Undergraduate Catalogue
Information Design and Corporate Communication Major
The primary objective of the Information Design and Corporate Communication (IDCC) courses is to help students understand the critical role communication plays in the world of business, and in our lives in general. Communication in business is multifaceted, requiring strong written, oral and visual competencies. Furthermore, it demands understanding and sensitivity toward ethical issues, social as well as private responsibility, an appreciation for globalization and diversity, and the ability to work effectively as an individual, and on a team. With this in mind, marketing, management, information technology, and a host of other disciplines, including arts and sciences and business, are all woven into the IDCC courses.
IDCC courses help students translate into practice oral, written, visual and managerial theory. These courses also teach industry-accepted quality standards in the application, research, design, and evaluation of approaches to communication needs. Courses emphasize ethical awareness in communicating information accurately and honestly, and they help students understand legal matters, such as copyright, trademark, freedom of information, libel and slander, proprietary issues, regulatory codes and mandates, and First Amendment rights.
The IDCC major prepares students for careers in the increasingly competitive communications industry. Graduates have moved into positions in the public and private sector in public relations, technical writing and editing, journalism, information design, corporate communication, web design, and marketing communication. Upon completion of the Business and General Education core requirements, students may choose to focus on one of three major course concentrations: information design, public relations, or web design.
All IDCC majors must take speech, professional communication and web design courses, and communication theory to hone verbal skills before choosing electives in applied communication theory and supporting subject areas. (Students with a concentration in information design, for example, may take two content development electives, two document design electives, and two to five computer course electives covering topics such as computer languages, systems concepts, and analysis and database management.) This curriculum, structured to allow maximum flexibility to suit individual interests and goals, while ensuring a solid base of knowledge in business and the liberal arts, has become a model for similar programs offered in schools throughout the United States.
Required Courses
COM 210 Effective Speaking
One of the following:
IDCC 230 Fundamentals of Content Development
IDCC 255 Public Relations Writing
IDCC 330 Advanced Content Development
IDCC 350 Journalism for the Web
One of the following:
IDCC 370 Web Design I: Information Design, Principles and Practices
IDCC 380 Web Design II: Information Archtecture and Site Management
In addition, students take three IDCC electives, and two IDCC-related electives in consultation with an IDCC faculty adviser.
