The College of Communication and Media Sciences at Zayed University shall be nationally recognized as a premier provider of bi-lingual education, scholarship, and outreach in the discipline of communication and its
professional fields of study.
Mission
The College of Communication and Media Sciences offers students opportunities to perfect their communication skills and to discover how they will use those skills to play important leadership roles in their country, in a professional career, and in their families. Students master the crafts of written, oral and visual communication through the courses they complete, co-curricular activities on campus, and internships and practicum experiences both on campus and in the workplace.
The mission of the College of Communication and Media Sciences is to:
provide baccalaureate students with the communication theories, concepts, and skills they will need to be successful in professional communication or media fields;
provide post-baccalaureate, professional development, and continuing education opportunities for communication and media practitioners that enable them to stay at the cutting edge of their fields; assist in the development and growth of
communication and media industries in the region;
encourage and support communication and media research with special
emphasis on the UAE and Gulf Region, and achieve international recognition as a leading communication and media college.
Academic Program
Students in the College of Communication and Media Sciences develop strong skills in written and oral communication in Arabic and English. Instruction in all of the college‘s courses is in English. However, students are required to take some Arabic Media Writing instruction and are encouraged to take additional professional Arabic courses as part of their electives.
Courses and co-curricular activities of the College of Communication and Media Sciences emphasize development of leadership skills as well as analytical and technical skills. Students must master the use of computers and
leading-edge technologies to communicate creatively and effectively. Each student uses a laptop to access, create, and submit class assignments, to read e-books, to search the World Wide Web, and to communicate with instructors and fellow students. The specialized visual communication and multimedia technology in the College‘s computer laboratories is state-of-the-art. The College of Communication and Media Sciences offers its full curriculum on the Abu Dhabi South campus and the Dubai campus. It awards a Bachelor of Science degree in
Communication and Media Sciences and with other colleges awards a Bachelor of Science degree in Multimedia Design and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Emirati Studies.
Zayed University Learning Outcomes
(ZULOs)
College coursework, practica, and out-of-class experiences provide opportunities for students to develop competency in the Zayed University Learning Outcomes (ZULOs).
Student achievement in the ZULOs is regularly assessed through the normal evaluation process in each course and through review of documented out-of-class experiences.
Major Learning Outcomes and Assessment Protocols
The College of Communication and Media Sciences has identified Major Learning
Outcomes (MALOs) that require demonstration of the following:
Language and Communication
Competence: CMS graduates will be able to communicate clearly and effectively in Arabic and English, appropriately and creatively adapting messages to the needs, knowledge, culture, and
expectations of target audiences while observing ethical standards.
Related ZULO: Language
Technological Competence: CMS graduates will be able to use a variety of technological tools and skills to create effective media-centered products and messages.
Related ZULO: Information Technology Leadership and Professionalism: CMS graduates will demonstrate leadership and professional skills in their chosen fields as reflected in their behavior and work ethic.
Related ZULO: Leadership
Information Literacy: CMS graduates will be able to recognize when information is needed and will learn the ability to locate, evaluate, use, and ethically apply the needed information.
Related ZULO: Information Literacy Global Awareness: CMS graduates will
be knowledgeable about communication across cultures and critically aware of how media operate in different systems and function in a global environment. Related ZULO: Global Awareness
Critical Thinking and Reasoning: CMS graduates will be able to process and analyze information, draw inferences, question assumptions, and make
judgments on the basis of well-supported evidence. They will use it for better problem-solving and innovation in their profession.
Each of the College‘s learning outcomes is contained in one or more of its courses, and students demonstrate their success in course assignments and projects. Students provide further evidence of their success in practica, internships, work experience, participation in campus or community clubs or professional activities, and their professional portfolio. Assessment Protocols
The assessment plans followed by the College of Communication and Media Sciences
articulates what faculty expect students to know and be able to do during their study and upon degree completion, identifies
appropriate tools for evaluating the extent to which students are achieving those outcomes, and describes how faculty will act on the resulting information. The college‘s assessment plan describes how faculty
evaluate student achievement of the program's expected learning outcomes and uses that information to work towards continual improvement of the academic program. The college acts on assessment results to improve academic and student programs.
In accordance with accreditation requirements, three criteria guide assessment of student learning:
1. Awareness: familiarity with specific information, including facts, concepts, theories, laws and regulations, processes and effects.
2. Understanding: assimilation and
comprehension of information, concepts, theories, and ideas.
3. Application: competence in relating and applying skills, information, concepts, theories and ideas to the
accomplishment of tasks.
Examples of assessments include course- imbedded assessments, evaluations of interns by employers, evaluations of practica by professionals and adjunct faculty, evaluation of a professional portfolio assembled by each student, evaluations of capstone or senior- level projects by faculty panels, and the successes of student entries in national and international competitions.
Relationship of Major Learning Outcomes with ZU Learning Outcomes
The Major Learning Outcomes of the College of Communication and Media Sciences parallel those of the University, such that students learn to apply the ZU Learning Outcomes within the context of the discipline.
This relationship is illustrated in the following table.
Zayed University Learning
Outcomes
Communication and Media Sciences Major Learning Outcomes Language Language and
Communication Competence Information
Technology Technological Competence Leadership Leadership and
Professionalism Information
Literacy Information Literacy Global Awareness Global Awareness Critical Thinking
and Quantitative Reasoning
Critical Thinking and Reasoning
Admission Criteria
The college requires that the applicant for admission to the major must fulfill the following requirements for acceptance:
satisfactory completion of 42 semester credit hours or more;
attainment of a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
achievement of grades of ―C-‖ or better in COL 110, COL 111, COL 140, COL 145, and COL 240; and
achievement of passing grades (―D‖ or better) in COL 105, COL 120, COL 130, COL 135, COL 150, COL 155, COL 230, COL 250, COL 260 and COL 270. COL 260 and COL 270 may be scheduled for semester three, four, or five. In addition, the College of Communication and Media Sciences requires completion of COM 200
Communication, Media and Society with a grade of ―D‖ or better.
Continuation in the College of Communication and Media Sciences requires that a student earn a grade of ―D‖ or better for every major requirement, including all College core and specialization requirements. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is required to be in good standing in the major and to graduate.