Courses

Students gain expertise in strategic planning, writing, promotion and publicity, graphic design, and media tools and techniques. In addition, students select nine (9) credit hours in one of three concentrations below, based on their area of interest. Other concentrations can be customized in consultation with an advisor.

Media Relations: This concentration equips public relations professionals working with the media with the understanding and skills for a wide variety of mass media (e.g., television, film, radio, journalism, etc.), focusing on writing, production, and technological expertise.

Business/Organizational: This concentration offers students entering corporate, nonprofit, higher education, or ministry/para-ministry contexts specialized business, marketing, and leadership background and skills.

Public/Political Affairs: This concentration equips graduates for positions in government, public affairs, and public policy advocacy. Interdisciplinary study in history, political science, and international relations provides theoretical knowledge and preparation in practicing public relations in the field containing the highest number of professionals.

Preview your classes

Division Core Courses

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COM-115 Introduction to Human Communication3 Hours
- Provides students with an understanding of communication encountered in various social settings, with an emphasis on both theoretical and practical aspects. Students will gain an understanding of communication as it affects the individual in message construction, interpersonal interaction, group and organizational settings, public settings, cultural settings, and mass communication settings. Also examines the ethics of communication, and participate in group projects, leading to presentations.
COM-340 Communication Theory3 Hours
- Examines definitions and models of communication. Exploration of specific theories will be emphasized through individual research. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of the Division.
COM-445 Communication Internship3 Hours
- A supervised and intensified hands-on work experience in a professional work environment. Student's interests and competencies must coordinate with the professional activities of the cooperating organization, and the student must have successfully completed work related to the internship. May be repeated up to a total of 6 credit hours. Graded on a CR/NC basis. Prerequisites: COM-235, the gateway course for the appropriate major, and permission of the instructor.
COM-480 Communication Senior Seminar II3 Hours
- Continues the senior capstone experience for Communication and Theatre majors. Students develop a philosophy of communication based on their study, a senior career and academic portfolio and a creative project in their area of specialty. Prerequisites: COM-479.

16-17 credit hours

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COM-201 Public Relations Practicum0-1 Hours
- Gain practical experience in public relations through working with officially sanctioned groups on campus and with organizations off-campus. Graded on a CR/NC basis. May be repeated, but credit will be assigned for no more than two hours. May be taken for 0 or 1 credit.
COM-223 Communication Graphics3 Hours
- Course provides proficiency in theory and production skills in computer-aided graphic design for the web, print, and for a variety of communication contexts.
COM-224 Introduction to Newswriting3 Hours
- A survey of the field of journalism, including the news media, the role of reporters, ethics, methods, and operations. Practical application in gathering information and writing news stories through covering campus and University-related activities. Requires field assignments and attendance at newspaper meetings. Prerequisite: ENG-120 or Advanced Standing in English.
COM-227 Research Methods in Communication3 Hours
- Introduces students to the research process. Examines how research is planned and designed, explores both quantitative and qualitative methods, introduces the techniques of these methods, and provides experience in conducting original research. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of Division.
COM-233 Principles of Public Relations3 Hours
- Examines the history, roles, functions, purposes, methods, responsibilities, and ethical issues of public relations in various contexts, including corporate, nonprofit, and agency environments. Focuses on how organizations effectively communicate with various publics to achieve specific public relations objectives.
COM-331 Public Relations Writing and Publicity3 Hours
- Partnerships with public agencies allow the acquisition of professional-level experience and skills in publicity, promotion, and fund-raising in various settings. Examines how organizations interact with print, broadcast, and online media to gain publicity. Explores general principles of media relations and develops the writing, presentation, and production skills used in media relations work. Prerequisite: COM-233 or permission of Division.
COM-431 Public Relations Campaigns and Cases3 Hours
- Focuses on public relations as a management function in organizations. Students analyze case studies that exemplify how real organizations successfully apply communication principles to solve public relations problem and maximize opportunities. Prepare and implement a public relations campaign for a client. Prerequisites: COM-233 and COM-331.

18-20 credit hours

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BUS-100 Foundations of Business3 Hours
- An overall view of the business field including the business environment; organization, management, and operating problems of the enterprise; financial management and the risk function; and the marketing function. No prerequisite.
COM-209 Small Group Communication3 Hours
- Provides background and skills related to small group communication theory and practice. Students participate in group projects leading to class presentations. Topics include leadership, discussion, roles, consensus, organization, decision-making, and persuasion. Standards for ethical conduct are considered. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of Division.
COM-336 Special Topics in Communication Arts3 Hours
- Provides more intensive and advanced study of specific areas of communication (i.e., Communication Studies, Journalism, Media Communication, Public Relations, Theatre). May be repeated to earn up to 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: COM -115 or permission of Division.
ECO-212 Microeconomics3 Hours
- Provides a background for advanced economics courses. A special emphasis is placed upon microeconomics topics including scarcity, division of labor, the economics of the firm, demand and price elasticity, and profits and competition.
ECO-213 Macroeconomics3 Hours
- An introductory survey of macroeconomic theory emphasizing how the U.S. economy works as well as the role and influence of the U.S. economy in global markets. Topics include national income accounting, circular flow, short-run and long-run models of the economy, labor productivity and economic growth, inflation and unemployment, money, monetary and fiscal policy, and competing theories of the business cycle.
MKG-210 Marketing Principles3 Hours
- This course emphasizes the principles of marketing and will focus on the social process that directs an economy's flow of goods and services from producers to consumers in a way that accomplishes the goals of society. This course also examines marketing from the perspective of the organization. Prerequisite: BUS-100.
MNG-210 Management Principles3 Hours
- A study of management principles as they apply to all organizations. The functions of planning, organizing, directing, motivating, and controlling are examined. Prerequisite: BUS-100 or LDR-200.

9 credit hours

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COM-113 Introduction to TV Production2 Hours
- Introduction to multi-camera and single camera television production. Studio equipment, operations, set, lighting and editing are covered with an emphasis on the creative process from scripting to finished product. Class includes field experience with WIWU-TV51.
COM-211 Introduction to Mass Communication3 Hours
- A survey of the media communication industries, focusing on their historical development in the United States and professional and ethical standards required in media professions.
COM-314 Studio Production3 Hours
- Develops production and leadership skills in studio-based, long-form production. Work as a team to develop and produce an original television program for WIWU-TV. Format may vary among studio forms and could include talk, game show, situation comedy or drama. Prerequisite: COM-113 or permission of Division.
COM-322 Broadcast Journalism3 Hours
- The process and production of news reporting for radio and television with focus on broadcast writing style. Complete on-air assignments for the university radio station which includes gathering, writing, technical production, and on-air presentation. Prerequisite: COM-224 or permission of Division.
COM-332 Photojournalism3 Hours
- Examines the applications of functions performed by pictures, how photography developed, the essential techniques used by professional photographers and editors. Use photography to tell a story, set a mood, and capture the high point of an event.
COM-364 Field Production3 Hours
- Advanced television production and operations associated with field production including concepts and practices in scripting, producing, editing, and on-location directing with a single-camera format. Prerequisite: COM-113 or permission of instructor.

9 credit hours

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HST-300 Western/American Intellectual and Social History3 Hours
- A survey of the history of presuppositions, ideas, and values occurring in philosophy, religion, science, aesthetics, education, economics, law, and politics and their relationship to the total culture, with particular attention to successive paradigms and the consequences thereof. Gives credit for majors in History, Philosophy, Political Science, Political Science Pre-Law or Sociology. Prerequisite: Any course from HST-180, HST-211, HST-212, HST-103, HST-185, HST-190, HST-160,or POL-100.
HST-301 American Foreign Relations3 Hours
- A history of international politics from 1415 to the present, focusing on an analysis of the foreign relations of the United States from the American Revolution to the present. Gives credit for majors in Political Science, International Relations, or History. Prerequisite: HST-211, HST-212, or POL-100.
HST-302 American Political Parties3 Hours
- An analysis of the nature, history, and function of political parties and pressure groups in the United States. Gives credit for Political Science, Political Science Pre-Law, International Relations, or History majors. Prerequisite: HST-211, HST-212, or POL-100.
POL-100 American Government3 Hours
- A study of American federal government in all its important phases with an introduction to the major fields of political science, including political thought, domestic politics, political economy, and international politics.
POL-200 State and Local Government and Politics3 Hours
- A study of the design and operation of state and local government within the American federal system with an emphasis on practical issues, citizenship principles, and Christian involvement. Gives credit for majors in Criminal Justice, Political Science, or Social Work.
POL-230 World Politics3 Hours
- The purpose of this course is to introduce the study of world politics. By surveying the key concepts and theories utilized to assess contemporary global affairs this course provides a framework for analyzing world politics in a systematic and sophisticated manner. Course topics will provide a brief overview of the major areas of study within the field of international relations including foreign policy analysis, global politics and governance, international political economy and the continuing evolution of the international system.

9 credit hours

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COM-115 Introduction to Human Communication3 Hours
- Provides students with an understanding of communication encountered in various social settings, with an emphasis on both theoretical and practical aspects. Students will gain an understanding of communication as it affects the individual in message construction, interpersonal interaction, group and organizational settings, public settings, cultural settings, and mass communication settings. Also examines the ethics of communication, and participate in group projects, leading to presentations.
COM-340 Communication Theory3 Hours
- Examines definitions and models of communication. Exploration of specific theories will be emphasized through individual research. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of the Division.

9 credit hours

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COM-201 Public Relations Practicum0-1 Hours
- Gain practical experience in public relations through working with officially sanctioned groups on campus and with organizations off-campus. Graded on a CR/NC basis. May be repeated, but credit will be assigned for no more than two hours. May be taken for 0 or 1 credit.
COM-227 Research Methods in Communication3 Hours
- Introduces students to the research process. Examines how research is planned and designed, explores both quantitative and qualitative methods, introduces the techniques of these methods, and provides experience in conducting original research. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of Division.
COM-233 Principles of Public Relations3 Hours
- Examines the history, roles, functions, purposes, methods, responsibilities, and ethical issues of public relations in various contexts, including corporate, nonprofit, and agency environments. Focuses on how organizations effectively communicate with various publics to achieve specific public relations objectives.
COM-331 Public Relations Writing and Publicity3 Hours
- Partnerships with public agencies allow the acquisition of professional-level experience and skills in publicity, promotion, and fund-raising in various settings. Examines how organizations interact with print, broadcast, and online media to gain publicity. Explores general principles of media relations and develops the writing, presentation, and production skills used in media relations work. Prerequisite: COM-233 or permission of Division.

9-11 credit hours

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BUS-100 Foundations of Business3 Hours
- An overall view of the business field including the business environment; organization, management, and operating problems of the enterprise; financial management and the risk function; and the marketing function. No prerequisite.
BUS-101 Business Ethics3 Hours
- This course is designed to enable the student to understand the importance of ethics in business. Time is spent helping students further develop their own personal value systems and subsequently to see how their worldview impacts organizational values. Special emphasis is placed on application of Biblical principles. No prerequisite.
COM-113 Introduction to TV Production2 Hours
- Introduction to multi-camera and single camera television production. Studio equipment, operations, set, lighting and editing are covered with an emphasis on the creative process from scripting to finished product. Class includes field experience with WIWU-TV51.
COM-211 Introduction to Mass Communication3 Hours
- A survey of the media communication industries, focusing on their historical development in the United States and professional and ethical standards required in media professions.
COM-314 Studio Production3 Hours
- Develops production and leadership skills in studio-based, long-form production. Work as a team to develop and produce an original television program for WIWU-TV. Format may vary among studio forms and could include talk, game show, situation comedy or drama. Prerequisite: COM-113 or permission of Division.
COM-322 Broadcast Journalism3 Hours
- The process and production of news reporting for radio and television with focus on broadcast writing style. Complete on-air assignments for the university radio station which includes gathering, writing, technical production, and on-air presentation. Prerequisite: COM-224 or permission of Division.
COM-332 Photojournalism3 Hours
- Examines the applications of functions performed by pictures, how photography developed, the essential techniques used by professional photographers and editors. Use photography to tell a story, set a mood, and capture the high point of an event.
COM-364 Field Production3 Hours
- Advanced television production and operations associated with field production including concepts and practices in scripting, producing, editing, and on-location directing with a single-camera format. Prerequisite: COM-113 or permission of instructor.
COM-366 Organizational Communication3 Hours
- Examines the role of communication in organizations and the effect organizational structures have on communication from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Prerequisite: COM-115 or permission of Division.
ECO-212 Microeconomics3 Hours
- Provides a background for advanced economics courses. A special emphasis is placed upon microeconomics topics including scarcity, division of labor, the economics of the firm, demand and price elasticity, and profits and competition.
ECO-213 Macroeconomics3 Hours
- An introductory survey of macroeconomic theory emphasizing how the U.S. economy works as well as the role and influence of the U.S. economy in global markets. Topics include national income accounting, circular flow, short-run and long-run models of the economy, labor productivity and economic growth, inflation and unemployment, money, monetary and fiscal policy, and competing theories of the business cycle.
HST-250 Contemporary Affairs1 Hours
- An intensive analysis of communications and the news media from a historical perspective with a focus on television network news. A penetrating study of the structure, power, and bias of the television news industry and how it affects contemporary life and affairs. Gives credit for majors in History or Political Science.
HST-300 Western/American Intellectual and Social History3 Hours
- A survey of the history of presuppositions, ideas, and values occurring in philosophy, religion, science, aesthetics, education, economics, law, and politics and their relationship to the total culture, with particular attention to successive paradigms and the consequences thereof. Gives credit for majors in History, Philosophy, Political Science, Political Science Pre-Law or Sociology. Prerequisite: Any course from HST-180, HST-211, HST-212, HST-103, HST-185, HST-190, HST-160,or POL-100.
HST-301 American Foreign Relations3 Hours
- A history of international politics from 1415 to the present, focusing on an analysis of the foreign relations of the United States from the American Revolution to the present. Gives credit for majors in Political Science, International Relations, or History. Prerequisite: HST-211, HST-212, or POL-100.
HST-302 American Political Parties3 Hours
- An analysis of the nature, history, and function of political parties and pressure groups in the United States. Gives credit for Political Science, Political Science Pre-Law, International Relations, or History majors. Prerequisite: HST-211, HST-212, or POL-100.
MKG-210 Marketing Principles3 Hours
- This course emphasizes the principles of marketing and will focus on the social process that directs an economy's flow of goods and services from producers to consumers in a way that accomplishes the goals of society. This course also examines marketing from the perspective of the organization. Prerequisite: BUS-100.
MNG-210 Management Principles3 Hours
- A study of management principles as they apply to all organizations. The functions of planning, organizing, directing, motivating, and controlling are examined. Prerequisite: BUS-100 or LDR-200.
POL-100 American Government3 Hours
- A study of American federal government in all its important phases with an introduction to the major fields of political science, including political thought, domestic politics, political economy, and international politics.
POL-200 State and Local Government and Politics3 Hours
- A study of the design and operation of state and local government within the American federal system with an emphasis on practical issues, citizenship principles, and Christian involvement. Gives credit for majors in Criminal Justice, Political Science, or Social Work.
POL-230 World Politics3 Hours
- The purpose of this course is to introduce the study of world politics. By surveying the key concepts and theories utilized to assess contemporary global affairs this course provides a framework for analyzing world politics in a systematic and sophisticated manner. Course topics will provide a brief overview of the major areas of study within the field of international relations including foreign policy analysis, global politics and governance, international political economy and the continuing evolution of the international system.
WRI-282 Writing for Results3 Hours
- The study and practices of persuasive writing. Includes analysis of pulpit rhetoric, political rhetoric, advertising techniques, and propaganda. Based on classical rhetoric, the course considers the psychological impact of language on behavior. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG-120 or Advanced Standing in English.