PhD in Arts, Media and Communication

Year One

Year Two

Year Three

OPTIONAL (Student should choose two courses from the Optional Courses)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

MEDC 737: Writing for Media Communications: Scriptwriting:

This course helps students develop several styles of nonfiction video scriptwriting for broadcast and non-broadcast media, including corporate scriptwriting, news-feature writing, and documentary-style scripting.

MEDC 738: Writing for Media Communications: Journalism:

Writing for journalism is intended to give the student an understanding of the various genres of journalistic expression, including the hard-news story, feature story, and investigative story, as well as interpretive and explanatory journalism. Additionally, students are introduced to the trends of journalistic writing, from yellow and tabloid journalism to muckraking and the new civic journalism. Students can expect a number of writing/reporting assignments in this course.

MEDC 742: Writing for Media Communications: Interactive Scriptwriting

Development of the script in adherence to the planning vehicle requires a thorough understanding of the primary and secondary tasks of the interactive environment. This script must provide full detail for execution of the planning vehicle. Scripting for computer-based training, point of information, point of sale, and other deployments are discussed in this course.

MEDC 749: Media Production Management: Interactive:

This course prepares students to manage the variety of disciplines involved in the development and production of interactive media. Students learn to manage projects from the concept and script, video, audio, and screen design to programming and testing. Budgeting, invoicing, scheduling, flowcharting, treatment, presentation, and delivery platforms are examined.

MEDC 766: Professional Seminars:

Students may supplement the core and elective courses in media communications with professional seminars designed to examine contemporary issues in this field. Course may be repeated for credit if content differs. Graduate students may apply a maximum of 3 credit hours of these seminars as electives to meet the credit-hour requirements for graduation. This course may not be completed by directed study.

MEDC 717: Introduction to Interactive Communications:

A practical introduction to interactive media, this course addresses concept, design and production strategies, technical aspects of production and publication, and practical applications of interactive media in educational, commercial, and public environments.

MEDC 776: Topics in Media Communications:

This course offers a variety of topics to address emerging theories, practices, and applications in the field of communications. Topics are timely and of interest to professionals currently working in or pursuing media-related careers. Classes may focus on such topics as campaign strategy and political power; video and media literacy; ethical issues in the media; advertising account planning; applications for podcasting and blogs; creating cultural change through organizational communications; etc.

MEDC 744: Media Organization and Regulations:

The student examines the legal structure of the media communications industry. The course focuses on the formation, rationale, and implications of policies that form the basis of media law and regulation.

MEDC 746: International Communications:

This course focuses on the history, issues, and future of international communications. The class considers individual media systems, including different understandings of the role of the media, freedom of press and information in different areas of the world; parity between distribution of news and the shaping of the public mind; international stereotyping; and international propaganda. The course also examines the relationship between national and global media systems and the role of international communications in the development of the new world order.

MEDC 752: Practicum:

Students undertake, with the supervision of a qualified professional, an approved internship in a media-related setting. The work experience involves professional media duties. The academic experience involves attendance at seminars and written work. The outline of duties and evaluative methods are established by the student and the internship mentor and approved by the mentor prior to initiation of the program.

MEDC 747: Media Production Management:

This course exposes the student to the principles of management, planning, and execution of media-oriented activities and events. The student examines the role and functions of the manager of media-oriented projects: pre-production organization and research, proposal writing, scheduling, and budgeting.

MEDC 752: Media Communications Technology:

The student explores new technologies in mass communications and the choices that these technologies present in the area of media communications. Course content focuses on the impact of computer technology, artificial intelligence, and wireless technology on business and government and the increasing reliance on the management and communication of information. Future applications, active media technology, E-commerce and Web services, and Web-based social networks are also considered.

MEDC 784: Media Research:

This course introduces students to the major research methodologies, communication theories, and topics of study within media research. Theories, models, and methods are applied toward the development of research projects. Students discuss and examine qualitative and quantitative methods of media research employed by various aspects of the media.

MEDC 751: Video for Interactive Communications:

The production of short segment video bytes for interactive applications differs significantly from conventional video production. Video production for nonlinear access is discussed, and tools and methods are examined. Students are responsible for the planning and development of a series of video shorts.

MEDC 747: New Media Tools:

Students learn about a variety of media used in electronic and digital environments, from the World Wide Web to DVD. Topics include streaming video and audio on the Web, compression, and equipment or tools necessary to use an interactive program or Web site. Students study examples of existing interactive programs (e. g. Web sites, CD-ROM, DVD) as well as develop strategies to solve real-world problems. Note: This is not a production course.

MEDC 799: Thesis Project in Media Communications:

The student synthesizes and integrates the learning experiences from all previous media communications courses and researches a specific topic to complete a thesis project relevant to the student's media communications major. The student must submit a written project proposal. Prerequisite: Completion of all other graduate courses and approval of written project proposal by the director of Graduate Studies and the dean of the School of Communications. The written project proposal must follow current thesis guidelines and include appropriate graduate thesis forms.

MEDC 762: Audio for Interactive Communications:

Students learn how to develop and produce the audio component for a variety of interactive programs. The students will learn how to work with sound engineers and composers, how to record sound in the studio and the field, and how to use ProTools software. Students will also explore different compression techniques and study a variety of delivery systems/environments.

MEDC 764: Visual Design for Interactive Communications:

Integration of traditional commercial art techniques into dynamic interactive modules is the focus of this course. Proper visual cues for response, efficient use of color, and logical design of decision points are examined in detail. Still-frame images from live video are used in combination with graphic design. Human factor issues in the development of interactive media are analyzed.

MEDC 759: Special Topics in Interactive Media:

This course addresses current and significant issues in interactive media and interactive communications. The course focuses on existing theories and practices, with emphasis on new and emerging topics and technologies in this field.

MEDC 767: Interactive Project Management:

The interactive project represents the integration and implementation of all previous interactive courses. This project is composed of two elements: the interactive project itself, and the planning and production documents associated with the project. The project culminates in a demonstration and presentation to the project review faculty.

MEDC 800: Seminar in Media Communications:

In this course, students are expected to synthesize and integrate the learning experiences acquired in all graduate media communications courses and to evaluate current media communications research topics relative to a particular area of interest. Techniques used to accomplish these goals may vary, but students should seek to add to the body of media communications knowledge with all capstone research papers. Papers used in previous courses cannot be resubmitted or repackaged in order to meet the requirements of this course. However, it is acceptable to continue researching ideas which students may have pursued during their degree program, building on them to complete the large, comprehensive paper required in this capstone course. Students are encouraged to have their capstone research paper topics approved prior to the start of class.

MEDC 899: Thesis