Communication Senior Project

Catalog description

A required capstone course for all communication majors. Students produce a major project that combines a strong research base with creative elements. Each project will have written, visual, and/or interactive components and must include a public outreach component. Students may choose between (1) a creative multimedia project (e.g., short film, documentary, podcast, etc.) that centers on a communication topic that is research-based, or (2) an academic research paper that is an original analysis of a communication topic (e.g., the role of communication in presidential election). Students attend a weekly seminar and work independently to create public-facing work that meets professional standards. They interact with members of the community and because the work is publicly available, students are exposed to the full range of community response. The final project will be judged on the accuracy, thoroughness, and originality of the project, the clarity and power of the writing and production, and the value added through presentation of research and findings using multimedia platforms. Students will be expected to work independently, demonstrate initiative and enterprise, and meet deadlines.