• Visual and Performing Arts Home
• CMS Faculty
• Communication and Media Studies
• Program Overview & Outcomes
• Student Profiles
• Career Opportunities
• Minor in CMS
• Syllabi
• COMM 1110
• COMM 1001
• COMM 1002
• Advisement
• Admission to CMS
• Advice for New Students
• Application Forms
• Writing Assessment
• Courses
• Lower Division Areas A-E
• Lower Division Area F
• Junior & Senior Core
• Junior & Senior Electives
• Junior & Senior Internship
• Sample Schedule
• Contact Us

VPA:: Degrees: Communication and Media Studies

Junior/Senior Core

(For official requirements, see the Clayton State University Academic Catalog.)

Seven courses are required for all CMS majors.

CMS 3020 Research Methods

This course provides CMS majors with the necessary skills to conduct independent, primary, interdisciplinary research in Media Studies and Cultural Studies. Students learn a variety of humanistic and social-scientific methodologies, which may include some or all of the following: in-depth interviewing, focus groups, archival research, content analysis, semiotics and textual analysis. Students choose an appropriate media topic to study through a variety of research modes and methods over the length of the semester.

CMS 3101 Media and Culture

An introduction to humanities-based approaches to the study of media and culture. Theories of textual and visual signification are introduced, including the contributions of discursive contexts and audience expectations. The class considers questions of taste, quality, and cultural identity, particularly as applied to contemporary and emerging media technologies.

CMS 3200 History of Communication

A chronological survey of major types and media of human communication, from pre-history through the present day, focusing upon the the interrelationships between communication media and their larger social and cultural contexts. The history of communication leading to English-language media is the main focus, but comparisons and contrasts with other world communication systems will also be explored.

CMS 3500 Writing and Editing for Mass Media

A course in writing and editing for mass audiences, including print, broadcast, and Internet journalism. Emphasis on news gathering, public affairs reporting, and practical applications of journalistic techniques and genres.

CMS 3710 Writing for Digital Media

An advanced writing course that examines dispersed computer networks as new media forms. The course begins with a survey of the aesthetic, historical, and theoretical contexts that shape communication using digital media. It then offers hands-on experience in the development of hypertext and multimedia documents.

CMS 4500 Global Contexts in Communication and Media Studies

A study of communication and media in selected non-Western cultures. In addition, the course examines the roles played by media in the processes of cultural and economic globalization. A "capstone" course, it includes exit assessment of writing and speaking skills for the baccalaureate degree program in Communication and Media Studies.

COMM 3300 Interpersonal Communication

This course is designed to help students develop effective interpersonal communication skills. Students can expect to learn the theories and concepts of interpersonal communication, and then apply them to "real world" situations. It is expected that students will develop proficiencies in dyadic interactions and their analysis. In other words, students should be able to evaluate and moderate their own behavior, and assess the skills of others. In this way, students develop skills and a critical mindset that can be applied when they venture into the work-place.