MCOM 201 Introduction to Media Studies  
An introduction to the field of media studies, its concepts and theories, and the various modern media industries and professions in today's world. The course aims to help students become better informed about career options in this field and more discerning media consumers. Each semester. Formerly SOAN 204. General Education Designation: Social Sciences.  
 
MCOM 202 Digital and Media Literacy 
Introduces digital information literacy or the ability to effectively access, analyze, evaluate and create digital media. Examines how media messages shape politics, culture and society, and explores new media production skills, including blogs, podcasts, photo and video manipulation.Each semester. Formerly SOAN 207.  General Education Designation: Humanities or Social Sciences (your choice).Syllabus
 
MCOM 203 News Reporting and Writing 
An introduction to the reporting and writing of various news stories based on reliable information gathered through interviewing, research,and observation. Formats include basic newspaper and magazine articles, online news, press releases, and other journalistic formats, with emphasis on accuracy, concise presentation, meeting deadlines, and objective and ethical reporting. The course covers news styles, an expanded news vocabulary, sentence structure, story organization, and clean writing. Each Semester. Formerly SOAN 205. General Education Designation: Social Sciences. Syllabus

MCOM 204 Interpersonal Communication
An introduction to the processesof human communication and interaction, in face-to-face settings and in small groups. It includes both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication and relies on group projects in the form of simulations of communication situations.Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202. General Education Designation: Humanities.

MCOM 210 Research Methods in Media Studies
An introduction to the design and implementation of research methodology in media studies. It covers formulating research problems, reviewing scientific literature, designing instruments, and utilizing data collection and analysis techniques, both quantitative and qualitative. Students participate in actual research projects and apply various techniques of data collection and analysis to interpret research findings. Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.

MCOM 211 Media Law and Ethics 
A survey of Lebanese, Arab, and International media laws and regulations, and their application within the realms of journalism, public relations, advertising, digital media, and entertainment, with an exploration of ethical guidelines, moral values, and social responsibilities of media scholars, practitioners, and educators. Annually .Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202. Syllabus

MCOM 220 Arab Media and Society
An in-depth examination of the political, social, economic, and technological effects of the old and new Arab media systems on modern Arab society, with an emphasis on Lebanon and the Arab East region. Formerly SOAN 228. Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences.  

MCOM 221 Communication Theory 
An overview of the ways in which mass communication has been viewed by social scientists and by practitioners, with a focus on the range of issues studied and questions raised, and the schools, approaches, and trends in the field. Annually. Formerly SOAN 229.Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202. General Education Designation: Social Sciences. Syllabus 
 
MCOM 230 Public Relations
The course introduces the student to the world of public relations through a strong emphasis on fundamentals, such as history and research. Emerging issues, such as technology, ethics, and the international aspects of public relations are considered through examining PR strategies, tactics, and case studies. Annually. Formerly SOAN 234. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202. General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 231 Advertising
The course introduces the student to the core concepts and practices of advertising. It examines the impact of new media and research methods, with an emphasis on integrated communications and the role of ad agencies. Students learn how to assess the effectiveness of advertising, and how to create a successful ad campaign. Annually. Formerly SOAN 235. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202. General Education Designation: Social Sciences. Syllabus
 
MCOM 232 Public Speaking and Media Interviews  
An introduction to public speaking,speech writing, and dealing with press interviews and media appearances. Students learn to write speeches and deliver them effectively to different live and online audiences, and use visuals and slides shows effectively. They also learn how to handle print, broadcast, and online journalists, and deal with recorded and live radio and TV interviews and talk shows. Annually.Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202                                                                     

MCOM 233 Marketing Communications 
The course examines theories and techniques in marketing communication activities, including strategic planning marketing research, consumer behavior, market segmentation and positioning, and development of a marketing mix. It provides students with the needed knowledge base to research and evaluate a company's marketing situation and develop effective communication strategies and tactics. Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202 

MCOM 240 Specialized News Reporting and Writing 
The course explores specialized reporting and writing techniques, including feature stories, opinion columns, profiles, in-depth series, and narrative journalism. It aims to enable students to report and write effectively across news genres and to master transferable communication skills useful beyond the journalism profession. Each semester, the course covers some specialized and emerging journalism themes, including investigative reporting, data journalism, covering conflict, trauma, and violence, technology journalism, non-fiction narrative, and others. Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 203  Formerly SOAN 206.Prerequisite: MCOM 203 or Instructor Permission.  General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 241 Broadcast Media 
The course introduces the students to the history of the electronic media, examining the impact of the new media on communication. The course has an interdisciplinary nature, drawing on the expertise of AUB faculty in the fields of communication, science and technology, history, politics, and economics. Alternate years. Formerly SOAN 236.Prerequisite: MCOM 203.  General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 

MCOM 242 Digital and Multimedia News
An introduction to digital and multimedia news writing, reporting, researching, producing, and disseminating online. The course covers basic digital and Web design principles, photojournalism, audio reporting, video journalism, news blogging, social media reporting, CMS managing, multiplatform publishing, and writing for a converged news environment. It also covers emerging new media issues, such interactivity, information architecture, and individualization. Annually.  Prerequisite: MCOM 203. General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 250 Public Opinion 
A general study of the nature of public opinion, and the interplay between psychological and socio-cultural processes in the formation and dissemination of public opinion. An attempt is also made to explore the impact of public opinion on media and socio-cultural change. Measurements of public opinion are also explored. Alternate years. Formerly SOAN 230. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 251 Political Communication Campaigns 
Introduces students to the subfield of political communication, covering its main theories, research methods, and modern applications and strategies. Students gain theoretical and working knowledge of political campaign operations, political press offices, the roles of a political press secretary, media advisor, and communication director, and the technologies used in modern political campaigns. Alternate years. Formerly SOAN 231. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences. Syllabus

MCOM 252 Media Activism for Social Change
An introduction to the theories and strategies of digital media use for non-violent activism and advocacy campaigns and social movements, with a focus on principles of civic activism in the era of digital media convergence. The course balances theory and skills by examining case studies of digital activism from around the world and using digital media tools and civic activism principles to develop social and political change campaigns for civil society groups. Annually. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences. Syllabus
 
MCOM 260 Persuasion in the Media 
The course explores the nature of persuasion today and examines strategies for critically evaluating persuasive communication, stressing the importance of adapting persuasive messages to society’s cultural beliefs and values, as well as to the economic and social structures that govern the society. It aims at moving beyond traditional theories to improve the student’s understanding of how to respond to and evaluate persuasive communication in the era of communication technology. Occasionally. Formerly SOAN 233. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 261 Seminar in Media Studies
An undergraduate seminar on the role of Media in society. The content areas may change. May be repeated for credit. Annually. Formerly SOAN 243. Prerequisite: MCOM 201 or 202.General Education Designation: Social Sciences. 
 
MCOM 280 Global Media Literacy 
This course explores how distinctive global media shape views of politics, culture and society within nations, across regions and internationally. It analyzes information, values and underlying messages conveyed via various forms of media.  It will develop research methods, designs and instruments that examine the accuracy of various media messages. The research designs will be later implemented in the afternoon course (MCOM 281). Note: this course is part of a study abroad program. Students need to apply to the Media Studies program to enroll. Every Summer. Co-requisite: MCOM 281. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission. Co-requisite: MCOM 281. General Education Designation: Humanities. See Salzburg Academy.
  
MCOM 281 Global Change, Cooperation and News  
A summer abroad course built around global problems of contemporary importance. The class will be broken into cooperative teams that will apply analytic frameworks, research tools and concepts derived from the morning course (MCOM 280) to examine a global event, issue or problem as it is represented regionally. Note: this course is part of a study abroad program. Students need to apply to the Media Studies program to enroll. Every Summer. Co-requisite: MCOM 280. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission.Co-requisite: MCOM 280. General Education Designation: Social Sciences.  See Salzburg Academy.
 
MCOM 290 Special Topics Seminar
MCOM faculty or visiting professors and recognized scholars might be invited to offer seminars to explore relevant dimensions of their research in progress. May be repeated for credit. Occasionally. General Education Designation: Social Sciences.  
 
MCOM 291 Special Topics (Humanities)
A humanities course that provides a general overview of an area in media studies that is not normally covered by the department’s offerings. May be repeated for credit. Occasionally. General Education Designation: Humanities. Syllabus
 
MCOM 292 Special Topics (Social Sciences) 
A social sciences course that provides a general overview of an area in media studies that is not normally covered by the department’s offerings. May be repeated for credit. Occasionally. General Education Designation: Social Sciences.  

MCOM 295A/B Media Lab 
A hands-on media lab that may be offered as a workshop or a series of regular classes where students learn a specific set of professional skills within one of the MCOM program's areas of specialization. May be repeated for credit. Each semester. Prerequisite: Instructor permission  

MCOM 296 Internship 
A summer period of guided work experience supervised by the MCOMS Internships and Workshops Coordinator and designed to acquaint students with a specific media/communication profession and help them acquire core values and basic skills necessary for finding future work and succeeding in that profession. Prerequisites: MCOM 201,202,203 and junior standing. Each semester. Prerequisite: Instructor permission. 

MCOM 299 Directed Study
A tutorial course offered to MCOM students with an average of 85 or above in their major at the beginning of their senior year. This tutorial consists of independent research, original creative compositions, or directed reading, and includes the presentation of a report, project, or thesis on the work. Students with averages lower than 85 may be admitted to directed study at the discretion of the department. Occasionally. Formerly SOAN 299. General Education Designation: None.