Freeing the Power of the Individual

Undergraduate Curriculum

111. Oral Communication. 3 hrs. Communication principles and practice in the preparation and delivery of public speeches. (CC- SPT 1113)

300L. Oral Language Laboratory. 1 hr. An oral language laboratory.

303. Argumentation and Debate. 3 hrs. Theory and practice in inquiry and advocacy involving analysis, reasoning, organization and presentation of oral arguments for decision making.

305. Interpersonal Communication. 3 hrs. A course designed to improve students’ competence in and understanding of interpersonal relationships.

310. Research Methods in Speech Communication. 3 hrs. This course introduces the learner to social science research methods. Students will learn methodological concepts, design, and statistics.
311. Persuasion. 3 hrs. Study of classical and contemporary theories and strategies of persuasion with applications to public address, advertising, and public relations.

312. Interviewing Principles and Applications. 3 hrs. Study and application of interview strategies and techniques.

315. Advanced Public Speaking. 3 hrs. Advanced theory and practice of oral communication presentations.

320. Business and Professional Speaking. 3 hrs. A course that develops student skills in a broad group of special communication settings pertinent to the world of work, e.g., running meetings, making technical reports, and group problem solving.

330. Small Group Communication. 3 hrs. Provides students with the basic skills and principles of communication pertinent to the small problem-solving group.

350. Nonverbal Communication. 3 hrs. An examination of nonverbal communication and its role as context for speech communication.

403. Political Communication. 3 hrs. A comprehensive study of the role of communication in political campaigns and in the general political process.

405. Relational Communication. 3 hrs. Reviews the development of interpersonal processes that effect relationships in social, intimate, work, and family contexts.

410. Organizational Communication I: Theory and Process. 3 hrs. A survey of approaches to the study of organizational communication and aspects of the communication process within organizations.

411. Managing the Forensics Program. 3 hrs. How to initiate, design, manage, and coach a competitive forensics program.

412. Advanced Persuasion. 3 hrs. Extension of the introductory course in persuasion. Students will study theories, concepts, and issues in persuasion from classical to current times.

415. Rhetorical Criticism. 3 hrs. Discusses the variety of strategies critics use to analyze and interpret public communication. Contemporary speeches are examined.

420. Organizational Communication II: Assessment and Training. 3 hrs. A survey of methods for determining the quality and kind of communication within organizations and training methods for improving organizational communication.

425. Communication and Conflict Resolution. 3 hrs. Explores communication effects on conflict, including types and causes of conflict, individual conflict styles, and various negotiation strategies.

430. Communication and Small Group Decision-Making. 3 hrs. Examines theory, research, and practice concerning the role and importance of communication in task-oriented groups. Emphasis on decision-making.

435. Speech Communication in Legal Contexts. 3 hrs. Theoretical implications, research findings, and persuasive strategies used in various legal contexts are studied.

440. Health Communication. 3 hrs. Examines health communication theory and practices with attention given doctor- patient interactions in interpersonal, small group, interviewing, and organizational contexts.

450. Seminar in Speech Communication. 3 hrs. An examination of various theories of speech communication and various settings for their application. May be repeated for up to 6 hours credit.

455. Freedom and Responsibility of Speech. 3 hrs. Examines the theory of free speech as it applies to various modes of expression.

459. Methods in Speech Communication. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: Admission to teacher education, CIS 313. A general orientation to the teaching of speech communication, followed by individualized unit work in the special fields of speech communication.

459L. Methods in Speech Communication Lab. 1 hr. Prerequisite: Admission to teacher education, CIS 313. Pre-student teaching field experience.

460. Public Advocacy and Advanced Argumentation. 3 hrs. Examination of advanced theories, issues, and concepts in public advocacy and argumentation.

475. Gender Issues in Speech Communication. 3 hrs. Examination of gender issues as applied to interpersonal, professional, organizational, persuasive, and political communication.

+488. Student Teaching in Speech Communication I. 7 hrs. Field experience teaching Speech Communication.

+489. Student Teaching in Speech Communication II. 7 hrs. Field experience teaching Speech Communication.

490. Theories of Speech Communication. 3 hrs. A survey of theoretical perspectives on speech communication, e.g., psychological, rhetorical, linguistic, and human relations.

492. Special Problems. 1-3 hrs. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Directed research in a topic of interest to the student. (Students undertaking a Seniors Honor Project will enroll in SCM H492.)

499. British Studies in Communication. 3-6 hrs. Various topics. Communication research and practice in Great Britain. Taught only in Great Britain under auspices of the Institute of Anglo-American Studies.

 

Department of Speech Communication
http://www.usm.edu/speech
601.266.4271 • speech@usm.edu