Communication and Culture Major
The communication and culture major combines humanistic and social science approaches to the study of all aspects of human and mediated communication, including: the strategic application and implications of communication theories, tools, and techniques; the institutions and industries engaged in the production and distribution of mediated content; the receivers of this content and their reciprocal relationship with such messages; and the media texts in their social, political, local, and global cultural contexts.
In our increasingly interconnected world, it is clear that, when strategically chosen, the right words and images can be powerful instruments to help us move towards a more ethical and socially just world. The communication and culture major prepares the media professionals of tomorrow to use the power of mediated communication with responsibility by training them to be critical consumers and ethical producers of mediated communication in all areas of their lives: personal, professional, and civic.
Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation from the communication and culture major or minor, students will have achieved the following curricular goals:
- Develop a critically-informed understanding of media as a set of industries, institutions, objects, and infrastructures; sites of political, economic, and cultural contestation; and fields of creative production.
- Understand how media–as historically situated technologies, production practices, and consumption practices–define cultural notions of pastness and futurity.
- Recognize and evaluate the ethical, regulatory, and legal frameworks within which media and communication systems operate, as well as the asymmetrical power relations embedded within these frameworks.
- Assess the affordances of communication and media practices for addressing or perpetuating social inequities, and for promoting positive social change.
- Articulate the varied roles that media and communication practices play in the shaping of global identities, cultures, and beliefs.
- Engage in communication analysis and research, including humanistic and social scientific inquiry.
CIP Code
09.0100 - Communication, General.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.
The communication and culture (COMC) major requires eleven (11) courses.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 1000 | Fundamentals of Communication and Media Studies 1 | 3 |
| or COMM 1010 | Introduction to Communication and Media Studies | |
| COMC 1101 | Communications and Culture: History, Theory, and Methods 2 | 4 |
| Two courses in Communication Studies: Applications and Interactions | ||
| Two courses in Cultural Studies: Critique and Analysis | ||
| Two courses in Media Studies: Institutions and Audiences | ||
| Two additional courses in one of the three areas (above) as a concentration | ||
| One ethics, law, and policy course, ordinarily taken senior year 3 | ||
- 1
COMM 1010 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies has been discontinued and replaced by COMM 1000 as of Fall 2017.
- 2
Either COMM 1000 or COMM 1010 is a prerequisite for COMC 1101 Communications and Culture: History, Theory, and Methods.
- 3
See below list of Ethics, Law, and Policy courses.
Students majoring in communication and culture must pursue one of three concentrations: Communication Studies, Cultural Studies, and Media Studies.
Ethics, Law, and Policy courses
Courses in this group have the CELP attribute.
Courses that have this attribute typically explore the legal and regulatory frameworks within which media industries operate, and examine the ethical and moral questions that shape media production.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AAST 3280 | Representing Asians in Journalism and Media | 4 |
| COLI 4570 | Films of Moral Struggle | 4 |
| COMC 2277 | Media and Sexuality | 4 |
| COMC 3240 | Photography, Identity, Power | 4 |
| COMC 3260 | Media Regulation | 4 |
| COMC 3280 | Representing Asians in Journalism and Media | 4 |
| COMC 3310 | Ethics and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMC 3330 | Peace, Justice, and the Media | 4 |
| COMC 3350 | Media Law | 4 |
| COMC 3370 | Ethical Issues in Media | 4 |
| COMC 3375 | Children and Media | 4 |
| COMC 3380 | International Communication | 4 |
| COMC 4170 | Dissent and Disinformation | 4 |
| COMC 4340 | Freedom of Expression | 4 |
| COMC 4360 | Communication Ethics and the Public Sphere | 4 |
| COMC 4370 | Ethical Controversies in 21st Century Media | 4 |
| DTEM 2450 | Digital Property: Rights, Policies, and Practice | 4 |
| DTEM 3500 | Resistance and Global Activism | 4 |
| DTEM 4430 | Digital Media Ethics | 4 |
| DTEM 4440 | Privacy and Surveillance | 4 |
| DTEM 4470 | Values in Design | 4 |
| DTEM 4480 | Digital Media and Public Responsibility | 4 |
| FITV 2670 | Television and Social Change | 4 |
| FITV 4570 | Films of Moral Struggle | 4 |
| FITV 4660 | Ethics of Reality Television | 4 |
| JOUR 3740 | Ethics and Diversity in Journalism | 4 |
| JOUR 3760 | The Journalist and the Law | 4 |
| JOUR 4750 | Values in the News | 4 |
| JOUR 4770 | Media Law and Journalism Ethics | 4 |
Availability
The major in communication and culture is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) and Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC). Students in Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies may major in communication and culture only if they receive the approval of their advising dean and/or department, and their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day courses at the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campuses. Such students must provide the Communication and Media Studies Associate Chair at their home campus a statement confirming they are able to take day classes in order to fulfill their major requirements.
Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.
Fordham College at Lincoln Center students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.
Concentration in Communication Studies: Applications and Interactions
Courses in this concentration focus on the strategic application of theory related to mediated and human communication, as well as on the development of tools for studying human interaction through language, rhetoric, and socio-cultural practices. Courses may be taken in any sequence.
Courses fulfilling the communication studies concentration are generally numbered COMC x1xx—that is, any COMC course where the second digit is a 1 fulfills this concentration requirement, plus some additional courses.
Courses in this group have the CCMS attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMBU 3434 | Fundamentals of Integrated Marketing Communication | 3 |
| CMBU 4412 | ST: Understanding Audiences/Users | 3 |
| COMC 2111 | Theories of Human Communication | 4 |
| COMC 2112 | Strategic Communication: Theory and Practice | 4 |
| COMC 2113 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| COMC 2117 | Language, Consciousness, and Culture | 4 |
| COMC 2146 | Introduction to Health Communication | 4 |
| COMC 2159 | Communication Technologies and Society | 4 |
| COMC 2166 | Media Advocacy | 4 |
| COMC 2175 | Persuasion and Public Opinion | 4 |
| COMC 2377 | Mass Communication and Media Effects | 4 |
| COMC 3114 | Effective Speaking | 4 |
| COMC 3115 | Performance for Broadcast Media | 4 |
| COMC 3171 | Orality and Literacy | 4 |
| COMC 3172 | Principles of Advertising | 4 |
| COMC 3174 | Public Relations | 4 |
| COMC 3179 | Crisis and Reputation Management in PR | 4 |
| COMC 3186 | Sports Communication | 4 |
| COMC 3187 | Sports Communication in the Field | 4 |
| COMC 3272 | History and Culture of Advertising | 4 |
| COMC 3328 | Media Logistics | 4 |
| COMC 4114 | Speaking for Change | 4 |
| COMC 4115 | Communication and the Food System | 4 |
| COMC 4146 | Health Communication and Social Justice | 4 |
| COMC 4170 | Dissent and Disinformation | 4 |
| COMC 4340 | Freedom of Expression | 4 |
| COMC 4348 | Religion, Theology, and New Media | 4 |
| COMC 4360 | Communication Ethics and the Public Sphere | 4 |
| COMC 4380 | Media and Moral Philosophy | 4 |
| COMM 4000 | Communication and Media Studies Honors Seminar | 4 |
| DTEM 2459 | Social History of Communication and Technology | 4 |
| DTEM 3475 | Digital Media and Advocacy | 4 |
| DTEM 3500 | Resistance and Global Activism | 4 |
| DTEM 4488 | Political Communication in the Digital Era | 4 |
| JOUR 2723 | Explorations in Climate Storytelling | 4 |
| LING 2400 | Analyzing Discourse: Text and Talk in Context | 4 |
| MKBU 3434 | Fundamentals of Integrated Marketing Communication | 3 |
| NMDD 3020 | Explorations in Digital Storytelling | 4 |
| NMDD 3308 | Professional Social Media | 4 |
| THEO 4411 | Religion, Theology, and New Media | 4 |
Concentration in Cultural Studies: Critique and Analysis
Courses in this concentration focus on the analysis and interpretation of media texts within the context of competing ideologies and systems of representation.
Courses may be taken in any sequence. Courses fulfilling the cultural studies concentration are generally numbered COMC x2xx—that is, any COMC course where the second digit is a 2 fulfills this concentration requirement, plus some additional courses. Courses in this group have the CCUS attribute.
Courses in this group have the CCUS attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AFAM 3134 | From Rock-N-Roll to Hip-Hop | 4 |
| CISC 4001 | Computers and Robots in Film | 4 |
| CISC 4660 | Minds, Machines, and Society | 4 |
| COLI 4018 | Cuba: Revolution, Literature and Film | 4 |
| COMC 2146 | Introduction to Health Communication | 4 |
| COMC 2223 | Comic Books and American Culture | 4 |
| COMC 2234 | Media and the Arts | 4 |
| COMC 2236 | The Rock Revolution in Music and Media | 4 |
| COMC 2277 | Media and Sexuality | 4 |
| COMC 2278 | Media, Culture, and Globalization | 4 |
| COMC 2279 | Contemporary Asian Media Cultures | 4 |
| COMC 3232 | Class, Taste, and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMC 3233 | Promotional Culture | 4 |
| COMC 3235 | Popular Music as Communication | 4 |
| COMC 3240 | Photography, Identity, Power | 4 |
| COMC 3247 | Race and Gender in Media | 4 |
| COMC 3260 | Media Regulation | 4 |
| COMC 3268 | Media and National Identity | 4 |
| COMC 3272 | History and Culture of Advertising | 4 |
| COMC 4115 | Communication and the Food System | 4 |
| COMC 4146 | Health Communication and Social Justice | 4 |
| COMC 4211 | Media and Modernity | 4 |
| COMC 4222 | Media and the Environment | 4 |
| COMC 4241 | Communication, Popular Culture, and Philosophy | 4 |
| COMC 4246 | Media, Disability, Futurity | 4 |
| COMC 4266 | Communicating Revolution | 4 |
| COMC 4268 | Media and the Social Construction of Reality | 4 |
| COMC 4380 | Media and Moral Philosophy | 4 |
| COMM 4000 | Communication and Media Studies Honors Seminar | 4 |
| DTEM 1402 | Digital Cultures | 4 |
| DTEM 2411 | Digital Research Methods | 4 |
| DTEM 3447 | Race, Gender, and Digital Media | 4 |
| DTEM 3500 | Resistance and Global Activism | 4 |
| DTEM 4430 | Digital Media Ethics | 4 |
| ENST 4900 | Environmental Internship and Media Advocacy | 4 |
| FITV 3534 | Fashion in British Film and Television | 4 |
| FITV 3588 | Global Cinema | 4 |
| FITV 3601 | Television Theory and Criticism | 4 |
| FITV 3604 | Critical Production Studies in Film and Television | 4 |
| FITV 3647 | TV, Identity, and Representation | 4 |
| FITV 3678 | Television Comedy and American Values | 4 |
| FITV 4660 | Ethics of Reality Television | 4 |
| HIST 3515 | Media History: 1400 to Present | 4 |
| HIST 4115 | Communication and Media in History: From Gutenberg to Google | 4 |
| LACU 3410 | Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity | 4 |
| LALS 3000 | Latinx Images in Media | 4 |
| LALS 3005 | Latin American Themes | 4 |
| MLAL 3005 | Themes in Latina/o and Latin American Studies | 4 |
| NMDD 3880 | Designing Smart Cities for Social Justice | 4 |
| PHIL 3422 | Harry Potter and Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 4422 | Harry Potter and Philosophy (ICC) | 4 |
| PHIL 4444 | AI, Sci Fi, and Human Value | 4 |
| POSC 3421 | Political Theory in Popular Culture | 4 |
| SOCI 3000 | Latinx Images in Media | 4 |
| SOCI 3409 | Race and Gender in Visual Culture | 4 |
| SOCI 4052 | An Ethics of Modern Selfhood: The Pursuit of Authenticity | 4 |
| SPAN 4018 | Cuba: Revolution, Literature and Film | 4 |
| WGSS 3001 | Queer Theories | 4 |
Concentration in Media Studies: Institutions and Audiences
Courses in this concentration focus on the reciprocal relationship between producers and consumers of mediated communication; the economic, political, and legal factors shaping media institutions and industries; and the sociological variables that influence the experience of creating and consuming mediated communication.
Courses fulfilling the media studies concentration are generally numbered COMC x3xx—that is, any COMC course where the second digit is a 3 fulfills this concentration requirement, plus some additional courses. Courses in this group have the CMST attribute.
Courses in this group have the CMST attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AAST 3280 | Representing Asians in Journalism and Media | 4 |
| CMBU 4412 | ST: Understanding Audiences/Users | 3 |
| COMC 2223 | Comic Books and American Culture | 4 |
| COMC 2234 | Media and the Arts | 4 |
| COMC 2236 | The Rock Revolution in Music and Media | 4 |
| COMC 2278 | Media, Culture, and Globalization | 4 |
| COMC 2279 | Contemporary Asian Media Cultures | 4 |
| COMC 2329 | Media Industries | 4 |
| COMC 2377 | Mass Communication and Media Effects | 4 |
| COMC 3179 | Crisis and Reputation Management in PR | 4 |
| COMC 3233 | Promotional Culture | 4 |
| COMC 3240 | Photography, Identity, Power | 4 |
| COMC 3247 | Race and Gender in Media | 4 |
| COMC 3272 | History and Culture of Advertising | 4 |
| COMC 3280 | Representing Asians in Journalism and Media | 4 |
| COMC 3310 | Ethics and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMC 3328 | Media Logistics | 4 |
| COMC 3329 | Media Archaeology | 4 |
| COMC 3330 | Peace, Justice, and the Media | 4 |
| COMC 3350 | Media Law | 4 |
| COMC 3370 | Ethical Issues in Media | 4 |
| COMC 3375 | Children and Media | 4 |
| COMC 3378 | Media, Youth Culture, and Civic Discourse | 4 |
| COMC 3380 | International Communication | 4 |
| COMC 4211 | Media and Modernity | 4 |
| COMC 4222 | Media and the Environment | 4 |
| COMC 4338 | American Political Communication | 4 |
| COMC 4340 | Freedom of Expression | 4 |
| COMC 4348 | Religion, Theology, and New Media | 4 |
| COMC 4360 | Communication Ethics and the Public Sphere | 4 |
| COMC 4370 | Ethical Controversies in 21st Century Media | 4 |
| COMC 4380 | Media and Moral Philosophy | 4 |
| COMM 3701 | Summer Media Internship Seminar | 3 |
| COMM 4000 | Communication and Media Studies Honors Seminar | 4 |
| COMM 4701 | Internship Seminar | 4 |
| DTEM 1401 | Introduction to Digital Technologies and Emerging Media | 4 |
| DTEM 1402 | Digital Cultures | 4 |
| DTEM 2411 | Digital Research Methods | 4 |
| DTEM 2414 | Media Ecology | 4 |
| DTEM 2443 | Fashion and Digital Media | 4 |
| DTEM 2450 | Digital Property: Rights, Policies, and Practice | 4 |
| DTEM 3463 | Civic Media | 4 |
| DTEM 3475 | Digital Media and Advocacy | 4 |
| DTEM 3476 | Social Media | 4 |
| DTEM 3500 | Resistance and Global Activism | 4 |
| DTEM 4488 | Political Communication in the Digital Era | 4 |
| ENST 4900 | Environmental Internship and Media Advocacy | 4 |
| FITV 3565 | The Documentary Idea | 4 |
| FITV 3604 | Critical Production Studies in Film and Television | 4 |
| FITV 3688 | Global Television | 4 |
| HIST 3515 | Media History: 1400 to Present | 4 |
| HIST 4115 | Communication and Media in History: From Gutenberg to Google | 4 |
| JOUR 4773 | Public Media | 4 |
| POSC 3316 | Mass Media and American Politics | 4 |
| THEO 4411 | Religion, Theology, and New Media | 4 |