Communication

Department of Communication

Associate Professors: 

  • Dwyane Cheddar, M.A. 
  • R. Rennae Elliott, Ph.D. (Chair) 
  • Janice Watson, Ph.D. 

Assistant Professors: 

  • Paulette Gates, M.A.
  • Stephen Kabah, Ph.D.
  • Dominic McKenzie, M.A.
  • Olson Perry, M.A. 

Purpose 

The purpose of the Communication Department is to shape the communication professionals of tomorrow by providing a synergistic learning experience that combines spiritual awareness, theoretical grounding and practical application, thus enabling our students to successfully complete in today’s marketplace.

Introduction 

The Department of Communication serves a dual purpose. First, it provides general education courses for a large segment of the student population; second, it offers majors in four distinct areas.

Service Department 

The department provides general education course offerings in public speaking and art, thus serving most students.

Majors 

The department offers four majors, one Associate of Science degree in Visual Media and four Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication, Film and Television Production, Journalism, and Visual Media and one Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism.  

Visual Media (AS):

This major allows students to pursue one of two concentrations: graphic design or photography.

  • Graphic design prepares students to make rapid application of their skills in the world of visual communication.
  • Photography has very broad and practical uses such as photojournalism, portraiture, documentation, illustration, and fine art.

Students are encouraged to continue their preparation by completing one of the four-year Visual Media degrees after earning the associate degree. 

Communication (BA):

This major allows students to pursue one of two concentration tracks: communication arts or public relations. 

  • The communication arts concentration provides students with expertise applicable to people-oriented careers, including the ability to organize and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of contexts such as law, medicine, politics, management, etc. 
  • For those students who enjoy fast-paced excitement, the public relations concentration facilitates the development and use of skills in a variety of areas, including event planning, corporate communication, media relations, and crisis management. 

Film and Television Production (BA):

This major focuses on providing both practical and theoretical knowledge needed to enter the workforce at entry level or graduate school. Students should be able to demonstrate competencies in writing, technical operation, producing and directing.  

Journalism (BA and BS):

These majors, BA and BS, allows students to focus on one of four concentration tracks; broadcast and online storytelling, written storytelling, audio storytelling, or photojournalism 

Visual Media (BA):

This major provides the students with skills to seek employment in the media fields of photography, or graphic design. Course content is designed to equip students with theoretical and practical experience to handle creative solutions for their visual media concentration selections. 

  • The graphic design concentration develops the student’s ability to explore and create visual concepts by hand and use of computer software to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate the masses. Career opportunities include multimedia, web, and logo designers, creative/art directors, and layout artists.
  • The photography concentration focuses on the principles and techniques of communicating information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the creation of images on digital imaging sensors, photographic films, and papers. The program prepares the student to enter the world of professional photography careers in portraiture, commercial, fashion, sports, wedding, and freelance photography.

High School Preparation 

Students wishing to major in communication or visual media should follow the college preparatory program in high school. Students should endeavor to read widely and learn to express themselves clearly and correctly in speech and in writing.

Admission Requirements 

Admission to Oakwood University does not guarantee admission to the Department of Communication. Freshmen intending to major in the department receive provisional admission upon arrival or declaration of the major. 

Any student may apply for admission to this department after meeting the following requirements:

  • Completion of 32 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher;
  • Completion of EN 111: Freshman Composition with minimum grade of C;
  • Completion of CO 201: Fundamentals of Public Speaking with a minimum grade of C; and
  • Completion of the Departmental Diagnostic Exam

Exit Requirements 

During their final year, all majors are required to:

  • pass an exit examination with a minimum passing grade of C. 
  • complete a senior project specific to their area of concentration. Projects may include activities such as portfolio presentations, participation in art shows, and research papers.

Career Opportunities 

Students in communication are prepared for professional careers in broadcasting, journalism, and public relations, or for media-related positions in education and industry. Other opportunities include graduate school, consulting, law, library science, public affairs, and teaching. Artists find employment in a variety of professions in thousands of organizations around the world. For more detail on career opportunities, refer to the departmental website.

Degrees

Courses

CO 201: Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Credits 3
This course is a study of the fundamental principles of oral communication and includes effective application of these principles through classroom speeches and constructive criticism.

CO 211: Digital Media Writing

Credits 3
Code
W
Basic instruction in writing techniques for print, PR, audio, video and the Web. (Previously Media Writing)

CO 241: Principles and Practices of Public Relations

Credits 3
This course will serve as an introductory course for those pursuing the major. This course will provide an overview of public relations practices and exposure to several topics in the field of public relations, including history, law, ethics and the globalization of public relations. This course offers a comprehensive understanding of public relations’ role in organizations and society; how public relations has developed as a discipline; and the modern roles of public relations in organizations and society.

CO 242: Mass Communication and Society

Credits 3
This class provides an analysis of the relationships between mass communication and society, including institutional functions and socioeconomic, structural-cultural, and other factors affecting mass communication processes.

CO 301: Effective Presentations

Credits 3
Students learn advanced principles and skills in public speaking including analysis of issues, persuasive argumentation, computer assisted/aided presentations, team presentations, and special occasion speaking. Particularly useful for students in fields such as business, behavioral sciences, pre-law, education, and theology or students interested in becoming leaders in any area.

CO 310: Advanced Reporting

Credits 3
Code
W

In this course, students become reporters and designers for their own individual news publications. They produce their work on the Department of Communication Mac Lab or the Converged Newsroom. Extensive interviewing, field reporting and writing proficiency is required in this W-designated course.

CO 311: Principles of Advertising

Credits 3
Principles of Advertising is an institutional and functional study of persuasion, consumer motivation and behavior, and application of the principles of advertising to electronic media. Students prepare a media campaign for a product or service in a simulated market environment.

CO 315: Mass Media Law

Credits 3
This course is an overview of legal aspects of the media and First Amendment issues, with emphasis on libel, privacy and intrusion, copyright, FCC laws, advertising, and marketing.

CO 316: Mass Communication Ethics

Credits 3
Code
W
This course will encompass case studies of media practices, offering students a panoramic view from the historical to the contemporary. They will produce original case studies in turn. Philosophy, theories in ethics, Christian integrity and standards are deliberately interwoven to lead from academics to solid, professional choices. Writing proficiency is required in this W-designated course.

CO 320: Voice and Diction

Credits 3
Voice and Diction trains for improvement in the use of the speaking voice. Attention is focused on range, flexibility, clarity of articulation, and standards of pronunciation, with individual help in the correction of faulty speech habits.

CO 325: Interpersonal Communication

Credits 3
This course is a study of interpersonal communication skills such as listening, conflict management, and nonverbal communication. Practical applications of skills are emphasized.

CO 330: Communication Theory

Credits 3
Code
W
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to general theoretical perspectives and related theories in the field of communication. Students will gain a firm understanding of how theory helps us to understand communication phenomenon and will develop further skills in evaluating theories, as well as applying abstract theoretical concepts to their own lives and research.

CO 331: Public Relations Planning and Case Studies

Credits 3
Examines public relations strategic planning process through the analysis of case studies. Addresses strategic communication planning issues in media relations, crisis communications, ethics, creative planning, research, and evaluation, using real-world situations and clients. Promotes learning individually and in teams. Provides an understanding of the concepts of project coordination, strategic planning, and strategic vision within event coordination. Helps students create, develop, manage, execute, and evaluate an event from a public-relations approach.

CO 332: Writing for Public Relations

Credits 3
Code
W
Develops skills in persuasive writing for institutional or individual clients. Provides a hands- on experience in learning to develop and utilize public relations writing tools for corporate, non-profit, government, and public relations organizations. Covers writing for the media, designing and writing corporate literature, and working with the public on behalf of a business or individual as it relates to public relations. Laboratory is required.

CO 333: Magazine and Feature Writing

Credits 3
Code
W
Preparation of feature stories and articles. Students market work by submission to various publications--student and professional, print and Web. (Previously Feature Writing)

CO 345: Small Group Communication

Credits 3
In this hands-on, practical class, students learn theories and principles of communicating in small groups. In addition to becoming familiar with research in the area, students actually experience working with others, producing the ability to function more effectively, comfortably, and competently within such units.

CO 356: Media Relations and Digital Strategies

Credits 3

A course analyzing public relations campaigns, solving/preventing problems, utilizing theories and public relations strategy. Throughout the course students write press releases, learn the research process for PR campaigns, address internal and external audiences, devise strategies for guidance of executive leadership, and learn effective guidance of public opinion with integrity. The course incorporates use of pertinent media tools and role-playing presentations among other approaches to effective instruction.

CO 371: Public Relations Management

Credits 3
Public Relations Management is the capstone course for the public relations major, you will be challenged to think, work, and produce written work that would rival that of full-time, experienced PR professionals. Thus, the central goal for this course is for you to become a valuable and valued strategic public relations counselor for any organization. In this course you will adopt the persona (as best you can) of an organizational leader or executive in charge of communications (public relations and perhaps advertising) and look at the work world of communications through that perspective. To meet the course’s primary objective, we will work on four key areas: strategic planning, professionalism, leadership principles and operations management.

CO 373: Working With the Media in Public Relations

Credits 3
Practical study and experience in successful strategies for agencies, organizations, businesses, ministries and mission organizations as they pursue balanced media coverage and respond to requests for interviews, data or other questions aimed at publication or broadcast on various deadlines. Ethics of media relations practice from a Christian world-view are applied to the media marketplace through discussion and project-driven experience. The course will provide students with the media tools and grasp of marketing-related media theory needed for effective digital communications in businesses and organizations. Course content will cover the basic social media platforms and their uses from an organizational standpoint. Upon completion, students will be equipped to crate digital communication strategies, understanding the platforms and tools available along with method to measure effectiveness for a variety of audiences.

CO 395: Communication Research Methods

Credits 3
Communication Research is an introductory course that prepares students to be competent consumers and amateur producers of research. The course introduces students to a range of research methods (qualitative and quantitative) employed in social sciences in general and communication studies in particular. It also provides students with the knowledge base and practical experience to pursue more advanced studies in research methods.

CO 401: Practicum in Communication

Credits 1 Max Credits 3
Students gain practical experience in journalism, communication arts, public relations, audio/video production or photojournalism. Students work under the cooperative direction of professionals and the communication faculty and become familiar with the ongoing tasks and routines required in their areas of concentration. Practicum of 10 to 12 hours each week is required.

CO 402: Practicum in Communication

Credits 1 Max Credits 3
Students gain practical experience in journalism, communication arts, public relations, audio/video production or photojournalism. Students work under the cooperative direction of professionals and the communication faculty and become familiar with the ongoing tasks and routines required in their areas of concentration. Practicum of 10 to 12 hours each week is required.

CO 403: Internship in Communication

Credits 1 Max Credits 3
Students must work full-time and perform ongoing tasks and practices of professionals in the student’s area of concentration. Students must apply to the employing organization and be accepted to work six to eight weeks under the direction of a professional.

CO 415: Organizational Communication

Credits 3
This course helps students to understand and analyze organizations and gives them practice in the skills of communicating within and for an organization.

CO 421: Persuasion

Credits 3
The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a solid grounding in theories, principles, and strategies of social influence as they apply to everyday contexts in which influence attempts take place. Students should gain familiarity with findings from empirical investigations on persuasion, social influence, and compliance-gaining, and will learn about strategies and techniques of persuasion relating to a wide variety of real-life communication contexts, situations, and settings. Students will also develop a better understanding of the many ways that persuasion theories and skills can be used as a tool for civic and political engagement.

CO 425: Intercultural Communication

Credits 3
Code
W
In this course, students examine the relationship between culture and communication and the ways culture influences values, perceptions and behaviors. Discussion and activities help students to develop analytic and communication skills which enable them to interact with cultural sensitivity and communicate more effectively in intercultural, interracial and interethnic contexts. Particularly useful for students in fields such as business, behavioral sciences, pre-law, education and theology.

CO 435: Editing

Credits 3
Code
W
Techniques of journalistic editing for print and digital media are presented, including industry standards and practices. This course also builds skills for use in the converged media environment, for publication in multiple formats. Students must master line editing for accurate copy, and conduct news analysis over a range of contemporary ethical, legal, social, political and religious issues. Writing proficiency is required in this W-designated course.

CO 477: Senior Seminar

Credits 1
This final semester class is designed to help prepare graduating seniors for entrance into the workforce. Resume, portfolio, and mock interview are required.

CO 490: Research and Independent Study

Credits 1 Max Credits 3
This class provides individual research under the guidance of an instructor. Limited to senior Communication or Communication Media majors.