What effect does Instagram use have on our well-being? Why do we choose to watch The Office at the end of a long day? Can anti-smoking media campaigns encourage people to quit smoking? This course introduces students to the social scientific study of the effects of media on individuals and on society. COMM 118 will overview a broad range of media theories that examine now only how media messages influence us but also how we use media to meet our needs. We will discuss media content in many domains, including politics, entertainment, advertising, health, and human-computer interaction.

CAS 100A explores how people use techniques of oral communication to address practical, professional and civic problems. It is designed to introduce students to principles of effective public speaking, implemented through the design and presentation of individual speeches. Drawing upon concepts from the study of both rhetoric and communication science, the course aims to foster habits of ethical self-reflection alongside practical speaking skills.