Students must take two additional courses from existing University courses approved by the IMM Committee. These courses are approved by the student’s advisor and the IMM Committee on a student-by-student basis depending on each student’s major. Elective courses may be taken at any time, once approved by the student’s advisor and a member of the IMM committee.
Below is a sample of existing courses that may count toward the elective requirement. Other courses will be approved on a student-by-student basis.
COURSES WITH NO PREREQUISITES
ART 204: Media / Design / Culture
Fulfills a Group A requirement and is required for all Visual Communication students.
Current and historical media processes and their impact on art, design and culture. Image making and manipulation, video, audio, interactivity, and connectivity. Viewing fine art and design projects, the historical aspects of design and digital media, basic media theory, and universal principles of software and digital media. Projects include writing, creating visual media, and making presentations. Unfamiliar media experienced firsthand through exhibitions, screenings, lectures, online exploration and consumer media devices.
COMM 245: Mass Communication and Culture
The relationship between media and culture; how media affect culture (i.e., socialization and role modeling); and exploration of new forms of mass communication.
COMM 313: Communication Principles in Advertising
Provides a comprehensive overview of the marketing function, emphasizing integrated marketing communication. Includes historical perspective and current advertising and promotion principles and practices. Combines both individual and small team projects, such as developing an Integrated Marketing Communication campaign.
ART 406: Artist’s Machine
Exploration of artist-constructed machines (i.e. micro-electronics, robotics, kinetic sculpture and interactive installation) as media for artistic expression. Balance of theory and practice with specific emphasis on making of electronic objects and positioning these in various contexts. No prior knowledge of electronics required.
COMM 418: Topics in Mass Communication
Current directions in mass communication theory and practice including new technologies, politics, broadcast programming and research, advertising and audience responses to media content.
COMM 452: Communication and Persuasion
An examination of how influence is created and resisted through communication in various settings, including personal relationships, public relations, advertising and political campaigns. Emphasis on contemporary theories of persuasion and attitude change, with applications to the various content areas studied.
CISC 355: Computers, Ethics and Society
Explains relationships among information technology, society and ethics by examining issues raised by increasingly widespread use of computers. Topics include ethics for computer professionals, computer impact on factory work, office work, personal privacy and social power distribution.
COURSES WITH PREREQUISITES
ENGL 318: Studies in Film
prerequisite: ENGL110
Special topics such as film genres, major directors and Soviet cinema.
ART 407: Advanced New Media Design
prerequisite: ART 307
Advanced work in new media including internet applications, video, special effects, interactivity, sound, mixed media and fine art projects.
CISC 474: Advanced Web Technologies
prerequisites: CISC 181, CISC 220, CISC 370, co-requisite CISC 437
Programming and architecture of web servers and the technologies for implementing high performance, sophisticated web sites for applications like e-commerce. Students learn how to install and set-up a web server, how to write and install programs for a web server, and how to design and implement multi-tier client/server applications with database backends.
PSYC 340: Cognition
prerequisites: PSYC 100, PSYC 207 (open to PSYC majors and minors only), PSYC 209 (open to PSYC majors and minors only)
Survey of major themes in human thought processes, concept formation, problem solving, creativity, language use and cognitive development.
PSYC 433: Cognitive Neuroscience
prerequisites: PSYC207 and PSYC209 (open to junior and senior psychology majors and minors only)
Examines brain mechanisms responsible for cognitive functions such as perception, memory, and language. Surveys neural mechanisms underlying cognition and current methods for relating mind and brain, including studies of brain-damaged patients and brain imaging techniques.
NEW COURSES
New courses are constantly being added. Please request a course review for permission to use as an elective, prior to enrollment, by emailing Professor Meg McGuire in the Department of English.