Communication Studies 

Note: See beginning of Section F for abbreviations, course numbers and coding.

COMS1001History of Communication3 ch (3C) [W]

A survey of the great revolutions in human communication of speech, literacy, printing and electronic communication. Examines how new media of communication come into being, their impact on earlier forms of communication, their impact on society, and the influence society and culture have on communication technologies. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 1001 or ICS 1001.

COMS1002Media, Truth and the Social Sphere 3 ch (3C) [W]
This course serves as a basic introduction to the social, cultural, political, economic and technological aspects of communication. Particular attention is paid to media representations of modern social life and conceptions of and their presentations of "truth". Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 1002 or ICS 1002.
COMS2001Transformations in Media 3 ch (3C) [W]

This course will explore the nature and evolution of media since the development of the Internet. The course will provide students with a framework for thinking about media institutions and technologies.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 2001 or ICS 2001.

COMS2101Popular Music, Culture and Communication (O)3 ch (3C) [W]

A general introduction to the study of Western popular music as both a cultural industry and as a form of communication which presents students with an overview of post-war popular music genres from rock n’ roll to contemporary dance music.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 2101 or ICS 2101.

COMS2103Understanding Comics and Manga3 ch (3C)

This course will focus on the study of comics and manga (Japanese comic books and graphic novels). Students will analyze the history of comics and the industry in both North America and Japan. Particular emphasis will be placed on issues pertaining to: gender, culture, readership, characterizations, artwork, fan communities, and creative workers.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 2103 or ICS 2103.

Prerequisite: No prerequisites.

COMS2119Digital Storytelling3 ch (3C)

This course will offer students a hands-on introduction to New Media Production through Digital Storytelling.

Combining classroom lectures, computer lab time, hands-on filming and audio recording experience, this course provides students with experience in creating rich digital narratives while exploring topics related to the development of new media. Students will gain practical experience with a variety of digital tools.

COMS2201Health Communications (Cross-Listed: HEAL 2001)3 ch (3C)

Health communication is the study of messages that create meaning in relation to physical, mental and social well-being. Interdisciplinary research is conducted in the scientific, interpretive (humanities) and critical-cultural traditions.

This course examines theories of interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication relevant to a variety of professionals in the health field. Students will review theories and contexts of communication (interpersonal, organizational, mass, social media and intercultural), relations of power in communication settings, strategies of persuasion, the relationship between attitudes and behaviour, and the importance of representation in our understanding of the changing nature of health, health delivery and health issues in society.

Students cannot take both COMS 2201 and HEAL 2201. Students in the Bachelor of Health cannot take COMS 2201.

COMS3001Contemporary Communication Theory3 ch (3C) [W]

This class focuses on theoretical approaches to studying political, social, and cultural implications communication processes, contexts and technologies.

Students will explore both historical and contemporary approaches to the field, emphasising the relevance of theory to our digital and everyday lives. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3001 or ICS 3001.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor. This course is open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program regardless of the stated prerequisites.
COMS3003Electronic Research3 ch (3C) [W]

This course provides students with an advanced introduction to conducting web-based research and the use of electronic research tools.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3003 or ICS 3003.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001 , or permission of the instructor. 

COMS3004Media Production: Audio 3 ch (3C)

Introduction to production techniques related to to radio and web podcasting. Students will explore aspects of production through individual and group projects as well as in class presentations. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3004 or ICS 3004.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.

COMS3005Intellectual Property and the Information Commons3 ch (3C) [W]

This course will explore the emerging importance of copyright as a pertinent regulatory issue facing both the communication industries and western society. We will examine the development of copyright and its transformation as a result of technological, economic and cultural changes in the global cultural industries. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 2005 or ICS 3005.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.

COMS3006Media Production: Video3 ch (3C)

Introduction to video production techniques. Students will explore aspects of production through individual and group projects as well as in class presentations. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3006 or ICS 3006.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.

COMS3008DIY Media3 ch (3C) [W]

New technologies and do it yourself (D.I.Y) culture have a long, intertwined history. This class will examine the origins, technologies, techniques and representations of D.I.Y in contemporary culture. Students will examine “lofi” practices such as circuitbending, hardware hacking and tinkering as forms of culture and communication.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.
COMS3101Special Topics in Communications Studies3 ch (3C) [W]

Exploration of specialized topics in media studies, technology and society, or communication policy issues.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3101 or ICS 3101.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.

COMS3102Gender, Media and Communication3 ch (3C) [W]

This course will focus on the salience of gender in understanding media and communication. Course topics may include a focus on gender and the following: production, media texts (TV shows, movies, anime, blogs, forums, comic books, video games, etc.), reception of media, content, communication technologies, and communication practices.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 3102 or ICS 3102.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor.
COMS3103Mediated Networked Publics: Digital Media & Network Technologies in Everyday Life3 ch (3C) [W]
Network technologies and digital media are now part of our everyday lives. With a focus on our own media engagement, this course examines the ways that social and cultural shifts influenced by these technologies have transformed our relationships, cultures, practices, and workplaces. Credit can only be given for one of ICS 2102, COMS 2102 or COMS 3103.

Prerequisites:
Successful completion of fifteen term-courses, including COMS 2001, or permission of the instructor. This course is open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program regardless of the stated prerequisites.
COMS4001Research Seminar in Communications Studies3 ch (3S) [W]

This seminar provides majors with the opportunity to do basic research in an area of special interest.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 4001 or ICS 4001.

Prerequisite: COMS 3001, COMS 3003.

COMS4003Advanced Communication Analysis3 ch (3C)

Course lectures and hands-on lab experience will guide students through the use of analytic tools and critical evaluation in the practical design and evaluation of online digital content.

Using industry standard tools and established and contemporary media-monitoring methods, students will gain practical experience creating, measuring and analyzing digital data.

Prerequisite: This course is open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program or by permission of the instructor.
COMS4101Advanced Topics in Communication Studies 3 ch (3S) [W]

An advanced seminar in media studies, technology and society, or communication policy issues. Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 4101 or ICS 4101.

Prerequisite: COMS 3001 and COMS 3003, or permission of the instructor.

COMS4103Independent Study in Communication Studies3 ch (3S) [W]

This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in directed study of contemporary issues and debates in the fields of communication and media.  Credit can only be obtained for one of COMS 4103 or ICS 4103.

Prerequisite: COMS 3001 and COMS 3003, and permission of the instructor.

COMS4104Promotional Culture3 ch (3C) [W]

Promotional culture is central to our lives. Not merely in marketing, advertising and politics, but also the ways in which we interact to promote ourselves, our practices, and our tastes through traditional and social media. This course examines both the history of advertising and modern branding culture in our quest to understand mediated promotionalism.

The course critically examines the social practices involved in promotionalism and is focused on the role of different media of communication in these processes.

Prerequisites: This course is open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program or by permission of the instructor.
COMS4119Advanced Communication Presentation Techniques3 ch (3C)
Despite the myriad of possibilities that digital communication technologies afford with regard to persuasion, oral presentation skills continue to be paramount in the workplace. Indeed, is it the combination of these that is often the most effective. In this class, students will become proficient in a variety of digital presentation platforms and applications, with the practical goals of of clear and persuasive communications. Course lectures and hands-on experience with these technologies and rhetorical techniques will equip students with advanced presentation competencies.

Prerequisites:
COMS 3001 and COMS 4104.
COMS5004Advanced Communcations Portfolio I3 ch (3C)
The first of two classes in which students will produce media for and curate a portfolio representative of their accumulating competencies with regard to social media. Beyond these practical skills, the students will begin to think about positioning the respective pieces theoretically and critically.

Prerequisites:
Pre/corequisites: COMS 1002, 1119, 2119, 3001 and 4104. This course is only open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program.
COMS5006Advanced Communcations Portfolio II3 ch (3C)
The second and final of the two classes in which students will produce media for and curate a portfolio representative of their accumulating competencies with regard to social media. Beyond these practical skills, the students will position the respective pieces theoretically and critically in a final written project.

Prerequisites:
COMS 5004. This course is only open to students registered in the Certificate in Social Media program.