Communicating Arts
- Mission Statement
- Faculty and Staff
- Degrees
- Course Descriptions
- Communicating Arts Department Contact Information
Mission Statement 
The Communicating Arts Department offers a balance of theory and practice in our curriculum. Communicating Arts and Theatre majors choose concentrations that prepare them for careers in television, video production, radio, journalism, event planning, politics, management, sales, human resources, professional development and training, acting, directing, technical design, and graduate study. Senior capstone projects and internships provide students with strong academic credentials and professional portfolios to match.
Faculty and Staff
Anderson, Stephany - Theatre
Austin, Beth - Sr Lecturer, Speech
Chuzles, Sharon - Academic Dept Assoc
Einerson, Martha - Professor, Speech
Fank, Cathy - Associate Professor, Theatre
Kachgal, Tara - Assistant Professor, Mass Comm
Laakso, Kathleen - Senior Lecturer
Nikoi, Ephraim Kotey - Asst Professor, Speech
Notbohm, Brent - Assoc Professor(Mass Comm)
Notton, Thomas - Senior Lecturer, Comm Arts
Platner, Stewart - Professor, Communications
Rawson, Kim - Senior Lecturer
Smith, Scott - Sr Lecturer, Speech
Stanich, Susan - Sr Lecturer
Vollrath, Chad - Visiting Assistant Professor
Wedan, Sue - Sr Lecturer/Technical Director
Degrees
Course Descriptions
| COMM - Communicating Arts | ||
| Catalog Nbr. | Course Title/Course Topics | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 501 | Selected Topics in Film and Television | 3.00 |
| Examination of one of the major cycles, movements, nationalities, eras, or genres of motion picture and/or television production. Several feature films and/or television programs exemplifying historically and critically important aspects of the topic will be shown. Different topics are repeatable. | ||
Prerequisites: Prerequisite for taking this course is having completed COMM104. | ||
Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand | ||
| COMM 520 | Selected News Writing | 3.00 |
| Students learn to identify a topic and focus an angle, and write feature stories, editorials and commentary. The class works together to analyze strengths and weaknesses of each student's work. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall Term Only | ||
| COMM 530 | Advanced News Gathering and Report | 3.00 |
| This course expands the student's understanding of journalism; its function in a democracy, techniques of investigation, documentary and series reporting; and transition into the electronics and entrepreneurial delivery of news. Students develop their own news blogs and cover local issues through them, and work in groups to create a final feature project (radio, video, print or online). | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 532 | Communication in Conflict | 3.00 |
| Theoretical and applied exploration and analysis of communication in diverse conflict contexts. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 548 | Screenwriting | 3.00 |
| Theory and extensive practice in narrative writing for television and film. Includes study and application of relevant media writing formats. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year | ||
| COMM 558 | Broadcast Journalism | 3.00 |
| Review of the methods and philosophies of news gathering, writing, and reporting for the electronic media. Frequent practical exercises to sharpen the student's writing and reporting abilities. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 561 | Narrative Video Production | 3.00 |
| Project-intensive course in which students produce, direct, and edit fictional narrative videos. A variety of theories, techniques, and methods will be studied and applied to the student productions. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 562 | Documentary Video Production | 3.00 |
| Project intensive course in which students produce, direct, and edit documentary videos. A variety of theories, techniques, and methods will be studied and applied to the student productions. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year | ||
| COMM 565 | Theatre Direction I | 3.00 |
| Theory and practice of a play production from the viewpoint of the director. Emphasis on directoral choices. Directed laboratory scene work required. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year | ||
| COMM 566 | Theatre Direction II | 3.00 |
| Continued study and practice of stage directing culminating in a supervised production experience. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year | ||
| COMM 568 | Criticism Of Film and Television | 3.00 |
| Advanced study of seminal aesthetic and critical theories for the visual media. Students learn and apply critical frameworks in the analysis of film and television. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 576 | Group Communication Processes | 3.00 |
| Exploration of communication processes within the context of the small group with emphasis on interpersonal relations, group dynamics, leadership and participant functions. An experiential/theoretical course. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 577 | Special Topics In Theatre | 3.00 |
| Examination of special topics in the areas of theatre. Topics vary depending on current student interest and needs to the current season offering. Repeatable with different sections. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms | ||
| COMM 588 | Elements Of Design for Theatre | 3.00 |
| Designing for the theatrical arts. Emphasis of the aspects of lighting, sound, costuming and scenery to include sketchbooks, drafting, renderings and model making. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms | ||
| COMM 589 | Comm Arts Elective | 1.00 - 12.00 |
| Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-Superior course. | ||
| COMM 592 | Leadership Training for Theatre | 2.00 |
| Practical experience in serving in leadership positions in Theatre. Section numbers indicate the particular leadership area. Consult with your proposed instructor for the appropriate section number. Contract prior to registration. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 655 | Theorizing Media Culture | 3.00 |
| Traces the development throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century of different models and theoretical frameworks for understanding mediated communication. The course is reading-intensive and emphasizes the development skills for analyzing, critiquing, and theorizing contemporary media. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 667 | Advanced Intercultural Comm | 3.00 |
| Advanced analysis of the communication dimensions involved in enhancing intercultural interactions. Focus is on identity and communication and their relationship to each other in a diverse world. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 677 | Media Law | 3.00 |
| Examines the development over the past two centuries of key concepts, principles, and legal precedents affecting media in the United States. Students also scrutinize the changes wrought by newer communication technologies and changing sociocultural practices. Emphasizes the building of skills in critical media literacy. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall Term Only | ||
| COMM 698 | Advanced Independent Study | 1.00 - 6.00 |
| Individual investigation and/or production by advanced students in Communication, Media, or Theatre to include a study of related literature and formal reports or production. Instructor consent and contract prior to enrollment. Repeatable up to six credits. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 701 | Communication Theory | 3.00 |
| In-depth study of theoretical traditions and specific theories in Communicating Arts, including Media Communication, and Theatre. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall Term Only | ||
| COMM 702 | Communication Research | 3.00 |
| Introduction to historical, critical, creative, and ethnographic research in Communicating Arts. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 708 | Media Ethics and Criticism | 3.00 |
| Using examples from historical cases and current issues, students analyze the practices of major media organizations and other media makers through an ethical lens. Students also consider how ethical standards and institutional norms, government and corporate interests, and ideologies (e.g., of the free press and of race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class) influence media decision-making. this course emphasizes skills in critical media analysis. | ||
Typically Offered: Spring Term Only | ||
| COMM 711 | Graduate Practicum | 1.00 - 3.00 |
| Graduate-level research study and/or practice in Communication, Theatre, Radio, Video Production, or Journalism. A multiple-section course allowing a high degree of specialization. Repeatable. Project designed in consultation with instructor and academic advisor. Contract prior to enrollment.. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 715 | Selected Topics in Theatre History | 3.00 |
| Individualized study of a major period in the history of theatre. Emphasis on the relationship of the physical theatre to the social history of the period in review. Instructor Consent required. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand | ||
| COMM 721 | Advanced Design for Theatre | 3.00 |
| Advanced principles of design as related to technical, historic, and contemporary theatre production. Instructor consent required. Repeatable. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand | ||
| COMM 775 | Internship | 3.00 - 9.00 |
| Supervised work in professional communication industries and settings. May include collateral reading, reports, and conferences with faculty supervisor. Major emphasis in the area of the internship, must have a signed Affiliation Agreement with organization with which you are interning on file in Communicating Arts Office, contract prior to registration and consent of the Communicating Arts Department chair. The application for internship including written consent from the external agency (Affiliation Agreement) must be submitted to the department chair 30 days prior to enrollment. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 780 | Thesis | 3.00 - 6.00 |
| Individual thesis research in Communication, Media, or Theatre. An outline of the proposed thesis must be approved by the advisor and the Communicating Arts Department Chair, and a contract completed before registration. Arranged. | ||
Prerequisites: Prerequisite for taking this course is having completed COMM 701 and COMM 702. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 789 | Comm Arts Elective | 1.00 - 9.00 |
| Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-Superior course. | ||
| COMM 795 | Special Topics Seminar | 3.00 |
| This department periodically offers specially designed seminars on any number of diverse topics within Communicating Arts. | ||
Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand | ||
| COMM 798 | Independent Study | 3.00 - 6.00 |
| Graduate-level independent investigation and/or production in Communication, Media or Theatre. Project designed in consultation with the instructor and a contract prior to enrollment. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms | ||
| COMM 799 | Intern Teaching in Communication | 3.00 |
| Student assists and works with a graduate faculty member in teaching a lower-division, undergraduate Communicating Arts course. Practical work in structuring and presenting the consent of one or more selected units of course under the supervision of the instructor of record. Repeatable. Instructor and department chair consent and a contract prior to registration. Arranged. | ||
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms | ||
Communicating Arts Department Contact Information
Communicating Arts Department
University of Wisconsin - Superior
Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center 2100
Belknap and Catlin Ave.
P.O. Box 2000
Superior, WI 54880
Phone: 715-394-8369
Email: commarts@uwsuper.edu