Communication and Leadership
Leadership

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Curriculum

Curriculum

In addition to courses required for the core curriculum and by the Moody College, the degree offers students a major with three parts. Download the degree checklist for the 2018-2020 catalog here, and read below for more information:

1) 12 hours of communication and leadership major courses
2) 12 hours focusing on communication foundations, and
3) 12 hours of interdisciplinary courses that explore critical social issues.

I. Communication and Leadership

These courses address principles of leadership, communication, and ethics at the introductory and upper-level and give students an opportunity to apply those principles through an internship experience and a capstone, project-based course.

Students will take each of the following courses, for a total of 12 hours:

CLD 301:  Introduction to Communication and Leadership. This course (previously offered as COM 301L) will introduce students to the study of leadership with an emphasis on communication dimensions and an interdisciplinary understanding of social problems. This course will serve as a foundation for subsequent coursework in the subject of communication and leadership (CLD 321; CLD 351; CLD 371). It will include an Ethics and Leadership flag and will be open to all students.

CLD 321: Seminar on Communication and Leadership.  In this course (previously offered as COM 320L) students will examine concepts, frameworks, and theories related to skills that are integral to ethical, effective leadership. Among the skills that will be studied are those related to making ethical decisions, communicating supportively to others, motivating and engaging others, transforming followers into leaders, gaining power and influence, managing conflict, and leading positive change.  A continuing focus of the course will involve integrating ethics with leadership and communication skills. This course will include an Ethics and Leadership flag. Prerequisites are a 2.25 or higher GPA and completion of CLD 301 or COM 301L with a C grade or higher.

CLD 351: Internship in Communication and Leadership Course. This course will provide students with practical experience related to the practice of ethical leadership and communication, most likely with a nonprofit organization, social enterprise, governmental agency, or philanthropic organization. It will require an average of 10 hours of work a week for a total of at least 150 hours a semester or summer term and will be offered on the pass/fail basis only. Prerequisites are a 2.25 or higher GPA, completion of CLD 321 or COM 320L with a C grade or higher, CLD major, and upper-division standing. Click here to apply for credit.

CLD 371: Capstone Course in Communication and Leadership.  The course will address advanced topics in leadership, communication, ethics, and social change.  It will enable students to engage in experiential learning through team projects that address leadership challenges in the real world.  The course will have an Independent Inquiry flag as well as an Ethics and Leadership flag. Prerequisites are a 2.25 or higher GPA, completion of CLD 321 or COM 320L with a C grade or higher, CLD major, and upper-division standing.

II. Communication Foundations

Communication is integral to all aspects of leadership, so students must develop expertise in communication approaches and skills. Students will study topics such as interpersonal communication, advocacy and persuasion, team-based communication, and organizational communication. They will gain training in skills such as public speaking, interviewing, advertising on the internet, event planning, and public relations for nonprofit organizations. We encourage students to explore similar but unlisted courses and petition them for credit via this application.

Students may select four courses from the following portfolio for a total of 12 hours.

ADV 304: Advertising on the Internet
ADV 320: Integrated Communication for Non-Profit Organizations
ADV 332: Technology Marketing and Advertising
ADV 339L: Brand Storytelling
ADV 353: Advertising and Public Relations Law and Ethics
ADV 378S (Topic 11): Sports and Social Media

BGS 373: Strategic Corporate Communication

CMS 306M: Professional Communication Skills (EL flag)
CMS 310K: Team-based Communication
CMS 313M: Organizational Communication
CMS 315M: Interpersonal Communication Theory
CMS 316L: Interviewing Principles and Practices
CMS 320: Advanced Presentation Skills
CMS 321D: Communicating for Development and Philanthropy
CMS 322E: Communication Ethics (EL flag)
CMS 332: Argumentation and Advocacy
CMS 332K: Theories of Persuasion
CMS 333: Case Studies in Argumentation
CMS 335: Strategic Sales and Event Planning
CMS 337: Communicating to Build Sales Relationships
CMS 338: Leadership Stories (EL flag)
CMS 341: Digital Communications
CMS 353S: Social Media and Organizations
CMS 355K: Intercultural Communication
CMS 364K: Gender and Communication

CMS 367: Topics in Communication Studies

CMS 371K: Practicum in Conflict Mediation
CMS 372K: Advanced Organizational Communication

J 331M: Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship
J 358C: Becoming Citizen Journalists

MAN 328: Consulting and Change Management

Courses may not be offered every semester.

III.  Social Issues

Critical contemporary social issues will be explored through an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will take 12 hours of coursework on critical social concerns selecting from the list of courses below.  These courses offer interdisciplinary grounding and comprehensive understandings of social concerns and potential communication strategies for addressing them. We encourage students to explore similar but unlisted courses and petition them for credit via this application.

Students may select four courses from the following portfolio for a total of 12 hours.

AAS 330: Topics in Asian American Anthropology, Geography, and Sociology

ADV 334: International Advertising
ADV 378: Advanced Studies in Advertising:

AFR 310L: Introduction to Traditional Africa

AFR 317D: Special Topics in Black United States Studies

AFR 372C: Topics in Critical Black Studies

  • Beyonce Feminism/Rihanna Womanism (cross-listed with WGS 335)
  • Race, Gender, and Surveillance
  • Race, Capitalism, and Environment
  • The Black Middle Class
  • Petition other topics for credit here

AFR 374D: Advanced Topics in Black United States Studies

  • African Americans in Sports (Topic 12)

AFR 374F: Advanced Topics in Black Expressive Culture

  • Literature of Black Politics (Topic 21)

ALD 327: Sociocultural Influences on Learning

AMS 321: Studies in American Societies

AMS 325: Studies in American Art and Media Culture

AMS 370: Seminar in American Culture

CMS 332D: Digital Ethics (EL flag)
CMS 338L: Leadership and Public Memory
CMS 340K: Communication and Social Change (CD/EL flags)
CMS 342K: Political Communication (EL/WR flags)
CMS 344K: Lying and Deception
CMS 347K: Rhetoric of Popular Culture (CD flag)
CMS 354: Conflict Resolution

CMS 367: Topics in Communication Studies

CMS 372T: Time Matters

CSD 378D: Leadership and Mentorship in Communication Sciences and Disorders

GOV 337M: Topics in Latin American Government and Politics

  • Law and Democracy in Latin America (Topic 7)

GOV 351L / CTI 325: Morality and Politics (EL flag)

GOV 357M: Topics in Public Law

  • Structure of Individual Liberties (Topic 8)

GOV 365N: Topics in Comparative Politics:

HED 366: Human Sexuality

HIS 356P: United States in the Civil Rights Era

J 313P: Multimedia News Reporting
J 336F: Social Media Journalism
J 338J: News for a Mobile Audience
J 341F: Understanding African Americans and the Media
J 341J: Minorities and the Media
J 346G: Domestic Issues and Global Perspectives
J 348D: Gender and the News
J 351F: Journalism, Society, and the Citizen Journalist
J 355F: Living in the Information Age

LAS 315: Introductory Topics in Latin American Social Sciences

  • Introduction to Jewish Latin America (Topic 3)

MAN 327: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
MAN 337: Special Topics in Management

  • Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (Topic 5, cross-listed with SOC 321K)

MAS 374: Special Topics

  • Latino Migration/Human Trafficking

PA 325: Topics in Policy:

PBH 317: Introduction to Public Health

R S 310: Introduction to the Study of Religion

RTF 323C: Screening Race (CD flag)
RTF 342: Topics in Global Media:

RTF 359: Studies in Media and Culture:

RTF 365: Topics in Media and Society:

SOC 307L: Gender, Race, and Class in American Society
SOC 308K: Social Change and the Future (GC flag)
SOC 309C: Creating the Sustainable Society
SOC 319: Introduction to Social Demography
SOC 321G: Global Health Issues and Health Systems
SOC 321K: Contemporary Issues in Sociology:

  • NGOs, Humanitarian Aid, and Health
  • Philanthropy and Non-Profit Organizations (Honors only; cross-listed with LAH 350)
  • Inequality in the US Education System
  • Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (cross-listed with MAN 337)
  • United States Immigration
  • Petition other topics for credit here

SOC 322F: Mental Health in Social Context
SOC 325L: Sociology of Criminal Justice
SOC 336D: Race, Class, and Health
SOC 352: Social Movements
SOC 369K: Population and Society (GC flag)

S W 310: Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare (CD flag)
S W 325: Foundations of Social Justice (CD flag)

WGS 340: Cross-cultural Topics in Women's and Gender Studies:

  • Latina Politics (cross-listed with MAS 374 and GOV 370K)
  • Reproductive Justice and Race (cross-listed with AAS 330)
  • Women and Social Movements in the U.S. (Topic 53)
  • Petition other topics for credit here

WGS 345: Topics in Women's and Gender Studies

  • The Family (Topic 2)

Courses may not be offered every semester.

Leadership Contexts

Our educational program emphasizes core educational approaches and experiences that situate leadership practices in organizational and social contexts. Students have the option to use their required courses in communication foundations/skills and social issues along with their free electives to gain knowledge regarding one or more of three contexts: 1) nonprofits and philanthropy, 2) public service, or 3) business.

For example, students interested in business could earn the Business Foundations Minor, the Global Management Certificate, or the Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Ethics and Leadership in Business.

Students interested in nonprofits and philanthropy could earn the Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Studies, Museum Studies, Environment and Sustainability, or Children and Society.

Students interested in public service could earn the Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Public Policy, Human Rights and Social Justice, or Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies.

See the Communication and Leadership academic advisor to discuss these and other options.