This course will introduce students to the interrelationships between communication and public life, including the engagements that take place in social institutions, politics, the professions and the arts. It will look at the basic literature on the concept of civil society. Finally, it will introduce students to the issues to be discussed in the four tracks that make up Communication Studies: Policy, Regulation and Advocacy; Contemporary Media Environments; Global Civil Society; and Arts in the Public Sphere.

This course will introduce a case study analysis of a contemporary public issue in communication. Students will examine the selected issue from the range of disciplinary approaches and methodologies introduced in the Communication Studies foundation courses: Communication Studies 1111 (Communication and Public Life) and MSP 1021 (Media and Society). They will discuss how disciplinary approaches and methodologies can condition conclusions, and consider the options available to them in interdisciplinary study. In the process, students will also focus on professional and academic preparation skills that will equip them to approach their futures.

Students will arrange for an internship in an appropriate area of Communication Studies. Students must fill out all paperwork in the Communication Studies Manual, particularly areas related to internship supervisor's documentation. Additionally, students must meet with the Communication Studies director during pre-registration meetings. Students will complete a total of 15 short paper responses, 2 evaluations, and 1 final review paper. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 and director's permission to take part in an internship.