Public Relations & Advertisement - Course Descriptions

FIRST YEAR
Term 1 COMM 101 Introduction to Communication (3, 0)3
This course is designed to introduce the student to the study of communication. It focuses on the general conditions and contexts of communication practices. It aims at providing the student with the general knowledge of definitions, models, and basic concepts in communication; the range of verbal and non-verbal codes, and their complex interrelations in the message systems of modern electronic media; and various communication contexts, with emphasis on the structure and function of interpersonal communication and mass communication.
COMP 100 Introduction to Computer (1, 2)2
Computer hardware and software. System versus application software. Using a modern computing environment. Introduction to word processing. Common and advanced features. Spreadsheets as problem solving tools. Common and advanced features. File management basics. Database management systems; design and implementation. Multi-media databases. Communications/Networks concepts, software and protocols. Electronic mail, conferencing, information access via the World Wide Web.
JRN 101    Basic Journalism      (3, 0)3
This course relies on the idea that shifts in media technologies, institutional structures and the organization of public life have combined to change the practice of journalism. It aims at introducing the student to the general conception of audio-visual journalism and exploring the shifts in technologies with an eye to seeing how they affect journalism's role in society. It provides the student with a broad knowledge of the techniques of journalism and offers her/him conceptual and practical tools with which to join the fray. By the end of the course, the student should have a clear sense of the various ways journalists have taken up media and a sense of how s/he might use those media. S/he is also expected to gain a broad understanding of the ways in which recent social and economic developments have changed both the practices of journalists and the nature of the publics with whom they communicate.
SCI 101 Introduction to Social Sciences  (3, 0) 3
Given that our world is changing so fast that its complex issues demand consideration from multiple perspectives, this course will help the student to make connections and to think critically about social issues both past and present. For this aim, it introduces the basic concepts of social sciences – psychology, sociology, media studies, politics, economics, geography and environment – in an approachable and accessible way, to enable the student build on what s/he already knows and draw on her/his own experience. The student will explore some of the big issues in the contemporary world, such as changes in family, work and identity; risk and the environment; and the impact of globalisation – developing her/his study skills at the same time. 
TURK 105/200 Turkish (3, 0)3
In this course correct pronunciation of the Turkish sounds will be studied. Theoretical and practical studies would be carried out on types of communications aiming to convince and to inform the audience. TURK 200 for International Students. 
ENGL 121   English I  (3, 0)3
This course wills concentrates on English for academic purposes in order to assist students with their academic studies.  In order to do this similar operations followed in their faculties will be practiced.   

FIRST YEAR
Term 2 
COMM 102 History of  Mass Communication    (3, 0)3
This course includes the development of mass communication and its history, the main factors that played  role in the development of mass communication and the relationship between the history of communication and the history of humanity. It emphasizes the processes of modernization and industrialization in that respect and concentrates on the historical development of each mass medium via a detour from different historical contexts.
PRA 102 Introduction to Public Relations  (3, 0)3
This course aims at introducing the student to the discipline of public relations. It explores the history, roles, functions, purposes, responsibilities, methods and tools of the public relations profession, and career opportunities available. It also focuses on the role and function of public relations in the context of organizational communication with a due emphasis on the characteristics of organizational structures. It provides the student with the basic knowledge and skills necessary for today’s public relations practitioner. 
ECON 100   Introduction to Economics   (3, 0)3
Introducing the basic concepts, nature, scope and methods of economics; introduction and a general view of the price system; elasticity; consumer behaviour; theory of the firm; perfect and imperfect competition; monopoly vs. competition; the theory of distribution; factor markets and income distribution.  
HIST 100/200  History of Turkish Reforms/History of Turkey and Cyprus (2, 0)2
History of the construction of the Turkish Republic under the light of Kemal Atatürk's principles. This course is designed for Turkish speaking students. HIST 200 for International Students. 
ENGL 122    English II   (3, 0)3
The continuation of ENGL 121 with similar objectives; topics used will be more related to students degree subjects.  Prerequisite: ENGL 121  
TURK 106/E*  Turkish Text Writing/Elective*   (3, 0)3
A general introduction about text writing together with the rules of text writing will be studied. Practical studies will be carried out about the text used in the areas of TV, radio, newspapers and public relations.   
* Elective   (3, 0)3
(Substitute Elective Course for International Students)  

SECOND YEAR
Term 3 COMM 205 Communication Theories I   (3, 0)3
This course aims at providing the student with the major theories and perspectives concerning the nature and role of communication -especially, of mediated communication- in modern society. This first part explores the communication models and messages; classical and contemporary rhetorical theories; theories of interpersonal communication and small group communication as well as the persuasion theory and related debates.    
RTVC   203   Production Techniques of Cinema & TV(2, 2)3
This course introduces the student to the technology of TV and Cinema. The course covers broadcasting methods, studio production, technical equipment video and audio production techniques with a due emphasis on the use of such equipments as camcorders, tripods, dollies and pedestals. 
JRN 203 Photography  (2, 2)3
This course is designed as the study of basic photography. It covers the following topics: basic technical theory, light and its properties, film basic, 35 mm camera equipment & techniques, photographic chemistry basic, B/W darkroom equipment & techniques, how the material and processes work, technical and aesthetic aspects and essential notions to establish a base for photo-journalism.  
PRA 203  Principles of Advertising (3, 0)3
This course is designed as a broad survey of advertising, emphasizes its use of media and creativity, as seen by both the practitioner and the consumer. History, structure, and functions of advertising are among the topics to be covered. The course aims at encouraging the student to think about what advertising is, how it is developed and controversies surrounding its use with a due emphasis on the techniques for communicating sales and branding messages using traditional and non-traditional media.  
SOCY 211 Sociology (3 0)3
Sociology provides a unique way to look at human behaviour and the world. It is the systematic study of the groups and societies in which people live. In this respect, it is very integral to understand the act and experience of communication. The course examines and analyzes how social structures and cultures are created, maintained, and most importantly, how they affect behaviour. It deconstructs the taken for granted world of social interactions and examines what theory and research can tell about human social behaviour. For this aim, it provides the student with the foundations and development of sociological theory by focusing on arguments and debates that have taken place around the questions of structure and agency, order and change, society and individual, culture and ideology.
HIST 201  History of Civilisation   (3,0)3
A survey of the origins and development of Western Civilization during the ancient and mediaeval periods, in which the history of Cyprus and its surrounds will figure prominently. Stress is placed on the social, economic, and political aspects, but it also covers cultural and technical elements and their inter-relationships. Includes field trips.  

SECOND YEAR
Term 4 COMM 206 Communication Theories II (3, 0)3
This course involves consideration of theories of culture and intercultural communication with a due emphasis on the critical approaches arguing for the possibility of communication as depending less on so-called universal models than on social, political and economic context of communication. To this end, more contemporary communication studies and specific examples for such studies will be one of the main focuses in the second part. Thus, this course will introduce the student to a broad range of approaches to communication so that s/he can comprehend the ideas at play in the professional literature and in the practice of communication. 
COMM 202 Communication Law   (3, 0)3
This course is designed as the study of the laws and regulations governing journalism and broadcasting in Cyprus and Turkey. It also provides the student with a knowledge of such laws and regulations in other countries in order to enable making comparisons. In addition, information about freedom of speech, communication and copyrights are among the topics to be covered in the course. 
JRN 204 News Writing  (2, 2)3
This course aims at introducing the student to the theory and practice of gathering and evaluating news, news writing, including copy reading and basic editing, and the organization of news stories. It is designed with reference to writing for newspapers. As part of the practical section of this course, the students is expected to write and edit news stories to be used in the sample newspaper.  
PRA 204  Advertising Design (2, 2)3
This course provides the student with the knowledge of how to design a product ad.  It is designed as a study of the techniques of market analysis, product strategy, copy writing, layout and design, and concept development for advertising. It specifically focuses on layout process of creative advertising with an emphasis on simulating real world experiences, including advertising campaigns, posters, billboards, web sites, etc.  
RES 202 Research in Social Sciences (3, 0)3
This course aims at providing the student with a comprehensive understanding and assessment of research methods in social sciences. The student will consider the logic and variety of methods that social scientists use to observe the social world by examining the most common qualitative and quantitative techniques as well as obtaining necessary practical skills required for their application. The focus is on assessing how well research strategies address the underlying social scientific question(s) with a due emphasis on the techniques for data collection and analyses of interviews, questionnaires, observation, and database material. Development of the skills required for both written and oral dissemination of results is also a key feature of the course. 
COMM 208 Presentation and Argumentation Skills     (3, 0)3
This course aims at developing written and oral presentation skills by engaging students in classroom discussions following advanced reading texts in and outside the classroom. Given the fact that the ability to convey facts and information in a clear, concise, argumentative and engaging manner is a crucial part of delivering an effective presentation, this course provides the knowledge needed to plan and deliver well-structured, polished presentations based on skills of argumentation. The student will learn practical techniques to communicate and reinforce messages, allowing her/him to focus on audience needs and objectives. Thus, the course offers presentation and argumentation skills including organisation, communication, design, delivery and influencing, enhancing the individual's ability to present successfully to achieve specific outcomes. Development of the skills required for both written and oral dissemination of the results of an academic research is also one of the most important key features of this course.  
THIRD YEARTerm 5 COMM 301  International  Communication    (3, 0)3
This course looks at communications in relations between international groups and states. It examines the range of functions and roles communication media play in international affairs, global issues, and intergroup relations. It also  focuses on the strategic use of communications by various groups, the character of worldwide news, their construction of international issues and affairs, data circulation, international communication order.  The course places special emphasis on the major theories concerning international communication flows in that respect.   
PRA 305   Principles of Marketing (3, 0)3
This course is deigned to introduce students to marketing both as a vital business philosophy and as a key functional area. It focuses on identification and analysis of relevant opportunities and constraints in consumer and industrial target market with a due emphasis on the marketing mix including product planning, distribution institutions and activities, promotion and pricing. 
PRA 307  Page Design   (2, 2)3
This course provides the student with a major emphasis on the principles and design of a website as well as advanced Internet skills and techniques. HTML, web publishing and graphic editing software are to be used to design, create, format, and edit web pages. 
PRA 311   Strategic Creativity for Advertising   (2, 2)3
This course is to provide the student with knowledge and understanding of principles of strategic creativity in advertising practice. It aims at developing the ability to analyze creative approaches and addresses the debate on 'award' vs. 'strategic' creativity. It covers such topics as: the significance of strategic planning in campaign development, conceptual and production issues involved in radio and TV advertising, the evaluation of advertising effectiveness, and the development and selling of an integrated advertising idea. Students are expected to engage in scriptwriting and the production of storyboards for broadcast media and develop their concepts through to finished form using current technologies taught within the subject. 
Elective (3, 0)3  

THIRD YEAR
Term 6 
COMM 302  Media and Public Opinion  (3, 0)3
This course aims at introducing the student to the main issues in research about public opinion. The course covers two overlapping themes: First, it explores the meaning and origins of public opinion in relation with the following questions: What is public opinion and how should we measure it? How do individuals form their opinions? Why should we care about public opinion? Second, it examines causes of public opinion, focusing on the role of the media. How do the media affect public opinion? How important is media influence compared to other factors? What is the relationship between new technologies, such as the internet, and public opinion? During the course the student is encouraged to critically examine the evidence and methods presented and generate new hypotheses and research topics.
PRA  302 Marketing in Practice (3, 0)3
The major objective of this course is to provide the student with comprehensive perspective of challenges marketers are facing in everyday life. The class is to be run on an interactive basis, by focusing on real life case studies of success and failure stories.  
PRA 304  Publicity       (2, 2)3
This course aims at providing the student with basic knowledge of basic principles and techniques of publicity and their strategic usage in the field of public relations and advertising. The followings are among the topics to be covered: tools of publicity including use, function and format of media advisories and press releases; methods of publicity including use of social networks, news outlets, fliers, cross-marketing, and freebies; importance of networking and face-to-face contacts; and, publicizing around holidays.   
PRA 308  Interactive Multimedia (2, 2)3
This course is designed to provide the student with an overview of the hypermedia/interactive multimedia technology through working with various hypermedia/interactive multimedia tools. The student is introduced to the design and production process of developing interactive multimedia applications by using various tools concentrating on different aspects of the technology: text, graphics, audio, and video. Through working with these tools, students are expected to develop an understanding of how such technology can be applied in journalism and broadcasting settings. Specific emphasis is placed on conceptual, technical, and aesthetic proficiency in interactive multimedia. The final requirement is to create an interactive CD-ROM as a group project.  
Elective (3, 0)3  

FOURTH YEAR
Term 7 
PRA 403 PR For Non-Profit Organizations    (3, 0)3
This course is designed to provide the student with knowledge about the role of public relations as it pertains to not-for-profit organizations. S/he is expected to use advanced public relations skills, including research and analysis and strategic planning and implementation, to address issues and challenges exclusive to not-for-profit organizations. The followings are among the topics to be covered: developing a unique voice for the organization; constructive relationships with the media; effective corporate partnerships; creating and executing promotional events and initiatives; and working with an organization in crisis. Case histories are used to illuminate the course materials and guest speakers from different sectors of the not-for-profit world are to be invited when appropriate.  
PRA 405  Campaign Research in PR and Advertising   (4, 4)6
This course is to provide an experience with social science research methods as they are used in public relations and advertising practice. The focus is on using research for program management, planning, diagnosing and evaluating public relations and advertisement programs and campaigns. The student is expected to use principles of scientific research to establish, monitor and evaluate communications programs; plan research, design surveys and experiments; conduct focus groups, content analysis, and participant observation research; interpret data using qualitative and statistical analysis and report research findings using required technologies. 
Elective (3, 0)3 
Elective (3, 0)3  

FOURTH YEAR
Term 8 
COMM 402   Media Ethics   (3, 0)3
This course explores several strains of Ethical Philosophy and their practical applications in contemporary professional communication: Audio-visual journalism, Filmmaking, Public Relations and Advertising. The particular emphasis is on the responsibilities of the professional communicator. Given the fact that most of our moral learning comes from stories, and that professional communicators are storytellers, the course makes use of films, television programs, newspaper and television journalism, and advertisements to illustrate ethical philosophy and to present ethical dilemmas for discussion, analysis, and application of ethical theories. To this end, it focuses on a wide variety of ethical issues including censorship, conflicts of interest, portrayal of minorities, the elderly, and children. 
PRA 402  Campaign in PR and Advertising   (4, 4)6
This course is designed to help develop and refine critical thinking on the part of the student in selecting, creating and applying tools, techniques and principles of public relations and advertising to a variety of cases and problem situations. The emphasis is placed on those cases in both national and international context. Use of real-life cases studies, tracking of current public relations and advertising issues, and creation of a full-scale promotion plan for an actual "client" are planned. It is an advanced level course enabling the student to use her/his skills for a genuine public relations and advertising problem. The student is expected to use the principles and techniques s/he learned to analyze case studies, track current public relations and advertising issues, and create campaigns. 
PRA 404 PR For Private Sector    (3, 0)3
This course is designed to teach the basic principles and techniques of public relations and publicity in private organizations. The main goal of the course which is to be held within the context of previous theoretical knowledge is to provide the student with both the ability of analyzing the practices carried on whether at a public relations agency or department in a corporation and realizing strategic plan and projects for real cases by teamwork. In order to better understand the client, the potentially required demands of the client are discussed.
Elective (3, 0)3

New Elective Courses in effect as of 2009-2010 Fall Semester:
COMM 304 Media Literacy (3, 0) 3
This course is designed to introduce the student to the studies of media literacy and to enhance the relationship with specific media institutions and products. The main focus is to provide the student of communication sciences with the necessary skills to ‘teach’ media literacy to those who do not have the required tools in the way to access and evaluate the media technologies and products. International debate on the education of media literacy is also one of the central components of the course.
COMM 305     Entertainment, Art and Culture Journalism      (3, 0) 3
This course aims at introducing the student to the fundamentals of writing and broadcasting on entertainment, cultural and art events. It is designed to provide knowledge on cultural correspondence, its examples in the prestigious media organizations in the world, specific writing and telling techniques and cultural environment in Cyprus and Turkey.
COMM 307 Media and Popular Culture   (3, 0) 3
This course relies on a variety of theoretical perspectives to examine the concept of ‘culture’ and the debate on the distinctions between high and low/popular cultures. It aims at introducing the student to key discussions in cultural studies and to considerations of the formal conventions involving different media; it also aims at enabling the student apply different perspectives to the study of diverse cultural forms including advertising, film, literature, music, popular entertainment and leisure, radio and tv, and www. Thus, the course offers an in-depth exploration of the relationships between mass media and everyday life with a due emphasis on such topics as semiotics, myth, politics of consumer culture and identity.
COMM 309 Body Language (3, 0) 3
This course is designed as a workshop with the purpose of improving the way the student communicates by focusing on the nonverbal aspects of communication. It identifies the major areas of nonverbal communication and the current terminology used in the field with a due emphasis on the techniques of expression, including gestures, body movements, positions and postures, the use of silence and more. The course also focuses on how one can use body language as a tool to influence others in difficult contexts such as speaking to an unsettling public, and to optimize the message in various settings such as job interviews and formal negotiations.
COMM 306 Sports Broadcasting              (2, 2)3
This course is specifically designed to introduce the student with the necessary knowledge and skills in reporting and writing on sports journalism for the print, broadcast and Internet media. Topics of study include coverage of sports events, interviews, profiles, investigative stories, and analysis and commentaries for printed press and audio-visual media. The course aims at providing the basic skills for students interested in sports broadcasting and an examination of the role of sports in society. It also involves three major areas of sports broadcasting: radio play-by-play, television anchoring, and reporting. Courses are to focus on hands-on activities, and local amateur and professional sporting events.
COMM 308 Advertising Photography      (2, 2)3
This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills for camera uses and studio equipment in advertising photography. It covers such topics as: properties of good advertising photography; techniques of effective advertising photography; trends in advertising photography; still lives and models; fashion, food, architecture and jewelry photography; and discussions on samples of advertising photography.
COMM 403 Current Issues in Media (3 0)3
This course, in the form of seminars, specifically concentrates on the most current agenda in several media. It also directs attention to the national and international developments by addressing a range of challenges including health, education, governance, gender and human rights. In that respect, the course relies on the idea that any communication the student should have not only a knowledge of theory and practice regarding the field but also an in-depth awareness of the present agenda and related discussions. It also aims at drawing from the experiences of visiting lecturers when it is appropriate.
COMM 405 Discourse Analysis (3 0)3
This course focuses on the fundamental concepts and methods used in Discourse Analysis which is a broad and complex interdisciplinary field. The field includes somewhat diverse theoretical and methodological approaches from linguistics, anthropology, and sociology, but all approaches to discourse share a commitment to studying language in context. This course presents these approaches in the way to describe and explain the structure and function of the spoken, written and other types of discourses. It draws examples from different discourse genres with a due emphasis on data collection and practical application.
COMM 404 New Technologies and Cyberculture (3, 0)3
This course relies on the idea that computer-mediated culture has become mainstream for a majority of individuals in contemporary societies. From email to texting, from online gaming to online banking, from YouTube to Second Life sit-ins, nearly every aspect of modern lives has found a new expression in its digital proxy of which the Internet constitutes the main axis. The course considers the many ways that contemporary culture has been reshaped--and is still in process of being reshaped--as a result of the growth of the Internet, and associated electronic technologies. It concentrates on the origins of today’s cyber culture and of the new electronic forms in the futuristic visions (both dystopian and utopian), and tries to decode the new messages that are being conveyed by the new digital media: personal computers and world-wide information networks, above all, but also video, multimedia, interactive games, online communities, and virtual reality technologies. It covers a wide range of material: from theoretical writings about the nature of virtualization to policy debates about issues such as net freedom and encryption, and from speculative science fiction to experiments in interface design to "net art" projects.
COMM 407 Visual Culture and Aesthetics (3, 0)3
This course will complement the question of new visual technologies by enabling the consideration of theoretically informed critical and creative work in visual culture. It examines not only the nature and social impact of visual images but also considers the importance of the visual for the way social relationships function. In the context of contemporary cultural theory many kinds of image-making and visual narrative forms are to be exemplified in the course with a due emphasis on the question of aesthetics and such related concepts as sublime, kitsch and cult. Thus it investigates several methods and theories involved in the academic analysis of art, design, visual practice and material culture.
COMM 406 Media Policy (3, 0)3
This course examines the changing course of media policy and markets by exploring the effects of global developments that have become dominant in the media and telecommunications sectors and by focusing on the social, cultural, technological, political, and commercial implications that dominate the new structure of media policy as they have come into existence at the global level, making an impact on local policies in each country. Its first part explores the course of development of media policy with a due emphasis on its globalization and e-stage. The second part examines the impact of global media policy on local policies and markets, a process that leads to a transformation from cultural perceptions to commercialization and globalization.
COMM 409 EU and Media (3, 0)3
In EU, every individual government has its own audio-visual communication policies while it is also the fact that EU determines and shapes the general structure of such policies. This course has the aim of providing the student with a general knowledge about the EU, the general structure of communication policies it determines and the various examples of individual policies that different EU countries deploy.
COMM 413 Political Economy of Media  (3, 0)3
This course basically relies on what political economy is by providing an overview of major approaches within the conjunction of mass communication and political processes. Thus, it introduces basic concepts of political economy to the study of contemporary media. By examining corporate, public and alternative media formations, it provides the student with the tools to analyze intersections of power and wealth in societies and economies increasingly centred on the profitability of culture and information. Such issues as news and agenda setting and political economy of media institutions, as well as broader cultural processes such as religion and media, and representation of social groups are among the topics to be covered. 
COMM 408 Art and Society (3, 0)3
This course relies on the premise that art is a condition, rather than a function, of social relations. With respect to this premise, it explores the social position of artists and creative writers, the nature of artistic movements and their connection to social movements, communication practices, audiences, galleries, museums and publishers, shifting standards of style and taste, public art and theoretical approaches to the relationship between art and society itself. While it focuses primarily on readings from theoretical texts, it also attaches these readings to a consideration of contemporary art practices and art history, looking specifically at the manner in which art is characterized as a mode of resistance to dominant and well-established structures, as well as the relationship between aesthetic experience and the so-called “postmodern condition.”
COMM 415 Political Communication and Lobbying     (3, 0)3
This course aims at familiarizing the student with the process of political communication with a due emphasis on electoral campaigns and lobbying. As to the electoral campaigns, it provides the student with the knowledge required for identifying, analyzing, and articulating how political candidates and news media set issues in their agenda during an election cycle; understanding the variety of potential effects campaign discourse may have on public opinion and political decision making; and being able to collect, analyze and synthesize research data and their outcomes in terms of public opinion and voting decisions. As to the phenomenon of lobbying, it concerns understanding the social, cultural and political context of this phenomenon; its role in the decision-making processes in modern democracies; and introducing the particular forms and methods of lobbying.
COMM 417 Documentaries (2, 2)3
This course aims at exploring how the documentary works in different media such as newspaper, radio, print, film, photography, graphic arts, and the web. The student is expected to examine the documentary as a form of storytelling and consider the technological developments that contributed to changes in documentary representation with a due emphasis on different forms of media. The course also focuses on theoretical and practical discussion platform in investigating ‘documentary’ for its provision of ‘reality’ and ‘truth’.  It offers a comparative perspective leading to a greater understanding of the genre as well as of communications media by providing the fundamentals of information gathering, planning and re/presenting.
COMM 410     Sound and Music in the Visual     (3, 0)3
This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of the use of sound and music in film and television, covering aesthetics, concepts, and technical aspects of sound and music. The student is expected to acquire the basic knowledge of digital sound editing, foley, mixing, as well as computer-based sound and music production. The special emphasis is placed on the background and historical development of use of music in visual media. The relationship between music soundtracks and the enjoyment of visual media is explored with a particular focus on the degree to which sound and music can enhance the visual experience.
COMM 412 Film and Literature    (3, 0)3
This course is designed to explore the formal, thematic, and historical relationships between literary and cinematic forms. The student is expected to gain a greater understanding of the characteristics of each medium through a careful reading/viewing, discussion, and written analysis of novels, short stories, plays, and their cinematic adaptations. To this end, particular examples of cinematic adaptations of literary forms are discussed and analyzed in the class. 
COMM 421 Radio-TV Administration       (3, 0)3
This course aims at introducing the student with the specifics of the structures, styles and functions of radio and television administration. It drives attention to the differences of public and commercial broadcasting, and focuses on organizational structures with a due emphasis on personnel functions, ownership regulations, and styles of administration in that respect.
JRN 308 Analysis of News (3, 0)3
This course is constituted of a close and empirical look at the news media in a variety of national and international contexts. Following a general consideration of the factors that structure news media systems and the roles that media play in different societies, the course focuses on comparative methodologies -surveys, ethnographies, news content analyses, etc.- and on national and comparative case studies, representing the major types of journalistic “models”. In doing this, the course aims at providing the student with a thorough understanding of how news media differ around the world; with knowledge of the major explanatory and normative theories of the news; with the research methodologies needed for comparative media research, including analysis of official political and economic data, ethnography, in-depth interviewing, and content analysis; and, at the end, to help students gain greater critical perspective on the way journalism is practiced in their own countries, and thus to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of other media systems.
PRA 406 Strategic PR Management (3, 0)3
This course helps the student move from a tactical public relations approach to a strategic management style. It introduces her/him to the tools necessary for developing and presenting comprehensive, effective, and accountable public relations plans, ensuring they are well prepared for managing and executing communication campaigns. With the context of this course, the following topics are covered by various examples: How do organizations determine their business goals according to their strategic business plans? What’s the function of public relations on realizing these business goals? How does the strategic public relations management process work? (stages of planning and fields of application).
RTVC 406 RTVC Production Workshop (2, 2)3
This course is an advanced level RTVC workshop. There are two main components to the course: theoretical framework and production practice. In the first part, the course engages with issues surrounding production. The second part will focus on live and studio production together with the assigned projects. The scope of the projects is to range from featurettes to documentaries to experimental works, depending on each student’s inclinations and talents. The overall aim of the course is to provide the students with further enhancing their knowledge and skills about theory, aesthetics and production practices. The students are to be guided in making their production projects, and the end results are to be posted in the faculty web portal and submitted to festivals.
VCMD 404 VCMD Workshop (2, 2)3
This is an advanced level applications course where the students utilize skills and theory obtained in previous courses and work in a cooperative environment toward the completion of an audio or multimedia VCMD production project. The overall aim of the course is to provide the students with further enhancing their knowledge and skills about theory, aesthetics and production practices. The students are to be guided in making their production projects, and the end results are to be posted in the faculty web portal and submitted to festivals.
PRA 408 PRA Workshop (2, 2)3
The main goal of this advanced level application course, which is to be held within the context of previous theoretical knowledge, is to help the students develop both their ability of analyzing the practices carried on whether at a public relations agency or department in a corporation and realizing strategic plan and projects for real cases by teamwork. The overall aim of the course is to provide the students with further enhancing their knowledge and skills about theory and application practices. The students are to be guided in making their projects, and the end results are to be posted in the faculty web portal and submitted to festivals.
JRN 408 JRN Workshop (2, 2)3
Within the context of this advanced level application course, the students, by developing certain projects, are to polish their knowledge and skills about the following topics: journalism operations, how publication is realized, how to write an article, writing news spots, sub-photo writing, the importance of using headings, how to write a heading. The overall aim of the course is to provide the students with further enhancing their knowledge and skills about theory and production practices. The students are to be guided in making their projects, and the end results are to be posted in the faculty web portal and submitted to festivals. 
Electives from the previous curriculum of the respective Departments:
PRA 309  Techniques of PR Campaign  (3, 0)3
This course is composed of two parts. The first part is designed to advance student writing, editing, and speaking abilities especially in the context of media relations and overall relationship building. Given the fact that Public Relations practitioners must be effective communicators, this part offers intensive study to build skills learned in previous lower level courses. The second part is designed to provide experience on how to organize a well-planned public relations campaign, step-by-step, and to give students experience in coordinating independent investigation and research. It relies on the simulation of constructing promotions with an emphasis on public relations. After a real-like brief, the students simulating a public relations agency are expected to develop a public relations strategy.
PRA 306  Human Resources Management in PR and Advertising  (3, 0)3
This course is composed of two parts. The first part aims at providing the student with a broad overview of the human resource function. Thus it offers a survey of the major human resource management functions such as planning, staffing, training and development, performance management, compensation,  and employee and labour relations. The second part focuses on the importance of human resources in public and private organizations and use of human resource management principles and techniques in public relations and advertising.
COMM 401   Analysis of Media Products    (3, 0)3
This course specifically focuses on how to analyze different kinds of media products and the process of their production, with a due emphasis on the institutions. It also directs attention to the analysis of the relationship between media and audience. 
JRN 404   Investigative Journalism    (2, 2)3
This course provides the student with a  broad review of some of the current debates centred around investigative journalism by focusing on ethical and moral issues in that respect. It also aims at teaching the essential skills of investigative journalism with a due emphasis on such topics as: starting and sustaining an investigation; interviewing techniques; using a methodological approach in obtaining information; building a case using human and documentary sources; and, the role of investigative reporting in democratic and non-democratic societies.
RTVC 301   History of Cinema   (3, 0)3
This course is designed as an inquiry into the history of different types of film style and storytelling. It examines key directors, producers, stars and other figures in the history of cinema with a due emphasis on the important developments in technology and trends in what was popular, critically acclaimed, experimental and socially relevant. Films are situated in their historical, aesthetic, social and political contexts by evaluating them critically in order to learn what this key art form and mass medium can tell us about the culture of modernity. Tools for analyzing films are introduced in due course.
RTVC 306  Scriptwriting (2, 2)3
This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of scriptwriting. Challenges of writing for the audiovisual media and developing scriptwriting competency are emphasized. It aims providing the student with the skills and fluency in the preparation of scripts for a variety of media productions and focusing on contemporary procedures for scriptwriting.
COMM 419   Research Techniques in Media    (3, 0)3
This course aims at further enhancing the student’s knowledge and skills about research methods and techniques as they are used directly the field of communication. The purpose of the course is to acquaint the student with various conceptual issues surrounding specific research topics, to develop the student’s ability to carry out meaningful researches in the communication sciences, and to present their results in a clear and unambiguous way.