[IAI Code: C2900] Preparation and presentation of short informative and persuasive speeches; emphasis on the selection and organization of material, methods of securing interest and attention, and the elements of delivery. Day1Access course materials information is available at https://go.illinois.edu/Day1Access. Credit is not given toward graduation for: Credit is not given for both CMN 101 and either CMN 111 or CMN 112.
Provides students with an overview of the major areas of study across the diverse field of Communication. Attention is given to the study of argumentation, persuasion, mediated communication effects, rhetoric, face-to-face communication with family, friends, and romantic partners, social support, nonverbal and verbal communication, group communication, health communication, organizational communication, race and communication, sports and communication, and common research methods in the field.
Continuation of Oral & Written Comm I; stress on deliberation and fundamentals of communication and public argument through speaking and writing. The campus Composition I general education requirement is fulfilled by this course in conjunction with CMN 111. Credit is not given for both CMN 111+CMN 112 and other courses that fulfill the Composition I requirement (such as RHET 101+ RHET 102; RHET 105; ESL 115); Credit is also not given for both CMN 111+ CMN 112 and CMN 101. CMN 111+ CMN 112 may not be taken by students who have completed the campus Composition I general education requirement. Prerequisite: CMN 111.
Supervised experience in assisting in the teaching of an undergraduate course in communication; practice in preparing and presenting brief lectures, conducting activities within class, and assisting students outside of class. Prerequisite: Junior standing, cumulative 3.0 grade-point average, 3.5 grade-point average in Communication coursework, recommendation from an instructor, and approval by application.
Focus on relevant theory and research on communication strategies and skills vital to diverse business and professional contexts. Topics include personal branding and self-marketing; job interviewing basics; business ethics; business writing; networking; professional etiquette and behaviors; and business presentations. Activities include presentations, written assignments, and practice interviews. Prerequisite: CMN 101.
Considers major theories, research questions, and approaches to organizational communication.
A focus on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for students to understand and address various components of diversity in organizations. This class is designed to give students an environment to discuss diverse perspectives related to organizations. Thus, this course will explore such areas as power, gender, race, social class, sexuality, ability and age. The relationship between these areas to organizational communication concepts such as, assimilation & socialization, power, culture, employee conflict and relationships will be explored. Students do not need to have any prior knowledge of organizational communication in order to benefit from this course. Students will draw from their personal and familial organizational socialization experiences to learn about the role of culture in organizations.
Questioning is fundamental to human communication. The process for questioning in a structured, purposeful way is called interviewing, which is both an art and a social science. Students will learn theoretical principles related to major types of interviews and apply this knowledge through practice as both interviewer and interviewee, leading to competency in employment and informational interviews. Additionally, they will learn to be a critical observer of interviews taking place in the public sphere. Prerequisite: CMN 101 or CMN 111 and CMN 112.
Study of the nature of policy-oriented communication; analysis and formulation of positions on issues of professional, personal, or public interest; design and presentation of public policy messages addressed to varying tasks and audiences, with special emphasis on advanced writing skills. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
Refine your communication skills in one-on-one conversations. Learn active listening, small talk, how to give good advice and emotional support, and conflict resolution. Students complete a semester-long skills project in which they reflect on and improve their own communication skills related to impression management, communication with family and friends, listening, small talk, and more. Course concepts apply to academic, professional, and personal interactions.
Introduction to the study of intercultural communication in a variety of contexts, including domestic and international; examines theory and research to explain what happens when people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds interact. Requires students to think critically about the ways in which "taken-for-granted" ways of thinking, acting, and interacting are culturally specific.
Examines the communication strategies of social movements, concentrating on the types of messages that social movements create (including rhetorical messaging, social protest, grassroots organizing, fundraising, and media outreach). Focuses on the communication of major 19th, 20th, and 21st century social protest movements, including movements for civil rights, environmentalism, women's rights, and others. Emphasizes the functions of communication for identity formation, promulgation, and social change. Provides knowledge and tools for the analysis and production of messages.
Introduces theory and research on communication in health and illness contexts. Explores how messages from media, interpersonal, and organizational sources affect health beliefs and behaviors.
Examines media and popular culture through a critical perspective, including how they reproduce social realities that privilege certain powerful interests, yet can be used to contest power and create social change. The course will examine topics such as capitalism and media industries, advertising, entertainment, fandom, and representations of race, sex, gender, sexuality, and class. Students will practice critical analysis of cultural texts and create their own communicative interventions into media and popular culture.
Survey of the history, structure, forms, and social effects of the American mass media, with significant focus on study of how media shape perceptions of people of color and other stigmatized groups.
Directed internship experience for Communication majors. Students must have consent of the Internship Coordinator. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours.
This course challenges the notion that good ideas are produced by "lone geniuses." Surveying theories from organizational communication, we will explore the important role communication plays in fostering innovation and creativity in the workplace. Some topics discussed include: socialization, group decision-making, information sharing, positive workplace environments, the role of communication technologies, and social networks. Students will analyze real-world cases and participate in class activities designed to demonstrate innovation processes in action.
Webs of communication connections are integral to how teams, families, organizations, and communities work. We will collect, visualize, and analyze network data to investigate the inherent connectedness of life, and in the process, we will develop analytical and computational skills by making arguments with data.
Communication and Coalition Building furnishes essential skills for effective collaboration across business, nonprofit, and government sectors. This course emphasizes the importance of shared leadership, decision-making, and other communication strategies in fostering successful coalitions. Core topics encompass organizational dynamics, cross-sector partnerships, and leveraging collective resources for impact. As coalition-building becomes vital for addressing challenges like sustainability and innovation, this course prepares students to drive change and succeed in strategic roles within complex environments.
Studies of powerful instances of public persuasion; students examine key means of public influence.
Study of the theory of argument, e.g., evidence, reasoning, and construction of briefs; practice in formal and informal forms of debate and public discourse on current public questions. Prerequisite: CMN 101.
Presents information on how to conceptualize audiences, mass media use, and reception of media messages. Also examines the character of the audience experience, uses and gratifications of mass media, social cognition, and studies of audiences as interpretive communities.
The growth and popularity of social media has greatly impacted democracy—serving as both a tool and a weapon. This course looks at how social media and politics intersect and their implications for society and democracy across three domains: the public, politicians and political campaigns, and the news media. Students will be able to explain how social media operates as a public sphere and its role in shaping political discourse.
Explores communication behaviors that are relevant in families. Topics include family diversity, family development, and family stress. Students will learn how to apply family communication theory and research to address challenges that modern families face. Students considering careers in fields like human relations (HR), public relations, education, law, counseling, and social work will be able to apply the information in this course to their potential job aspirations.
Explores the role of visual images in U.S. culture, paying special attention to the ways that images function persuasively as political communication. Provides tools for analyzing historical and contemporary images and artifacts, such as photographs, prints, paintings, advertisements, and memorials. Emphasis on how visual images are used for remembering and memorializing; confronting and resisting; consuming and commodifying; governing and authorizing; and visualizing and informing.
Explores the role of traditional oral narrative in contemporary social life. Examines some major genres: folktales, family stories, personal growth narratives, professional autobiographical presentations, TED talks. Each of these genres will be examined in terms of content, context in a larger community of discourse, and performance demands. In addition, students will create and perform their own stories representing these genres.
Describes sex as a fundamental activity in the development and maintenance of human relationships. Communication about sex happens in a variety of interpersonal, group, organizational, and mediated contexts. Explores the many ways in which sexual communication intersects our personal, relational, cultural, and institutional norms and values. Topics will include social norms about sexual communication, sexual harassment, family communication about sex, sexual health education, doctor-patient communication about sex, and sex in the media and in advertising. Theory and research on communication processes will be used to elaborate how talk about sex can achieve multiple goals.
Using the critical lens of theories on race, class, gender, and sexuality, this class will investigate the complicated relations among popular media and culture, including how our everyday life and attitudes are thought to be shaped by the media, and how cultural systems can be said to inform the media. By exploring a wide range of media (e.g., film, television, music, the internet, and computer games), students will investigate the national, political, and personal dimensions of popular media and the varied ways in which media construct, reflect and intersect with specific cultural systems, identities, and classifications. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours.
Examines leadership as a communicative practice within digital environments. Using rhetorical approaches, students will analyze how digital leaders frame issues, cultivate followership, perform values, and mobilize communities across networked spaces. We will study multiple leadership perspectives and apply them to contemporary digital figures to understand how leadership emerges relationally between leaders, followers, and technological systems.
Individual investigation of special problems. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: Twelve hours of communication coursework; a grade-point average of 3.25; and consent of head of department.
Special topics in communication not treated in regularly scheduled courses. See Class Schedule for current topics. May be repeated as topics vary.
A comprehensive introduction to the history and theory of the art of communicating in public, known for centuries as the “art of rhetoric.” Students will learn key concepts about speaking and writing in civic and political communities as well as learn about major themes, movements, debates, and thinkers relevant to the history of rhetoric. Course content combines readings from original historical sources with lectures and discussions. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Credit is not given toward graduation for: CMN 420 and CMN 310.
Survey of major theories of persuasion, research on factors influencing persuasive effectiveness, and application to problems of persuasive discourse. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Study of interactive relationships between gender and communication in contemporary American society. Examines how gender identity and expression are influenced by race, ethnicity, culture, age, ability, class, faith and other social characteristics. Explores how communication in social contexts creates and perpetuates gender roles. Same as GWS 432. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Students will reflect on and improve communication skills when communicating one-on-one, using research-based processes. Grounded in theory, students will create a self-assessment portfolio that includes practicing and reflecting on their ability to: actively listen when disagreeing, eliminate distractions/make someone feel important, improve relationships, handle disagreements, and improve a skill of their choice. Students will learn to reflect on, critique, and improve their interpersonal skills, while helping classmates do the same. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: CMN 230 or consent of instructor.
Explores health communication between people in close relationships and patient-provider relationships over the course of an illness. Topics include identity, sharing health information, stigma, social support, caregiving, and patient-centered communication. Useful for students seeking to improve their own health communication, going into a medical field, wanting research experience, and seeking deeper understanding of communication theories and their applications. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Individual investigation of special problems. 2 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 undergraduate hours. Prerequisite: Twelve hours of communication; a grade-point average of 3.50; and consent of head of department.
Individual study leading to a thesis for honors in the Department of Communication. 2 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 undergraduate hours. Prerequisite: Senior standing; a grade-point average of 3.50; and consent of head of department.
Advanced topics in communication not treated in regularly scheduled courses; see Class Schedule for current topics. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated as topics vary.
Study of theoretical bases for understanding social interactions in health care settings focusing on three general areas: (a) communication and identity, (b) health and personal relationships, and (c) health care provider-patient interaction. Prerequisite: Restricted to students enrolled in the MS in Health Communication (HCOM) degree program or the Certificate in Health Communication (CHC) program.
Introduction to theoretical frameworks, research, and applications of health marketing. Literature from contributing disciplines will be reviewed (e.g., advertising, communication, marketing, public health, political science, psychology and sociology) and key aspects of campaign development will be discussed (e.g., formative research, audience segmentation, message tailoring and evaluation). Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the Master of Science in Health Communication (HCOM) Program, or the Certificate in Health Communication (CHC) Program.
Special topics in communication theory and research. May be repeated to a maximum of 16 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Study of special topics in the history of rhetorical theory. May be repeated to a maximum of 16 hours.
Provides capstone experience for students in the MS in Health Communication degree program.
Individual investigation of special projects not included in theses. May be repeated in separate terms. Open to master's candidates for a maximum of 4 graduate hours and to doctoral candidates for a maximum of 12 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Consent from head of department.
Explores the influence of media stories on our perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors. Students will learn key theories of narrative media influence and will explore the use of storytelling in various realms, including entertainment, news, and advertising. By examining the power and techniques of narratives, students will gain critical insights into the role of storytelling in shaping culture, society, and individual perspectives.
Explores the complex relationship between media and mental wellbeing, examining how different kinds of media (such as entertainment, social media, and news) can both support and challenge psychological health. Topics include mood regulation, media dependency, social comparison, doomscrolling, and mental health representation. Through research, reflection, and creative projects, students will analyze how media shapes emotions, behaviors, and mental health perceptions, developing strategies for more mindful engagement.