Academic Calendar 2012/2013

course Descriptions • course Descriptions • course Descriptions • course Descriptions • course Descriptions • course DescriptionsBCSC-301Communication Law3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)Contemporary law and communication technologies have significantlyaffected how information gets to the public: how information isproduced, paid for, presented and circulated. In this course, studentsexamine the influence of media convergence on communicationlaw and the effects of public policy on the development and use oftechnology and media. Although modern communication has noborders, this course emphasizes Canadian laws within a global context.BCSC-306Ethical Practice and Portfolio3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)This course examines common ethical and practical considerationsas students prepare to enter the workplace. Students reflect on theknowledge and skills they have gained in their classroom studyand explore their readiness to work. They then apply their skillsand interests to identify employment opportunities and developemployment materials. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop aportfolio to present to internship employers.Prerequisites: BCSC 301.BCSC-310Strategic Communication Planning3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)In this course, students gain critical information, insights and skillsin strategic communication research and planning. They learn toapply research and planning skills in solving communication issuesor problems. They also learn how to apply S.O.P. (analyzing situation,organization, and the public) as part of the strategic communicationplanning process. Students gain practical experience in developingand crafting key messages as well as producing formal strategiccommunication plans that are vital to advancing organizational andinstitutional interests and goals.Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in BCSC 203.BCSC-313Advanced News Reporting3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)Building on the fundamentals of news reporting, this courseemphasizes thorough research, effective interviewing, and clear, concisewriting as the foundation of good news production. Students confrontincreasingly challenging story assignments as they take their ideasfrom pitch to production for online or print media. The course willalso emphasize new ways of multimedia storytelling and communityengagement, using social media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging.Journalistic ethical standards are examined in complex, real-worldcase studies.Prerequisites: BCSC 210.BCSC-322Interviewing Techniques3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)In this course, students hone their interviewing skills and gain selfconfidencethrough assignments of increasing complexity. Of centralimport is to instill in the student a sense of professionalism and properinterview etiquette. Topics include pre-interview planning and research,types of interviews, interview principles and techniques, choosing andattributing sources, and producing interviews for multimedia platforms.Legal and ethical responsibilities of a journalist are also covered.Prerequisites: BCSC 210.BCSC-323Photojournalism3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)Journalism includes the special talents of photojournalism, telling thenews story through compelling and meaning-filled images. This coursefocusses on the photojournalist’s research into and interpretation of thenews story, planning and taking of photographs. On completion of thiscourse, students are able to engage a reader and arouse emotion as theycombine the reporter’s skill and photographic technique with creativeeffort to report the news through a journalistic lens.Prerequisites: BCSC 210.BCSC-326Rhetoric of Popular Culture3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)Students critique popular culture as a form of rhetoric, deconstructingits arguments and their social and commercial effects. They applyrhetorical theory in major pop culture contexts and investigate theeffects of current media and communications convergence on the formsand content of popular culture. The course contrasts pop culture derivedfrom mainstream and alternative media, and examines hierarchies ofcultural forms, assessing the significant of “high” and “low” culture.Ultimately, students develop the ability to overlay rhetorical principlesonto pop culture media to create powerful tools for change and control.Prerequisites: BCSC 253.BCSC-328Documentary Screenwriting3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)This course focuses on the theory and practice of writing documentaryscreenplays, and the history of this genre. Students examine historicaland contemporary documentaries, emphasizing Canadian productionsand their influence on the documentary form. Students also considerthe ethical decisions requiring filmmakers to align their messageswith information, fact and reality. A brief survey of treatments andfunctions of a documentary (such as training and education, political,social activist, and cultural and art-house films and videos) providesthe foundation for a story idea and treatment, industry-standardoutline and professional shooting script that students will develop inthis course.Prerequisites: BCSC 223BCSC-352The Media and the Message3 Credits (45:0:0 hours)Students learn to serve as a bridge between an organization’s messagesand the demands of the media. First identifying issues that createpositive and negative consequences for an organization, students thenlearn strategies to produce favourable media coverage. They createpitches and stories to attract print, television, radio and web interestresulting in local, national and international circulation. By the endof this course, they are able to coach corporate spokespeople and tomaintain mutually beneficial partnerships with media.Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in BCSC 100.250Grant MacEwan University • A C A D E m I CRefer to the Online Alberta Transfer Guide at www.transferalberta.ca for transfer opportunitiesC A L E N D A R 2012/2013 • www.MacEwan.ca