Interpersonal and Organizational Communication Courses

Students in the PhD program are invited to take courses across any of our areas .A complete listing of courses in the PhD program can be found here. 

Regularly scheduled courses in Relating and Organizing include:

COMS 8200 – Foundations of Organizational Communication
This course is designed to provide an introduction to organizational communication. Specifically, this course covers both foundational and contemporary theory, research, and practice related to organizational communication. Students in this course are exposed to multiple theoretical, conceptual, and methodological approaches adopted across the field. Students think critically about how past and present scholarly trends guide our field.

COMS 8210 – Foundations of Interpersonal Communication
This course is designed to provide an introduction to interpersonal communication. Specifically, this course covers both foundational and contemporary theory, research and practice related to interpersonal communication. The course will study multiple theoretical, conceptual and methodological approaches to understanding communication in interpersonal relationships. Students will think critically about core research programs that have guided our field.

COMS 8240 – Communication and Identity
This course is designed to provide an introduction to identity and communication related specifically to interpersonal, intergroup and/or organizational communication contexts. Specifically, this course covers both foundational and contemporary theory, research and practice related to identity and identification in at least one of these substantive areas. Students study multiple theoretical, conceptual and methodological approaches to understanding communication and identity. The course requires students to think critically about core research programs that have guided our field.

COMS 8250 – Communication in Personal & Social Relationships
The formation, maintenance, and dissolution of relationships comprises a large portion of our communication. These relationships may include romantic partnerships, friendships, family relationships, work relationships, and caregiver relationships, to name a few. In this class, students will investigate communication processes present in these relationships as well as relevant constructs, theories, and topics in order to gain a more complete and advanced understanding of interpersonal communication at both the abstract (theories, empirical research) and concrete (conducting their own research) levels.

COMS 8260 – Communication, Innovation, and Organizational Change
Advanced seminar in organizational communication that focuses on the ways communication enables organizing around innovation and facilitates organizational change. Specifically, this course highlights communication between individual organizational members, in groups and teams, across organizational units, and between organizations and their communities.

COMS 8270 – Dialogue, Narrative, and Communication
This course is an advanced seminar focusing on dialogue and narrative communication as topics in interpersonal communication and organizational communication theory and research. This course examines in-depth dialogical communication, narrative communication, and a combination of the two in composing the practices of interpersonal or organizational communication contexts.

COMS 8280 – Topics in Advanced Interpersonal Communication
This course is an advanced seminar focusing on the role and dynamics of interpersonal communication employed across a range of personal and public relationships and contexts. Topic varies with instructor. Students may repeat course as topics rotate for a total of 12 credits.

COMS 8290 – Topics in Relating and Organizing
Advanced seminar focusing on the role and dynamics of communication employed in the processes of relating and organizing. Topic varies with instructor. Course topics will vary; may repeat course as topics rotate for a total of 12 credits.