aCademiC Catalog 2013-2014 - Lorenzo de Medici

century. The course presents the key figures and movements
of Modernism and the underlying philosophical and critical
discourses. The profoundly international character of modern
art, reflected in the art market and gallery scene, linking
France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and an increasingly prominent
America, is explored. Artists studied include Picasso, Matisse,
Duchamp, Kandinsky, Dalì, Klee, and Pollock. Attention is also
given to Italian movements and artists, such as De Chirico,
Savinio, Fontana, and Burri. The first part of the course moves
from Post-Impressionism and related movements (such as
Divisionismo and Verismo in Italy) to the avant-gardes up
to World War II: Cubism, Rationalism, Constructivism, New
Objectivity, Dada, Pittura Metafisica, Surrealism, and Futurism
(containing elements of other movements). The second part
of the course looks at postwar phenomena including Abstract
Expressionism, Neo-Dada, and assemblage.
Prerequisites: ART 186 Art History II, or equivalent
Communications
Introduction to Communication
COM 130 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course surveys the theories of communication relevant
to all contexts (including interpersonal, group, organizational,
mediated, and cultural) and the ways in which contexts affect
the form of communication. The course introduces students to
essential concepts and fundamental theories that describe the
processes, functions, natures, and effects of communication.
General goals of the course are to familiarize students with
the basic concepts of communication and to help them
understand and improve basic skills in relation to interpersonal
communication. Students deal with ethical issues and global
opportunities and challenges offered by communication, and
they have an opportunity to develop their critical thinking and
writing, as well as group work and presentation skills.
Mass Communication
COM 180 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This is an introductory course to mass communication, focusing
on a wide range of old and new media. Thus, the major themes
will be two: “traditional” media (newspapers, magazines, radio,
telephone, Motion Pictures, TV) and “digital” media (personal
computers, Internet, digital TV). Through a “social history” of
the development of mass communication, much attention will
be paid to the “convergence” of old and new, as well as the most
relevant marketing topics (product marketing, advertising). The
course will show how technological changes have influenced
mass media in modern times by increasing their variety and
power. Secondly, it will examine how these changes brought
about new communication possibilities, either as completely
new concepts or in conjunction with existing media. Finally,
the main cultural changes resulting from this evolution will
be analyzed and discussed with regards to individual and
social changes, and political and economic impact and the
role of information in our society. Semiotics is fundamental to
approaching mass communication as a wide-scale linguistic
phenomenon in which transmitters, receivers and messages
can be identified, analyzed and critically interpreted at any
possible level.
New Media: Communication in the Digital Age
COM 182 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
What do we really mean when we use the term “mass media”
today? Is it really the same thing we could have meant twenty
years ago, when television was still the main tool for mass
information? The digital age has introduced new communication
devices (laptops, digital cameras, smart phones, iPods, iPads)
and new virtual places (blogs, chat rooms, social networks,
online shops, peer-to-peer platforms), shaped around our
wants, though often perceived/imposed as “needs.” Following
a two-step program, the student will learn about causes and
effects of the digital revolution: first analyzing features and
functions of all main digital communication devices (and
places), then discussing their influence on us as citizens, artists,
professionals, individuals.
Introduction to Journalism
COM 185 R; Dual listed: WRI 185 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Journalism covers a huge range of output across all media
and is an influential form of communication in almost every
country of the world. Journalism involves the sifting and
editing of information and events; it is about putting ideas and
controversies into context, and it is about the assessment of the
validity and truthfulness of actions or comments. This course
will offer an introduction to the history and practical skills of
print and broadcast journalism. Students will be guided in
researching and interviewing techniques and in writing news
articles, reviews and features for a variety of media. They will
also have hands-on experience in preparing, recording and
editing a radio program or webcast.
Italy on the Radio
COM 230 R; Dual listed: FVM 230 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
This course on radio journalism in Italian context is divided into
two parts. In the first part students learn about contemporary
Italy from a variety of relevant perspectives, in order to help
them understand current issues in Italy, some of which will
feature in the radio work to be undertaken during the second
part of the course. Excerpts from newspapers, magazines
and other media will be analyzed in class, in order to provide
students with the necessary tools to develop stories and reports
by themselves on any contemporary subject. In the second
part of the course students will attend hands-on classes in the
Eco Radio studios, held by professional radio journalists and
producers. Students will be introduced to the world of radio
communications, its history and functioning, the different jobs,
techniques and technologies used, and will create and record a
radio program to be broadcast weekly on Eco Radio.
Media Ethics
COM 245 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Today’s communications are so complex and the problems
they encounter happen so suddenly that we may not have time
to consider all of the ethical implications. Journalists, editors,
professionals in advertising and public relations are called upon
to weigh up potential benefits and harm by their actions in
covering stories, in revealing facts that might otherwise be kept
private, and in respecting conflicting loyalties. They also find
themselves confronted by situations in which they must choose
between actions that seem equally right, or equally wrong.
Wartime and peacetime propaganda, the Western world’s
information system, the PR industry, digital convergence and
new frontiers for mass communication: everyone encounters
ethical dilemmas. The goal of this course is to train you to face
what you will inevitably face in your professional careers and in
your private lives.
Integrated Marketing Communication
COM 262 R; Dual listed: BUS 262 R
Cr: 3; Contact hrs: 45
Marketing communication is one of the most exciting and
stimulating areas in modern marketing. Its importance has
grown dramatically in the recent decades. The means through
which we communicate all around the world have been
affected by the new technological advances. These advances,
such as the Internet, have enabled and eased interaction on a
global scale. Therefore, marketers are looking for new means of
communication that can better gain the attention of customers.
This course will examine the theory and techniques applicable
today to all the major marketing communication functions: ads,
direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, personal
selling and the Internet. It will allow students to research and
evaluate a company’s marketing and promotional situation and
use this information in developing effective communication
strategies and programs.
Prerequisites: BUS 150 Introduction to Marketing, or equivalent.
Recommended: COM 180 Mass Communication, or equivalent
School of Arts & Sciences ROME
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