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Classes

Classes are designed to challenge your thinking and develop your professional skills. You’ll leave each class with a unique set of tools to approach new communications challenges.

Tailor your experience to your career goals by focusing on one of eight areas of specialization. Use the search widget below to sort classes by quarter, specialization, instructor and degree track for each quarter. Get a comprehensive view of the full academic year in our Course Guide.

View the University of Washington Academic Calendar for important dates, including quarter start and end dates, registration dates and deadlines, and campus holidays.

Registration numbers (SLNs) are located on the Time Schedule. Please read the Department’s statement on internet resource requirements for access to courses.

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COMMLD 503D: Practicum in Podcast Strategy

(

Gray

)

- 2022-2023 | Spring 2023

Track Neutral | 2 Credits
Mondays 3/27 – 6/5, 5:30PM – 7:20PM | DEN 113
SLN: 12548

Course Description

A strong branded podcast can reach new audiences and strengthen engagement with existing customers. It can fill communication gaps and build organizational identity. But a podcast with no audience or without a clear editorial mission can be a drag on time and resources. Before you ever press ‘record’ it is vital to first understand the organization’s communication needs and target audience. In this practicum students will work in teams, supported by a faculty mentor, to create a plan for a branded podcast concept and format. Students will meet with key organizational stakeholders to understand communication needs and potential audience interest. The final deliverable will be a description of the show and segments, a detailed plan or recording of a pilot episode, and a content outline for season one.

Credit/No Credit only.

About 503 Communication and Leadership Practicum

Communication and Leadership Practicum courses give students an opportunity to engage with and understand the uses of course concepts in contemporary professional practice by addressing the challenges of real-life organizations.

Each section of the Comm Lead Practicum focuses on a distinct professional skill or practice that is deemed essential across a variety of professional fields. Students can choose their section based on their interests and needs. Each section is matched with a client organization or group of client organizations who are interested in partnering with Communication Leadership students.

In the span of a quarter, students analyze the issues faced by the client organization(s), collaborate and brainstorm collectively in small teams, and with the support of their faculty mentor create a deliverable for the client organization(s) that relates to the specific practice. Students may also create creative samples as part of the project. In doing so, students can develop and enhance skills, build foundations of practice, and produce work that they can include in their own professional portfolios.

Instructor Bio coming soon. In the mean time, feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn.

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COMMLD 503B: Practicum: UX Design in Action

(

Gordon

)

- 2023-2024 | Spring 2024

Track Neutral | 2 Credits
Mondays 3/25 – 5/20, 6:00pm – 7:50pm | CMU 302
Application Required

Course Description

In this practicum, students will work on a real-world design problem—forming a partnership among design students, instructor, and a client. Students will work in a team-based context and apply their design-thinking skills to improve a business’ website by reducing user frustrations and helping the business reach its goals.

The final deliverable will be a client presentation highlighting what frustrations were discovered through research and testing, how the design thinking process was applied to maximize user and business needs, and will include a prototype to visually express the proposed solution incorporating the totality of the evaluation.

Credit/No Credit Only.

**Since this class takes foundational concepts to the next level, students who register must have already taken any of the following courses:

COMMLD 510: Introduction to Information Architecture

COMMLD 510: User Interface and Visual Design

COMMLD 511: Introduction to User Centered Design

COMMLD 512: User Research and UX Strategies

COMMLD 513: Content Marketing

COMMLD 515: Advanced User Design: UX Studio

Or have equivalent UX experience.

Please fill out the form. below to the best of your ability. If your form is approved, you will receive an add code to register for the course. (Note: applications will be time stamped, and qualified applicants will be added to remaining class spots on an equitable basis determined by time of application and remaining time in the program.)

The application will go live on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 6:30 AM here: https://forms.office.com/r/E1AtLCJVXT

About 503 Communication and Leadership Practicum

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COMMLD 518: Information Architecture

(

Weaver

)

- 2024-2025 | Summer 2025

MCDM Elective | Meets Research Methods Requirement | 5 Credits
Saturdays 6/28, 7/12, 7/26, 8/9, 8/23, 9:00am – 5:00pm | Online
SLN: 10754

Course Description

Information Architecture (IA) helps users understand where they are, what they’ve found, what’s around, and what to expect when they are visiting a website or application. When you have large amounts of information to display, IA can help you create groups, sorting, labels and provide navigation to help people browse your content. This class sets up the basics for organizing content through architecture. We’ll learn about the theory and techniques that help us provide clear paths through content. Through best practices articles, real world examples, and student projects, we’ll explore the foundations and potential of Information Architecture. Students will take on their own mini-project and present their IA discoveries at the end of the session.

Meets Research Methods Requirement.

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COM 583: Advanced Multimedia Storytelling: Human-Driven Documentary

(

Stonehill, Stuteville

)

- 2016-2017 | Autumn 2016

MCDM Elective
Thursdays, 9/29/16-12/8/16, 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 302

Add-code required.

Course Description:

Just a few years ago, creating rich multimedia was a boutique interest of elite journalists and filmmakers. But as lives and communities move further online, multimedia and character-driven, documentary-style storytelling is becoming a lingua franca for journalists, advocates, entrepreneurs, communities, and organizations. This course is a project-based class that teaches character-driven video production. Instruction will take students through story development, research and interview techniques, the technical aspects of shooting, editing, and production, as well as distribution and marketing. Emphasis will be given to reporting, interviewing, and the challenges of telling others’ stories well. Previous foundational MCDM storytelling class or demonstrated digital storytelling or video experience is strongly recommended. The Seattle Globalist is a nonprofit publication based in the UW Department of Communication that covers international connections in Seattle and specializes in human-centered multimedia journalism.

For an add code please send a short paragraph describing your experience, previous video/storytelling classes you’ve taken, and links to past work you’ve produced to stonehil@uw.edu.

Student Testimonial:

“I can’t say enough good things about Alex Stonehill’s and Sarah Stuteville’s class. Both are gifted educators and expert storytellers. As educators, I found them open and willing to engage many points of view with equal respect. That’s a rare talent. Their entry in the Seattle International Film Festival 2013 (Barzan) attests to the pedigree of their storytelling. They encouraged me to seek a challenging topic. In the few weeks we had in the class, they were mindful to remind the class to stay on pace. They grounded this advice in real-world experience. A big debt of thanks to Comm Lead for leveraging Alex and Sarah’s abilities and experience into a rewarding experience; the class was over all too quickly.”

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COM 585: Multi-platform Content Strategy: A Practical Approach to Immersive & Responsive Content

(

Vanderburg

)

- 2016-2017 | Winter

MCDM Elective, Meets Research Methods Core Requirement
Tuesdays, 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 126

Course Description:

In the ever-changing world of search algorithms and content marketing, businesses have become focused on maximizing the impact of their online content. Content is no longer simply what is written on the page, rather it has become the integrated discipline of Content Strategy. This class will provide students with the skills and practice for the movement of thought from a Content Editor to a Content Strategist. Using Kristina Halvorson’s text “Content Strategy for the Web” to provide the template for structure around editorial content, students will practice the fundamentals on creating a content strategy through auditing content, developing governance, building a scorecard and defining key metrics for content. Additional readings on topics such as multi-channel delivery, collaborative authoring, knowledge management, user-generated content, and SEO will support further analysis and conversation around defining quality and relevant content. Students will leave this class with a tool-kit, vocabulary and skills to approach content in a strategic context.

Student Testimonial:

“This course is essential for understanding both how to implement content strategy (you’ll tackle all the phases of a real-world project) and how to present content strategy conclusions to colleagues and employers. The class is a perfect introduction to the discipline of content strategy for newcomers, but as a current content strategist, the work I did in class paid off for me professionally. I recently accepted a position with a major tech company as a strategist, and used skills and examples directly from this class in the interview process.”

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COM 583: Multimedia Storytelling: Immersive Production Studio

(

Macklin

)

- 2016-2017 | Spring

MCDM Elective
Wednesday, 3/27/17-6/2/17, 6-9:50pm | CMU 318E

Course Description:

Emerging models of interactive and immersive (full & any screen, scrolling and responsive) storytelling are disrupting the ways we can reach and engage with our constituents. This course in Studio Production will have a deep concentration on the production aspects and development tools necessary to create Snow Fall-like immersive web stories. We will be coupling a critical look at these emerging models while working through the technical aspects of story creation and the implementation of web deveopment tools and platforms (HTML 5 & jQuery). This will be a project-based course through which students will acquire the strategy and skills to make informed designs about the development and use of immersive storytelling processes. Previous multimedia production and web development is not necessary, though a willingness to learn and play with the underlying technologies is a must.

Student Testimonial:

“This class blends multimedia storytelling and places it into a digital context. We used different mediums (video, text, photos, maps, and more,) to tell a story. Not only do we get to tell a story, but we also are guided in the technical aspects of video, photography, and web design. There are more practical skills actually used in this class than I can count on my fingers and toes! I really learned the importance of setting a scene. My previous degree is in filmmaking, and it seems like in longer-format storytelling (films, novels, etc) you can take more time building the landscape of a story. However, in digital storytelling, it is essential to get your visual ‘lede’ line – Having a map, photo, or video to set the scene of your story is essential to get your point across succinctly and clearly. Brevity is the soul of wit (and the internet). I really enjoyed that the class had both structure and freedom. We had a well defined storytelling goal to achieve for the class, but Scott opened up the way we told it to as many ways as we wanted to. This gave everyone the ability to choose which digital platforms to use and to perfect. While we all had to create a website, (with certain grade requirements – one video, photos, etc), it was up to us which web platform we used, and how much detail we put into individual aspects of the story. For instance, if a student wanted to really focus on good film, they could do that while selecting an easier web platform to plug their video into. Or, if a student wanted to really focus on building a detailed website, they could do that and be able to add shorter videos. The flexibility to work on your own strengths and interest in storytelling was really great.”

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COM 597: The Future of Marketing: How Digital Media is Changing the Practice of Commercial and Consumer Engagement

(

Salkowitz

)

- 2017-2018 | Autumn 2017

MCDM Elective
Wednesdays, 9/27-12/13, 6:00-9:50pm, no class Oct. 4, instead class will be held December 13 | CMU 302

Course Description:

Rapid evolution of digital media and technology continues to disrupt the business of marketing, making it essential for professionals in the field to keep abreast of trends in a number of areas. This class focuses on the technologies shaping marketing, advertising, media, public relations and communications in the 2-4 year horizon and explores strategies of successful marketing organizations, both digital and traditional. We will examine the impact of social media, mobility, big data, new content and rich media distribution technologies, multi-platform storytelling, apps, and other digital innovation on audience engagement. We will study how consumers and audience expectations are changing, and how marketers must shift their models to accommodate new realities and expectations. Finally, we will look at changes to the structures and processes that marketing organizations – corporate, agency or otherwise – can adopt to become resilient in the face of rapid change. This class assumes a general familiarity with the practices of digital marketing and digital technologies. It is recommended for marketing, advertising and commercial communications professionals interested in developments at the cutting edge of the field. We will offer a survey of techniques and practices, including case studies, readings from contemporary practitioners and thought leaders, and expert guest speakers.

Student Testimonial:

“The first day of class, Rob Salkowitz tells you that there is no crystal ball to predict the future of marketing. However, it really does feel like we were able to divine the future. Based around a technique called scenario planning, as a class and as groups, we looked at the future of technology (from 3D printing to Internet of Things), content/content creation, and a whole host of other things as they would relate to marketing in the future and to make predictions. It was a great class for thinking about trends and their influences and ways that marketers can stay ahead of the curve based on the knowledge that we have in-hand today.”

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COM 597: Audio Storytelling

(

Partnow

)

- 2017-2018 | Winter

MCDM Elective
Wednesdays, Jan 3rd-March 7th, 6-9:50pm I CMU 318E

Course Description:

Whether gathered around a radio in a living room or walking plugged in with headphones, the medium of audio storytelling has always offered the opportunity to build mindset-shifting community around content. This course traces the evolution of audio storytelling from radio to podcasting that links to communities for various purposes: to educate, to entertain, and to inspire action — and the new golden age of podcasting that we find ourselves in means that audio storytelling has the potential for broad reach and powerful impact. Consideration is given to the core characteristics of strong storytelling, observed through an auditory filter. Class materials are twinned with a selection of cross-sector guest speakers who bring their own craft perspective. Students will experiment with designing their own short audio pieces.

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COMMLD 511: Introduction to User Centered Design

(

Holmberg

)

- 2018-2019 | Autumn 2018

MCDM Elective | Meets Research Methods Core Requirement
Mondays, 10/1-12/10 (no class on 11/12) | 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 230
Registration SLN: 23669

Course Description:

This course focuses on the fundamentals of user experience (UX) design, focusing on the skills and concepts needed to successfully design products and services for humans (otherwise known as the human-centered design process). We will learn the principles of design thinking, so that students come away from the class with a framework for understanding how to identify real user problems, design solutions for how to solve those problems, and then test those solutions with real people.

Over the course of the quarter, students will learn the foundations of user experience design, covering the entire cycle from ideation to implementation, and all of the design phases in between. We will cover a wide range of UX skills, including user research, user journeys, sketching, wireframing, principles of information architecture, prototyping, and usability studies. Additionally, we will consider the larger ethical questions raised by designing products in the digital age.

Student Testimonial:

“From class activities to assignments to even the class slides, Dave crafts an optimal user experience for the student. He takes the time to provide useful, in-depth feedback on all assignments which enhances the learning experience considerably. The UX Content Strategy Playbook we created was an incredible way to learn the specifics of UX exercises we studied in class; I’m sure I’ll use it for years to come. The books Dave selected for class will serve as excellent resources down the road as well. This was definitely one of the best classes I’ve taken in the Comm Lead program.”

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COMMLD 520: Marketing Copywriting (Text-Based Marketing)

(

Schiller

)

- 2018-2019 | Winter

Track Neutral | 3 Credits
Saturdays, 1/12, 1/26, 2/9 | 9:00am-5:00pm | CMU 242
Registration SLN: 22048

Course Description:

This advanced marketing writing class is designed for students who can already write well, but want formal training in persuasive copywriting techniques – the kind that drive people to call, buy, join, or sign-‐up. If you’ve ever agonized over finding just the right words to achieve your goals, this class is designed to get you there faster. It introduces some of the most effective and well-‐tested methods used by professional storytellers to outsell and outrun the constantly changing market. Students will learn how to use techniques based in psychological research to get measurable lift in subject line open rates, landing page conversion rates, app store downloads, and more. Using a combination of readings, case studies and practical writing assignments students will learn the art and science of creating top-‐performing marketing text.

Student Testimonial:

“This course was one of the most valuable classes I’ve taken while in the program. Carol ensured that the readings and assignments were directly applicable to our own careers and the ideas I brought back to my boss made me look great at work. I wondered if a full-day class about copywriting would be too long, but Carol’s lessons were lively and interesting, and I found that the day moved along very quickly. In short, I found this class to have tremendous value and I highly recommend it.”

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COMMLD 533: Storytelling for Emergent Platforms

(

Macklin

)

- 2019-2020 | Spring

MCDM Elective
Mondays, 3/30 – 6/5 | 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 322

Course Description:

Emerging models of interactive and immersive (any screen, responsive, virtual & augmented reality) storytelling are disrupting the ways we can reach and engage with our constituents. This course in Emerging Platforms will have a deep concentration on the production aspects and development tools necessary to create immersive (VR / AR) experiences and Snow Fall like web stories. We will be coupling a critical look at these emerging models while working through the technical aspects of story creation and the implementation of media production tools and platforms. This will be a project-based course through which students will acquire the strategy and skills to make informed design, development and use of immersive storytelling processes. Previous multimedia production and web development is not necessary, though a willingness to learn and play with the underlying technologies is a must.

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COMMLD 559: Law, Data, and Privacy: Legal and Privacy Issues with Data, the Cloud, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence

(

Baker

)

- 2018-2019 | Spring

MCDM, Meets Law and Ethics Core Requirement
Tuesdays, 4/2/19-6/4/19 | 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 302
Registration SLN: 12433

Course Description:

“Big Data”, “The Internet of Things”, “Behavioral Advertising”, “Analytics” — all buzzwords capturing the explosion of data and the promise of what we can do with data. Collecting, using, organizing, and sharing data and information also evokes legal issues and individual and collective uncertainty over who owns this data, what rights does one own, how does the data usage implicate privacy issues, how is and how should data use be regulated by the government, by private entities, for advertising, etc. This course will explore the legal issues associated with data usage, data collection, sharing of user information, and licensing. This course will pay particular attention to privacy laws in the United States, how the FTC and other regulators are approaching advertisers’ use of personal information, how organizations attempt to keep data secure, and how intellectual property rights protect (and don’t protect) data and databases.

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COMMLD 520: Communicating With Data

(

Fink

)

- 2019-2020 | Autumn

MCDM Elective
Tuesdays, 10/1-12/3 | 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 230

Course Description:

The world is growing increasingly reliant on collecting and analyzing data to inform colleagues and communities, to persuade them to take action and to help them make decisions. Because of this, the ability to communicate effectively with data is an important skill across nearly all disciplines. In this course, students will learn the foundations of visual analytics and build their skills in communicating using data. Throughout the term, we will explore concepts in decision-making, human perception, data analysis, storytelling and presenting as they apply to data-driven communication. Whether you’re an aspiring communications professional or data scientist, or you just want to learn effective ways of presenting data, this course will help you build a strong foundation in how to communicate with data and motivate people to data.

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COMMLD 573: Listening and Leadership

(

Crofts

)

- 2019-2020 | Winter

Track Neutral Elective | 2 credits
First Session Monday 1/6; Tuesdays, 1/14-3/10 | 6:00-7:50pm | CMU 126

Course Description:

This course considers listening skills as a key leadership attribute when it comes to effective communication. The behaviors of a good listener are considered through a range of texts related to leadership, but with additional emphasis on audio programs showcasing the interview format where an interviewer’s ability to listen closely and empathically solicits strong connection and memorable storytelling. Foundations in Audio Story is the production course geared toward audiophiles at Comm Lead, whereas Listening and Leadership is for all Comm Lead students who are keen to hone their ability to listen as a critical career skill.

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COMMLD 530: Storytelling for Emergent Platforms

(

Macklin

)

- 2018-2019 | Spring

MCDM Elective | 5 Credits
Tuesdays, 4/2-6/4 | 6:00-9:50pm | CMU 302

Course Description:

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COMMLD 520: Communicating with Data

(

Fink

)

- 2020-2021 | Autumn

Track Neutral | 2 Credits
Mondays 10/5-12/7, 6:00pm – 7:50pm | Online

Course Description:

The world is growing increasingly reliant on collecting and analyzing data to inform and persuade colleagues and communities to take action and to help them make decisions. Thus ability to communicate effectively with data is an important skill across nearly all disciplines. In this course, students will learn the foundations of visual analytics and build their skills in communicating using data. We will explore concepts in decision-making, human perception, data analysis, storytelling and presenting as they apply to data-driven communication. This course will help you build a strong foundation in how to communicate with data.

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COMMLD 503D: Practicum in Podcast Strategy

COMMLD 503B: Practicum: UX Design in Action

COMMLD 518: Information Architecture

COM 583: Advanced Multimedia Storytelling: Human-Driven Documentary

COM 585: Multi-platform Content Strategy: A Practical Approach to Immersive & Responsive Content

COM 583: Multimedia Storytelling: Immersive Production Studio

COM 597: The Future of Marketing: How Digital Media is Changing the Practice of Commercial and Consumer Engagement

COM 597: Audio Storytelling

COMMLD 511: Introduction to User Centered Design

COMMLD 520: Marketing Copywriting (Text-Based Marketing)

COMMLD 533: Storytelling for Emergent Platforms

COMMLD 559: Law, Data, and Privacy: Legal and Privacy Issues with Data, the Cloud, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence

COMMLD 520: Communicating With Data

COMMLD 573: Listening and Leadership

COMMLD 530: Storytelling for Emergent Platforms

COMMLD 520: Communicating with Data

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