Communication and Media Studies Summer Courses

COMC-1101-L21- Communications & Culture: History, Theory, and Methods
Summer Session 2: June 30, 2026 - August 04, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: TWR, 01:00PM - 04:00PM

An introduction to the history, theory and methods of Communication Studies, Media Studies, and Cultural Studies. This serves as the required introductory course for the major in Communication and Culture. It provides students with a basic theoretical foundation for understanding the interdisciplinary traditions of our field, an historical examination of key paradigms and theorists, and an overview of the methodological approaches used by scholars of mediated communication. We will explore the ways in which theory and methodology are inextricably intertwined and how their relationship shapes both inquiry and analysis. Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction

CRN: 14933

Instructor: Hockenberry, Matthew
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, ASAM, ASHS, DISA, DTEM, DTMM

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COMC-2277-V11- Media and Sexuality
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): TWR, 01:00PM - 05:00PM

By all accounts, we have witnessed an explosion of LGBTQ representation in the media over the last decade. This course critically examines the terms of this new visibility, and inquires into the exclusions that accompany the recognition of certain queer and trans subjects. Through the study of media, film and popular culture, we will explore how representations of sex and sexuality are also central to the construction of ideas about race, class, gender, and nation.

CRN: 14886

Instructor: Moorman, Jennifer
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: CCUS, CELP, COLI, EP3, FIID, PJGS, PJST, WGSS

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COMC-4360-L21-Communication Ethics and the Public Sphere
Summer Session 2: June 30, 2026 - August 04, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: MTW, 09:00AM - 12:00PM

(Formerly COMM 4004): This course deals with the policy decisions and ethical issues facing society in the telecommunications age. Of special concern are the ethical issues raised by the melding together of heretofore discrete media into vertically integrated, profit oriented, corporations. Note:

CRN: 14883

Instructor: Kamin, Diana
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: AMST, APPI, ASAM, CCMS, CELP, CMST, DTEV, EP4, HCWL, HUST, JETH, JOUR, PJMJ, PJST, SL, URST, VAL

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COMC-4380-L11- Media and Moral Philosophy
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: TR, 09:00AM - 12:00PM

This senior values EP4 seminar examines public discourse through the lens of moral philosophy. Debate in the public sphere often uses moral narratives to make sense of difficult issues or events. When something grips the national attention—such as a school shooting, a hotly contested election, or an environmental disaster—we don’t just need to know what happened, we also need to grapple with why. We want to understand whether and how this changes who we are as a society and our place in history. To this end, news and social media create diverse and often contradictory narratives about who is blameworthy and who is a victim, about what moral goods are at stake and the best way to protect and promote them. Understanding these narratives in moral terms is crucial to becoming an ethically informed public citizen, because it helps us grasp the deeply human stakes underlying what may often seem like endless newsfeed chatter. Each iteration of the course focuses on a different issue. In this version of the course, we will be looking at the moral narratives around gender. Note:

CRN: 14931

Instructor: Schwartz, Margaret
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, ASAM, ASRP, CCMS, CCUS, CMST, EP4, VAL, WGSS

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COMM-3701-V31- Summer Internship Seminar
Summer Session 3: May 26, 2026 - Aug 4, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): Asynchronous

In this course we explore the development of a life’s work in the context of broader issues in the contemporary media workplace, broadly defined. Through asynchronous discussion, exercises, readings, and reflections, we will examine students’ own experiences in contemporaneous internships, exploring subjects including finding meaning in your work, diversity in the workplace, connecting with mentors and role models, identifying your workplace values, and more. As much as possible, this course will cater to the particular needs and professional ideals of the students enrolled.

CRN: 15068

Instructor: Mowlabocus, Sharif
3 credits

Fordham course attributes: CCMS, CMST, COMC, DTEM, FITV, JOUR, SJOR

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DTEM-1402-R11- Digital Cultures
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
YR - Hybrid RH/Online: TR, 09:00AM - 12:00PM

This course will examine the interplay between digital environments and the culture(s) they both stem from and shape. It will give special attention to the ways digital and networked spaces relate to lived experiences on- and offline, organize social relationships, shape values and norms, engage individuals in participatory modes of cultural production, and impact culture on an individual, group, and trans-national scale. Students will investigate the culture(s) (social norms, language, practices of inclusion and exclusion, etc.) of individual digital platforms and learn about cultural norms that span the digital world more broadly. We will also critically engage with whether and how those qualities might also impact the offline experience of various communities or groups, such as those based on race, gender, class, abilities, or affiliation with various subcultures or values.

CRN: 17030

Instructor: D'Aiello, Alan
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, APPI, CCUS, CMST, COMC

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DTEM-2411-R11- Digital Research Methods
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
YR - Hybrid RH/Online: MW, 09:00AM - 12:00PM

(Formerly COMM 4710): Digital technologies affect every area of social life, from personal identity, to interaction with others, to broad social and political arenas. Digital technologies have also deeply impacted scholarship and research in the humanities and the social sciences. How can we investigate the impacts of digital technologies accurately? How do academics and industry professionals use social media, “big data,” and the like to answer puzzling questions? This course provides an overview of and hands-on approach to contemporary digital research methods, including ethnography, interviews, focus groups, metrics and analytics, and polling and surveys. Students will become familiar with basic research methods used in both academic and professional contexts.

CRN: 17031

Instructor: Van Cleaf, Kara
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: CCUS, CMST, DTMM, JOUR, JSME, NMDD

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DTEM-2421-V11- Digital Production New Media
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): TWR, 10:00AM - 01:00PM

This course focuses on analysis and practice of visual design concepts as they apply to a wide range of digital software programs. The course generally covers photo editing, audio editing, video editing, desktop publishing, and basic website design. Classes are structured around individual production assignments with a focus on project management, composition, and layout. Note:

CRN: 16494

Instructor: Katsafouros, Catherine
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: JDPR, JOUR, NMAC, NMAT, NMDD, NMMI, ZLB2

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DTEM-3500-V21- Resistance and Global Activism
Summer Session 2: June 30, 2026 - August 04, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): TWR, 09:00AM - 12:00PM

This course studies the proliferation, and implications, of digital technology in political resistance. The goal is to provide students with analytical tools and skills for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary digital resistance. The course’s perspective is on the resistance played out in the “everyday life” of “ordinary” people: a resistance that might be widespread and diffused, individual or small scale, implicitly political, disguised, or even hidden. It brings to light how the “private” or “personal” can be political and explores the creativity of “cultural resistance.” Particular interest will be paid to studying new sources of power and their ability to subvert or censor acts of digital resistance. By taking this course, the participants will gain a sophisticated understanding of the role played by technology, and technology providers, in the performance of and resistance to power. Course participants will develop a critical understanding of the nature of technology and its implications for local, regional, and global justice. Note:

CRN: 16495

Instructor: Klang, Mathias
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: CCMS, CCUS, CELP, CMST, COMC, DTEV, NMDE

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DTEM-4480-L21- Digital Media & Public Responsibility
Summer Session 2: June 30, 2026 - August 04, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: TWR, 01:00PM - 04:00PM

An examination of the public cultures, goods, and problems that emerge from the ongoing integration of digital media into everyday life. This course goes beyond a traditional focus on personal problems and responsibilities to explore how publics have and can take collective responsibility to address structural inequities in a digital society. Note:

CRN: 14930

Instructor: Donovan, Gregory
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, APPI, ASAM, ASHS, CELP, DTEV, EP4, JETH, JOUR, NMDD, NMDE, PJMJ, PJST, VAL

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FITV-1501-V11- Understanding Film
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): MTW, 09:00AM - 01:00PM

(Formerly COMM 2471): Examination of the aesthetics of film, its formal language and structure. Screening and analysis of representative films. Study of film theory and criticism. Strongly recommended that students complete this course before other film courses. Lab fee.

CRN: 14884

Instructor: Prettyman, Michele
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: COLI

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FITV-2511-V11- Screenwriting I
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): TWR, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

(Formerly COMM 3405): Analyzing and writing screenplays for theatrical motion pictures.

CRN: 16496

Instructor: Bordogna, Heidi
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, ASAM, CVW, ENGL, FIPR

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FITV-4570-V21- Films of Moral Struggle
Summer Session 2: June 30, 2026 - August 04, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): MTWR, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

(Formerly COMM 4001): The course studies the portrayal of human values and moral choices both in the narrative content and the cinematic technique of outstanding films. Class discussion tends to explore ethical aspects of each film's issues, while numerous critical analyses of the films are offered to develop the student's appreciation of the film's artistic achievements. Lab fee.

CRN: 14952

Instructor: Foley, Ashar
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, AMST, ASAM, ASRP, BEHR, BEVL, CELP, COLI, EP4, FIID, PJMJ, PJST, REST, VAL

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FITV-4660-L11- Ethics of Reality Television
Summer Session 1: May 26, 2026 - June 25, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: TWR, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

Reality TV is a vast genre that has had an immense impact on society. This course will engage with the long history of reality programming in news, magazine shows, documentaries, talk shows, game shows, and what we now commonly understand as popular reality TV series. The course will focus on the ethics of producing, appearing on, and watching different forms of reality television. Students will examine issues concerning surveillance and voyeurism, governmentality and citizenship, crisis and scandal, tabloid and spectacle, exploitation, and issues concerning race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and religion. The course will explore how television helps define our mediated reality and the values that underpin such representation.

CRN: 16493

Instructor: Monk-Payton, Brandeise
4 credits

Fordham course attributes: ACUP, ADVD, AMST, ASAM, ASRP, CCUS, CELP, EP4, FIID, JOUR, VAL

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PMMA-5001-V21- Public Media Theory & Practice
SG2 - GAS Summer Session 2 JUN 30, 2026 - AUG 04, 2026
V - Virtual (online courses only): MW, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

Serving as a core introductory course for the Public Media MA program, this class examines central topics in the study and practice of media in the public interest. Students consider what is the role of media and communication in promoting (or constraining) positive social change, and what unique roles do journalists and strategic communication professionals play throughout this process? What do we mean, exactly, by concepts such as public media, the public interest, social justice, and civic engagement? How do historical and contemporary power dynamics, information technologies, and economic structures shape the types of stories that dominate the public sphere, and how do resistant voices find ways to disrupt those narratives over time? Course readings and multimedia materials are drawn from a wide variety of academic disciplines and professional sectors, while course assignments ask students to grapple with real-world topics, aiming to not only analyze social problems but also identify potential solutions.

CRN: 15052

Instructor: Freeman, Lewis
3 credits

Fordham course attributes:

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PMMA-5106-L21- Race, Gender & Digital Media
SG2 - GAS Summer Session 2 JUN 30, 2026 - AUG 04, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: TR, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

This course examines the theory, history, politics, and aesthetics of digital media. We will utilize an intersectional feminist approach to explore race, gender, and broader questions of identity and difference from early computing to social networking. Topics include diversity in the tech industry, virtual communities, and online activism. Ultimately, the class will discuss the role that digital media plays in promoting—or preventing—civic engagement and social change.

CRN: 15824

Instructor: INSTRUCTOR, NO
3 credits

Fordham course attributes: CEED, CENS, PMTC, PSIC, URSG

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PMMA-6216-L11- Communicating Criminal Justice
SG1 - GAS Summer Session 1 MAY 26, 2026 - JUN 25, 2026
YL - Hybrid LC/Online: MW, 06:00PM - 09:00PM

This course helps students prepare for work involving advocacy or journalism by exploring the criminal justice system, with a focus on the role of communication. The course will present an overview of policing, justice, and incarceration and the information streams each part of the criminal justice system creates. Students will leave the course able to find and use the data created by police, courts, prisons, jails, government agencies, and other organizations involved in criminal justice. Students will also explore issues of ethics and equity in the criminal justice system, and will learn to be discerning consumers of criminal justice journalism, research, and data. Open to students in both the strategic communication and multiplatform journalism tracks of the public media M.A. program, as well as to other graduate students with interest in communicating about criminal justice.

CRN: 15885

Instructor: INSTRUCTOR, NO
3 credits

Fordham course attributes: CENS, PMMJ, PMSC

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