Course Guide Recommendations for Fall 2023
As a graduating senior, here are my recommendations for classes I have both taken and would want to take next semester. Side note…I am going into Advertising so most of these recommendations lean towards a more creative-like mindset.
Comm 401 002 AI in Human Communication
“This course will provide students with an overview of the ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to enhance and augment human communication. Students will learn about the history of AI, its current state, and potential applications in human communication. The course will cover a range of topics, including natural language processing (NLP), automated content generation, and the recognition and interface of human emotions. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of AI and its potential to transform human communication.”
I’ve never taken this class before and believe it is a new offering. I think that with the concept of AI being incorporated into so much, this class would be super helpful to not only learn how the technology works but also how it interacts with our everyday media use.
Comm 490 002 Trends in Consumer Culture
“What are trends? How do trends shape consumer culture? What is the relationship between trends and the future? And how can corporations, consumers, and citizens use trends to anticipate, shape, and democratize the future? These questions will serve as a guide for our investigations this semester. Our class will examine the history of trends; investigate the methods and professional practices by which trends are identified, anticipated, and manufactured; and unravel the implications of a world that is dominated by trends. Students will also experiment with future forecasting techniques and will become practiced in identifying their own trends. Course materials will include a mix of journalism, criticism, business literature, popular culture, social media and ethnographic resources. By the course’s end, students should 1) develop a critical vocabulary for thinking about trends and the future; 2) feel comfortable utilizing basic futures thinking; 3) understand what a “democratic future” might entail and have developed ideas on how to enact it; and 4) improve their ability to research, think, and write about future and trend-related topics.”
This is a Capstone course, for seniors only. I love the idea of this class being incorporated with a little bit of marketing concepts as well since it is about consumer behavior. I think that this course will be super helpful to understand the consumer landscape in whatever career you decide to go into.
Comm 305 003 Fashion and the Media
“This course introduces the critical study of fashion in media and culture. It provides a framework for studying how fashion, as a multi trillion-dollar global industry and a significant component of everyday life, helps structure social relations and functions as a site of identity construction. We develop theoretical, analytical, and methodological approaches to studying fashion and fashion media, drawing on interdisciplinary readings that place questions of identity and power in conversation with matters of representation, technology, the environment, labor, and the law.”
This is a must take at Michigan! Jimmy Draper teaches this course, who is someone you must take a class from before you graduate. I never got the chance to take this particular course with Jimmy, but I took a different one and heard they pulled similar elements from each other. A lot of people love this class!
Comm 304 001 Social and Mobile Media Workshop: Urban Space and Urban Life
“This 2-credit theory and methods workshop focuses on collecting and analyzing social and/or mobile media data about cities and everyday urban life. The course combines readings and discussion of scholarly texts with research activities and exercises that require students to engage with methods, tools, and best practices for ethical and responsible research on social and mobile media. This course is driven by students’ questions and interests regarding how we live in, understand, and design cities as well as students’ interests in learning how to collect and analyze social and mobile media content and platforms. Some of the topics covered in this class may include: gentrification, tourism, place branding, influencers, civic media, surveillance, environmental sensing, urban planning, and digital placemaking.”
I believe this course may also be a new offering. Normally there aren’t Communications mini courses so I think this could be interesting. It’s only one day a week for two hours, so it can easily be added onto your schedule.
Comm 305 007 Branding and Promotional Culture
“What is a brand? Why do brands matter? And what are the benefits and costs of promotional culture: the rise of a world where brands and other forms of promotion dominate? This class will take a variety of approaches to explore these questions. We will examine the rise of branding; investigate how brands are created, maintained, and damaged; and critically analyze the expansion of branding into an ever-widening area of social, political, and cultural contexts. By the end of the term, students will: 1) better understand the history and current practices of branding and promotion; 2) gain insight into the practices that go into developing, maintaining, and challenging brands; 3) develop critical insights into how branding and promotion affect them as citizens, consumers, and future media professionals; and 4) improve their ability to do research and write critically about the media and culture.”
I think this course taken with Consumer Behavior would be a great combination for the semester! I know if I had another semester that I would sign up for this course.
Comm 307 001 Advertising
“This course examines the role of advertising in shaping people's preferences and behaviors, considering the conditions under which advertising can (and cannot) influence people's decisions. The course will also address over-time changes in the use of advertising, as well as advertising across different platforms.”
I unfortunately never took this class during my time at Michigan, but probably should have. I think anyone interested in Marketing, Advertising, or Public Relations should take this course in order to see how agencies work.
Comm 405 003 Introduction to Global Media
“In recent years, the globalization of media has become a key issue of debate in many nations and cultures around the world. Yet, many discussions about globalization tend to obscure the often complex and contradictory relationships among global, national and local forces. In this course, we will critically examine the role that film, television, video games, and other media play in shaping our sense of global, national, and local cultures and identities. We will focus on the role of global media institutions in society and also examine how diverse audiences use global media to negotiate with issues of cultural identity in everyday life. The goal of this course is to introduce you to a broad range of issues that are stimulating research in the field of global media studies.”
I’m unsure if this course has been offered before, but it sounds super interesting. I think it’s a very intriguing course especially since most of our curriculum has a very Westernized approach to it. By examining media in other cultures, you’ll be able to have a more well-rounded understanding of the global media landscape.
Comm 405 001 Interface Analysis and Design
“Scholars argue that interfaces are not neutral and that designers must make explicit their choices about who their designs privilege. In this course, students critically analyze and create computer interfaces, paying particular attention to how technological designs participate in power dynamics. In the first assignment, students apply critical frameworks to new media interfaces to analyze what argument the interface makes and what audiences the interface privileges. In the second assignment, student teams define and describe an interface that they will create. In the final assignment, student teams create and design their own interfaces. The final project is accompanied by a group memo that explains their rhetorical choices.”
I believe this also may be a new offering. I think the assignments of this course will give students interesting perspectives and experiences. This course appears a little more analytical than creative compared to the others, but still super helpful and a great resume addition!
Take a look at the course guide here!
-Kristina Gurgone, March 2023
