MM 105 – Basic Video Production 3 hrs.
This course will review and refine editing and camera skills while focusing on development of storyline, pre-production, and post production. Enrollment limited to students in Blue Valley’s CAPS concurrent credit program
MM 140 – Mass Media and Society 3 hrs.
This course is a study of the technological growth and impact of our media environment on the individual and society as a whole. Special emphasis is placed on the political-legal, economic, sociological, and psychological effects of mass media on American life.
MM 170 – Digital Photography I 3 hrs.
This course provides instruction in black and white photographic procedures including shooting, processing, and printing techniques. In addition to classroom time, weekly darkroom time is required as scheduled. The student must provide a camera appropriate for the course.
MM 205 – Introduction to Broadcasting 3 hrs.
This course is designed to introduce both majors and non-majors to radio and television broadcasting. Television and radio will be explored as sources of both entertainment and information. Students will examine the historical roots of broadcasting but focus most of their attention on the modern-day challenges faced by the industry, such as shifts in media ownership, media convergence, and ethical dilemmas. Programming genres, including talk radio, reality TV, and news, will also be explored.
MM 230 – Digital Media I 3 hrs.
This course will emphasize basic skills for digital media, including photography, Web design, and content management. Students will have hands-on instruction for incorporating a variety of media – such as text, graphics, audio, still photography, and video – onto a single platform. While the class primarily focuses on Internet-related media production, students may also be able to adapt content for other uses.
MM 232 – Graphic Design 3 hrs.
This course is an introduction to graphic design as a form of visual communication through the use of image, form, color, and type. The course will consist of a series of lectures, daily critiques, demos, in-class discussions, and in-class work time. Students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of graphic design and will explore formal composition principles, graphic design methodology, and approaches to digital layout. The course will include practical exercises in visual perception, visual organization, and visual communication. (Cross-listed as AS 232.)
MM 248 – PR Workshop 1 hr.
In this workshop, students will share and critique work created in the course, become familiar with the Public Relations Society of America’s code of ethics, and make presentations of their work to various constituencies. Students will prepare a portfolio of their work which will be evaluated at the end of the semester and can be used to seek professional internships and employment. Prerequisites: MM 250 and 260. R
MM 250 – Writing for Mass Media 3 hrs.
This course teaches basic news reporting and writing skills for print and online media with an emphasis on recognizing and weighing news values and developing news judgment and news ethics.
MM 260 – Introduction to Public Relations 3 hrs.
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts and principles of public relations. Students will learn the very different ways PR can be viewed from organization to organization and the various roles PR practitioners might play depending on corporate or organizational structure. Issues of message development, strategy, development of publics, research, writing, and post-message evaluation will also be emphasized.
MM 261 – Public Relations Writing 3 hrs.
This course will include instruction and writing practice designed to develop the professional-level writing skills expected of public relations practitioners. The instructor will emphasize approaches required for corporate, agency, and non-profit approaches, as well as writing suitable for different audiences and media forms. Prerequisite: MM 260.
MM 270 – Sports Broadcasting 3 hrs.
This course emphasizes performance with a focus on play-by-play in football and basketball. Students will also receive voice training. The course will teach students how to prepare and deliver game broadcasts and sports shows in a professional manner with lab work in the field and on campus station BakerRadio.
MM 271 – Sports Broadcasting Lab 1 hr.
This workshop course is designed to give students an outlet through which they can practice and hone the skills learned during MM 270. Prerequisite: MM270. R; P/NC
MM 285 – Introduction to Social Media 3hrs.
This course explores the ways in which social media have grown beyond interpersonal curiosities to become required tools of use for many professionals, including journalists, public relations practitioners, and those in business fields like marketing and advertising. Students will investigate the ways in which social media contribute to the public sphere beyond personal relationships, including political and economic power, reflections of culture, and privacy issues. Students will leave the course with a greater understanding of social media and the ways in which they contribute to personal and professional endeavors.
MM 310 – Sports Writing 3 hrs.
This course will acquaint students with the professional expectations for sports writing and announcing. Students will write sports-related stories, including features, game coverage, and columns. Students will learn via hands-on assignments involving university athletic teams. Prerequisite: MM 250 or permission of the instructor.
MM 320 – Video Production 3 hrs.
This class is designed to introduce students to the basic principles of video production. The course will emphasize knowledge of four major components of media production: content acquisition, encoding of data, editing, and data storage. Students will learn not only how to identify worthwhile media content and how to operate cameras and editing equipment, they will also learn the finer techniques of production, including video shot composition, edit sequencing, and digital video effects. Upon completion of the course, students will create a major project that may air on KNBU-TV, Baker’s student-operated television station.
MM 325 – Advertising 3 hrs.
This course focuses on the role of mass media advertising in a free market economy. Advertising is examined from both a management and creative perspective, emphasizing both the theoretical and practical aspects of organization and staffing, marketing research, consumer behavior, media buying, advertising/marketing strategy and tactics, planning, evaluation, design/art/graphics, copy writing, and advertising agency/client relations.
MM 330 – Digital Media II 3 hrs.
This course will emphasize advanced skills for digital media, including photography, Web design, and content management. Following a two-week review of fundamentals and a three-week overview of interactive software, the class will be organized around a series of intensive hands-on projects requiring the integration of text, graphics, audio, still photography, and video. Students will produce projects intended for Baker University student media or area commercial media outlets. While the class primarily focuses on Internet-related media production, students may also be able to adapt content for other uses. Prerequisite: MM 230 with a grade of C or higher.
MM 331 – Mass Media Ethics 3 hrs.
This course is designed to give mass media practitioners and consumers an understanding of ethical decision-making in American newsrooms and other venues in which media content is created. This discussion-based course is tailored to upperclassmen and exceptional sophomores who have a basic knowledge of the press and other media. A substantial research project is required.
MM 340 – Public Relations Cases 3 hrs.
This upper-college level course is designed to apply many of the principles learned by students in introductory public relations coursework. Students will explore elements that contribute to successful strategy development for corporate, agency, and nonprofit public relations, and then examine specific case studies that illustrate the variety of challenges that might present themselves to public relations practitioners. Before learning final case outcomes, students will be challenged to identify positive and negative characteristics of the cases under examination. Prerequisite: MM 260.
MM 341 – Editing 3 hrs.
This course provides instruction in the editing and rewrite techniques for print and online news, including spelling, grammar, headline writing, and style according to the Associated Press Style and Libel Manual. Prerequisite: MM 250 or two writing courses in English. (Cross-listed as EN 341.)
MM 342 – Publications Design 3 hrs.
This course develops skills used in the design and production of newspapers and other print media. Special attention will be paid to page layout, publications design, and computer pagination.
MM 343 – Radio 1 hr.
Students will work as members of the staff of BakerRadio, the campus educational non-commercial radio station. They will be responsible for maintaining a weekly shift on the radio station as well as preparing the necessary production elements to support their on-air activities. R
MM 344 – Orange Online Video Workshop 1 hr.
Students will work as staff members of the Baker Orange Online, the campus online news website. This class is designed for students who wish to focus on the creation of video projects that will be used as content for the Orange Online. R
MM 345 – Advanced Reporting 3 hrs.
This course places emphasis on developing reportorial expertise within the student’s specialty, including developing interviewing techniques; writing multi-source stories; investigative, interpretive, public affairs, and sports reporting; feature and opinion/editorial writing; and special interests reporting (finance, education, music and culture, entertainment, science, etc.). Prerequisite: MM 250 with a grade of C or higher.
MM 346 – Orange Online News Workshop 1 hr.
This is the laboratory course in online news production. Students in this course are members of the Orange Online staff and will participate in website content production in at least one of the following ways: writing, editing, web page design, photography, analytics, or advertising sales. The course is designed to prepare students for internships and permanent employment in news and digital media by acquainting them with the industry’s professional standards. Prerequisite: MM 170 or MM 250 or permission of the instructor. R
MM 348 – Public Relations Workshop 1 hr.
In this workshop, students will share and critique work created in the course, become familiar with the Public Relations Society of America’s code of ethics, and make presentations of their work to various constituencies. Students will prepare a portfolio of their work which will be evaluated at the end of the semester and can be used to seek professional internships and employment. Prerequisite: MM 260. R
MM 370 – Digital Photography II 3 hrs.
Students expand on techniques and theories learned in Digital Photography I. While emphasis is placed on the technical uses of basic color digital imaging and photographic manipulation, the course primarily addresses aspects of color theory, perception, aesthetics, and the use of color in photographic and digital image creation. Thematic series are introduced as a way of exploring complex concepts. Prerequisite: MM 170 or AS 170 or permission of the instructor. (Cross-listed as AS 370.)
MM 376 – Media Theory and Methods 3 hrs.
This course introduces students to key mass media theories in an effort to understand how media affect audiences and societies. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status.
MM 430 – Opinion Writing 3 hrs.
This is a course for experienced and confident writers who want to develop their skills within the genre of opinion writing, specifically editorials, reviews, and columns. Students will read and discuss examples of these persuasive writing forms and will experiment with various approaches through written assignments. In addition, students will receive extensive practice critiquing the work of classmates. Students should be comfortable having their writing discussed in class. Prerequisite: MM 250 or two writing courses in English.
MM 470 – Public Relations Campaigns 3 hrs.
This course will allow students to take the informational and theoretical foundations from previous Public Relations courses and apply their knowledge to the development of a full-fledged PR campaign. Students will work with community organizations to develop a campaign that emphasizes research, planning, communication, and evaluation, all while keeping the client’s wants and needs in mind. Students will work in groups to develop campaigns, with the goal of producing an extensive portfolio outlining their proposal. Upon completion of the class, the plan will be handed off to the organization in hopes that they will carry out the proposal. Students will also emerge with a portfolio suitable for presentation to potential employers. Prerequisites: MM 260, MM 261, and MM 340.
MM 476 – Senior Seminar in Mass Media 3 hrs.
This course is the culmination of study for Mass Media majors at Baker University. Students will use the class as an opportunity to review what they have learned in previous courses, to examine current issues relating to relevant topics, and to provide a sense of completion for coursework. Students will discuss ways to seek employment in the media and the reasons why one might wish to attend graduate school. They will also complete a major paper applying mass media principles and present it before peers and program faculty. Prerequisites: MM 376 with a grade of C or higher and senior status.
MM 478 – Mass Media Law 3 hrs.
This course is designed to acquaint the student with the ramifications and interpretations of laws and court decisions relating to mass communications law. Prerequisite: Junior status or permission of the instructor.
MM 280, 480 – Media Practica 3 hrs.
The Mass Media Practicum is a value-added internship experience designed to prepare future mass communicators for the media professions, to assist them with their entry into the working world, and to provide an opportunity for students to share their experiences with other students. Prerequisites: At least one semester’s participation in MM 241, 243, 244, or 248. For MM 480: MM 280 or permission of instructor. R; P/NC
