We consult regularly with our professional faculty to determine the skills and curriculum students need to become successful communicators in the immersive media space. To find out when the courses below are offered and to register, visit the UO Class Schedule.
Core Courses
JCOM 594 Research Methods 4 credits
Learn how and why public relations and advertising professionals conduct research, and how they use it to formulate strategic campaigns and evaluate their effectiveness. This class is a mix of theory and skill building.
JCOM 611 Media and Society 4 credits
This introduction to graduate study in communication emphasizes the major intellectual traditions and enduring issues in the field of strategic communication.
JCOM 627 Current Topics in Immersive Media 4 credits
JCOM 629 Communication Ethics in the Digital Age 4 credits
This course explores the ethical issues communications professionals face almost daily. It addresses how to survive and thrive in the turmoil and disruption of the current media landscape with an emphasis on the power of immersive media. We will explore what is changing, why it is changing, and how you can do good work despite—and sometimes because of—these changes. You’ll focus on ethical decision-making and potential outcomes—on a continuum of positive to negative—of communicating through digital media.
JCOM 664 Foundations in Immersive Media Communication 4 credits
Explore the uses of virtual worlds and augmented, virtual, and extended reality through the strategic lens of communications (marketing, advertising, branding) and community building. Investigate the attributes of the technologies that create both opportunities and barriers to adoption and effective use.
JCOM 665 Immersive Media Psychology 4 credits
This course offers an overview of media psychology with an emphasis on emerging media platforms. Learn why humans consume certain types of media content and gain an understanding of the affective, behavioral, and cognitive implications of media messages to better understand audiences.
JCOM 667 User Experience and Design 4 credits
Learn fundamental principles of user experience (UX) and human-centered design (HCD) in the context of strategic communication. The class teaches theoretical and applied approaches from human-computer interaction, media psychology, and more and features domains for mobile apps, traditional web, service/customer experience, gaming, and other industries.
JCOM 668 Experiential Marketing 4 credits
This course provides fundamental immersive media marketing concepts. Learn to develop a framework for building immersive media marketing strategies. Specific topics include leveraging augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), or mixed reality (MR) to meet branding and marketing objectives.
JCOM 669 Creating for Immersive Platforms 4 credits
Get an introduction to the tools used for designing and building virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. Work with the game engine Unity to design your first interactive VR scene, AR builder Zapworks to create mobile augmented visuals, and 3D content creation software to learn the foundational skills for building real-time ready assets. Explore off-the-shelf resources to get started quickly and gain an understanding of the overall production pipeline for generating content for immersive spaces. This course sets the foundation for future building class electives. No prior experience necessary
Final Project
Your program culminates with the option of a capstone project, an internship, a portfolio, or (rarely) a thesis. Choose only one of the following, with director approval:
JCOM 503 Thesis 9+ credits
If you want to pursue doctoral study or a career requiring scholarly research, you should complete a thesis. This is a substantial document that presents original research addressing questions about media and society. It typically includes a review of relevant literature, an appropriate research method, and an analysis of your findings. Your advisor and two other committee members supervise the research and preparation of the thesis, and a written proposal must be approved by the committee before work begins.
JCOM 604 Internship 1–6 credits
Repeatable for up to 12 credits.
JCOM 609 Terminal Project 9+ credits
The terminal project is an option if you plan to pursue a career more focused on creative or professional expertise than traditional research. A terminal project differs from a thesis in one major way: Instead of contributing to the scholarly literature, it contributes to the communication professions with a creative accomplishment or applied research. It’s more than a class assignment and will require as much research as a thesis. Final projects have included magazine or newspaper article series, video productions, practical guides for working journalists, and applied research projects. Your advisor and two other committee members supervise the research and preparation of the project, and a written proposal must be approved by the committee before work begins.
JCOM 609 Portfolio1+ credits
Develop a professional portfolio that includes a compilation of work from completed courses and work assignments during the program as well as takeaways from professional development activities, demonstrating your skills and knowledge in immersive media communication. Your portfolio should be reviewed and approved by the program director. You must register for one credit of JCOM 609 while completing the portfolio.
Elective Courses
You can choose electives that build focused skills in your areas of interest. Some elective topics are not offered every term or year. Talk to your program director about the electives offered each term.
JCOM 610 Immersive Media Seminar 2–4 credits
This course allows a timely deeper dive into the most relevant emergent technologies in immersive media. Topics may include:
- Understanding the Metaverse
- AI in Communication
- Social Media Strategy
- Building Communities in VR
- Digital Identities
- Intro to Game Studies
JCOM 624 Introduction to Social Virtual Reality* 2 credits
Get insight into the history and evolution of social virtual reality, from its early stages in the game space to the emerging social platforms designed for immersion with VR headsets. Explore and experience several platforms and critically analyze current and potential use of immersive VR in community building, storytelling, marketing, design, education, and more. Consider the ethical implications of this technology and its potential impacts on equity and inclusion.
JCOM 624 Spatial Design* 2 credits
In immersive storytelling, space is not just a backdrop—it’s part of the story. This five-week course introduces students to the core principles of spatial design for augmented and virtual reality. You’ll examine how physical environments influence perception, behavior, and the impact of your message. Through hands-on activities and case studies, students will learn to design experiences that account for cultural context, environmental conditions, and user expectations. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how storytelling, hardware, and space intersect to shape immersive user experiences that resonate across platforms and settings.
JCOM 624 3D Design for Mobile*4 credits
3D models are central to nearly every digital media experience, from websites to video games. While creating 3D content once required highly specialized skills, today’s tools make the process more accessible than ever—whether you’re modeling buildings, products, or interactive environments. This course will teach you how to use no- and low-code tools and techniques to create, modify, and deploy 3D models for use with a wide range of mobile devices. You’ll leverage approaches such as photogrammetry, Gaussian splatting, and generative AI to create and optimize 3D assets for use in a variety of contexts. No previous modeling or programming skills required.
JCOM 624 Building in AR* 4 credits
Augmented reality (AR), which integrates digital content into physical environments via mobile and wearable devices, is rapidly becoming a powerful and accessible tool for immersive storytelling. From virtual mirrors that enable you to try on clothing, to smartglasses that enable you to explore virtual buildings, brands across industries rely on AR to solve unique business problems. In this course, you will learn to identify a core communication challenge, rapidly prototype AR experiences using no- and low-code platforms, and test their impact with real-world stakeholders. By the end of the course, you'll gain practical skills in AR design, production, and evaluation—no prior programming experience necessary!
JCOM 624 Building in VR*4 credits
Virtual reality (VR) headsets immerse audiences into simulated virtual environments, functioning as a powerful storytelling tool. From VR wellness spaces to collaborative virtual worlds, you can now quickly create and distribute immersive environments for a wide range of uses. In this course, you will learn how to use no- and low-code tools for creating and distributing an interactive VR experience to solve a specific communication problem and add value to your stakeholders.
* Offered in the Oregon Reality Lab and online in a "hi-flex" format for both in-person and online students.
Questions?
Need some guidance? Here are a few options:
- Download our graduate handbook for more details about program requirements and resources.
- Contact our graduate recruiter with questions about the program, the application process, and admission.