First Year
Fall 2010
MMC 9001:
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Introduction to the field through a review of theoretical frameworks that have served as foundations for and shaped the study of mass communication. Required course for MM&C students in their first semester.
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MMC 9002:
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Introduction to the processes of communication research, common quantitative research methodologies, and concepts of statistical literacy. Required course for MM&C students in their first semester.
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MMC 9003
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Introduction to doctoral study, the field of communication, and the MM&C program. Fall semester: Current problems and opportunities in the field, discussions and presentations of current research, and presentations by senior scholars and students. Spring semester: writing workshop. Required of MM&C students in fall of their first year.
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MMC 8985/9004
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A practical course in pedagogical methods, i.e., how to teach communication. Students learn to plan course objectives, design syllabi, develop classroom techniques, establish assessment methods, and acquire polish as instructors. Required course for all MM&C students.
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Spring 2011
MMC 9101:
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Survey of the principal social sciences and humanities approaches that have led to the emergence of mass communication as a field in the modern academy. Includes review of the history of the study of the modern media as well as the perspectives guiding behavioral and social effects studies related to mass communication. Required course for MM&C students in their second semester.
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MMC 9102:
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Introduction to qualitative research approaches applicable to the study of mass communication. Includes consideration of philosophical and conceptual approaches, epistemological and ethical concerns, and practical methodologies and tools. Required course for MM&C students in their second semester.
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MMC 9605:
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Critical examination of the ways photographs inform our everyday lives, focusing on photography's relationship with 'truth' and 'reality'? Consideration of the uses of photographs for informative, interpretive and persuasive communication.
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Second Year
Fall 2011
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Language socialization research is concerned with the processes whereby children and other novices, through interactions with older or otherwise more experienced persons, acquire the knowledge, orientations, skills, and practices that enable them to function as (and crucially, to be regarded as) competent members of their communities. This seminar examines language socialization and cultural reproduction as both universal and culturally specific phenomena. Topics explored include theoretical and methodological approaches to socialization; cross-cultural variations in ways of teaching and learning; socialization of children and of other novices; the agency of learners; the socialization of identities, roles, and statuses; and socialization processes as a site of innovation and change. Using the resources of the Linguistic Anthropology Teaching Laboratory, seminar participants collect, analyze, and present ethnographic audio-video data from various local settings (schools, churches, community organizations, workplaces, etc.) in which socialization can be observed.
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BTMM 5021:
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History and societal role of the mass media with an emphasis on the internal structure and workings of the mass media industries and their interaction with government and the public.
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JRN 5770:
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“Media and Social Memory” is a graduate seminar on the role of mass media and other forms of public communication in the creation and revision of social (or “collective”) memory and the role of social memory in the creation and revision of mass media and public communication. While “media” will be broadly defined in that we will have many examples for each weekly theme, most of the media texts we analyze in class will be non-fiction and will be either journalistic and/or documentary in nature. The weekly themes will include a range of pivotal events, periods, or phenomena of the past, as well as (and especially) the implications of that past for the present.
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Teaching Assistant
BTMM 1011:
Intro to Media Theory |
This class provides a broad survey of key theoretical approaches to the understanding of human communicative behavior with an emphasis on those theoretical frameworks associated with mediated communication. The course helps students develop an appreciation for the role theory plays in our society, including the relationship of theory to research and the application of theoretical models to contemporary phenomena.
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EPSY 5531:
Learning Theories and Education |
This survey course covers the nature of theory, the epistemological foundations of learning, and major theories of learning. Focusing on application in educational settings, the course includes associationist, behaviorist, cognitive information processing, and constructivist learning theories.
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GUS 5163:
Advanced Qualitative Methods |
This course is designed to foster an understanding of the principles and appropriate application of qualitative methods in Urban Studies. It provides an overview of qualitative research design and emphasizes the connections between grounded theory, explorative inquiry, and thick description. Specific skills that are introduced include participant observation, in-depth and open-ended interviewing, oral histories, case study analysis, focus groups, narrative analysis, content analysis, archival analysis, and social action methods. The course examines the limitations and advantages of qualitative approaches, triangulation with quantitative methods, and ethical issues in conducting research.
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PHIL 5276:
Contemporary Continental Philosophy - Foucault |
Phenomenology and existentialism, with emphasis on such 20th century philosophers as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Derrida, and other post-structuralists.
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Teaching Assistant
BTMM 1021: Media and Society |
This is an introductory course that focuses on the history, current status and future of the mass media. The course explores the social roles of mass media, especially in light of prevailing technological and cultural conditions in the U.S. and around the world. It also provides an introduction to specific approaches for being more enlightened consumers and producers of mass media messages by strengthening skills of reasoning, research, critical thinking, creativity and writing.
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