This seminar style class explores various and complex dimensions of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in society. Students examine the barriers to professional advancement that are faced by non-mainstream groups. The course proposes an Inclusive Workplace Model and effective communication for managing complexity, engaging diversity, navigating difference, and removing obstacles to inclusion and to organizational effectiveness and growth.

A survey course of the central themes in the study of gender-differentiated language use, such as differences in conversational practice, conversational differences in mixed talk and single-sex talk, as well as the complexity in intimate talk between men and women.

This course focuses on central current themes in the study of women in positions of power and leadership in Western society. Students focus on gendered communication patterns and tendencies, specifically concerning women in positions of influence in politics and media.

Students explore the complexities of leadership communication in multi-cultural, non-western contexts through topics such as gender and social structures, motivation, decision-making, negotiating conflict, and managing projects and change. The course draws on leadership theories, metaphors, and global leadership research to define culturally preferred leadership attributes and behaviours, and effective cross-cultural communication in comparative global settings.

This course investigates the art, science, and practice of persuasive communication in its many forms and contexts. It examines theories and research in human influence and how language, images, and non-verbal cues can mold people's attitudes and actions. There is opportunity to carry out a social science project in interpersonal or mediated persuasion, and to seriously consider the ethical implications of one's persuasive efforts.

Serves as opportunity for students to bring diverse learning and skills from across their program in order to research, write and/or carry out a senior creative thesis, portfolio, or publishing project in literary journalism or narrative nonfiction. Students gain skills in curation, editing, project management, aesthetic research methodology, and integrative and performative thinking. Students will gain deeper scholarly and professional understanding of aesthetic research methodology, and integrative and performative thinking.

Explore the world of travel journalism and adventure writing. In this senior workshop course, students will critique each other’s work and read, discuss, and analyze travel literature to understand its roots and conventions. Students need not be world travelers to write their own travel-based essays: their unique observations, voice, and writing ability all contribute to make a good story, even in their own backyards. Builds on storytelling techniques, critical theory, and application of aesthetic principles acquired in introductory and intermediate courses in narrative nonfiction.

Brings together the public relations and strategic communication curriculum in a client-based campaign project. Working in teams that simulate a professional agency setting, students research a real organization’s communication challenge, identify key audience groups, develop clearly defined and measurable objectives, and create an integrated communication strategy that supports the organization’s goals.

Building on skills introduced in MCOM 251, 261, or 452, students learn the art of editing for magazines and newspapers. Students study examples of published magazines and newspapers (both print and online), write and edit a piece of their own with the intent to publish their work, and apply their knowledge to pieces submitted for publication in a student publication to be created around this course.

Building on skills developed in MCOM 251 or 261, students study the best in magazine and newspaper feature writing and produce several pieces of their own with the intent of publishing their work.