Communication and Leadership Studies
36 Credit Program of Study

The Communication and Leadership Studies Program requires students to attain 36 credits of study.

• 21 credits in Theory & Practice Courses
• 6 credits in Research & Thesis/Project
• 6 credits in Communication Electives
• 3 credits in Leadership Electives

• All Course Catalogs

Theory & Practice Courses (21 credits required)

• COML 508 - Theorizing Communication (3 credits)
• COML 518 - Writing in the Discipline (no credit, co-requisite with COML 508, fee-based lab)
• COML 509 - Social Dynamics of Communication Technology (3 credits)
• ORGL 500 - Organizational Leadership (3 credits)
• COML 503 - Communication Ethics (3 credits)
• COML 504 - Organizational Communication (3 credits)
• COML 506 - International & Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
• COML 517* - Communication Practica (3 credits)

Research & Thesis Project Courses (6 credits required)

• COML 501** - Applied Research (3 credits)
• COML 680*** - Communication Seminar - Thesis/Project (3 credits)

Communication Electives (6 credits required)

• COML 510 - Communication Teaching & Pedagogy (3 credits)
• COML 511 - Seminar in Comm. Consulting and Training (3 credits)
• COML 512 - Seminar in Strategic and Corporate Comm. (3 credits)
• COML 513 - Seminar in Advanced Topics (3 credits)
• COML 514 - Seminar in Advanced Criticism (3 credits)          
• COML 515 - Seminar in Interpersonal & Small Group Comm. (3 credits)
• COML 516 - Seminar in Media Literacy (3 credits)
• COML 520 - Internship (1-6 credits) 
• COML 660/661 - Directed Readings (3 credits)

Leadership Electives (3 credits required)

Any ORGL course can be used to meet this LEADERSHIP elective. Talk with your advisor regarding which one would help in your degree goals.

*COML 517 is designated a residential course for Online students.
** COML 501 is a required prerequisite for COML 680
 ** COML 680 is a capstone semester-long course and should be taken the final semester.

Course Descriptions

COML 500 - Organizational Leadership (3 credits)
Drawing on material from various social science disciplines, this integrated course focuses on research and models of leadership relevant to defining and achieving collective goals in a variety of organizational settings.

COML 501 - Communication and Organizational Research (3 credits)
Required Prerequisite for COML 680
Through engagement with primary research and exposure to current methodologies and the inquiry process, this course requires the development of a full research proposal (e.g. literature review, rationale for the proposed questions, formal research questions and/or hypotheses, and proposed method description.) 

COML 503 - Communication and Organizational Ethics (3 credits)
Inquiry into the philosophic foundations of interpersonal relations and values in organizational contexts with emphasis on applications of ethical systems to the responsibilities of people in organizations toward society and individuals.

COML 504 - Organizational Communication and Leadership (3 credits)
Study of research findings, theories, and models of communication in organizations and examination of the impact of organizational culture and structure on the communication process, including factors maximizing effective communication and overcoming communication barriers.

COML 506 - International and Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
Identification and analysis of processes and problems of communication as affected by national cultures.  Effects of differences in attitudes, social organization, role expectations, language and nonverbal behavior – all of which are interrelated. Principles of communication theory as they apply to the intercultural context will be studied.

COML 508 - Theorizing Communication (3 credits)
This course investigates the major social scientific theories of communication, with emphasis on understanding theorizing as a process of constructing visions of reality. Additionally, advanced study of the relationship between communication, media language, and human perception will be explored.

COML 509 - Social Dynamics of Communication Technologies (3 credits)
This course examines the social impacts of communication technologies. Students will review some of the seminal innovations, cases, ideas and debates that have influenced how communication systems have developed and take root in society. The course will help students develop a critical stance toward the rapidly changing media and communication landscape. 

COML 510 - Communication Teaching and Pedagogy (3 credits)
The Communication discipline was founded in part, because of a felt need to make people better communicators. This course will review the history and practice of teaching communication and be especially useful for people considering a career as a communication educator at the college level. The course will also include developing curriculum, learning teaching strategies, developing goals and assessment, college classroom observations, and building a teaching portfolio.

COML 511 - Seminar in Communication Consulting and Training (3 credits)
This seminar is about communication training and consulting. Based on communication theory and research, our goal will be to understand and explore the factors that help communication effectiveness in organizational settings and develop your rhetorical skills to become effective trainers and consultants.  There will be practice in developing resources, marketing, proposal writing, workshop development, and evaluation..

COML 512 - Seminar in Strategic and Corporate Communication (3 credits)
Using communication theory and public relations practices, this seminar will focus on strategic and corporate communication in profit and not-for-profit corporate settings.. 

COML 513 - Seminar in Advanced Topics in Communication (3 credits)
The specific theme of this course varies each time it is offered because communication is constantly evolving.  Some would say we are in the fourth communication revolution in the history of human experience. This seminar explores cutting edge new technologies, theory, and issues.

COML 514 - Seminar in Advanced Criticism (3 credits)
This seminar introduces the field of rhetorical criticism with a focus on how symbols shape the world in which we live. Students will learn about and apply several different methods of criticism including Cluster, Fantasy-Theme, Generic, Pentadic, Metaphor, Narrative, Generative, Ideological, Ideographic, and Feminist criticisms. 

COML 515 - Seminar in Interpersonal and Small Group Communication (3 credits)
Students consider the dynamics of interpersonal and small group contexts and theories to improve the quality of these experiences. The course also covers the connection of communication practices with ethical social change.

COML 516 - Seminar in Media Literacy (3 credits)
Media literacy is developing an understanding of the mass media both form and function: the techniques they use, the ideologies they carry, the business motivations that drive them and the artistic expressions reached.  This seminar examines the implications of several forms of communication on how we live and what we believe. Impact of mass media on modern societies, conflicting social interest, and the needs of different groups in society. Formation of public opinion, diffusion of innovation, and the nature of propaganda.

COML 517 - Communication Practicum: Speech, Writing, Multi-Media (3 credits)
This practicum is designed to merge theory and praxis and provide practical application of communication knowledge and action with a focus on Public Speaking, Group Processes Writing, and multi-media products.

COML 518 - Writing in the Discipline (no credit, co-requisite with COML 508, fee-based lab)
This course is a resource for graduate students who are apprehensive about their writing skills or who need to brush up on writing competencies.  It is designed to both assess a student's writing skills and improve them if need be.  It is also designed to introduce students to the genre of academic writing in the Discipline of Communication.  If a student does not complete the lab or earn a passing grade, she/he will be re-enrolled the following session.

COML 520 - Communication Leadership Internship (1-6 credits)
The Graduate Internship is designed for students who enter the degree program without prior practical work in the communications industries, or are looking for updating their in situ knowledge of communication practices the opportunity to work in a communication industry either locally, nationally or internationally.  Additional possibilities exist in educational or organizational contexts, beyond the student normal work experience. 

COML 680 - Thesis or Project (3 credits)
Prerequisite: COML 501 and thirty graduate credits.
Every candidate for the master's degree in communication and leadership will complete a thesis or project. Under the guidance of a professor and a mentor, the student will complete an original research study or applied project. The completed and accepted thesis/project will be presented in a public forum. For more information go to Thesis and Project Requirements

COML 690 - Directed Study (1-3 credits)
Arranged with faculty.

Emphasis in College Teaching of Communication

With a growing number of MA students interested in becoming college teachers, COML created an Emphasis in College Teaching of Communication. The emphasis helps students acquire communication skills for teaching, it helps them develop a portfolio and communication philosophy, and it helps them create strategies and develop resources for teaching lower-division college courses. The Emphasis also includes an internship at a college in the student’s region.  Students in this Emphasis focus their MA thesis or project in this area of inquiry.

The Emphasis consists of four courses or a total of 12 credits.

• COML 510 Communication Teaching & Pedagogy: Theory and Practice (3 credits) The Communication discipline was founded in part, because of a felt need to make people better communicators. This course will review the history and practice of teaching communication and be especially useful for people considering a career as a communication educator at the college level. The course will also focus on developing curricula, learning teaching strategies, developing goals and assessment, college classroom observations, and building a teaching portfolio.

• COML 517 Communication Practicum (3 credits) Each student in the Emphasis is required to create a portfolio for teaching multi-media in addition to the standard COML 517 coursework. 

• COML 520 Internship (3 credits) Students will complete approximately 240 hour Internship under the supervision of a communication professor at a local college or university for one semester or quarter. The internship includes the development of a portfolio and evaluations from supervisors of the internship. *Students are responsible for arranging the internship in their community

• COML 680 Thesis or Project (3 credits) Students who proceed through the Emphasis will be required to develop their thesis or project around a topic in college teaching or training in communication.

For details of the Teaching Emphasis please contact Dr. John Caputo, Chair, at caputo@gonzaga.edu, or Kathy Gustafson, Program Assistant at Gustafson@gonzaga.edu.   Admission to the Teaching Emphasis will require a brief, completed application. Download Application here.