Cal Poly Humboldt Communication Department New Major Curriculum

The Communication Department is excited to launch a transformative curriculum for Communication majors and minors.  The curriculum emphasizes the fundamental skills needed for graduates in a new economy with frameworks of social advocacy and engaged critical learning. Launching 2024. 

Required introductory course (3 units) 

• Comm 105: Introduction to Communication (3) Foundational course for Communication studies.  Persuasion, culture change, Perceptual effects, verbal/nonverbal codes, and dynamics of interpersonal, group, and organizational communication. [GE. LD D]

Foundations (6 Units):  Take six units from the following: 

• Comm 108: Oral Interpretation (3) Performing of literature aloud to communicate meaning to an audience. [GE C2]

• REVISED Comm 210: Argumentation and Debate (3) Students will develop practical argumentation, speaking, critical listening and persuasion skills by preparing for speech and debate competition.  May be taken for multiple semesters, only 3 units will count toward the foundations requirement. 

• Comm 212: Group Communication (3) Principles, practices, and theories of group communication including: formation, cohesion, change, problem solving, roles, leadership, norms, and efficiency. 

• Comm 213: Interpersonal Communication (3) Discuss and apply concepts/theories relating to self and self/other communication.

• Comm 214: Persuasive Speaking (3) Principles and practices of persuasion in various communication contexts. Prepare extemporaneous persuasive speeches.

• Comm 222: Intercultural  (3) Develop skills for communicating in various settings with people from different cultural backgrounds.  [DCG-D]

• REVISED 300: Contemporary Issues in Public Discourse (3) Examine and critique key contemporary communication moments and controversies.  Includes discourse, rhetoric and advocacy framing. [DCG-D] 

Core (23 units): must take all

• Comm 309B Gender (3)  Critique relationship of gender to communication as viewed from perspectives of sciences, social sciences, and arts/humanities. [GE. CWT. DCG-d.]

• Comm 315: Social Advocacy (4) Explores theories, models, and case studies pertaining to the study of social advocacy

• REVISED Comm 319W: Theory and Research (4) Explore and practice the central Communication research methods and theories to develop analytic, advocacy and writing skills. 

• NEW Comm 321: Digital Communication (4) Digital Communication teaches how to observe, research influence and discuss how communication changes in the online mediums.

• NEW Comm 438: Leadership Communication (4) Explore and develop leadership skills using communication practice, theory and case studies.  

• NEW Comm 450 : Strategic Communication (4) An upper-division seminar in communication with an applied focus on theories, techniques, and contexts of strategic communication intended to cultivate advanced communication efficacy and the ability to influence public discourses.

Applied Activities: Take 1 unit from below.  You may take more than one.  

• Comm 235: Act to end sexualized violence (1) Analyze how sexualized violence impacts communities and operates as social control; learn to recognize victim-blaming, promote survivor centered responses, foreground enthusiastic consent, and take action to transform our campus community. Taught by Comm but Cross-listed with: ANTH 235, CRGS 235, PSCI 235, SOC 235

• Comm 387: International Education Week (1) Earn credit by attending International Education Week events and participating in an online discussion forum. Mandatory pre-event meeting.

• NEW Comm 474: Communication wizards (1) Communication undergraduates provide tutoring for lower-division students in Public Presentations and Oral Interpretation.

• Comm 472: Convention experience (1): Purposeful attendance and thoughtful analysis of experience attending a regional or national academic communication convention. Recommended preparation: COMM 319.

• Comm 495: Field experiences in Speech Communication (1-6) Either propose and develop a project (under direction of instructor) or perform supervised research on a project initiated by a professor.

• Comm 499: Directed Study (1-4) Individual study on selected problems.

Specialization (12 Units): Take 3 of the following

• NEW Comm 412: Communication for Sustainable Development and Social Change (4) applied focus on models, media, and uses of professional communication in the context of sustainable development and social change.

• NEW Comm 420: Rhetoric of Science (4) Rhetoric of science is the genre and practice of how science is communicated and understood.  Rhetoric of science is a collection of critical science studies anchored in communication methodology and the practice of citizen science, public dialogue and reflection about how to use and navigate scientific knowledge.

• NEW Comm 423: Health Communication (4) This course is designed to provide a broad introduction to human communication as applied to issues of human health. This course will develop understanding of how communication functions to facilitate or inhibit the practices of health and health care in a variety of contexts.  Covers:  provider-client communication, provider-provider communication and education, intercultural health communication, alternative medicine, health ethics, mass media health images, and compliance.

• NEW Comm 429: Food Studies (4) Explore how food communicates by using critical inquiry and discourse.  Focus is on how we talk about food and how food is entwined with messages of advocacy, power and culture change. 

• NEW Comm 432: Critical Cultural Communication (4) Critical Cultural Studies emphasizes the analysis of communication artifacts to unpack how our world is represented.  This class is intended to provide participants with a series of critical tools to analyze communication and develop intellectual application skills of critique. 

• NEW Comm 435: Negotiation, Mediation, and Crisis Communication (4) students will develop the practical and critical skills necessary to understand the communicational basis and dynamics of negotiation, mediation, and crisis management.

• Comm 480: Seminar in Speech Communication (1-4) New dimensions in the field

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Cal Poly Humboldt Communication Department Curriculum Prior to 2024:

Major Requirements

The following is an outline of the courses required to complete the major in Communication at Cal Poly Humboldt.

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD: Required

• COMM 105 Survey of Communication Studies (3 units)

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS: 6 units taken from the following (only 3 units of COMM 110/310 may be used to fulfill this requirement):

• COMM 108: Oral Interpretation (3 units)
• COMM 110/310: Intercollegiate Speech and Debate (1 to 3 units)
• COMM 214: Persuasive Speaking (3 units)

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS: One of the following

• COMM 213: Interpersonal Communication (3 units)
• COMM 312: Group Communication (4 units)
• COMM 324: Nonverbal Communication (4 units)

CULTURAL STUDIES: One of the following

• COMM 222: Intercultural Communication (4 units)
• COMM 309b: Gender and Communication (3 units)

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY: One of the following

• COMM 300: American Public Discourse (3 units)
• COMM 315: Social Advocacy (3 units)

RESEARCH METHODS: Required

• COMM 319: Communication Research (4 units)

APPLIED COMMUNICATION: One of the following

• COMM 411: Organizational Communication (4 units)
• COMM 416: Theory & Practice of Social Advocacy (3 units)

THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION: Two of the following

• COMM 404: Theories of Communication Influence (4 units)
• COMM 414: Rhetorical Theory (4 units)
• COMM 415: Communication Theory (4 units)

SPECIAL TOPICS: Required (Must be taken from a single 3 or 4 unit class. Other 480 classes may be used as electives.)

• COMM 480: Seminar in Speech Communication 3 or (4 units)

ELECTIVES: 3 to 6 units to complete 45 units in the major. Choose from the following

• COMM 300, 309b, 310, 311, 312, 315, 322, 324, 404, 414, 415, 416. 417, 422, 426, 480, 495, 499

CAPSTONE: Required

• COMM 490: Capstone Experience (2 units)

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Minor Requirements

The minor in Communication requires a total of 12 units selected from courses offered by the Department of Communication. 6 of those units must be at the upper division level (courses numbered 300-499), and no more than 3 units may be activity courses. Fundamentals of Speech Communication (SC 100) and Critical Thinking Courses (SC 101, 102, and 103) used to fulfill General Education requirements may not be included in the minor.

If you already know a Communication faculty member you can go to her or him for advising, or you can go to the department chair. When you go for advising, you will fill out a form indicating which courses you intend to count for the minor.

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Communications Courses

Lower Division

COMM 100. Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3). Introductory course. Develop oral communication abilities for functioning effectively in various settings. Fundamental communication theory. [GE.]

COMM 101. Critical Thinking in Small Groups (3). Principles of reasoning, evidence, and critical evaluation. Case studies of small group problem solving. [GE.]

COMM 102. Introduction to Argumentation (3). Principles of reasoning, analysis, strategy, evidence, and delivery in presenting/evaluating arguments. [GE.]

COMM 103. Critical Listening & Thinking (3). From listener’s (consumer’s) perspective, apply reasoned inquiry in evaluating marketplace communication. [GE.]

COMM 105. Introduction to Human Communication (3). Perceptual effects, verbal/nonverbal codes, and dynamics of interpersonal, group, and organizational communication. [GE.] COMM 108. Oral Interpretation (3). Perform prose and poetry. [GE.]

COMM 110. Intercollegiate Speech & Debate (1-3). Prepare for intramural/intercollegiate forensics. [Rep.]

COMM 213. Interpersonal Communication (3). Discuss and apply concepts/theories relating to self and self/other communication.

COMM 214. Persuasive Speaking (3). Principles and practices of persuasion in various communication contexts. Prepare extemporaneous persuasive speeches.

COMM 222. Intercultural Communication (4). Develop skills for communicating in various settings with people from different cultural backgrounds. [DCG-d.]

Upper Division

COMM 300. American Public Discourse (3). Critique genres of discourse and their importance in American culture. [Majors must take 4 units; nonmajors may fulfill GE requirements with 3 units. DCG-d. GE.]

COMM 309B / WS 309B. Gender & Communication (3). Critique relationship of gender to communication as viewed from perspectives of sciences, social sciences, and arts/humanities. [GE. CWT. DCG-d.]

COMM 310. Advanced Intercollegiate Speech & Debate (1-3). Prepare for intramural/intercollegiate forensics. [Rep.]

COMM 311. Business & Professional Communication (4). Problems and possible solutions achieving effective communication in various types/sizes of organizations.

COMM 312. Group Communication (4). Principles, practices, and theories: formation, cohesion, change, problem solving, roles, leadership, norms, efficiency.

COMM 315. Communication and Social Advocacy (4) Study of communication strategies utilized to create and resist social change in the context of historical/contemporary social movements. Possible topics: civil rights, suffrage movement, environment, animal rights. [Prereq: COMM 100 or equivalent. DCG-d.]

COMM 319. Communication Research (4). Social scientific and humanistic research methods. [Prereq: COMM 105 or IA.]

COMM 324. Nonverbal Communication (4). How human communication behaviors acquire meaning. Body language, voice, and use of our environment.

COMM 340. Oral Interpretation for Instructional Settings (1-2). Practice reading literature for primary/secondary classroom audiences.

COMM 404. Theories of Communication Influence (4). How communication influences human thought and behavior. Theories of argumentation and persuasion in various communication contexts. [Prereq: COMM 105 or IA.]

COMM 411. Organizational Communication (4). Interpersonal, small group, and systemic communication in organizations. Improve skills; increase understanding of communication process. Substantial independent work with instructor supervision. [Prereq: COMM 105 or IA.]

COMM 414. Rhetorical Theory (4). Major communication theories, from classical period to present, using rhetorical perspective. [Prereq: COMM 105 or IA.]

COMM 415. Communication Theory (4). Multidisciplinary survey of theories from perspective of social sciences. [Prereq: COMM 105 or IA.]

COMM 416. Social Advocacy Theory & Practice (3). Explores theories, models, and case studies pertaining to the study of social advocacy. [Prereq: COMM 315 (C).]

COMM 417 / ENGL 417. Second Language Acquisition (3). Compare/contrast first and second language acquisition. Assess factors affecting learning of second language: interference of first language, structure of second, personality characteristics, age, cultural attitudes. [Prereq: ENGL 326 or 328 or equivalent (C).]

COMM 422. Children’s Communication Development (4). Emergence and refinement of communication skills in children. Role of interaction in cognitive, social, and personal development. Strategies to enhance communication.

COMM 426. Adolescent Communication (4). Strategies of adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds. Develop communication skills useful in working with them.

COMM 480. Seminar in Speech Communication (1-4). New dimensions in the field. [Rep.]

COMM 490. Capstone Experience (2). Under guidance, complete and present senior project and finalize assessment portfolio. [Recommended before enrolling: COMM 105.]

COMM 495. Field Experiences in Speech Communication (1-6). Either propose and develop a project (under direction of instructor) or perform supervised research on a project initiated by a professor. [Prereq: IA. Rep.]

COMM 499. Directed Study (1-4). Individual study on selected problems. Hours TBA. [Rep.]

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