Minor in Documentary Studies

Students will become acquainted with documentary film as a vehicle for exploring history, the human experience, and complex contemporary issues. Students will read about and study groundbreaking documentaries in order to understand the different communication tools used for ethnographic documentation, historical films, personal journey essays, and advocacy.  Through course assignments, hands-on classroom activities, and discussions with documentary filmmakers, students will develop a critical appreciation of documentary film, consider ethical aspects of documentary filmmaking, and gain skills in interviewing techniques, research, and writing.

For the culminating project, students will research topics, identify target audiences, list resources, and develop treatments that outline an approach for conveying factual information in creative, engaging styles.  We will discuss strategies Deaf filmmakers may want to consider when developing and producing documentaries for general audiences.

This course will satisfy the US history elective requirement for history majors.

In this hands-on course students will learn the fundamentals of photography, including how to use 35 mm manual and SLR cameras, and how ISO, shutter speed, film, light, and composition affect the outcome of an image. Students will also learn a range of photographic processing techniques, Photoshop, and printing processes in the development of a print portfolio.

This course introduces the elements and principles of digital media in a variety of forms. Basic knowledge and skills using video camera equipment, digital editing applications such as Final Cut Pro and After Effects, script-writing and storyboarding are discussed within a framework of examples from the past and the present.

In this hands-on course, students will develop a range of advanced techniques in digital and electronic media art and film. Students will improve their editing skills obtained from introductory courses and focus on concept development and production techniques in the creation of digital video projects. This course also allows students to both develop and refine techniques they have used in earlier courses, while experimenting with new emergent technologies relevant to their interests and the field. Digital media and film theory and history are integral to course content.

This photography track course includes a study of advanced camera and darkroom techniques, including developing and printing of color photographs and an advanced analysis of styles in photography emphasizing a student portfolio. The impact on the deaf community and culturally diverse populations is discussed through viewing photographs.

This course will emphasize the fundamentals of photojournalism. Students will act as reporters with a camera, learning how to use images to tell a story while developing a personal vision. Students will gain experience thinking fast in order to quickly capture and record decisive moments. Students will also analyze the role of photography in mass communication with an emphasis on the photographic essay. The legal aspects of news photography along with the ethics of the profession are important components of this course.

In this course, students are expected to produce design solutions that reflect refined conceptual development, advanced strategic thinking, and mastery of technique. Emphasis is placed on how to create designs that successfully meet the goals set out in the client's creative brief. This course consolidates previous graphic design knowledge and skills.

This course will provide advanced study in art history in a variety of diverse, timely and interdisciplinary topics covering particular periods, artists, movements, and thematic approaches in the field of art history. Course topics will emphasize; subjects in art which highlight the creative achievements of diverse groups of people; themes created in conjunction with important cultural collections, exhibitions or events related to art within the greater Washington, D.C. area; and those subjects which are of particular interest to our campus community. Topics will be offered on a rotating basis. Course may be repeated as topics change.

This course examines the core foundations of entrepreneurship: new venture planning: designing, exploring, envisioning, producing, and delivering events ranging from small to large events. This course provides students the opportunity to gain knowledge and administer skills in planning, implementing business which include budgeting, managing, staffing, financing, promoting, operations, marketing strategies, strategic planning, vision, revenue management, sponsorship, and site management. In conclusion, ensure the entrepreneurship business is run smoothly, minimizing any risks, understanding a myriad of details to ensure the business is successful, and run smoothly with minimizing any risks. This course allows team members (students) to identify, describe, execute, analyze, interpret, and plan.

This course will focus on the process of thinking and problem solving in committees and small groups; methods of leading and participating in discussions and conferences.

An examination of the role played by communication in the bridging and separating of cultures. How norms, values, and expectations concerning the communication act itself differ from culture to culture, and how these differences affect intercultural encounters.

This course investigates how culture shapes the way people see the world. Students will explore cultural readings and examine various texts around us to understand how culture, identity and history frame experiences. Traditional courses in cultural studies assume that the meanings in this world are central in creating us -- individually and collectively. Students will examine how culture transmits a view of the world and power through critical analysis.

The dynamics of oral cultures and their traditions will be introduced in this course by studying the development of oral literature and literary artists in other cultures. Then using this as background, attempts will be made to study ASL literary tradition by looking at life histories, narratives, and poetry performances.

This course primarily examines black deaf people in America including the Caribbean Islands and Africa. The course is organized to focus on the history, education, community and culture, language, and psychosocial forces that influence black deaf people's experience. It will concentrate on the social, political, and cultural development of a unique group of people that is a part of the general deaf community and the black community.

This course will explore how the field of women's studies came into being by way of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. Issues faced by both hearing and deaf women will be investigated: career, educational opportunities, reproduction, and patriarchy, among others.

Surveys genres and modalities of professional writing, including social media and writing for the web. Provides an overview of areas such as digital publishing, new media journalism, business and technical writing, and editing. Develops a rhetorical understanding of professional writing as the ability to write in response to elements including audience, purpose, medium, and design.

Study of media literacy, including techniques and strategies used to analyze the use of diverse media to inform, entertain, and sell. Examines diverse media messages in advertisements, television, film, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet.

Study and intensive practice of professional writing skills and genres, such as resumes, letters of application, emails, memos, short proposals and reports.

This course will deal with these features: news, feature, and editorial writing; copy editing and fact checking; headline writing; and page layout, both in print and online. This course touches on the growing possibilities and ethical considerations for journalism in the digital age.

Study of the terminology and techniques of literary study, with an emphasis on in-depth methods pertaining to analytical and critical essay writing. Introduces basic critical and theoretical methodologies required for the serious study of literature. Also covers documentation methods.

An introduction to the principles of historical research, with an emphasis on the use of research tools and source materials. Several supervised written assignments will be required; most will be based on American source materials.

An examination of the people and the historical processes that brought together deaf individuals to form a cohesive community in the United States.

A survey of the mass media (print, film, and television) as sources and interpreters of deafness and deaf people within the context of U.S. social and cultural history. The class will also examine historical changes in the products of mass media within the deaf community.

This course offers a close study of the birth and early evolution of America's Deaf community, with particular attention to historical context. Incorporating recent scholarship in the field, this course will examine central topics, including education, organizations, regional identities, class, and eugenics. This class also will closely study several subcultures in addition to general American Deaf history, including African American, European American, and Native American experiences. Economic, social, religious, and cultural factors also will be addressed.

This exploratory course introduces students to the essentials of creative methodologies of sign language translation emphasizing content, context, and intent of performances as produced within a variety of genres and styles. Open to non-majors; recommended for ASL, interpreting, and linguistics students.

This course is one within which creating play scripts for the theatre is explored through active practice and discussion. Major components of play creating, including action, dialogue, and character development are studied and refined through the completion and workshopping of developmental assignments, providing and receiving constructive criticism, and experiencing the work of contemporary theatre makers via readings and viewings. Upon completion of the course, each student will have created and revised two ten-minute plays. Open to non-majors.

This experimental course introduces students to the fundamentals of theatre directing and allows them--through discussions, readings, exercises, and various projects--to explore multiple forms of expression integral to the director's imagination and toolbox. Open to non-majors.