Public Relations and Media Communication
3 credit hours; lecture
This course is designed to introduce students to the public relations field and serves as an overview of the field and methods of communicating to the public. The various functions of public relations are examined, including research, planning and decision making, communication, public speaking, and evaluation. The final grade is based on class participation and a presentation that serves as the examination.

Argumentation and Debate
3 credit hours; lecture
This course builds on the basic skills developed in Oral Communication and is designed to provide the student with the rhetorical and analytical skills necessary for persuasive debate. The student will be introduced to different styles of debating, including the cross examination debate. The student will also learn to prepare a debate brief and structure logical refutation and rebuttal. The final grade is based on class participation, in-class debates, and a final research paper.

Applied Ethics and Moral Dilemmas
3 credit hours; lecture
A survey of major moral debates that shows how philosophical thought can be brought to bear upon contemporary issues. Students will learn to identify relevant ethical principles and apply them to these problems, to reflect critically on the theoretical and methodological issues underpinning moral arguments, and to construct their own responses through discussion and debate. Topics include: basic moral reasoning, abortion, environmental issues, capital punishment, criminal reform, human cloning, animal rights, pornography, welfare and social justice, sexual morality, and euthanasia. The final grade is based on class participation, in-class discussion, an a final examination.