Northwestern University School of Communication 99 courses
The Department of Communication Studies offers courses that explore the major media, practices, and problems of a communication-intensive society. Topics include—but are not limited to—bargaining and negotiation, collective decision making, organizational innovation, human-computer interaction, Internet use, popular culture, social movements, and the history of political discourse in the United States. Students work with scholarship from the humanities and the social sciences, and coursework emphasizes the analytical and ethical requirements of responsible scholarship. Students majoring in Communication Studies select one (or more) of the following areas of study to emphasize a specialty within the field: All courses for SoC majors, minors, fields of concentration and distribution requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or higher and may not be taken P/N.
| Approved topics include Generative AI and the Media; Information Visualization | credits |
| (Approved topics include: Social History Psychedelic Medicine) | credits |
Introductory Courses (3 units) *
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 101-1 | Communication in Context: Introduction | 1 |
| COMM_ST 101-2 | Communication in Context: Analysis & Research? | 1 |
| COMM_ST 102-0 | Public Speaking | 1 |
Advanced Courses (6 units)*
Creative Industries & Markets
1 of the following foundational courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 225-0 or COMM_ST 274-0 | Communication and Culture or Power in Entertainment | 1 |
Creative Industries & Markets
Plus, 3 of the following courses:
Creative Industries & Markets
(Approved Topics Include: The Public Image)
Digital Media: Behavior & Design
1 of the following foundational courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 227-0 or COMM_ST 270-0 | Communication & Technology or Media Effects | 1 |
Digital Media: Behavior & Design
Plus, 3 of the following courses:
Health Communication
1 of the following foundational courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 241-0 or COMM_ST 246-0 | Theories of Relational Communication or Intro to Health Communication | 1 |
Health Communication
Plus, 3 of the following:
Media, Publics & Culture
1 of the following foundational courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 215-0 or COMM_ST 221-0 | Principles of Rhetorical Criticism or Media & Publics Across Cultures | 1 |
Media, Publics & Culture
Plus, 3 of the following courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 228-0 | AfroFeministFutures | 1 |
| COMM_ST 275-0 | Persuasive Images: Rhetoric of Popular Culture | 1 |
| COMM_ST 295-0 | Topics in Communication Studies | 1 |
Media, Publics & Culture
(Approved topics include: The Public Image)
Strategic & Organizational Communication
1 of the following foundational courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM_ST 205-0 or COMM_ST 261-0 | Theories of Persuasion or Introduction to Strategic Communication | 1 |
Strategic & Organizational Communication
Plus, 3 of the following courses:
Strategic & Organizational Communication
(Approved topics include: Ethics & Organizational Social Responsibility)
First-Year Seminar (1 unit):
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMN 101-0 | SoC First Year Seminar: Interdisciplinary Topics in Communication Arts & Sciences | 1 |
Courses that fulfill the SoC Capstone requirement
Click a course code or title to read the full course description.
Our subject experts help with essays, research papers, case studies, discussion posts, and capstone projects for these programs — written from scratch to your course requirements.
Program and course information is reproduced from each university's published academic catalog for informational purposes and may change. Always confirm current requirements with your university. We are an independent academic support service and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the universities listed.
Expert guides on essay writing, citation styles, study skills, and academic success.
View All Articles
Learn how to write a good research question for a paper. Narrow your topic, identify a research problem, and create a focused question with practical examples.
Learn how to choose a research topic you can actually research. Discover how to narrow broad ideas, find reliable sources, and develop a focused research question.
Learn how to cite sources in a research paper using APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, with in-text citation examples and reference-list tips.