Communication

How do you become an excellent communicator? In this class we will examine excellent public communication from throughout history from a practical and theoretical perspective. At the same time, students will prepare and deliver their own speeches in a variety of formats. Emphasis will be placed on historical context, speaker ethos, and rhetorical analysis, with special attention paid to modern and post-modern rhetorical theory

This course covers the steps to create a short film/documentary. Students will explore the techniques, aesthetics, and theory that inform lighting, cameras, editing, crew organization, work flow, and production requirements. Students will complete short film projects in journalism, advertising/PR and a final short narrative or documentary piece.

This course is a practical introduction to investigative and feature writing in print and digital media. Topics include: developing a sense of news, the structure and components of news stories, writing strong leads and lean, verb-driven stories, headline and caption writing, review writing, and journalism ethics. Students will read current news, research, write and edit print-worthy news stories and reviews. Stress on deadline-consciousness, news awareness, and productivity.

This concentration exposes you to the wide knowledge base of the field. You’ll be trained in:

• web design
• graphic design
• photojournalism
• news writing
• public relations planning
• public speaking
• grant writing

You’ll also explore the sociological and cultural implications of communication and media studies while learning technical skills and techniques. This concentration strives to balance theoretical exploration with practical skills—and allows you to choose communication electives in your field of interest.

A concentration in digital media production is designed to expose students to the craft of videography, defined as the process of capturing moving images on electronic media. This includes pre-production, visual design, handling a camera, directing actors, scheduling & budgets, lighting, sound capture, digital editing, and distribution considerations. Students can take videography skills into a number of fields, including PR & marketing, youth & camp ministries, ethnographic research, travel & nature documentaries, and narrative filmmaking.

A concentration in journalism exposes students to the field of journalism in general, proper news data gathering & reporting, news editing considerations, layout & design, convergent journalism, visual rhetoric, internet news considerations, photojournalism, blogging, & digital editing.

Our public relations concentration offers a wide range of courses designed to effectively prepare you for the varied tasks of a public relations practitioner. A critical part of our program includes an internship in the public relations sector to develop your professional experience and contacts. You’ll be exposed to:

• web design
• graphic design
• grant writing
• news writing
• communication theory
• marketing research methods

Explore the field of theatre and blend it with your communication curriculum. You’ll study:

• stage acting
• acting for camera
• directing
• voice and movement
• stagecraft
• writing for stage and screen

You’ll also gain experience in grant writing, public relations, web design, public speaking, and communication theory. An internship in theatre or film is a must. Our goal is to effectively prepare you for the writing, directing, creating, and performing of professional theatre, whether it’s in a ministry setting or in the pursuit of a career in Los Angeles or New York.