Content
We are committed to offering courses that allow you to better understand and learn how to navigate some of today's most pressing challenges as you learn how to better advocate, negotiate, and relate across personal, professional, and public/civic contexts. Our courses are informed by cutting edge research around communication and relationships, health communication, and the rhetoric of media and civic life. Below are the upper-level courses for this semester.
If you want to learn more about the courses we offer, check them out in the undergraduate catalog, or reach out to Dr. Kathy Castle, Director of Undergraduate Education in Communication Studies kcastle4@nebraska.edu.
Remember we will offer several lower-level courses that can support your communication skills across personal, professional, and civic contexts, including:
COMM 101 Communication in the 21st Century (ACE 2)
COMM 201 Social Scientific Methods (with COMM 202 Rhetorical Methods in Communication Studies offered in Spring semesters)
COMM 209 Public Speaking (ACE 2)
COMM 210 Small Group Problem Solving (ACE 2)
COMM 215 Visual Communication (ACE 2)
COMM 220 Communication, Public Advocacy, and Global Citizenship (ACE 8)
COMM 250 Rhetoric of Media and Civic Life (ACE 5)
COMM 283 Interpersonal Communication (ACE 2)
COMM 286 Business and Professional Communication (ACE 2)
COMM 311
Intercultural and Intergroup Communication
Instructor TBD
Do you want to improve your communication skills and competencies for personal and professional life in our diverse and global world?
Mixing theory, research, and applied learning, COMM 311 focuses on understanding how our cultural and social identities (e.g., race-ethnicity, religion, political, regional identities such as rural and non-rural) influence how we view and interact in our personal, social, and cultural or global relationships. Students will learn how our communication both affects and reflects these cultural and social identities as well as assumptions and biases associated with these identities. In addition to improved communication skills, students will exit the course with an enhanced appreciation of the diversity in our local and global communities as well as an understanding of the uniqueness of their lived experiences. Students passing the class will fulfill ACE 2 or ACE 9 requirements depending on curricular needs of the student.
What to expect
In addition to readings, discussion, and other in-class activities, students will have opportunities to engage in conversations or other events with those in our community from other cultural or social identity groups.
ACE 2 and ACE 9
Register in MyRed
COMM 354
Health Communication
Dr. Satveer Kaur Gill
Health communication is a part of your everyday life - it affects and reflects our well-being, the quality and structure of conversations we have with our providers, broader healthcare policies that impact our health, and the media health messages that we consume on a daily basis.
Whether you're interested in healthcare, nonprofits, or just want to better understand healthcare in the U.S., this course will help you analyze health messages across interpersonal, mediated, and structural contexts that shape our health experiences in the United States.
What to expect
This class includes active group discussions of real-world health communication case studies, hands-on in-class activities and presentations, and a mid- and final-term examination.
COMM 368
Communication and Aging
Dr. Angela Palmer-Wackerly
The way society talks about aging shapes how we see older adults—and how we will eventually see ourselves. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65. Most people will spend 20–30 years in older adulthood. The reality is that we are all aging, every day, and through effective communication, we can learn to embrace aging, rather than fear it, leading to a more meaningful life.
In this course, we will examine how and why communication affects, and is affected by, our aging experiences. We will explore theories and concepts that explain how and why we use stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors to manage the stigma of aging. Students will examine topics, such as family conversations about health, ageism in media and everyday conversations, caregiving, and communication in healthcare settings.
What to expect
Throughout this course, students will complete assignments, such as in-class learning activities, team discussions, an intergenerational interview, diverse cultural analysis, and a final project that explains how they will improve communication about aging in today’s world.
COMM 371
Communication and Conflict
Dr. Kathy Castle
The main problem with conflict is that we see conflict as a problem.
Conflict is an inevitable part of human relationships and, when handled well, can lead to incredible personal, professional, and relational growth. Most of us, though, are uncomfortable with conflict and are not sure how to approach it, resulting in avoidance or mis-management. In this class students will learn how to better understand conflict interaction and how to engage it productively.
What to expect
Drawing from communication theory and research, we will empower ourselves by analyzing our own conflicts to better understand and develop informed strategies for navigating relational, group, and organizational conflicts. We will work with case studies and explore opportunities to translate our knowledge as we hone our skills acting as third parties in conflict situations.
COMM 372
Communication and Leadership
TBD
How do great leaders communicate? While there are many ideas about leadership, one common thread woven throughout leadership theories and experiences is the need for ethical and effective communication.
Whether you see yourself as a leader, a follower, or are simply interested in learning more about leadership communication, this class is designed to advance your knowledge about and develop skills pertaining to communication and leadership.
What to expect
Drawing from research and case studies, we will engage in active in-class discusses as we carefully consider the central role of communication in leadership, explore what it means to lead ethically and inclusively, and work to develop our own leadership identity and enhance our leadership communicative competence.
COMM 375
Theory of Persuasion
Instructor TBD
Want to learn to change minds and behaviors? Want to make better decisions and be a smarter consumer of messages?
Discover the art and science of how to craft and consume compelling messages that can change can minds and actions.
What to expect
Students in this course will create and examine a variety of persuasive messages in different contexts including social media, advertising, film, television, interpersonal, etc... The Throughout the semester students will work in groups to develop their own persuasive public service campaign.
ACE 8
Register in MyRed
COMM 452
Media and Culture
Dr. Kristen Hoerl
As controversies over the latest season of South Park and Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans advertisement illustrate, popular culture responds and contributes to the issues that people care about deeply.
This course focuses on the rhetorical criticism of a variety cultural forms with an emphasis on film and television to understand how media inform our beliefs, attitudes, and power relations. We will explore how such media are a primary means by which communities share experiences, maintain social stability, and call for social change.
What to expect
We will read and discuss foundational and current research about the relationship between media, social identity, and culture. Students will apply what they have learned by writing three short papers on popular culture artifacts of their choosing.
COMM 471
Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication
Dr. Allison R. Bonander
Most communication classes focus on how to be clear, supportive, and effective. But what about jealousy, betrayal, gossip, revenge, social aggression, codependence, breakups, or family conflict? The “dark side” of interpersonal communication explores the complicated, messy, and sometimes painful parts of our relationships.
In this course, students examine how behaviors that seem destructive can sometimes serve important relational functions, and how behaviors that appear positive can sometimes cause harm. Rather than separating “good” and “bad” communication, we explore how they are deeply intertwined in friendships, romantic relationships, families, and online interactions. This course challenges students to think critically about the full range of human interaction and to apply research to the real relationships that shape their lives.
What to expect
This discussion-driven, senior-level course requires active engagement with research and real-life application. Students will complete weekly engagement activities, watch lecture videos, take two application-based exams, and develop a research-driven final project on a dark side topic of their choice. Throughout the semester, students will connect theory to everyday relational experiences and make persuasive arguments about why understanding the dark side matters.
Online
Register in MyRed
COMM 489
Capstone in Communication Studies
Dr. Aaron Duncan
You’ve spent years learning how communication shapes the world—now it’s your turn to use your knowledge, skills, and passion to tackle a real-world issue of your choice.
This Senior Capstone course is the culmination of your Communication Studies degree—a chance to reflect on your coursework and engage with research in a way that highlights your unique perspective and desired impact beyond the classroom. Alongside this project, this course also prepares you to confidently step into the next chapter of your life.
What to expect
Throughout the semester, you’ll learn to plan, develop, and refine your project step by step—from initial idea to final presentation. You’ll also meet with Career Services, map out potential career opportunities, and interview someone whose work interests you. Designed with your future in mind, this course bridges academic learning and professional application to help you transition seamlessly from college to career.
ACE 10
Register in MyRed