As a core requirement for all undergraduate students of the School of Communication, this course provides an overview of principles and contexts of communication and media studies. The scope of the introductory course is not only limited to mediated communication behaviors but media phenomena in the contexts of advertising, public relations, employee communication, and journalism. The purpose of this course is to introduce students who have had no prior experience with the field of communication to its diverse areas of study. By focusing on a series of fundamental concepts about communication, the course provides all students of the School of Communication a common foundation and a comprehensive perspective to approach subsequent courses in the School’s curriculum.