by "community"? How do we encourage, discuss, analyze, understand, design, and participate in healthy communities in the age of many-to-many media? With the advent of virtual communities, smart mobs, and online social networks, old questions about the meaning of human social behavior have taken on renewed significance. Although this course is grounded in theory, it is equally rooted in practice, and much of the class discussion takes place in social cyberspaces. This course requires the active engagement of students and a willingness to experience a full immersion in social media practices. Much of the class discussion takes place in a variety of virtual world environments during and between face-to-face class meetings. Students who participate in this course will actively and productively engage in established and emerging forms of social media - and have some notion of how these practices affect the self and the community. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management. Prerequisites: One communication course or equivalent.