My time at Appalachian State University has given me a better understanding of myself and the world around me. I feel prepared to continue growing and expanding my skills as I find my footing in the professional world.
- Foundations of Advertising
- Examined advertising as a form of communication. After a brief examination of history, role in the economy, external restraints and customer behavior, the course concentrated on theories and principles of media messages and management as well as advertising applications and trends.
- Interpersonal Communication
- This course introduced the practices and principles of interpersonal communication in both dyadic and group settings. Emphasis was placed on the communication process, perception, listening, self-disclosure, speech apprehension, ethics, nonverbal communication, conflict, power, and dysfunctional communication relationships. I learned interpersonal communication skills, how to apply basic principles of group discussion, and how to manage conflict in interpersonal communication situations.
- Social Media Strategies
- This course studied how to design, execute, and evaluate research-based social media campaigns. I created memes, reels, and
- Media Publishing
- Introduced the creation of visual communication. I was given the opportunity to learn to use current desktop publishing software from Adobe to create digital publications typically found in the field of communication.
- Propaganda, Media & Society
- Focused on the processes and effects of mass media in the United States from a sociological perspective. It analyzed the effect of the media on human groups and behavior and how media interacts with social organizations such as family, education, and government. The historical development of the media as it relates to socialization patterns and racial and sexual diversity was explored and the media’s function as a means of propaganda in the U.S. was analyzed.
- Internet Communication
- This course was a practical and theoretical introduction to the Internet as a communication medium. It included training in effective online communication, including human-computer interaction and web production. The course discussed social, political, and a variety of theoretical, historical, and critical perspectives.
- Professional Ethics in Advertising
- Examined ethical practices in advertising through case study analyses of agency, industry, and affected consumer groups.
- Communication in Organizations
- Examined communication within organizational structures; developed skill in language, observation and listening; taught improved communications skill through interview and formal presentations. This course was oriented to the speech communication requirements of the contemporary business and professional community
- Rhetorical Theory
- Introduced contemporary and classical rhetorical theories of communication and rhetorical approaches to the critical study of rhetorical artifacts.
- Persuasion
- This course explored the role of persuasion in public life. I learned to critically analyze and produce persuasive discourse in social, cultural, and democratic contexts in light of prevailing theories of social influence.
- Intercultural Communication
- Examined communication practices in multi-cultural settings including international, national, regional, ethnic, racial economic, religious, and other topics of pertinence to effective intercultural communication. I was involved in observational activities and research activities to exemplify intercultural communication differences in a practical way.
- Communication Theory
- Studied communication theories, systems, models, formulations and measurements; new dimensions in speech criticism and research methodology; critical study of published reports in the contemporary literature of the field.
- Thinking Through Communication
- This course was an introduction to reading, writing, and thinking about communication through a collaborative examination of primary sources concerning communication theory and history.
- Sociology of Work & Organizations
- Examined the social context of work and related organizations, including issues pertaining to job satisfaction, organizational structure and dynamics, managerial strategies and leadership, and the nature of occupations and professions. The impact of contemporary social transformations such as labor force diversity, technological development, and economic globalization were also analyzed.
- Communication Research Methods
- This course was designed to increase knowledge of the foundations and types of research methods commonly employed in communication research. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were taught. I gained a fuller understanding of the relationship between theory and research. I also gained practical experience employing research methods in an original research project.
- Media & Society
- This course offered a survey of the social impacts of various forms of media. Study included issues such as media’s impact on individual behavior, media’s role in organizing social relationships, and the sharing of meaning through media, technological culture, consumer culture, and popular culture. This course prepared me to better understand the central role media plays in organizing my life and enhanced my own use of media in personal, social, and professional contexts.
- Strategic Communication
- This course provided an overview of the strategic communication field of study and practice. Defined as the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfill its mission, it included application across a variety of fields to include nonprofit, governmental, political, and healthcare communication, as well as many professions including public relations, advertising, and consulting.
- Capstone
- This capstone course invited students to draw connections between previous coursework and major works in the discipline, through discussions, presentations, and writing.
- Public Speaking
- This course taught preparation and delivery of public presentations, with emphasis on creativity, reasoning, evidence, organization, and delivery. Course content was applied to analysis of speeches by self and others.