Graduate Catalog - Shippensburg University

Shippensburg UniversityCOM451 Electronic Field Production (3 crs.)Designed to develop and train visual essayists — single-camera videographerswho link pictures, words, and sound to create electronicstories. Creates, develops, and polishes skills and techniques neededto produce video documentaries, corporate videos, and live event productions.Skills and techniques include telling the visual story withoutwords; writing and shooting long-form TV stories, interviews andfeatures; learning visual grammar; perfecting video editing; and developingon-camera performance abilities. Prerequisites: COM224 andCOM284, or permission of instructor.COM452 Electronic News Gathering (3 crs.)Focus is preparation for careers as professional electronic journalists.Emphasizes development of news judgment, journalistic responsibilities,and journalistic ethics. Students work in classroom and televisionenvironments to acquire and improve reporting, writing, and technicalskills needed to succeed in the electronic newsroom. Introducesthe culture of the broadcast news environment, including meetingdeadlines and working in a team environment both in the field and inthe newsroom. Prerequisites: COM 224 and COM 284, or permission ofinstructor.COM460 Case Studies in Public Relations (3 crs.)Reviews current public relations principles and practices as relatedto business, governments, institutions, and associations. Examinesthe application of PR principles and practices in the management ofcontemporary public issues and problems. Prerequisite: Basic courseworkin communication/journalism, including a media writing course orpermission of instructor.COM470 Advanced Digital Photographic Communication (3 crs.)Introduces principles of digital photography and teaches basiccompetencies to apply standard photo concepts to the realm ofdigital imaging. Includes history of digital photography, techniquesof composition, and basic processes of producing digital photographsfrom electronic and traditional camera images. Emphasis on practicaltechnique with electronic equipment (cameras, scanners, photo CDs,and other methods of image acquisition) and the manipulation ofimages through applications like Adobe Photoshop. Students areexpected to develop an understanding of the relationship of digitalphotography to their professional goals. Different evaluation criteriaapplied to graduate/undergraduate students. Prerequisite: COM360 orpermission of the instructor.COM476 Magazine Design (3 crs.)Provides opportunity to examine, discuss, and create periodical publications(magazines) in a variety of specialized formats. Develops skillsin understanding and creating periodical publications by focusing onwriting and design. Examines a variety of magazines to provide anunderstanding of content, typography, design, layout, and production.Students learn to create promotional materials necessary todevelop audience for periodical publication. Students write and editseveral stories for their own publication, which is final course project.Students produce a 32-page magazine as this final project. Graduatestudents conduct market research analysis and a strategic promotionalplan in addition to standard coursework. Prerequisite: basic courseworkin communication/journalism, including a media writing course orpermission of instructor.COM478 Digital Journalism (3 crs.)Focus on the changing nature of technology and its use in news organizationsto gather, analyze, synthesize, and disseminate information.Focuses on developing, researching, and writing specialized storiesfor newspaper and magazine websites. Students learn to approachstories as packages, developing story ideas that can be presented inwritten, audio, and video formats. Focuses on writing and editing,written narrative, and capturing and editing digital audio and digitalvideo segments, developing accompanying links, and designing astory package to be presented in print and on a website. Prerequisite:basic coursework in communication/journalism, including a media writingcourse or permission of instructor.COM481 Interactive Media Design (3 crs.)Study in interactive communication with primary emphasis on webdesign and content; course focuses on practical application of contemporaryinteractive web design software to create online materialsand messages. Different evaluation criteria applied to graduate/undergraduate students.COM482 Internet Communication (3 crs.)Introductory course with fundamental knowledge concerning theconstruction, use, and importance of world wide web media for thecommunications industries. Students construct an actual websiteconcentrating on the usability of web pages and websites while applyingskills gained in class to work with real world clients. Prerequisite:basic coursework in communication/journalism, including a media writingcourse or permission of instructor.COM484 Electronic Media Programming and Management (3 crs.)Provides students with insights into the programming and managementof: local TV and radio stations; local cable TV systems; nationalTV, radio, and cable TV networks; national DBS, DTH, and wirelesscable services; and international Internet program providers. Emphasison issues involving program creation and development, programscheduling, program distribution, audience evaluation of programs,and the management of station/system/network personnel. Prerequisite:basic coursework in communication/journalism, including a mediawriting course or permission of instructor.COM490, 491, 492 Selected Topics in Communication/Journalism(1-3 crs.)Opportunity to offer courses in areas of departmental major interestnot covered by the regular courses. Prerequisite: basic coursework incommunication/journalism, including a media writing course or permissionof instructor.COM505 Public Relations Foundations (3 crs.)Zeroes in on two elements of PR that have come to the fore in thelast few years: international PR and online PR tactics, particularlysocial media. Also emphasizes two ongoing concerns of PR professionals:ethics and research.COM506 Public Relations Strategies (3 crs.)Covers the techniques and approaches to strategic planning, strategicwriting, and graphic/media design for organizational public relations.In strategic planning, students learn how to develop objectives, formulatestrategies, select tactics and implement plans for public relationsactivities that can better serve the organization’s goals. Strategicwriting emphasizes goal-oriented writing for a convergent world ofprint, broadcast, and online/social media. Crisis communication alsostudied. Also address a creative skill—graphic/media design—forpublic relations in a digital media environment.COM510 Professional Seminar (3 crs.)Guides students through the process of developing and implementingstrategies for intelligent and effective media engagement withaudiences, any company’s or corporation’s primary obligation. Focusis largely on the study of social media as a channel to meet thatneed. Using case studies and analysis of available social media tools,and proven corporate social media strategies, course helps studentsunderstand the landscape of social media as a powerful form ofcommunications by which to meet established business objectives,connect with or grow in the realm of international relations, becomemore aware and proficient in visual communications, and incorporatecommunication ethics.COM511 Modes of Film Communication (3 crs.)Reviews the theory, history, and criticisms of films; analyzes the contentand roles of various modes of film such as documentary, exposition,etc.; provides writing opportunities for the film medium.76