Course Descriptions

CMNS 100 is designed to equip students with the skills to write clear, well-organized correspondence and work-place documents for ongoing professional development and academic success in applied courses; explore effective writing styles, strengthen clarity and build confidence in their written communication; enhance their ability to read their own written work critically and edit it to a standard appropriate for a professional workplace; create and organize an ePortfolio for a positive on-line presence and for networking and future career-building and to devise, polish and deliver effective short presentations appropriate for work-place peers and managers. Students will develop digital communication pieces with a community partner as a work-integrated learning experience.

This course seeks to foster a spirit of critical inquiry as to how communication and meaning-making processes relate to the structures and experience of everyday life. The course introduces students to problems, issues, and debates in media, communication technologies, communication systems, symbolic exchange, interpersonal and intercultural communication.

Students learn various communications skills necessary for success in the animation industry. Content includes presentation, writing and research skills, and scriptwriting for animation.

This course introduces students to business writing for the documentary industry. Students will write correspondence, proposals, fact sheets, production notes, media releases, and résumés using business formats.

This course examines the emergence and importance of mass media in society. It explores theoretical considerations and approaches in communication studies, including the role of mass media in democracy, political economy of media, critical studies and media structures. A number of media industries are examined, including print, broadcast, film and the Internet. This is a writing intensive course.

This course introduces students to business writing for the visual effects industry. Students will write correspondence, proposals, production notes, media releases and resumes using business formats.

This writing for the workplace course covers letters, memoranda, and reports as well as a review of English basics in the context of business writing.

This writing for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management course covers reports, memoranda, press releases, articles, briefs and proposals.

This course emphasizes English basics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, correct usage), proofreading skills, and business writing.

This course develops communication and academic skills needed for international students to continue their tourism education and understand the workplace environment. Topics will cover team, interpersonal, verbal and nonverbal, problem solving and critical thinking skills as well as notetaking, summarizing, outlining, and proposal writing skills.

This course in writing and speech for wilderness-leadership professionals covers business correspondence, spoken presentations, and proposals.

This course focuses on the dynamics of organizing material, overcoming shyness and developing poise as a speaker in a variety of contexts. Attention to research, voice training, nonverbal communication, and strategies for timing presentations are key components of this course. In addition, this course uses video equipment, enabling students to see themselves on camera, as well as to benefit from feedback from others, as they refine their ability to project, to organize their thoughts, and to address audience needs.

This course covers developing story ideas, pitching, researching, reporting and non-fiction writing for publication in print or online. The course emphasizes the use of story-telling devices and interviewing skills to make written pieces effective and compelling. The format is meant to simulate the process of publication in the real world. The focus is on understanding the medium and the audience, and learning by doing. Students will write articles that can serve as ePortfolio writing samples.

This course introduces students to a variety of perspectives on the history of media and guides them through a history of social and cultural development as seen from the perspective of transformations in communication, symbol systems, and media technologies from orality to networked digital media.

This course focuses on researching, organizing, writing and editing extensive business documents: reports, proposals, memoranda, and media releases. Emphasis is on clear style and logical organization.

This course offers a critical introduction to the study of popular culture and popular media. This course explores the development of contemporary popular culture as an expression of the tensions unleashed by the emergence of mass consumer society, post-industrialism and media. It explores critical issues in popular culture and media through an examination of key debates, historical trends, and ethical issues.

CMNS 223 is intended to familiarize students with the role of designers and illustrators in business, and to define a broad resource of opportunities as they acquire the vocabulary, conceptual skills, and writing competencies appropriate to a wide variety of professional contexts in illustration and design.

This course introduces students to print, broadcasting, film, the Internet, and other cultural industries in Canada and internationally. It explores the business structure and economics of principal sectors, and key regulatory and policy issues in their social, political, cultural, and global contexts. It utilizes cultural theory and political economy approaches to study and critically analyze these industries and their role in society.

This course introduces students to the institution and industry of making news in our society. It focuses on the social, political, professional, economic and technological forces which both shape and constrain news production in modern Canadian news organizations. Students are expected to monitor print, broadcast and online news on a regular basis throughout the course.

This course examines the historical development and the political-economic and cultural dynamics of television as one of the key media of the past 100 years. Using frameworks derived from cultural studies and television studies, the course will explore the world that television created and the ways in which this medium continues to shape contemporary culture.

This course introduces students to the main software programs used in the magazine publishing industry for text, page and image formatting for print and digital publishing. Familiarity with computers and knowledge of word processing programs are recommended.

The course includes the examination of technical reports and the study of the role of technical writing in corporate and scientific settings. It covers technical writing for science, engineering and the professions and emphasizes definitions, process analysis, writing instructions, resume preparation, and an extended formal report.

This course explores the historical development and current issues raised by digital media. It sees digital media not only as tools, but as an environment within which certain complex and conflictual cultural, political, psychological and economic tendencies take shape. These tendencies are seen as embedded in both design aspects of digital media and in everyday digital media practices.

This course examines concepts, research and practice that capture how interpersonal communication shapes our social environment and inner lives. It explores interaction occurring in a variety of contexts (self, family, romantic relationships, group, and work interactions) using socio-psychological, sociocultural, critical theory, and social neuroscience tools. The course also cultivates personal reflection and application of interpersonal skills.

This course serves as an introduction to the practices and methods of applied quantitative research. Students will exercise their curiosity and intellects as they explore and apply scientific research methodology through readings, discussions, and lectures. The course provides for a deepening of students' understanding of theoretical and practical frameworks for conducting quantitative research using a variety of statistical methods as applied within communication studies.

The purpose of this course is to help Communication students develop skills in finding and interpreting print and electronic documents. It is a course in which students learn by doing in practical research assignments. The course raises for discussion and analysis topics such as database research techniques, web page evaluation, documents and secondary sources, archives and libraries, and government executive and legislative documents.

The course introduces students to a variety of qualitative research methods utilized within Communication and Media Studies. It also explores the philosophical, ethical, and political backgrounds against which the social construction of knowledge in understandings of communication, media, and society takes place. We will approach qualitative research not only as a set of techniques for gathering and evaluating data, but as a nest of problems posed to responsible, ethical, politically aware knowledge-building practice.

Using photography as a focus, this course explores vision as a physiological and psychological phenomenon, examines the history and use of the camera and develops a number of perspectives for analyzing images. Students examine different aspects of visual media, including typography, newspapers, magazines, advertising, movies, television/video and computer images, analyzing the framed world in mass media representation.

This course provides students with the persuasive tools that experienced presenters employ to achieve their objectives. Students will learn to craft a strong delivery, even in difficult circumstances, and use storytelling skills to make their presentations more interesting and effective. Students will prepare presentations for special situations such as international conferences, convention exhibits, and collaborative projects.

This course is an introduction to the study of advertising as social communication. Advertising will be examined as a system for social reproduction, rather than the psychological effects or marketing strategies of individual ads and campaigns. The key objective of the course is to provide a historical perspective on the development of consumer capitalism and its distinctiveness from other social and cultural formations.

In today's increasingly digitally-connected and knowledge-based economy, communication skills are crucial for professional success across a wide array of sectors. Grounded in concepts in intercultural learning, the course inspires students to cultivate proficiency and confidence in workplace and interpersonal communication, including written correspondence, reports, proposals, presentations and digital projects.

This course is designed to apply communication theory and practices to a specific global communication industry; videogames. This course is a comparative introduction to the history and theory of videogames as cultural artifacts and provides a deeper understanding of the historical, political, cultural factors that come into play in the complexity of a seemingly simply activity of game playing. This course aims to introduce students to academic discussions on a creative work in new digital forms, including: gamification; narratology and ludology; fandom; game law and the industry; the new gaming economy and game journalism and criticism.

This course introduces students to ethical questions around communication at the interpersonal, intercultural, organizational and societal levels. It situates this exploration in the context of the role communication plays in fostering democratic societies and how the organization of communication relates to some of the key values of such societies - equality, autonomy, self-determination, mutual respect, and co-operation.

This course introduces students to the development of legal and political frameworks around information and communication from the printing press to the Internet, with a focus on areas legal and policy development - censorship, security and privacy, intellectual property, and access to information. The course examines the contexts in which policy and legal frameworks develop, the various positions of stakeholder groups and the problems and challenges raised for legislators and policy-makers.

This course introduces students to problems, issues, and practices in the area of communication and conflict management. The course seeks to cultivate critical inquiry and personal reflection into how communication processes relate to the experience of conflict at the interpersonal, small and large group, and international level. It will also foster the development of personal skills and strategies for dealing with different levels of conflict in a variety of settings.

This course introduces the view from the editor’s desk in popular media. How are newspapers, magazines and websites put together? How do editors interact with publishers, sales staff and writers to ensure a publication’s success? What imperatives are driving today’s industry, and the changes in it? Students will learn how a range of editorial departments function, and will get hands-on training to help them edit others’ work to industry standards.

This course examines theories and perspectives on leadership, teamwork, diversity, globalization, and ethics in organizational communication. In addition, this course provides opportunities for students to develop an increased understanding of; the communication process in organizations; an ability to sense accurately the meanings and feelings of oneself and others in the organization; improved skills in interacting, conflict management, and decision making; and a well-defined sense of organizational as well as interpersonal ethics.

This course examines technology not as a diverse set of tools, but as a system for the organisation of human relations, interactions and practices. We look at how technology expresses cultural, political, and economic values and how, as a result, it is both shaped by and shapes the conflicts, issues, and potentials of contemporary societies. Special areas of focus include production and human labour, the ethics of biotechnology and genomics, and climate change and sustainability.

Intended for students registered in the Tourism Management degree program, CMNS 354 develops advanced skills in written and verbal communications, including technical writing, presentation skills, and information technology applications.

This course is designed to develop critical inquiry skills around communication and meaning-making processes related to intercultural experiences, relationships and social justice. Students will develop a multi-level understanding of the complex role of communication in intercultural exchange, including key issues and theory and how they impact, and are impacted by, culture and ethnicity. This will include personal reflection on the student’s experience with others and developing skills to bridge cultural divisions.

This course provides an overview of the range of skills and strategies required for working in corporate, community and government communication fields. It focuses on information and media design, and utilizes a case-study approach in which students work both alone and in groups in simulated communication projects. The course covers topics such as relations with the public, media and government, internal organizational communication, working with stakeholders/investors, crisis communication, corporate advertising and public branding.

This course considers the role of photography as a central form of visual communication within the history of mass media, from its invention in the nineteenth century up to the present day. The questions guiding our study will be: what evidence does the photographic image provide when it comes to understanding the violent fabric of modern social life? Is photography a witness to truth, or an opportunity for fantasy?

This course covers magazine design from both theoretical and practical points of view. Topics include an historical overview of magazine design in North America, a survey of the various roles and tasks of art directors, photographers, photo editors and designers in magazines, and the four elements in publication design: images, typography, colour, and layout.

This course provides an in depth analysis of a variety of expressive cultural forms - music, fashion, television, fine art, and film - and provides a context in which students can engage in the craft of evaluation, analysis and critique of such forms for diverse media outlets. Its aim is to bring a critical awareness of popular culture and a set of expressive, editorial and critical skills together in the production of works of cultural criticism.

This course explores the structure, development and impacts of print, focusing on the consumer and trade publication industry. The course explores the history of publishing in connection with changes in technology, society, and politics. It examines the structure of the publishing industry and its influence over the publishing process, and the challenges posed by new media. In the second half of the semester, students are guided in the development of a business plan for a consumer publication.

This course examines the way in which communication mediates the relationship between organizations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and the publics that they serve. It differentiates between the basic communication goals of organizations in each of these sectors, guides students in the critical analysis of public and media relations campaigns, and raises questions of ethics in the communications processes conducted by organizations to promote their activities or agendas.

This course is an industry practicum arranged by the student with faculty assistance. Classroom sessions prepare the student for the practicum, and further preparation is provided in co-requisite courses.

Following on the learning objectives activated in CMNS 305, this course applies further intercultural teaching strategy to encourage students to advance confidently towards overall fineness in business communication. As students devise, apply and upgrade their written and verbal communication, they journalize their progress in a digital portfolio that platforms their achievement and aids in their pursuit of management roles in international business.

This course will be offered to provide students with the opportunity to examine in depth some aspect of the field of communication or some specialized area of concern not otherwise offered in our core curriculum. Normally such courses will take advantage of the short-term availability of some specific expertise, such as faculty exchange or overseas offering.

In this course engages students in an extended case analysis of an area of communication policy and/or law. Such cases could include Canadian content regulations, digital copyright (or copyleft), open license or open source, the impacts of changing national security policies on access to and collection of information, or privacy legislation in the digital era. Each group will be guided in and responsible for the production of a report and presentation highlighting their findings.

This course engages students in a project-based, case study approach to the analysis of crisis situations from the standpoint of communication factors and information flows. It asks students to develop a communication plan around a crisis situation; to analyse documentation in order to understand the nature of the crisis; and to suggest solutions to mitigate future crises.

This course introduces students to techniques of context-based technology assessment and asks them to produce a formal report and presentation that explores the impacts of a digital media device or information technology application in some sphere of working or social life.

This course introduces students to the practical processes of research design and practice through an exploration of case studies in audience research, media impacts and the symbolic dimensions of everyday life. The case studies will give students the opportunity to engage critically in evaluating research design, methodology and ethical issues in particular areas of communication study, with an eye to developing a proposal for their own original theses (in CMNS 499).

This course facilitates the production of a prototype magazine intended to showcase the research, writing and editing skills introduced in previous CMNS courses. Working collaboratively, students choose a theme, a target audience and editorial voice for a proposed consumer, trade or contract magazine of their choice, and then plan, write and edit the content.

This asks students to research and liaise with a non-profit organization, political party or public advocacy group to identify its key message and to define its target audience and stakeholders. Project groups will design strategies to give the message "top of mind" presence through appropriate and widespread publicity. Groups will plan and simulate a news conference, including a prepared statements and media training for the speaker.

Under the supervision of an instructor, students engage in a work placement in some area of professional communication practice. Students will keep reflective journal of their work experience, produce two interim progress reports, and present a final report linking their work experience to their program-based learning.

Under the supervision of a faculty member, students conduct and present original research in an area of communication studies in the form of a short project. Students will present and defend their project for completion of their degree.