Courses
Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media
0400. Introduction to
Communication Concepts (4 s.h.)
Introduction to Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media
study through an examination of core concepts, theories, and
areas of study.
0411. Communication Research
Methods (4 s.h.)
The underlying philosophy and survey of research methods as
tailored to media and telecommunications issues. Topics include
market research, rating systems, polling, surveys, depth interviews,
content analysis, focus groups, ethnography, and field and
laboratory experiments.
0512. Quantitative Communication
Research Methods (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400 & 411.
Study of parametric and non-parametric statistics and electronic
data processing in the context of mass communication research
problems, with an emphasis on multivariate analyses.
0520. Mass Communication
Institutions (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400 & 411.
History and societal role of the mass media with an emphasis
on the internal structure and workings of the mass-media industries
and their interaction with government and the public.
0540. Communication Content
and Behavior (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400 & 411.
Research and theory on mass media artifacts and their socializing
functions, including study of content analysis, interviewing,
observation, and experimental methods.
0560. Communication in
Organizations (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400 and 411.
Review of theories of organizational structure, their relationship
to broadcasting, mass media and telecommunications processes
and current practices and underlying communication systems
which support them.
0570. Graduate TV Production (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Radio, television, and computer technologies to produce entertainment,
corporate, and public-oriented programming for network, cable,
schools, and other profit and non-profit organizations.
0571. Graduate Radio
Workshop (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Students design and produce radio announcing and talk show
projects.
0577. Television Production
Workshop (8 s.h.)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Development of weekly half hour television programs exploring
Philadelphia with EFP. Focuses on meeting professional standards
in content, form, and technical quality. Summer only.
0588. Introductory Topics
in Broadcasting,Telecommunications, and Mass Media (4
s.h.)
Special Topics
0589. Introductory Topics
in Broadcasting,Telecommunications, and Mass Media (4
s.h.)
Special Topics
0622. Communication Law (4
s.h.)
Legal and philosophical study of government regulation of information
transmission from 15th century to the present. Emphasis on
legal descriptive research methods.
0623. History of Telecommunications (4
s.h.)
Examination of the social, political, and technological history
of electrical communications in the U.S., from forerunners
of integrated services of digital and broadband networks.
0624. Communication Technology (4
s.h.)
Technological trends in information transmission systems with
consideration of their socioeconomic and policy implications.
0632. Comparative Systems (4
s.h.)
Comparison of broadcasting, mass media, and telecommunications
systems throughout the world in terms of types of control,
content, purposes, and effects.
0633. Global Telecommunications (4
s.h.)
Study of the economic policy and technology of the emerging
global communication system. Specific issues include: trans-border
data flow, international organizations, and issues of cultural
and national sovereignty.
0646. Psychological Processing
of Media (4 s.h.)
Research and theory concerning the contemporary psychological
significance of media. Topics include attention, memory, comprehension,
emotional response, arousal, picture perception, unconscious
processing, and person perception as they relate to traditional
(radio, TV, print, film) and emerging (virtual reality, teleconferencing)
media.
0647. Political Communication (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400, 411.
Covers political communication theories, modes, means and institutions
and serves as an introduction to how communication scholars
study politics and the media.
0653. Media Criticism (4
s.h.)
Analysis of mass media events and performance with an emphasis
on both theories of criticism as well as the applied, commercial
aspects of criticism for newspapers, magazines, and television.
0657. Broadcast and Cable
Management (4 s.h.)
Marketing strategies for networks, stations and cable systems.
Relationships with government, networks, employee groups, and
ownership. Personnel policies and supervision, budgets and
reports.
0688. Intermediate Topics
in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media (4
s.h.)
Special Topics
0689. Intermediate Topics
in Broadcasting,Telecommunications and Mass Media (4
s.h.)
Special Topics
0731. Third World Mass
Media (4 s.h.)
Study of the ownership, control, and law of Third World media
systems. Includes issues of imperialism, global culture, and
development.
0735. Information Society (4
s.h.)
Prerequisite: 400, 411.
Covers origins of the information society, information as a
commodity, micro and macro-economics of information, globalization,
identity and community online, privacy, security, intellectual
property and new media, democracy online, how to think about
the future.
0743. Mass Media and
Children (4 s.h.)
Influence of the media on children's development. Includes
problems of studying socialization effects, media usage patterns,
functions of the media, effects on family interaction, social
class and race, political socialization, sexual behavior, consumer
behavior, music and aggression.
0744. Public Information
Campaigns (4 s.h.)
Exploration of techniques and issues used in information campaigns
regarding health, energy conservation, environmental protection,
and other topics, and campaigns' effects on public knowledge
and behavior. Students conduct an actual campaign on campus.
0750. Mass Media Message
Systems (4 s.h.)
Detailed sociological analysis of mass communication artifacts
with publishable content-analytic research as the end product.
0764. Media for the Entrepreneur (4
s.h.)
Principles of building one's own media business. Planning for
a profit or non-profit media organization including market
assessment, financing, and contracting.
0775. Cybermedia Workshop (4
s.h.)
Hands-on development of content using new media forms. Students
will be involved in the design, script, and production of one
or more programs. Projects may include interactive programs, "edutainment" games,
multimedia presentations, "Kiosk" information service appropriate
for CD-ROM, online service, or broadband distribution to business,
schools, or consumers.
0800 - 0889. Seminars
in Communication (4 s.h.)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Seminars on various topics.
0945. Graduate Colloquium (1
s.h.)
Current problems and opportunities in the field, discussions
and presentations of current research, and lectures by senior
scholars and students. Note: Required of Ph.D. students in
Communications during their period of residency. Open to other
advanced graduate students with permission. May be repeated.
0961. Internship (1-4
s.h.)
Open only to 18 M.A. students with at least 28 semester hours
completed. Students assigned as unpaid intern to compatible
media and telecommunications industries and organizations.
Enrollment limited to availability.
0991. Directed Readings
in Communication (1-4 s.h.)
Tutorial course. A specific faculty member must agree to serve
as supervisor before the student registers. Special form needed.
0992. Directed Projects
in Communication (1-8 s.h.)
Tutorial course. A specific faculty member must agree to serve
as supervisor before the student registers. Special form needed.
0993. M.A. Thesis/Project (1-8 s.h.)