Communications Major    Advertising and Public Relations Major    Theatre

Communication And Theatre Arts

Communication is the process of conveying messages to others, whether in a one-to-one encounter, in a public speech to many, or in a mass medium that reaches thousands or millions. Communicators know how to design messages for a variety of media and how to change that message depending on the audience or the medium. Good communicators know that effective messages are structured differently for speech, print photography, film, radio, theatre or television.

Knowledge of many areas is essential to successful structuring of these messages; e.g., language, rhetoric, culture, history, art, music, drama, technology and science. Communication is by its very nature a liberal art. Effective and accurate communicators are needed in this information age. Imaginative people, who can speak, write and produce messages for a variety of media, are valuable.

In addition to the conventional Communication major, the Department offers majors in Theatre Management, and Advertising and Public Relations.

Three minors are offered: Communication, Theatre and Photography.

Chair: Tammy Ostrander, Ph.D.

Communication Major

The Communication major in the Communication and Theatre Arts Department prepares students to design, adapt, and analyze mediated and interper sonal messages appropriate for specific audiences in a variety of settings. The students enrolled in this program will be able to create and critique persuasive arguments and conduct research. The liberally educated Communication major understands the rights and responsibilities of communicators and the historical and contemporary contexts of the field.

Communication Major: at least 42 credits in CTA, including a 26-credit core. CTA 1114, 2201, 2202, 2240, 3445, 4417 and 4445. 16 credits of CTA electives beyond the core are also required, including 8 upper division credits. (This requirement allows a self-designed emphasis.) In addition, students are required to have ENG 1110 and CTA 1102 or equivalent transfer courses. A minimum grade of "C" must be earned in all required classes.

Communication Minor: 20 credits in CTA 1114, 2240, 4445 and two additional 4-credit CTA electives with at least one upper division course. A minimum grade of "C" is required in all required CTA classes for this minor.

Admission to the Communication Major

Students apply for a Communication major at the end of the sophomore year; they are expected to have a 2.3 (C+) average in three CTA courses. Each candidate appears before a review panel of CTA faculty for informal evaluation prior to admission. Prior to the interview, students must submit an essay about the chosen major and three samples of graded work. Students who are less than one calendar year from graduation are not admitted to the major. Students must choose a minor from another area, or a 20-credit directed course of study, a self-designed minor, or second major in consultation with their CTA advisor. The Department will deny admission to the major for poor performance in the interview, a poorly written essay, or failure to comply with the deadline for application to the major.

Communication Major Outcomes:

1. Message Construction - Create a message that is appropriate for a specific audience in a variety of settings or media on a variety of topics.
2. Argumentation - Create and evaluate persuasive arguments.
3. Communication Skills - Understand the potential outcomes of various choices made during communicative exchanges.

Advertising and Public Relations Major

Advertising and Public Relations Major: at least 52 credits including a 40-credit core of: CTA 1114, 2240, 2041, 4400, 4404, 4417, 4445, 4555, MKT 2320, MGT 3550. A 12-credit concentration in Writing: CTA 2214, 3445, 4214; or in Production and Design: CTA 1107, 3041, and one of the following: CTA 3341 or 4041. A minimum grade of "C" is required in all required CTA classes for this major.

Admission to the Advertising and Public Relations Major
Students apply for a Communication major at the end of the sophomore year; they are expected to have a 2.3 (C+) average in three CTA courses. Each candidate appears before a review panel of CTA faculty for informal evaluation prior to admission. Prior to the interview, students must submit an essay about the chosen major and three samples of graded work. Students who are less than one calendar year from graduation are not admitted to the major. The Department will deny admission to the major for poor performance in the interview, a poorly written essay, or failure to comply with the deadline for application to the major. Students in this major must be accepted into the major prior to enrolling in the internship.

Advertising and Public Relations Major Outcomes

1. Creation of a variety of messages appropriate for specific audiences in a range of settings or media;
2. Creation and evaluation of persuasive arguments;
3. Demonstrate a basic understanding of organizations and how advertising and public relations professionals function within them.

Photography Minor

The visual image is ubiquitous in American culture. One cannot venture far without seeing photographs used in news, entertainment, advertising, sports and other applications. Photography has also played a key role in shaping our collective memory of watershed events. Photography is communication. Photography is art. Students who revel in creative image making and want to use the camera as an expressive tool would find value in the photo minor at St. Scholastica. A photo minor dovetails with related careers, especially in the advertising, public relations, graphic design and publication fields.

Photography Minor Coordinator: Edward Smith.

Photography Minor: at least 22 credits to include ART/CTA 1107, 2207, 2041, 3327, 4427, 4999. The independent study in Photography is a project agreed upon between the student and photography instructor that results in a student exhibition. Students may substitute a Topics course in photography for one of the required courses.

Photo Minor Outcomes

1. Master technical film and print processing skills in b/w, color, and some 19th century printing techniques and appropriate aesthetic display of these photographs.
2. Understand digital photography and be conversant in using modern digital photographic manipulation software.
3. Continuously study photography aesthetics and be able to distinguish major principles of composition across a variety of photographic applications.

The Theatre Program at The College of St. Scholastica provides opportunities for theatre management majors, theatre minors, and students majoring in other fields to develop a sense of aesthetics through exposure to theatre as a performing art. Students who perform develop responsibility for their own work. This collaborative art form also requires students to be responsible to the entire production team. The curricu lum of the Theatre Program stresses an understanding of theatre history and dramatic literature and improves skills in performance and technical theatre. The theatre management major includes the study of theatre as an art form combined with the study of basic business practices and mediated communication skills. This combination of learning, work, and artistic expression is a unique part of the liberal arts. The College of St. Scholastica Theatre Program is distinguished from professional preparation programs in that the production selection is firmly grounded in academic, not populist, plays and the Program emphasis is on student learning and participation.

Theatre Program Coordinator: Merry Renn Vaughan

Theatre Management Major: The Theatre Management major is an interdisciplinary program that combines academic training in Theatre as well as professional preparation in management. Students pursuing a Theatre Management major will complete traditional liberal arts courses focused on Theatre as well as careerprep courses in Management.

Theatre Management Major: 58 credits in Management and Communication. Management courses: MGT 2120, 3550, 4140 and MKT 2320, 3340. Communication courses: CTA 2041, 4041, 4214, 4400. Theatre courses: CTA 2100, 2150, 2250, 3330, 3331, 4555. CTA 2100 must be taken in three different areas. Students can choose these areas in costuming, set construction, lighting, or acting. CTA 2100 can be taken for zero credits. A minimum grade of "C" must be earned in all required courses.

Admission to the Theatre Management Major: Students apply to the Theatre Management major at the end of the sophomore year; they are expected to have a 2.3 (C+) average in three courses required for the major. Each candidate must interview with the CTA Department chair and the director of the Theatre Program prior to admission. Prior to the interview, students must submit an essay about the chosen major and three samples of graded work, at least one of which must be a graphic design piece. Students who are less than one calendar year from graduation are not admitted to the major. The Department will deny admission to the major for poor performance in the interview, on the essay, in the required coursework, or failure to comply with the deadline for application to the major.

Theatre Management Major Outcomes

1. Develop a basic understanding of skills involved in performance and technical theatre, including understanding and appreciating the major periods of theatre history and being knowledgeable of the major pieces of dramatic literature.
2. Effectively integrate management theory and practice in order to work effectively in any number of arts organizations or related fields.
3. Demonstrate problem-solving skills and proficiency in oral and written communication.
4. Acquire the ability to use computer graphic skills to design marketing pieces as well as design and maintain a Web site.

Theatre Minor: 22 credits in CTA 2100 (4 cr.), 3330, 3331, and
1. Performance Emphasis: CTA 2150, 2202, and one of the following: CTA 2250, 4150, 4250, 4999.
2. Technical Theatre Emphasis: CTA 2100 - Technical (2 cr.), 2250, and one of the following: CTA 2150, 4150, 4250, 4999.

All Theatre minors are required to work on a minimum of four productions with at least one technical theatre practicum. The technical theatre practicum can be taken for zero credits if option one is chosen.

Theatre Minor Outcomes

1. Develop a general understanding and appreciation of the major periods of theatre history and the major pieces of dramatic literature.
2. Develop a sense of responsibility for their own performance as well as for the entire production.
3. Develop skills for use in performance and technical theatre that will allow the student to work in theatre beyond the collegiate environment. The students will understand how to effectively communicate a play to an audience through both performance and technical elements.

CTA 1100 Public Speaking 2 cr.
Clarification of purpose, audience analysis, choice of supporting material, organization and delivery behaviors. Extemporaneous classroom speeches to inform and persuade.

CTA 1101 Interpersonal Communication 2 cr.
Text, lecture, discussion and laboratory exercises emphasizing relationships, the self, perception, verbal communication, assertiveness and listening skills, nonverbal communication and conflict management.

CTA 1102 Human Communication 4 cr.
Combines the areas of interpersonal communication and public speaking. Text lecture, discussion and laboratory exercises teach and reinforce effective interpersonal communication. Using interpersonal skills as a base, students will be introduced to more formal styles of presenting themselves and their ideas to larger public groups. Emphasis will be placed on clarifying purpose, audience analysis, and choice of supporting material, organization and delivery behaviors. Rhetorical skills will be developed through extemporaneous classroom experiences designed to inform or persuade.

CTA/ART 1107 Photography I (VIII) 4 cr.
Introduction to black and white photography: basic camera operation, film and print development, exposure and photo history and aesthetics. Students will also learn about photojournalism and digital photography. A 35 mm manual camera is required. Film and paper must be purchased by the student.

CTA 1114 Mass Communication 4 cr.
Analyzes the relationship between media and society through the interaction of technology, business, audiences, culture and government. Through lecture, discussion, field trips and other in-class activities, the course reviews the history and theories of mass communication as they relate to specific media.

CTA 1150 Introduction to Theatre (VIII) 4 cr.
Designed for the student who has a beginning interest but no formal background in theatre. The course is divided into two parts: a focus on the appreciation of live productions, followed by a basic history of the "lively art" form.

CTA/CIS/ART 2041 Computer Graphic Design (VIII) 4 cr.
Focuses on use of software to create original artwork and manipulate digitized photographic images. Software tools and techniques are demonstrated. Principles of design are illustrated. Evaluation is based on originality, aesthetics, mastery of technique and overall effectiveness. No prerequisite; CIS 1105; ART 1124; and/or ART 1107 recommended

CTA 2100 Theatre Practicum (VIII) 0-4 cr.
Offers 0 to 4 credits for performance in or work on a play. Students must be cast in a play or obtain the permission of the director or technical director to enroll for the course. One credit requires thirty hours of work on the production.

CTA 2150 Acting for the Stage (VIII) 4 cr.
Acting actually has very little to do with "acting." Modern approaches to acting are based on an individual's responding realistically to imaginary situations. Much of this beginning course will focus on relaxation and concentration exercises as well on as exercises which tap the imagination and help to release the emotional reactions appropriate for a scene. Students will perform monologues and scenes as well as improvisations.

CTA/ART 2201 The Moving Image (VIII) 4 cr.
Traces the evolution of nonfiction (documentary) and fiction film forms from 1895 to the present; summarizes research describing persuasive effects by means of lectures, screenings, assigned readings and oral presentations.

CTA 2202 Voice and Diction 2 cr.
Vocal mechanism and articulators studied and practiced in lecture and lab exercises. Vocal quality is analyzed and exercises recommended; articulated sounds of Standard American English are analyzed and exercises are applied to professional communication performance as a speaker or media talent.

CTA 2205 Oral Interpretation 4 cr.
Focuses on vocal expressiveness as students interpret literature aloud. Solo and group performances, including storytelling, readers' theatre and chamber theatre.

CTA/ART 2207 Photography II 4 cr.
Exploration of the zone system for 35mm and various black and white print and film processes including infrared and kodalith stocks, print toning and other special effects. Students will also work with studio lighting, view cameras and become familiar with both fine art and commercial studio photography aesthetics and practices. Prerequisite: CTA 1107.

CTA 2210 Mock Trial and/or Policy Debate 4 cr.
Topics may be taken one at a time for 2 credits each over two years or may be taken simultaneously for 4 credits. Students will begin by developing cases for a policy resolution to be debated with Russian university students (here or there), and then by developing briefs and arguing the Midwest Mock Trial case leading to regional tournament competition.

CTA 2214 Newswriting and Reporting 4 cr.
Rewriting wire copy and writing original material under deadline for print and electronic media. Students use computer word processing to develop skills in language usage, style and structure of the news story. Students will also gather and organize information and conduct interviews, as well as write and edit original news material for print or broadcast. Reporting assignments concentrate on extended news stories, features, and interviews.

CTA 2240 Intercultural Communication (I) 4 cr.
Employs lectures, documentaries, assigned readings, role-playing and research to understand the cultural forces that determine communication behaviors. The course prepares the student to enter another specific culture and communicate more effectively.

CTA 2250 Stage Craft (VIII) 4 cr.
Designed to introduce modern set building used in theatre technology. Students develop knowledge of sound and lighting equipment properties, power tools, drafting skills, production budgets and material used to produce a realized production.

CTA 2777 Topics in Communication 1-4 cr.
Special topics will be addressed as student interest and faculty expertise warrant.

CTA 3041 Publication Design 4 cr.
Principles of design for print materials include the use of space in layout, type selection, copy fitting and familiarity with printing processes. Use of the computer and desktop publishing, as tools in the design process, will be investigated. Prerequisite: CTA/CIS/ART 2041.

CTA/LIS 3202 Culture Through Film (I, VIII) 2 cr.
An exploration of film as cultural expression and as a medium through which the viewer may explore crosscultural issues.

CTA/ART 3327 Color and Landscape Photography 4 cr.
Color aesthetics and composition are studied, as well as film exposure, processing and print development. This course deals primarily with making color prints from transparencies (slides), and the practice and aesthetics of landscape photography. Prerequisite: CTA 1107.

CTA/ENG 3330 Theatre: Greek Elizabethan (IV, VIII) 4 cr.
Surveys major historical developments in theatre from the birth of theatre performance in ancient Greece, through Roman theatre to medieval liturgical drama. The course concludes with Elizabethan theatre and includes study of technical developments as well as historical contexts. Classes focus on production as well as the literary interpretation.

CTA/ENG 3331 Theatre: Restoration Twentieth Century (IV, VIII) 4 cr.
Survey of major historical developments in theatre from the Restoration through the twentieth century. The readings focus on the change in realism with the influence of psychoanalysis, absurdism, surrealism and ethnic theatre. Literary and historical components of the plays are addressed. Classes focus on production as well as the literary perspective.

CTA 3341 Media Production 4 cr.
Research, writing and production of video and audio news story, mini-documentaries, commercials and features. Lab assignments include location recording of actual events and studio production experiences for both video and audio. An introduction to video and audio editing. Prerequisite: CTA 2214 or consent of instructor

CTA 3445 Argumentation (V) 4 cr.
Examines the elements of persuasive speaking and argumentation. Begins with persuasive presentations and progresses to the formal study of argumentation framed by the Toulmin model of reasoning. Using this model, students will study the four primary types of warrants and the four primary types of argumentative claims. The class concludes with the argument of cases.

CTA/CIS 4041: Web Design 4 cr.
Explore the design principles that characterize successful Web sites and use modern tools for creating Web sites. Design issues will include the differences between print and electronic media, working within the limits of the technology, and how the user's contexts and goals affect Web design. Web sites will be critiqued from both an aesthetic and functional standpoint and students will be required to design and build fully functional Web sites. No prerequisites; CIS 1005/1105 and CTA/CIS 2041 recommended.

CTA 4150 Directing 4 cr.
Basic stages of the directing process. From script analysis to coaching actors, students will plan their own one-act play production. Under the supervision of the instructor, the students will hold production meetings, audition and cast a play, block and rehearse the selection, coordinate light and sound cues, and oversee the technical rehearsals and the performance.

CTA 4214 Feature Writing 4 cr.
Teaches students how to develop comprehensive newspaper features and magazine articles on current issues. Students will learn investigative reporting techniques, news judgment and news gathering skills for feature writing in print media. The course includes researching stories, interviewing, developing multi-source stories and making editorial decisions. It emphasizes writing excellence through weekly critiques of student work.

CTA 4250 Introduction to Design 4 cr.
Designed to introduce students to three types of theatre genres: Greek, Elizabethan and Modern. Students will be introduced to the three types of design disciplines: scenes, costumes and lights. Students will learn how to analyze and convert literature into visual images through metaphors, symbolism and realism. Prerequisite: CTA 2250.

CTA 4400 Advertising 4 cr.
The study of creative strategy and audience analysis form the basis for writing advertising copy for print, broadcast media, Internet, direct mail and outdoor media. Development of a fully integrated advertising campaign for a "real world" client prepares the student for professional work.

CTA 4404 Public Relations 4 cr.
The course covers theory, history, and practice of public relations; the process of influencing public opinion, ethics of public relations practice. Students will write news releases, fact sheets, newsletters, company periodicals, brochures. Public relations case studies; application of public relations techniques to representative problems; communications materials for various media are planned and prepared. Students will develop and present a full public relations campaign for a selected organization.

CTA 4417 Mass Media Law and Ethics (WI) 4 cr.
First Amendment rights, government regulation, Supreme Court decisions and ethical standards and conflicts are analyzed. Case studies address libel, privacy, regulation, and ethical issues.

CTA/ENG 4420 Film and Literature (IV, VIII) 4 cr.
Compares written and cinematic texts. A variety of film theories will be discussed in conjunction with image creation. Narrative issues - theme, style and characterization - will be covered also.

CTA/ART 4427 Alternative Photo Methods 4 cr.
Explores late 19th and early 20th century printing techniques as alternatives to modern photo methods. Students use the sun as a light source to print cyanotypes (blue prints), van dyke (brown prints) and gum bichromate images. Modern techniques such as infrared photography are also included.

CTA 4445 Persuasion 4 cr.
Studies persuasion from its early Greek roots through contemporary social scientific studies. Various theories of attitude change will be addressed.

CTA 4555 Internship 4, 8, 12, 16 cr.
Done in a professional business setting or other appropriate setting related to the student's field of interest. The student is supervised by a site supervisor. Evaluation of performance will be completed by the site supervisor, internship advisor and student. Students may obtain additional information about internships from the CTA chair. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

CTA 4777 Topics In Communication 1-4 cr.
Special topics are addressed as student and faculty involvement warrant

CTA 4850 Communication Research 4 cr.
Introduces students to multiple research methodologies commonly used in the communication field. These methodologies will range from qualitative to quantitative analyses to critical methods.

CTA 4999 Independent Study 1-4 cr.
Individual research or production projects are chosen by the student and approved by instructor. May be taken twice for credit, each time in a different area. Prerequisite: At least one academic or production course in chosen area.

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