Concentration in Communication, Citizenship and Public Advocacy

Law, government, issue advocacy, and social activism all rely on effective communication. Leaders in all these fields are required both to craft and respond to arguments as they persuade others, mobilize public opinion, forge consensus and share information. This concentration offers students both a theoretical foundation necessary for understanding the role of communication in a diverse society and intensive practice in creating and presenting messages to a variety of audiences. Through courses in the history and theory of rhetoric, social protest, persuasion, and mass media and politics, students learn about the importance of communication in political and social processes. Through courses in public speaking, argumentation and debate, and speechwriting, students learn to prepare, present, and respond critically to messages aimed at a variety of publics. By combining communication courses with supporting course work in political science, history, sociology, economics, and other areas, students develop a rich understanding of politics and society.

The concentration in Communication, Citizenship and Public Advocacy (CCPA) is intended for students who are interested in positions of leadership in civic life, whether in government, public service, educational or cultural institutions, or non-governmental organizations or social advocacy groups. It is also an excellent program of study for students preparing for law school or for graduate school in communication or public affairs.

Major requirements (39 s.h.):

SPCM core courses (12 s.h.): SPCM 1, 5, 7, 9

Concentration core courses (18 s.h.):

*SPCM 78—Persuasion
SPCM 107—Argumentation and Debate
SPCM 128—American Public Address: The Rhetoric of Conflict and Controversy
*SPCM 138—Social Protest: Rhetoric and Performance
JRNL 60—Fundamentals of Public Relations
MASS 109—The Mass Media, Politics, and Policy Making

Departmental elective courses (at least 9 s.h., chosen from among the following):

SPCM 4—Interpersonal Communication
SPCM 33—Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction
*SPCM 57—Gender and Communication
*SPCM 59—Rhetoric and Popular Culture
*SPCM 77—Speechwriting
SPCM 117—Advanced Public Speaking
SPCM 126—Performance Art: Theory and Practice
*SPCM 129—Performing History

Designated sections of SPCM 150/151, 170/171, 180-189, 198, and 199 may also fulfill CCPA concentration requirements.

Supporting course work in Politics and Public Affairs (18 s.h.):

PSC 105—Contemporary Issues in American Politics (3 s.h.)

Two of the following courses (6 s.h.):

PSC 1—(BH) American Politics
PSC 111—Politics of Race in the United States
PSC 114—Political Parties and the Voter
PSC 115—State and Metropolitan Politics and Governments
PSC 121—The American Presidency
PSC 122—Congress: The National Legislative Process
PSC 134—American Foreign Policy
PSC 141—American Political Thought
PSC 143—Ideas in Conflict: Modern Democratic and Totalitarian Political Thought
PSC 147—Public Opinion and Political Communications
PSC 151—Seminar: American Politics

Three of the following courses (9 s.h.):

ECO 131—Government and Business
ECO 136—Public Finance and Fiscal Policy
ECO 141C—(BH) Labor Economics
ECO 143—Economic Development
HIST 20—(HP) The Present in Historical Perspective
HIST 148—The United States: 1945 to the Present
HIST 157—History of Labor in the United States
HIST 162C—(HP) Protest and Reform in American History
HPFS 63—Community Health Care and Services
HPFS 68—Environmental Health
LEGL 114—Labor and Employment Law
MASS 104—Media and the Law
SOC 102—(BH) Social Institutions
SOC 141—(BH) Urban and Community Studies
SOC 145—(BH) Building Strong Communities: Organizing in Diverse Settings
TPP 110—Energy and Society
TPP 114—Technology and Urban Problems