COM 602. Argumentation Theory. (3 h)

Examination of argumentation theory and criticism; emphasis on both theoretical issues and social practices. Offered in alternate years.

COM 603S. Directing the Forensics Program. (1-3 h)

A pragmatic study of the methods of directing high school and college forensics. Laboratory work in the High School Debate Workshop. Summer only.

COM 604. Freedom of Speech. (3 h)

Examination of the philosophical and historical traditions, significant cases, and contemporary controversies concerning freedom of expression. Offered in alternate years.

COM 605. Communication and Ethics. (3 h)

A study of the role of communication in ethical controversies.

COM 607. The Prophetic Mode in American Public Discourse. (3 h)

Investigates prophetism as a rhetorical act by examining Biblical forms of prophetic speech and investigating how these forms influence American public discourse.

COM 610. Media Production II. (3 h)

Students produce advanced media projects over which they assume significant creative control.

COM 612. Film History to 1945. (3 h)

Survey of the developments of motion pictures to 1945. Includes lectures, readings, reports, and screenings.

COM 613. Film History since 1945. (3 h)

Survey of the development of motion pictures from 1946 to present day. Includes lectures, readings, reports, and screenings.

COM 614. Media Effects. (3 h)

Theoretical approaches to the role of communication in reaching mass audiences and its relationship to other levels of communication.

COM 615. Communication and Technology. (3 h)

Exploration of how communication technologies influence the social, political, and organizational practices of everyday life.

COM 616. Screenwriting. (3 h)

An introduction to narrative theory as well as examination of the role of the screenwriter in the motion picture industry, the influence of film genre on screenwriting and the politics of nontraditional narrative structures. Students are expected to complete an original, feature-length screenplay.

COM 617. Communication and Popular Culture. (3 h)

Explores the relationship between contemporary media and popular culture from a cultural studies perspective using examples from media texts.

COM 619. Media Ethics. (3 h)

Examines historical and contemporary ethical issues in the media professions within the context of selected major ethical theories while covering, among other areas, issues relevant to jounalism, advertising, public relations, filmmaking, and media management.

COM 620. Media Theory and Criticism. (3 h)

Critical Study of media including a survey of major theoretical frameworks.

COM 629. The Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as a Communication Phenomenon. (3 h)

Explores the evolution of the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the end of the Nineteenth Century to its contemporary dynamic as a communication phenomenon; focusing on the narratives of the parties to the conflict as viewed through the lens of extant communication-grounded conflict theory.

COM 630. Communication and Conflict. (3 h)

Review of the various theoretical perspectives on conflict and negotiation as well as methods for managing relational conflict.

COM 631. Communication and Terror. (3 h)

Examines domestic and international terrorism as grounded in extant communication theory, with emphasis on explicating the role that communication plays in current conceptualizations and responses to terrorism.

COM 634. Narrative Approaches to Entrepreneurship. (3 h)

Embraces narrative theory to examine how myths, stories, and other tropes form the basis on which we understand entrepreneurship. We will consider diverse and alternative stories as well as the construction of the neoliberal individual in a postmodern epoch.

COM 635. Survey of Organizational Communication. (3 h)

Overview of the role of communication in constituting and maintaining the pattern of activities that sustain the modern organization.

COM 636. Organizational Rhetoric. (3 h)

Explores the persuasive nature of organizational messages - those exchanged between organizational members and those presented on behalf of the organization as a whole. Offered in alternate years.

COM 637. Rhetoric of Institutions. (3 h)

A study of the communication practices of institutions as they seek to gain and maintain social legitimacy. Offered in alternate years.

COM 638. The Art of Twentieth-Century African-American Rhetoric. (3 h)

Explores how African Americans have invented a public voice in the twentieth century. Focuses on how artistic cultural expression, in particular, has shaped black public speech.

COM 639. Practices of Citizenship. (3 h)

Explores the history and theory of citizenship as a deliberate practice linked to the rhetorical tradition of communication with an emphasis on participatory and deliberative skills as part of the process in which communities are formed and citizens emerge as members.

COM 640. Democracy, Slavery, and Sex: Emancipation Discourse from the Founding to the Civil War. (3 h)

Examines the influence of emancipation movements on American public discourse by reading and analyzing original speeches and documents with emphasis on abolition of slavery and woman's rights.

COM 641. Class, Race, Sex and War: Emancipation Discourse from the Civil War to the Second Wave of Feminism. (3 h)

Examines the influence of emancipation movements on American public discourse by reading and analyzing original speeches and documents. Among the movements addressed are labor, civil rights, student protest, and women's liberation.

COM 642. Political Communication. (3 h)

Study of electoral communication including candidate and media influences on campaign speeches, debates and advertising. Offered in alternate years.

COM 643. Presidential Rhetoric. (3 h)

Examines theory and practice of speechmaking and mediated presidential communication.

COM 646. Sport, Media and Communication. (3 h)

Examines the role of sport in society, cultural, and institutional practice. Surveys the value represented by interpersonal and mediated messages regarding key dimensions of sport including competition, ethics, gender, and race.

COM 650. Intecultural Communication. (3 h)

Introduction to the study of communication phenomena between individuals and groups with different cultural backgrounds. Offered in alternate years.

COM 651A. Comparative Communication: Japan. (1.5-3 h)

COM 653. Persuasion. (3 h)

An examination of theories and research concerning the process of social influence in contemporary society.

COM 654. International Communication. (3 h)

In-depth look at the role of mass media in shaping communication between and about cultures using examples from traditional and emerging media systems.

COM 655. Health Communication. (3 h)

Examination of theories, research, and processes of health communication in contemporary society. May be repeated for credit.

COM 656. Health Communication: Patient-Provider. (3 h)

Explores contemporary issues related to comminication in health care contexts, notably theories and research on patient-provider communication.

COM 657. Health Communication Campaigns. (3 h)

Examination of the principles behind designing, implementing, and evaluating a health campaign, including message design and application of media theories for behavior change.

COM 664. Narrative, Communication, and Health. (3 h)

Combines theory and research in social science with narrative in multiple forms: film, visual art, memoir, short story, and poetry. Explores the power of story to transform human lives with an emphasis on health. Asks: What is narrative? How does narrative shape who we are? How does narrative inform our understanding and experience of wellness and illness? How does narrative influence health communication in our personal relationships? What role can narrative play in medical education, medical practice, and public health campaigns? Through careful study and reflection, students discover how story can create positive change on a personal, professional, and societal level.

COM 670. Special Topics. (1-4 h)

Examination of topics not covered in the regular curriculum.

COM 680. Great Teachers. (3 h)

Intensive study of the ideas of three noted scholars and teachers in the field of communication. Students interact with each teacher during a two- or three-day visit to Wake Forest.

COM 719. Theory and Research Design in Communication Science. (3 h)

Examination of communication science theory with a focus on critiquing and utilizing theory in research, accompanied by an overview of quantitative research design and methodology.

COM 720. Quantitative Analysis in Communication Science. (3 h)

Overview of statistical data anaylsis, interpretation, and reporting for communication research. P-COM 719.

COM 752. Contemporary Rhetorical and Communication Theory. (3 h)

Introduction to theory building in human communication and rhetoric, with a survey and evaluation of major contemporary groups of theorists. Approaches studied are those which emphasize the symbol (George Herbert Mead and Kenneth Burke), human relations (Martin Buber), the media (Marshall McLuhan), and systems (Norbert Wiener).

COM 753. Seminar in Persuasion. (3 h)

Study of contemporary social science approaches to persuasion theory and research. Influence is examined with interpersonal, social, and mass media contexts.

COM 758. Rhetorical Theory. (3 h)

Introduction to primary texts in the theory of rhetoric including classical theories, dramatism, semiotics, and critical/cultural studies.

COM 759. Rhetorical Criticism. (3 h)

The critical application of rhetorical theories aligning with the traditions covered in COM 758. P-COM 758 .

COM 763. Proseminar in Communication. (1.5 h)

Introduction to graduate study in communication.

COM 764. Proseminar in Communication. (1.5 h)

Introduction to graduate study in communication.

COM 773. Seminar in Interpersonal Communication. (3 h)

Study of recent research and theoretical developments in dyadic communication. Methodology examined includes conversational analysis, field, and experimental approaches.

COM 774. Research and Theory of Organizational Communication. (3 h)

Advanced study of theoretical approaches to the role of communication in organizations and empirical application of such theories.

COM 780. Special Seminar. (1-3 h)

Intensive study of selected topics in communication. Topics may be drawn from any theory or content area of communication and offer a wide variety of special topics across a two year program. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 12 hours.

COM 781. Readings and Research in Speech Communication. (1-3 h)

Students may receive credit for a special reading project in an area not covered by regular courses or for a special research project not related to the master’s thesis. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 16 hours.

COM 782. Readings and Research in Speech Communication. (1-3 h)

Students may receive credit for a special reading project in an area not covered by regular courses or for a special research project not related to the master’s thesis. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 16 hours.

COM 791. Thesis Research I. (1-9 h)

COM 792. Thesis Research II. (1-9 h)