2009-2010 University Catalog

Communication

■ Communication

Phone: 703-993-1090
Web: comm.gmu.edu

Faculty

Professors: Boileau, Botan, Decker, Friedley, Kreps (chair), Lichter, Lont, Maibach, McAuley, Rowan (associate chair)

Emeritus professors: Looney, Manchester, Taylor

Associate professors: Gibson, Muir, Nicotera, Villagran

Assistant professors: Cai, Farnsworth, Hopson, Zhao

Term full professor: Pober

Term associate professor: Finn

Term assistant professors: Bedore, Wright

Term research assistant professor: Roser-Renouf

Term instructors: Anderson, M. Dickerson, Haynes, Klein, R. Smith, Talkington, Tomasovic, Warren

Term research instructor: McCutcheon

Adjuncts: Ahmad, Akyeampong, Atwell, Aw, Barber, Beck, Biedrycki, Chaaban, Chilcote, Clark, Cordero, Dance, Dickerhoof, N. Dickerson, Dillon, Doyle, Effros, Feigenbaum, Fisher, Garifo, Gauthier, Gladis, Greiner, Hadji, Hansche, Harzold, Holsonbake, Kahn, Kehoe, Kohlmann, Kraus, Kubiske, Ledford, Lehman, LeValley, Long, Mangus, Mattox, Moss, Outlaw, Payne, Peck, Plaag, Schmeidler, Simpson, Slagle, Stumpo, Suarez, Trowbridge, Van Zummeren, Walsch, Walter, Wilson, Wolyn, R. Wood

Affiliate: J. R. Censer (professor)

Course Work

The Communication Department offers all course work designated COMM in the Courses chapter of this catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

The department offers a BA in communication, which prepares students for graduate study or entry-level positions in such fields as interpersonal and organizational communication, journalism, media production and criticism, persuasive and political communication, and public relations.

Students majoring in communication complete a concentration in from one of these areas: interpersonal and organizational communicaton, journalism, media production and criticism, persuasive and political communication, and public relations.

Internships

The department has an active internship program. Many students include an internship during their senior year as a way of gaining practical experience with national and international businesses, associations, or government agencies.

Student Activities

All students are encouraged to participate in one of the communication activities: Broadside, debate, forensics, GMView, Mason Cable Network, PRSSA, or WGMU.

Honors in the Major

Highly qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Communication majors who have completed 80 credits with an overall minimum GPA of 3.50 and a minimum GPA of 3.50 in communication courses are eligible to apply. They must have satisfactorily completed or be enrolled in COMM 200, 300, 301, 302, 305, and 400. Eligible students are invited to submit a proposal for an honors thesis, and, if the proposal is approved, they are admitted to the program. To receive honors in the major, students must complete specific course work with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and write an acceptible honors thesis. For more information, contact the director of honors in communication.

Minors

The department offers minors in communication, electronic journalism, and sport communication. The latter is offered jointly by the Department of Communication and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism in the College of Education and Human Development. The department faculty also participate in these minors: Film and Media Studies Minor , Multimedia Minor , and Women and Gender Studies Minor .

Students majoring in communication may choose to minor in any discipline that offers an undergraduate minor.

Graduate Programs

The department offers a master’s and a doctoral degree in communication with two major areas of emphasis: strategic communication and health communication. The programs provide students with a strong foundation in communication theory and research while at the same time encouraging students to apply their skills in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

The faculty in strategic communication, drawing on their expertise in public relations theory and research, teach courses on planning, developing, executing, and evaluating public communication campaigns. Faculty in health communication teach courses which explore the relationship between communication practices and the health and well-being of individuals and communities. This ranges from how to improve cooperation and coordination between health care providers and patients to how to develop more effective health promotion campaigns.

Strategic communication and health communication are two of the most rapidly expanding specialties within the broad field of communication. Graduates of these programs find a very welcoming employment market for for their expertise.

Funding

The department offers teaching and research assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.