Communication Rhetoric And Public Advocacy Concentration

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Communication Rhetoric and Public Advocacy Concentration
Department of Communication
College of Liberal Arts

Neff Hall 230 ~ 260-481-6825

A concentration in rhetoric will provide students with the tools to read, analyze, and criticize human discourse in relationship to persuasion. The pursuit of encouraging students to be more actively and critically engaged citizens is foundational to this emphasis. Grounded in argumentation and the symbolic dimensions of discourse, students within this concentration will learn both ancient and contemporary rhetorical theories. The ability to evaluate communication in its diverse formats prepares students (in combination with other majors and minors) for careers, in law, higher education, social and political activism, speech writing, film making, and business.

Suggested minors: Political science, women’s studies, history, psychology, sociology, film & media studies, and criminal justice.

Student Learning Outcomes for the Rhetoric and Public Advocacy Concentration:
Upon completion of this concentration, students will be able to:

Identify and apply the various concepts, processes, contexts,and theories of rhetoric
Discuss the ethical responsibilities of the rhetor and the rhetorical critic
Analyze various rhetorical discourses to become informed, critical receivers of persuasive messages in their professional and everyday lives
Recognize the relationships that exist among rhetoric, critical thinking, and democracy
Develop and deliver strategic messages that employ effective techniques for advocacy and are tailored to specific audiences in deliberative forums
Form judgments about the significance of rhetoric for understanding social and political issues and about the value of rhetoric for citizens.

Program Requirements:

Communication (Rhetoric and Public Advocacy) 4-Year Plan:

A grade of C- or higher for all courses required in the concentration and an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher.
COM 32300 is not available for credit toward any Communication major, minor or concentration.

To earn the B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Rhetoric and Public Advocacy, students must fulfill the General Requirements and Communication core requirements as outlined in Program Description of the Communication B.A. program in this catalog, and the following concentration requirements:

Rhetoric and Public Advocacy Core: Credits 15

COM 21000 - Debating Public Issues Cr. 3.
COM 31200 - Rhetoric In The Western World Cr. 3.
COM 31600 - Controversy In American Society Cr. 3.
COM 31800 - Principles Of Persuasion Cr. 3.
COM 40100 - Rhetorical Criticism Cr. 3.

Supporting Courses: Credits 6

Choose two courses from the following list:

COM 14000 - Introduction To Media Production Cr. 3.
COM 31300 - Introduction To Health Communication Cr. 3.
COM 42200 - Women, Men, And Media Cr. 3.
COM 44001 - Rhetoric Of Popular Culture Cr. 3.
COM 44101 - Social Media: Theory and Practice Cr. 3.
COM 46300 - Mass Media Criticism Cr. 3.
COM 47100 - Communicating Peace Cr. 3.
COM 49100 - Special Topics In Communication Cr. 1-3. (Advisor Approval Required)

Concentration Total: Credits 21

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.