MC 1000 - Mass Media Today
This course is an introduction to the practices of mass communicators and provides an overview of the history, rationale, and landscape of the traditional areas of advertising, journalism, and public relations, illustrated by reviews and examples. The course includes strategies, techniques, and applications, including an exploration of specific examples and case studies.
Credit: 3
MC 2100 - Mass Communication Research
Prerequisite: MC 1000 or COM 1000 or COM 2000
Introduction to quantitative and qualitative methods used to study audiences, contents, and effects of mass media. Course content focuses on advertising, journalism, and public relations communication using social science research skills and data analysis. Approaches include content analysis, survey research, focus groups, and other empirical methodologies.
Credit: 3
MC 2200 - 1st Amendment & Intellectual Property Law
MC 2200 is designed to introduce students to First Amendment doctrines and issues concerning freedom of expression. Students will be exposed to a survey of major areas of media law; governmental regulation of political speech; defamation; privacy torts; news gathering rights; and intellectual property issues such as trademark, patent, copyright, and fair use. This course can also be seen as an advanced First Amendment course concentrated on the interplay between “new” media, cutting-edge technologies, privacy, and other civil liberties. Students can expect to engage in a conversation about the ethical and political issues facing the digital media.
Credit: 3
MC 3120 - Writing for Digital Media
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course.
A review of the basic structure of today’s news and information practices and basic writing for all media. The course reviews career options and social, legal, technical, and ethical environments in which mass media operate. It distinguishes news from other types of writing and provides instruction and practice in writing designed to enhance student skills and provide opportunities for publication in the digital age.
Credit: 3
MC 3300 - Social Media
Prerequisite: MC 1000 or COM 1000.
This course looks at applications of social media in mass communication and teaches the fundamentals of writing, design, layout, and production for a variety of social media products. Students produce a variety of publications while learning electronic typography, graphic design, computer imaging layout, and studio preparation. The course will also examine social media’s effect on privacy as part of the digital age.
Credit: 3
MC 3700 - Creativity and Copywriting
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course
This course brings to light the creative process as it lives in the mass communication industry. Creativity will be explored through major theories and modern research in the field of creativity; through case studies of creative individuals, organizations, and campaigns; and through play with creative elements of expression such as music, art, theatre, story, design, dance, and photography. At the end of this course students will have a foundation of ideation, creative strategy, and creative execution techniques.
Credit: 3
MC 3720 - Audience Behavior
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course.
A course on audience behavior that discusses various techniques for profiling target audiences and analyzing decision-making strategies and uses and gratification behaviors. The course explores demographics, psychographics, Values and Lifestyles System, PRISM, and high- and low-involvement decisions. It provides insight essential to advertising, journalism, marketing, and public relations campaign planning.
Credit: 3
MC 3730 - News Media Strategies & Sales
Prerequisite: MC 1000; recommend sophomore or higher.
This course introduces students to research, planning, and relationship development with several media outlets and their representatives who are vital to the development of effective long- and short-term strategic communication programs and campaigns. It includes lessons on how to evaluate both advertising and news/editorial media, how to plan a media program, how to develop a media plan, how to work with the various media representatives for purchased space or time, and, in other cases, how to work with editorial staff for placement of public relations material. Includes selected media tours.
Credit: 3
MC 3740 - Crisis Communication
Prerequisite: MC 1000 or any WC&IL I course.
This course provides an in-depth study of key aspects of crisis communication and prepares students to anticipate, identify clues, and initiate pre-emptive programs for natural, financial, and personnel disasters and domestic terror threats. The course covers related research, strategic planning, presentations, media relations, government relations, and international relations.
Credit: 3
MC 3750 - Special Events Planning
Prerequisite: MC 1000.
This is a skills-based course designed for students to explore the profession of special event planning, facilitation, execution, promotion, and evaluation with a service learning approach. Students will learn foundational concepts and professional skills of event planning through hands-on application of learned theories. Essential topics learned will include event planning, coordination, strategic sponsorship, programming, marketing, communications, volunteer and vender management, risk management, event research, and event evaluation.
Credit: 3
MC 3760 - Integrated Campaigns
Prerequisite: MC 1000 and any upper-division MC course.
An overview of organizational promotional strategies including planning, budgeting, media selection, message design, and timing. Case studies illustrate using mass media special events, in-store displays, advertising, public relations, and visual communication to affect audience behavior. Industry dynamics, controversies, trends and implications are analyzed.
Credit: 3
MC 3900 - News Writing for Kalamalama
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course.
This course covers the basic requirements of newswriting and reporting for the student run newspaper Kalamalama. This class will include interviewing, outside reporting assignments, covering news events and creating news stories for the online newspaper and its social media channels. Student reporters may repeat the course up to three times for a total of 3 credit hours as an unrestricted, upper division elective.
Credit: 1
MC 3910 - Selected Topics in Mass Communication
Prerequisite: Any WC&IL I course.
Course title, content, and prerequisites will vary. May be repeated for a total of 9 credits when title and content have changed.
Credit: 3
MC 4900 - Capstone Experience
Prerequisite: Department permission.
This course is the capstone for the Mass Communication BS degree. It prepares students for entry into the professional world of mass communication including advertising, journalism, and public relations and all of the fields included in those general categories. The course guides the students to utilize all of the theories and models of communication, as wells the planning strategies and implementation techniques, in order to develop a strong integrated plan for an existing organization in the Honolulu community.
Credit: 3