BACHELOR OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION
Program Objectives
The Bachelor of Arts in Communication provides the opportunity to develop an imaginative understanding and appreciation of the theory and practice of the social sciences, humanities and arts. It gives the candidates an enhanced cultural sensitivity; skills and knowledge relevant to employment in the modern workforce; It gives the candidate an understanding of information technology tools in the Mass media and other systems of communication.
Career Prospects
Depending on the area of specialization, graduates can find career opportunities in a broad range of industries including: Newspapers and Magazines, Television and Broadcasting, Government Organizations, NGOs, private business, Cultural institutions, animation and design studios, freelancing, visual arts studios, media and communications companies, photography studios. Faced with competition at the job market you may increase your chances by studying at the Master’s level.
CORE COURSES (32 CREDITS)
COM 210: Writing & Editing
COM 220: News Media
COM 310: Print and Broadcast Journalism
COM 320: Advertisement
COM 330: Crisis and Media Communication
COM 340: Rhetoric and Social Influence
COM 350: Strategic Communication
COM 360: Media Ethics
Course Description
COM 210: Writing and editing
This course is intended to help students writing and editing news that would be presented either in print media (Newspaper publication) or audio visual like in Radio and Television. It helps students to cover a wide range of issues that appeal to an audience in a specific geographic region, such as a particular metropolitan area. It will teach the students on how to produce news on newspapers and on audio-visual media. It teaches reporters how to research on events and write their own stories which are scrutinized by news editors.
COM 220: News Media
This course will deal with the recent technological innovations in news collation and dissemination like the telephone, internet (facebook, twitter etc) and other sophisticated gadgets. It will mostly be in the areas of audio-visual news management and different methods of broadcasting like wire-borne (cable) transmission and airwaves.
COM 310: Print and Broadcast Journalism
This deals with gathering, evaluating, and distributing facts of current interest. It has to do with researching, writing, editing and producing stories for print and electronic distribution through newspapers, magazines, periodicals, the media, such as radio, documentary or newsreel films, television, and the Internet.
COM 320: Advertisement
It is a form of commercial mass communication designed to promote the sale of a product or service, or a message on behalf of an institution, organization, or candidate for political office. It aims to influence the behavior and buying habits of people. Advertising is done in a variety of media, including newspapers, television, direct mail, radio, magazines, the Internet, and outdoor signs. The course will deal with types of advertisement, the role of advertising, methods and the impact of advertisement and different regulations governing the advertisement industry.
COM 330: Crisis and Media Communication
This course will deal with the different methods of managing crisis situations by the Media. The students will learn different ways of researching, collating, interpreting, editing and reporting news events from crisis’ zones
COM 340: Rhetoric and Social Influence
The candidates will be drilled on how the theory and practice of eloquence, whether spoken or written can have social influence on the people. They will study the rules that govern all news composition designed to influence the judgment or the feelings of people. It therefore treats of all matters relating to beauty or forcefulness of style in news reporting. It will treat fundamental principles according to which oratorical discourses are composed like: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery.
COM 350: Strategic Communication
This deals with communication between experts of the same field or specialty through journals, newspapers, magazines or audio-visual media. For example, scientists communicate their results with other scientists by publishing them in science journals and by networking with other scientists to discuss findings and debate issues. This implies depicting research in a paper which explains the methods, the data collected and the conclusions drawn. Students will learn the different methods through which technical information is disseminated to the public or other experts like abstracts, literature review, citations, and bibliographic references
COM 360: Media Ethics
A study of the ethical issues in mass media in such areas as censorship, conflict of interest, portrayal of minorities, media as accessory to criminal action, fairness, sensationalism, and the pursuit of news and profit. Emphasis will be on journalism, public relations, advertising, and broadcasting.
Concentration Courses (32 credits)
Students are expected to do 8 of the following concentration courses.
COM 370: Film Studies
COM 375: Speech Communication
COM 380: Interpersonal Communication
COM 410: Communication Ethics
COM 415: Group Communication
COM 420: Interactive Communication and Research
COM 425: Intercultural Communication
COM 430: Technical Communication
COM 435: Public Relations
COM 440: Business & Professional Communication
COM 445: Mass Media and Society
COM 450: Digital Photography
COM 455: Community Journalism
Course Description
COM 370: Film Studies
Students will be introduced to the different facilities used to make motion pictures (movies, films or cinema) and television programs, or to the filmmaking company ranging from projection and sound rooms to stables and a fire department. This involves some technical aspects of film production like acting, filming, editing, and directing the film. It will entail some knowledge of photography and sound selection.
COM 375: Speech Communication
This deals with communication by use of spoken language. The course will focus on areas like biological mechanics of talking, speech disorders, informal and formal communication, use of slangs and jargons in daily speech, speech writing and use regional speech in Mass communication.
COM 380: Interpersonal Communication
This deals with the spoken face-to-face sharing of information at the same time and place. It the course deals with areas like types of interpersonal communication (e.g dyad-encounter between two people), communication skills, competence and shyness, skills, persuasion, group dynamics and problems of interpersonal communication.
COM 410: Communication Ethics
This course deals with the basic moral norms or rules that govern communication like personal privacy, freedom of expression, type of words to use in communication, parental guidance, rules on nudity, violence, strong language and sex.
COM 415: Group Communication
This involves types of group communication like families, clubs, religious groups, friendship groups or work groups of about ten and above. It will focus on group dynamics, consensus or agreement, group think-tank or clique, top-to-bottom communication, and task orientation.
COM 420: Interactive Communication and Research
This area deals with research into dialogue among members of the same organization. Interactive communication treats all interlocutors are equal partners in the general wellbeing of an organization.
COM 425: Intercultural Communication
The course deals with the different benefits of intercultural communication since no society exists in isolation. It tackles different ways of intercultural exchange and sharing of culture through the modern media. Commercial trade and communication technologies have created a global culture. It focuses on anthropological areas like acculturation, when the members of one culture adopt features of another.
COM 430: Technical Communication
This deals with communication between experts of the same field or speciality through journals, newspapers, magazines or audio-visual media. For example, scientists communicate their results with other scientists by publishing them in science journals and by networking with other scientists to discuss findings and debate issues. This implies depicting research in a paper which explains the methods, the data collected and the conclusions drawn. Students will learn the different methods through which technical information is disseminated to the public or other experts like abstracts, literature review, citations, and bibliographic references.
COM 435: Public Relations
This deals with the management function that creates, develops, and carries out policies and programs to influence public opinion or public reaction about an idea, a product, or an organization. The study would enable students understand how public relations can shape the economic, social, and political patterns of life in a country. It will study areas like advertising, building prestige, publicity, promotional activities, marketing, merchandising, and press contact.
COM 440: Business & Professional Communication
This course will deal with the different types and tools of communicating information in business like e-mail messages, memos, letters, reports, phone calls, meetings, and conversations. The following questions would guide business professionals on the best means of communication: How much information do I have to pass along? How many people will receive the message? How quickly does it need to reach them? How much time do the recipients need to respond to it? How formal should the presentation be? Is the message confidential? How are people likely to respond to it?
COM 445: Mass Media and Society
Relationship of mass communication processes and effects on the individual and society; impact of media messages on knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Examines social, economic, political, and cultural changes around the world from the perspective of mass communication theory and practice. Provides an understanding of the historical and cross-cultural/international aspects of a variety of issues from a mass communication perspective. Emphasis on both the developed and developing nations of the world.
COM 450: Digital Photography
Theory and practice of electronic photography, including photojournalistic composition for publication. The application of visual communication theories including human perception, psychology of color, and principles of design to photography and graphic design in communication. Prerequisite: MCOM 2313.
COM 455: Community Journalism
A critical study of contemporary local, state, and national current events and how they are treated by the mass media serving towns, cities, or homogenous communities within urban areas. Diversity’s role in communities will be discussed.
In addition to the concentration courses, students are expected to do the following courses
COM 493: Communication Internship (8)
COM 480: Entrepreneurial Project (4)
COM 498: Communication Project (4)
COM 493: Communication Internship
The student will be given the opportunity of about two months to have a supervised practical experience in a media house or publication house. This is to enable him learn on the spot what is involved in researching, writing, editing and producing news either in print or audio-visual means.
COM: 480: Entrepreneurial Project
This entails a practical project written by the student. The project should have practical plans on how a business can be established and sustained in communication. This is geared towards self-employment.
COM 498: Communication Project
Each student is required to select a research topic on any aspect of communication and work closely with a supervisor. This involves the study background, literature review, and methods of data collection, analysis of such data, recommendations and preparation of a bound research report.
