Written and Oral Communication, Dial Center
Writing in the Disciplines
ENC 3254 Professional Writing in the Discipline
Credits: 3; can be repeated with change in content up to 6 credits. Prereq: refer to the department.
A communication course adjusted to a specific professional discipline, the discipline to be determined by need. Covers major elements of organizational communication with emphasis on composition of reports, proposals, letters and memos, manuals and oral presentations. Course materials and assignments are relevant to the specific discipline. Highly recommended. (C) (WR)
Writing i n the Technical Professions
This writing course is designed to teach valuable communication techniques and tools for the various technical professions. Students will learn how to produce clear and effective professional memos, reports, proposals, and manuals and will learn to write for both general and specialist audiences. (C) (WR)
Professional Communication in Sociology
Stressing the relationship between clear, simple prose and thoughtful scientific analysis, this course develops a wide range of communication skills, from paragraph formation and sentence structure to advanced aspects of argumentation, essay organization, and audience, all within the context of research in the social sciences. Reviews of literature, ethnographic field research, and quantitative research will be explored in practical workshops. (C) (WR)
Writing a Thesis in the Sciences
In this course students will discover that as good science stresses method as well as results, good writing requires both clear style and sound content. Students will examine exemplary articles in the field to evaluate their writing strategies, in order that they may put those strategies into practice. Major assignments include a review article, an experimental research paper (thesis version and publication version), and a poster presentation.
Professional Communication for Engineers
Expressly designed for engineering students, this course focuses on the composition and presentation of the technical proposal in addition to other common communication tasks in the field, such as giving instructions, making progress reports, and preparing applications. (C) (WR)
Writing and Speaking for Organizational Leadership
This course is designed as a workshop in effective leadership communication, both written and verbal. Assignments are organized according to business situations and associated written/spoken tasks, including giving instructions (in manuals and employee orientations), evaluation (in performance reviews and job assessment conferences), conflict management (in letters of complaint and workplace resolution), and information management (in memos, e-mail, and meetings). (C) (WR)
Writing for Pre-Law
Designed to be, in large part, a practical workshop on the most common forms of legal writing, this course explores the character and logic of legal communication in general. Students write legal briefs, a legal memorandum, business correspondence, and law school applications and are introduced to legal research and moot court debate. (C) (WR)
Writing in Anthropology
Familiarizes students with the writing conventions of the discipline, preparing them for upper-division and graduate courses in anthropology. Despite a general commonality of purpose in the field, the writing styles and conventions of the discipline diverge in the four major areas of study-physical anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics, and archaeology. While some assignments in the course will be generally applicable to any student of anthropology, other assignments will be tailored to the needs of individuals. (C) (WR)
Writing in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Designed to improve the student's writing skills in areas essential to a career in CSD, this course focuses on three types of writing used in graduate school and in the CSD profession: personal, research, and clinical. The syllabus has been developed in collaboration with CSD faculty and targets specific writing skills identified by faculty members. (C) (WR)
Writing in History
As both a social science and an art, few disciplines require so much of writing; not only must writing in history be clear and organized, but it should also evince an understated elegance so as to draw the reader into a narrative of people, places and events, artfully breathing life into the past. Students are encouraged to explore the various writing styles in history, but more importantly, they are led to develop their own style through reading and writing assignments. (C) (WR)
Writing in Linguistics
Using illustrative examples across several sub-disciplines (syntax/grammar, semantics, phonology, applied linguistics, SLA, ESL/TESOL) as models, this course explores the general, defining characteristics of each. Students write two shorter papers, theoretical and empirical, and a research report in addition to putting together a graduate school portfolio. (C) (WR)
Writing in Political Science
This course is designed to improve writing skills in areas essential to careers and graduate work in political science or a professional school. Assignments will reflect the kinds of writing expected of undergraduate and graduate students. Developed in collaboration with the UF Political Science faculty, this course covers specific writing skills identified by those faculty members. (C) (WR)
Writing in Psychology
Focusing on the academic research report in psychology, students learn how to write a literature review, set up a methodology, report results, and draw conclusions. Proposals and poster presentations are also covered. (C) (WR)
Writing in the Neurobiological Sciences--IDS
In this course students will discover that as good science stresses method as well as results, good writing requires both clear style and sound content. Students will examine exemplary articles in the field to evaluate their writing strategies, so they can put those strategies into practice. Major assignments include a review article, an experimental research paper (thesis version and publication version), a non-specialist paper, a brief grant proposal, and a poster presentation. (C) (WR)
Writing in the Physical Sciences
This course is designed to improve writing and speaking skills necessary to the success of the physical scientist, both in graduate school and in the workplace. Students learn advanced library research, correct documentation, stylistic conventions for their major fields, and how to present research effectively. Students involved in a research project may continue that research using it to fulfill certain writing and speaking requirements. Students not currently conducting research will have an opportunity to investigate an area in of special interest. (C) (WR)
Speaking and Writing for Premedical Students
An examination of communication in the medical profession. Students learn to do research using medical databases and other research tools, while discovering how best to organize and present their findings to medical professionals and patients. Students will also participate in a variety of speaking assignments in class, ranging from impromptu to prepared presentations, developing techniques for improving public speaking, interviewing and listening skills, and patient-doctor communication. (C) (WR)
Speech Communication
COM 1000 Introduction to Communication Studies
Credits: 3.
An introduction to various theoretical perspectives for understanding human communication. (S)
COM 4022 Health Communication
Credits: 3.
Survey of theory, research and practice of communication in the contexts of healthcare and health promotion. (WR)
COM 4930 Special Topics in Communication
Credits: 3; can be repeated with change in content up to 6 credits. Prereq: COM 1000 or the equivalent.
Seminar study of theory and research in a specific area of communication.
SPC 2300 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
Credits: 3.
The study of how two people interact with one another and how factors such as listening skills, gender, culture, etc. influence that communication.
SPC 2351 Listening
Credits: 3.
Theory and practice in responsible, participatory listening; principles of listening for both literal comprehension and critical evaluation of ideas in response to various types of spoken and nonverbal messages.
SPC 2594 Intercollegiate Forensics
Credits: 1; can be repeated up to 3 credits. Prereq: satisfactory completion of one semester of intercollegiate forensics participation at the University of Florida before first registration in course.
Participation in intercollegiate debate and individual speaking.
SPC 2608 Introduction to Public Speaking
Credits: 3.
Theory and practice in presenting public speeches; determination of communication purpose(s) and adaptation of organization, evidence, language and other message characteristics for designated audiences.
SPC 3331 Nonverbal Communication
Credits: 3; Prereq: COM 1000.
Survey of theory and research in nonverbal communication including eye behavior, facial expressions, gestures and vocal cues.
SPC 3513 Argumentation
Credits: 3; Prereq: SPC 2608, or instructor permission.
Implementation of principles and methods in advocating factual claims and policy proposals; propositional analysis, evidence as demonstration, effecting reasoning processes to become experimental for listeners and ethics in controversy.
SPC 3602 Advanced Public Speaking
Credits: 3; Prereq: SPC 2608 or the equivalent.
Study of principles and methods of selected forms of public speaking for various purposes, audiences and contexts.
SPC 4425 Small Group Communication
Credits: 3; Prereq: COM 1000.
A survey course focusing on communication in small groups, with a heavy emphasis in practical applications and skill development, grounded in current research and theory.
SPC 4710 Patterns of Intercultural Communication
Credits: 3; Prereq: COM 1000 or the equivalent.
Exploration of practices and difficulties of communication between and among people of contrasting cultures; investigation of theory and research by which intercultural communication problems can be mitigated.(S, N) (WR)
General Education Categories
Consult Schedule of Courses for specific information.
- Biological Sciences (B)
- Composition (C)
- Diversity (D)*
- Humanities (H)
- International (N)*
- Mathematics (M)
- Physical Sciences (P)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (S)
* Students who entered UF prior to Summer B 2007 and/or whose catalog year is not 2007-08: Current students who have not completed six hours of international/diversity (I) credits can do so now by taking D and N courses.
Symbols Used in Course Descriptions
- (WR): the course satisfies the writing requirement.
- (MR): the course satisfies the math requirement.
- (S-U): the course may be taken on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis.
- Refer to the Schedule of Courses for specific information.