# Communication Studies (CMST) courses Orange Coast College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 15 courses Source: https://catalog.cccd.edu/orange-coast/course-descriptions/credit-courses/cmst/ "Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026, Spring 2027. ### COMM C1000 — Introduction to Public Speaking - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Formerly: CMST A110, Public Speaking. In this course, students learn and apply foundational rhetorical theories and techniques of public speaking in a multicultural democratic society. Students discover, develop, and critically analyze ideas in public discourse through research, reasoning, organization, composition, delivery to a live audience and evaluation of various types of speeches, including informative and persuasive speeches. Common Course Number: COMM C1000.C-ID: COMM 110. ### COMM C1004 — Interpersonal Communication - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **C-ID:** COMM 130 - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Formerly: CMST A100. This course covers theory, research, and application of ethical one-to-one communication practices in various and diverse interpersonal relationships including in personal, professional, and social situations. ### CMST A105 — Intrapersonal Communication - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass Designed to teach students effective communication processes with and about oneself. Emphasis is on developing a greater self-awareness and self-esteem by studying cognitive science, whole brain learning, language and symbolic processing, perception, and nonverbal communication skills. ### CMST A109 — Social Media Strategies - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 3 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 3 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Students will gain the knowledge and skills to effectively meet the growing need for Social Media technology within organizations. Students will learn the basics of content creation; determine which platform best meets the needs of organizations and their targeted audiences; and, learn how to measure social media success. Students will analyze, think critically, discuss, research, and develop social media technology while understanding while understanding ethics and etiquette. ### CMST A120 — Reader's Theater and Oral Interpretation - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **C-ID:** COMM 170 - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Explores the oldest performance tradition, storytelling, and focuses on the principles and methods of effective oral interpretation. Through analysis of poetry, plays and stories, in both individual and group performance, the student will learn to edit and construct a script, and to perform successfully. ### CMST A150 — Forensics Workshop - **Units:** 1-4 - **Hours:** 9-36 lecture hours; 27-108 lab hours - **C-ID:** COMM 160B - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 4 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 4 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Competitive forensics. May be taken for 1, 2, 3 or 4 units depending on the number of hours and the number of events in which the student participates. This course may be taken four times. ### CMST A155 — Intercultural Communications - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **C-ID:** COMM 150 - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 7 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 7 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass The study, practice, and application of communication theories as they relate to different cultural, subcultural, ethnic, and racial groups. Emphasis on interpersonal effectiveness, including skills in nonverbal processing, assessment of different cultural interactional patterns, and the reduction of racism and ethnocentrism. ### CMST A165 — Gender Communication - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Explores the role, influence, effects, and significance of gender on our everyday communication interactions. Analyzes issues of gender and communication by examining the theoretical perspectives used to explain gender phenomena, gender socialization, and male and female interactions and stereotypes. Explores, with an emphasis on improving communication skills, the relationship between gender and communication as it pertains to the nature of gender(s), the language of gender, and gender differences in verbal and nonverbal communication. Enrollment Limitation: GNDR A165; students who complete CMST A165 may not enroll in or receive credit for GNDR A165. ### CMST A170 — Nonverbal Communication - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules - Grading Mode: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass The analysis and application of nonverbal cues and their effect on interpersonal and intercultural communication. Emphasis is on developing effective communication skills as they relate to physical appearance and dress, body movement, face and eye communication, vocal cues which accompany spoken words, and the use of environment and space. ### CMST A180 — Introduction to Mass Communications - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **C-ID:** JOUR 100 - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 6 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 7 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter A survey of major mass mediums and their influence on the artistic and cultural expression of contemporary society. Appreciate the aesthetics of and evaluate radio, television, film, print media, and Internet. Advertising, PR, media law and ethics are covered. Students learn analytical skills to help become critical consumers/developers of media. ### CMST A185 — Public Relations - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Advisory:** ENGL C1000. - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter Introduction to the basic principles, components, and techniques of effective public relations. Topics include publicity and promotion, advertising, media and community relations, and approaches to problem solving. Enrollment Limitation: BUS A185; students who complete CMST A185 may not enroll in or receive credit for BUS A185. ### CMST A220 — Essentials of Argumentation - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Prerequisite:** ENGL C1000 or appropriate placement. - **C-ID:** COMM 120 - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 4 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 3 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass This course provides students with the foundational knowledge and practice of persuasion, argumentation and debate. Students will write essays and engage in a variety of public speeches to advocate for and against various claims/topics. Emphasized are principles of rhetoric in argumentation and debate, such as the canons of rhetoric, effective research methods, critical analysis, reasoning, refutation, and listening. This course includes faculty-supervised, faculty-evaluated oral presentations in the presence of others. ### CMST A236 — Directed Practice for Social Media Strategist - **Units:** 2 - **Hours:** 108 other hours - **Prerequisite:** CMST A109; MKTG A100; ENGL A123; and CMST A185 or BUS A185 or FASH A225. - **Transfers to:** CSU - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter A supervised internship classroom-based learning and experience in a work setting where social media is an essential component of the overall organizational strategy. This work experience course is designed to assist students to acquire the knowledge and skills to analyze, create, implement, and evaluate social media technology. Four courses within the Social Media Strategist career program must be taken prior to enrolling in this course. ### CMST A240 — Media Literacy - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Prerequisite:** English A100 (ENGL C1000) or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better. - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/fall-2026/cmst.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/orange-coast-college/schedule/spring-2027/cmst.md) - Grading Mode: Standard Letter An introduction to the critical consumption of media. Focuses on ability to access, analyze, & evaluate media messages, and to construct argumentative and analytical essays. Develop tools to evaluate credibility, truth & accuracy through critical examination of news, opinion, advertising, PR, entertainment, and social media. Explore political/ economic/social contexts of media production & consumption. ### CMST A260 — Organizational Communication - **Units:** 3 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours - **Transfers to:** CSU, UC - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules - Grading Mode: Standard Letter This course examines contemporary philosophies, methods and theories for studying the communication systems within different types of organizations. This course focuses on identifying the methods available for improving communication in organizations. Through lecture, discussion, and activities, the course will focus on communication as a process and skill that can help individuals and their organizations to mediate conflicts and challenges among organizational members.