Course Descriptions

Required Courses

480.600 – Research and Writing Methods
Sophisticated communication professionals need to understand how to create and evaluate knowledge. This course is designed to improve critical thinking skills. It exposes students to the logic and conduct of research aimed at producing generalizable knowledge about human communication so that students can find, read, understand, and use communication research in their daily work. Toward that end, the course introduces students to the logic of systematic investigation and to research methods common to the field of communication. Students also learn how to read and understand statistics. Topics include how to use library resources to inform communication practice, how to conduct focus groups, interviews, surveys, and experiments. Many classes focus on how we know what we know and what methods are best used to answer different kinds of communication questions. Students are strongly urged to take this course in their first semester.

480.800 – Thesis
This course is designed to guide students though the thesis process. It is the last course students take in finishing their master's degrees. Students select a topic for original research and conduct and write up their research in the course of the class. Students are encouraged to select a topic that will be useful in the workplace and that can be part of their professional portfolio. Students receive guidance in both the writing and the process of conducting research and support one another as they write their theses. Graduation is subject to approval of the thesis by the thesis committee and completion of a successful defense. To meet the defense deadline, students are encouraged to enter the class with a clear of idea of what they would like to research and make progress each week. Students must finish their proposal and literature review during this course. Students who don't will be required to repeat the class.

480.888 – Thesis Continuation
Students not finishing the thesis during the term in which they enroll in the Thesis course must enroll in Thesis Continuation in every ensuing semester (including summer) until they complete their degrees. It is not possible to take a semester off or a leave of absence while working on your thesis.

Core Courses

(Students must take at least two of four)

480.601 – Introduction to the Digital Age
The digital age is changing not only how communication professionals communicate with publics but also how people access, understand, and process information. As a result, digital tools are an increasingly important part of the modern communicator’s tool kit. This course examines empirical research that will help communication professionals in the digital age. Topics include creating usable and credible websites and effective internet advertising. The course will also examine blogs, social networking, and digital journalism. The digital age will be explored through primary research across a range of subjects including public relations, political communication, and health communication. Note: This is a new course and description as of fall 2009. Students who took 480.601 Introduction to the Digital Age prior to fall 2009 may take it again with the new content.

480.603 – Political Economy of Mass Communication
Political, economic, technological, and regulatory forces shape communications industries. This course looks at how these forces combine to govern the flow of entertainment and information within and across national boundaries. Topics include government regulation, media concentration, and globalization as well as consumer freedom, labor issues, and advertising.

480.604 – Media Theory
This course surveys major theories about mass media, focusing on those theories that have empirical support. The course covers readings on how media affect what people think about, how people underestimate the effect of media on themselves, and how media affect what we see as the causes and solutions to social problems. The course also explores subliminal advertising, violence on television, the media's role in dividing and uniting society, and the role of commercialization on news production. Other topics include diffusion of innovations, cultivation theory, and the hostile media effect.

480.606 – Persuasion Research
Underlying virtually all communication is the idea of persuasion. This course tackles how one creates a persuasive message, whether it is a press release, speech, advertisement, or letter. The primary goal of this course is to examine major theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence about what makes messages persuasive. Topics covered include source characteristics such as expertise, trustworthiness, and likeability; the use of emotions such as fear and humor; and the sequencing of messages for maximum impact. The course explores how psychological theories about consistency, conformity, and reciprocity help us understand what is persuasive and why.

Elective Courses

(Students must select six)

480.605 – Organizational Communication
This course introduces students to issues such as the function of communication in organizational planning, strategy, and marketing; the role of communication in organizational transformation and change; issues in knowledge management, transparency, assessment, and accounting; the politics of communication in organizations; communication issues in collaboration and negotiation; communication leadership; managing electronic and written communication; risk communication; cross-cultural communication; and communication ethics. The course also introduces students to a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods for analyzing and assessing communication in organizations.

480.623 – Political Communication Campaigns
This course exposes students to practical applications of modern political communication. Through discussion and example, students gain working knowledge of recent and current campaign communication operations and their effectiveness, as well as an understanding of where the modern political communication operation and political media are heading in the 21st century. Students will learn about the latest technological advancements and their role in the modern political campaign, while gaining practical knowledge of a political press office or a political campaign press office. The course also examines the duties of a political press secretary, a media advisor or communication director, and the media professionals who cover them.

480.624 – Press Secretary: Theory and Practice
This class focuses on the skills required to be a press secretary and communication advisor working both inside and outside of government. It examines the roles, duties and responsibilities of press secretaries in a variety of settings: working for members of Congress, federal agencies, the White House, industry associations, non-profits, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns. It provides insight from journalists — the immediate audience for much a press secretary’s efforts — about effective techniques. Students will create a variety of materials and deal with typical situations that a press secretary faces in the course of a day. By the end of the course, students will be able to draft and distribute materials such as press releases, op-ed pieces, “talking points,” press strategy memos, and plan a press conference.

480.625 – History of Communication Technology
The field of communication is increasingly defined by the technologies that make communications possible. Yet technology is "path dependent": today's devices and systems have certain characteristics because the technologies they evolved from had similar characteristics, and tomorrow's devices will evolve from today's technologies. Thus, if we want to know where technology is headed, we need to understand where it's been. Through lectures, readings, and discussions, the course examines the evolution of several communications technologies. Governments have habitually served as the Influencers-in-Chief of communications technologies, and the course will pay particular attention to the role of government (as funder of R&D, as First Buyer of new technologies, through enabling legislation, and through regulation and oversight), as well as the role of politics, in shaping technologies such as broadcasting, satellite, wireless, and the internet. Individual research projects will enable each student to explore a topic of particular interest.

480.629 – Public Relations in the Age of Digital Influence
Marketing and communication are changing. The levers that we have pulled for years to sell products and services, change behaviors, and advocate for causes no longer work the way they did. As trust in media and marketing plummets, trust in our peers, friends, family, and colleagues rises. Today we recognize new influencers in the people sitting next to us. Now, creating a conversation is just as important as driving media, forming partnerships and crafting messages. Call it influencer marketing. Call it brand stewardship in the network age. It's all public relations. This class will cover how to create comprehensive digital-influence strategies and ultimately how to be an effective public relations professional in this new digital age.

480.630 – Essential Skills in Digital Media Literacy
This course teaches students how to become effective at creating, accessing, analyzing, and evaluating various digital media through instruction in media production skills and by applying the latest innovations in media literacy theory. The course focuses on the the essential skills communication professionals need to create digital content (including digital slide presentation, photo manipulation, video/audio production, web site, blog and podcast publishing). At the same time, students will learn how to analyze media content and explore how media shape politics, culture, and society.

480.632 – Digital Political Strategy
No president will ever be elected again without an internet strategy. Mobile phones and Facebook are being used to organize mass protests. Thanks to YouTube, two Senators lost their elections. Bloggers took down former CBS anchor Dan Rather and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. Clearly, the world of political and issue campaigns has changed in the digital age. In this course students will explore new strategies possible in a networked world and learn what it takes to be a digital political strategist.

480.634 – Journalism in the Digital Age
Journalism in the Digital Age will explore the impact of citizen journalism, social networking sites, online video, mobile technology and other aspects of new media on the media industry and the practice of traditional and online journalism. The course also will examine issues relating to the "digital journalist as entrepreneur" in the rapidly evolving media marketplace, and the implications of changes in journalism for public affairs professionals.

480.635 – Communication.org: Not-for-profits in the Digital Age
Since 2005, a majority of every major demographic group in the U.S. has been online. For non-profit communication professionals, knowing how to reach people online has grown ever more important. Students will learn the basics of online communication, including best practices for the many online communication channels and how to integrate online and offline efforts. Students develop plans, budgets, and metrics for evaluating online communication programs, as well as examine what the future holds for non-profit communicators.

480.637 – Using Social and Digital Media
This course introduces students to the emerging technologies that are defining the digital age and changing the way media, politics, and our daily lives are conducted. The course explores social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging, podcasting, and Digg, helping students to understand the cultural implications of the Internet as well as the underlying technical concepts and infrastructure of digital media. This semester, we will look at social media through the lens of companies, non-profits, advocacy groups, and government agencies that are engaging customers, constituents, and advocates through these platforms. Note: Prior to fall 2009 this course was taught under the title Introduction to the Digital Age. Students who took that course may not register for this class as the content is the same.

480.638 – Internet Strategies: Commerce, Communities, Government
This innovative and challenging course explores, and requires students to analyze, the dramatic impact the Internet has on our society. Geared toward communication professionals and others looking to stay on top of Internet trends and strategies, the course requires students to design a comprehensive Internet campaign for their final project. Topics covered in the course include Internet marketing plans, net ratings research; and web innovations in politics and elections, nonprofits, community, e-commerce, search, VoIP and video, news and blogs, and local government. Students learn from lectures, guest speakers, and required and recommended course readings.

480.639 – Publishing: Print to Digital
Publishing is a cornerstone of communication; this course examines its pivotal role. Whether in print or online, most of what we read and much of what we view comes to us through the work of publishers. In response to the information revolution, publishing organizations are reinventing themselves as information and content providers. Mergers and new technologies confront publishing with new economics, new marketing strategies, and new vehicles for preserving material and making it available. Is traditional publishing dead? The course explores recent and expected changes in the publishing industry and how those changes will affect us.

480.642 – CSR Communication Strategies
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement is a world-wide phenomenon and corporations, trade associations and non profits are being asked to step up and be accountable. Public relations and communication professionals need to develop the skills to prepare strategic communication plans that reflect their organization's commitment to CSR in order to protect and enhance their employer's reputation in the marketplace. This course will examine the global CSR movement, explore the communication challenges it presents and offer practical suggestions and tactics to respond to this trend. The class will feature in-class activities, outside research and guest speakers from NGOs, communication firms and major corporations with practical advice on meeting this challenge in the global marketplace.

480.643 – Branding and Advertising
Branding and advertising are major components of any business or non-profit organization. Being able to showcase products and services offered in creative ways will increase visibility and improve sales. This course will teach students how to develop brands, create concepts, and develop advertising campaigns. Students will also learn practical tips including how to organize a creative department, how to write a creative brief, how to create budgets and time-lines, how to research and purchase visual imagery, and how to determine appropriate media for particular branding and advertising campaigns. Knowledge of a design program and Power Point is important, as presentations will be made with PPT.

480.646 – Managerial Communication
Writer and historian James Humes said, "The art of communication is the language of leadership." It is that simple comment that forms the foundation of this course. Here the student will explore the role of communication with stakeholders including subordinates, superiors, internal and external customers, suppliers, and the community. Students will examine effective communication in hiring and promoting, in conflict, in community interaction and in the internal communication of an organization. The class is built around three precepts: with whom does one communicate, what does one communicate and how does one communicate effectively. This assessment is conducted from the perspective of senior leadership in an organization so it involves the design and successful implementation of vision, mission, and strategic plans.

480.653 – Communicating for Social Change
This course surveys the latest techniques used by non-profit and for-profit sectors to promote social causes. As the boundaries blur between the social and corporate sectors, each sector relies increasingly on the other to realize their respective goals. Although the primary focus of the course will be application of social marketing techniques, such topics as cause-related marketing, strategic philanthropy, community engagement, and corporate social responsibility will also be examined. As part of the course, students will explore principles and practices of social change initiatives, apply consumer research techniques to develop a social change communication strategy, become familiar with case studies, and analyze social change campaigns.

480.654 – Strategic Communication Program Management
This course covers strategic leadership and communication program development, management, and evaluation. It emphasizes basic communication research, strategic communication objectives and message design, selection of media, development of materials, management of teams and impact evaluation. Crisis and issues management as well as the use of new communication technologies will also be covered.The course will focus on a step by step design of a communication program using the highly acclaimed SCOPE Web (Strategic Communication Planning and Evaluation) learning and planning software. The course requires students to develop two strategic communication programs, one as individual work and another as part of a team. Lectures and discussions will utilize case studies and current situations to illustrate key points and desired learning. This course combines reality-based and conceptual approaches to provide students with the intellectual tools needed to assume senior management or outside counsel roles in developing and implementing fully integrated communications programs. Students will prepare for program management by asking and answering appropriate questions about goals, activities, management, and measurement.

480.655 – Public Affairs: Shaping Public Opinion, Driving Public Policy
This course examines the interplay between public opinion and public policy. It focuses on the influence exerted on public policy by entities outside government and government's influence on public opinion. Through lectures, readings, discussions and exercises -- on theories and principles as well as actual events -- the course provides insights and practical knowledge on the development and conduct of public affairs campaigns to drive public opinion and affect public policy. At the end of the course, students should be able to design and analyze public affairs campaigns to influence public policy.

480.656 – Pitches, Press Releases, and Messages
This course will help communication professionals to better understand and execute three particular public relations skills and how they work together. It's critical to know how to best pitch and present “news” to prospective media outlets. Pitching a story needs to move reporters to cover an issue, organization, and not competitors. Creating a media-rich press release is the emerging expectation. Students will learn how and why it is best to incorporate multimedia, digital files, photos, video, and web links into press offerings and news releases. Developing a memorable message that connects and moves people to action is a critical challenge. Students will learn various methods of creating messages such as the “message mapping” technique, adding emotional elements, using frames and SWOT.

480.657 – Introduction to Public Relations
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists public relations as one of the fastest growing professions in the United States. This introductory course, designed for career changers and those new to public relations, will detail the ideas, skills, and principles that underlie the public relations craft. Students in this class will study the role and contributions of public relations practitioners in contemporary society, learn about potential legal and ethical aspects of the practice of public relations, study the communications process and how persuasion is used with various audiences, and learn how to develop a strategic communication plan to achieve specific goals and objectives. The class will also introduce students to specialized practice areas within the public relations field such as business and industry, government, nonprofit and associations, and health care.

480.658 – Public Relations Writing
The primary goal of this course is to help students develop the professional-level persuasive writing skills expected of the best PR practitioners. Students will have weekly writing assignments outside of class and will write on deadline during class time. We will cover various forms of public relations writing including press releases, backgrounders, public service announcements, newsletter articles and op-ed essays. Written work will be judged using 10 tenets of good writing: organization, persuasion, clarity, focus, flow, tone, proper usage, timeliness, accuracy and relevance.

480.659 – Crisis and Issue Communication
This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of crisis management, risk communication, media relations and public-opinion research techniques in multiple contexts. It introduces students to crisis management principles, strategies, tactics, and communications methods. Course participants work as a team to develop a crisis management plan for analysis and discussion. Successful students are able transfer to the workplace the knowledge and skills developed in this course. Students will learn to predict, manage and control real-world controversies that they may confront as they pursue their careers. Moreover, students are able to manage effectively, participate in, and control volatile situations involving the news media.

480.660 – Media Relations
Media outreach is a critical piece of any strategic communication effort. This course prepares students to build, implement, and measure earned media programs that achieve policy, business and philanthropic objectives. Class lectures, guest speakers, readings, and assignments will give students an understanding of the priorities and expectations of various types of contemporary media, and how to successfully engage them through research-based strategies and tactics designed to reach key audiences.

480.662 – Editorial and Opinion Writing
The world of Washington revolves around opinion, and access to the nation's editorial and op-ed pages is key to making sure your opinions (or those of your employer) are successfully shared with the policy makers and opinion leaders who shape public policy. Word for word, opinion pieces carry far more impact than news - and consequently the editorial and op-ed pages are much more difficult markets to crack than the news pages. The editorial and op-ed pages have their own writing style and standards of news judgment; once a writer knows them, though, opinion writing is some of the most rewarding journalism, personally and professionally. Students in this class will learn to understand the anatomy of good editorial writing; how to write for opinion sections of newspapers, magazines, and other news outlets; how to pitch op-ed and opinion pieces; and how to sell ideas to editorial boards in an editorial board meeting.

480.663 – Integrated Marketing Communication
Integrated marketing communication breaks down the traditional advertising, public relations, and marketing silos by challenging practitioners to apply the optimum mix of media and message to motivate the target audience to act. The rise of the Internet and now Web 2.0 support the need to embrace integrated marketing communications as a comprehensive approach to reach target audiences on their terms. In this course students will learn to evaluate audience demographics and apply the appropriate communications channels and messages based upon the audiences' needs and the business realities of marketing campaigns. During the semester, students will develop a toolkit of steps to follow to attain marketing success. Through simulation exercises, case study analysis, and self-directed reading, students will develop a results-oriented and measurable marketing campaign proposal.

480.665 – Speechwriting: Composition and Delivery
Speechwriting is one of the most important but least instructed skills for Washington professionals. Through hands-on practice, students will learn to write speeches for diverse clients, occasions and contexts - including corporate and political speeches, keynote addresses, Congressional testimony, as well as informal remarks such as eulogies and toasts -- and to coach speakers for more effective delivery. The course integrates speechwriting with public relations skills in areas such as campaign messaging, investor relations and crisis management.

480.668 – Understanding Markets and Audiences
The best communication decisions are based on evidence. This course introduces students to the secondary and syndicated information resources used by market researchers to develop and guide communication strategies. It is taught in the computer laboratory to allow for the collaborative study and use of specific information resources including government databases, business directories, Simmons Consumer Choices, Roper polling data, and other sources of consumer and market data. Students will uncover insights in these resources to create media audits, competitive analyses, audience profiles, and other information products to provide the foundation to create, enhance, and evaluate their communication programs.

480.669 – Emergency and Risk Communication
Emergency and risk communication is an emerging set of practices that convey credible, accurate, and real-time information about adverse events and the degree of risk they pose. In a post-Katrina, post-9/11 environment, communications professionals must be familiar with best practices in emergency and risk communication to effectively work with government, industry, the media, and the general public during crises and longer-term threats involving health, safety, security, and the environment. In this course, you will become familiar with the core principles of emergency and risk communications and risk perception and will have a chance to apply strategic communications approaches to real-world risk scenarios. You will learn to apply strategic communications approaches used in emergency preparedness, environmental health, food security, national security, and financial security.

480.670 – Communications Law and Policymaking
This course begins with an introduction to the essential judicial precedents, statutes, and procedures governing communications and copyright laws, with an emphasis on mass media, new technologies and the internet. Students will examine how the First Amendent and the communications laws influence political and advocacy campaigns.

480.672 – Polling for Strategic Communication
Polling is more than a snapshot of who is winning and who is losing. Effective analysis is important for any campaign - whether one’s object is to elect a candidate for office, position a company or product, or advance an issue. This class concentrates on teaching students the best practices for designing, writing, and conducting polling and how to use the results to formulate a successful communication strategy. Students will critique existing opinion surveys and learn how to read and interpret polls, including those used in political and health campaigns and by corporations and other issue organizations.

480.674 – History of American Political Communication
From the high-minded political theory of the Federalist Papers and the scurrilous pamphleteering of the first presidential campaigns to today's 30-second attack ads and online issue briefings, communication through the media has shaped both the style and substance of American politics. This course explores the history of American political communication from the colonial period through the present day, with an emphasis on (1) helping students to understand contemporary issues in historical context, (2) assessing the effectiveness of both historical and contemporary political communication techniques and (3) evaluating the ethics of political communication.

480.676 – Media, Power, and Politics
Everyone knows about "the power of the press," but how, exactly, is that power exercised? Through information and news? Advertising, including so-called "attack ads" typical of recent political campaigns? Talk radio, and the rise of the on-air "community?" Is it even possible to predict what communication tactics will work in specific situations? And what about the growth of blogs, and the development of online communities that seem to circumvent mainstream news media altogether? Examining hard-core, pragmatic analyses as well as theoretical views of the role of the press in U.S. politics and political campaigns, this course will help students understand how the power of the "fourth branch of government" is wielded, in what circumstances and with what effect.

480.677 – Grassroots Political Campaigns
For candidates and for causes, grassroots communication is critical. This course explores how grassroots political communication differs from other types of communication, when and where it's effective, and how to build an effective strategy and plan. Students will discuss how grassroots communication links to the rest of the communications plan, which messages are best suited to it, and how it can be leveraged to benefit other activities. The data is rich, the anecdotes are informative, and the potential of grassroots political organizing is immense - this class is interesting to political junkies and casual observers alike.

480.678 – Spokesperson Development and Training
This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform effectively as spokespersons in news media interviews and in other high-stakes situations requiring public testimony. Students learn what motivates the news media and how journalists cover stories. They learn to recognize the numerous interview techniques used by reporters, and the major differences between broadcast and print interviews. Course participants also learn successful spokesperson strategies, tactics and techniques designed to enhance their performance and reduce the risks inherent in today's volatile media environment. Students develop effective messages and the other tools needed to prepare for interviews and public testimony. Students use on-camera training throughout the course to sharpen interview skills and to critique student performance. Successful students are able to transfer the knowledge and skills acquired in this course to the workplace. They are prepared to serve as spokespersons in a wide array of situations ranging from routine news interviews to potentially volatile confrontations.

480.681 – Developing Health Communication Campaigns
This course covers the major steps involved in developing a state-of-the-art health communication campaign. Students apply concepts learned to a semester-long class project in which they conceptualize and design a health campaign from beginning to end. Key topics include selecting a target behavior and audience, using theory and formative research to guide message strategies/concepts, pretesting messages with target audiences, and reviewing demographic and market research data to inform channel/outreach approaches. Students develop strategic planning abilities, along with specific skills in designing survey instruments and focus groups. Course requirements include readings, group presentations, individual writing assignments, and a final strategic planning brief on a health topic of the student's choice.

480.682 – Health Psychology and Behavior Change
This course provides an overview of health psychology: the scientific study of behaviors and cognitive processes related to health states. It addresses the mind/body connection, the influence of social and physical environments on our health, cognitive processing of health information, health belief models, and the link between personality traits and health. Understanding the interactions between these biological, psychological, and social influences on individuals' health states is a key element in developing effective health communication and intervention programs. Students approach all course topics from both theory-driven and applied perspectives.

480.684 – Using Evaluation to Improve Health Communication
How can one use the evidence of effects from previous health communication efforts to select the correct theory or implementation strategy for a campaign? What monitoring devices can be put into place to let one know when one needs to adjust or fine tune a program before it's too late? How does one know when a health communication program has actually changed the knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors of your target audiences? What evidence does one need to gather to demonstrate value to program funders and other key audience groups? This course teaches students to consider the effects of health communication efforts from both a scientific and a programmatic perspective, with an emphasis on using the evaluation literature as a tool for quality improvement.

480.686 – Behavior Change and Education through Entertainment
This course explores ways communication professionals can use entertainment to educate people and encourage them to adopt and enjoy improved life styles. Throughout history, stories, drama, poetry, music, dance and other entertainment formats have been used to enlighten and educate both adults and children. In today's society, the channels of communication are ever increasing. This course will investigate ways in which education can be subtly but effectively worked into both new and time-honored genres of entertainment in order to foster positive behavior change.

480.687 – Intercultural Communication
This course examines the meaning and importance of Intercultural Communication as it applies to individuals, groups, organizations, and nations. We will examine the meaning of “culture” and how “culture” can affect personal, national, and international understanding and communication, beliefs, and behaviors. The course will examine the difficulties and dangers that can result from cultural misunderstanding. In the modern world, with diverse communication methods, there is ever-increasing need for intercultural understanding and communication. The course will investigate the various ways in which cultures differ and the necessity of understanding and respecting other cultures. The course will assist communication professionals to be more effective with both external communication campaigns in other countries and with internal communication within a diverse workplace. There will be emphasis on clear and logical spoken and written expression to enhance individual ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures.

480.688 – Children, Media, and Health
This class introduces, through a developmental perspective, how children and adolescents use and are affected by media, particularly television. Students consider children's cognitive, social, and emotional development in relation to different media (including print, radio, TV, video, computers, and the Internet). The class addresses domestic and international media and health issues.

480.690 – Communication in China
This course offers students an invaluable opportunity to examine first-hand the evolution, characteristics, and political implications of China’s new communication reality. The course focuses on three major areas: China’s new media order (online media included), China’s public relations practices (including for example, Olympics PR, earthquake crisis management, etc.), and China’s political communication. In addition to a brief but comprehensive overview of China’s multifaceted transitions in mass media and communication during the past two decades, students can broaden and deepen their understanding of the related issues through on-site visits to China’s leading newspapers, PR agencies, and government sectors.

480.692 – Public Relations and Public Affairs from a European Perspective
The United States may be the birthplace of the public relations and public affairs industries, but they are on the rise across Europe. This course will look at the different ways in which PR and lobbying are developing in contemporary Europe: from the UK, home of the world's largest PR industry outside the US, to the other west European democracies where PR is relatively undeveloped and sometimes seen as an unwelcome Anglo-Saxon import; and beyond that to the former Communist countries of central and eastern Europe where a surge in PR activity is closely associated with the move towards free markets and democracy. Students will discuss the growing role of the European Union, the world's largest marketplace and will examine all the factors - historical, political, cultural, and economic - which make PR and lobbying distinctive in different parts of Europe, including the interaction with very different media systems.

480.722 – Race, Gender, and the Media
This course investigates the role of race, ethnicity and gender in a variety of media. The course critically analyzes how the media have historically portrayed women and people of color, how they portray these groups today in a diverse, global media environment, and how these portrayals have influenced public opinion and public policy. The course also examines the historical and current role of women and minority communities in the media business.

Other

480.302 – Introduction to Graduate Work in Communication
This is an intensive course designed to help students maximize their performance and excel in the program. Each student's syllabus serves individual needs and interests. Topics typically include research, writing, citation, argument, using evidence, and a general introduction to graduate-level scholarship. The centerpiece of the course is that students meet not only in class sessions but also in bi-weekly, one-on-one mentoring and tutorial sessions with the instructor. We believe the course, which does not count toward your degree, is especially advantageous for students returning to school after an absence, for provisional students, and for those who want thorough preparation to achieve excellence in their graduate work at Johns Hopkins.