As summer 2021 approaches, LA Social Science will be highlighting some of the summer courses being offered within the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA.
UCLA Summer Courses are open to BOTH UCLA Students and NON-UCLA Students. All Summer 2021 courses will be offered online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can enroll as long as you are 15 years of age or older by the first day of summer and you do NOT have to be enrolled in an academic institution in order to participate in UCLA Summer Sessions. For more information, click HERE.
UCLA Department of Communication is offering a wide array of amazing courses. Below we will highlight two of them. For more information about these courses, click HERE, and register/enroll HERE Today!
Summer Session A
Check out Dr. Michael Suman’s UCLA ONLINE summer course, “Communication in Intimate Relationships” (Communication 114).
Nothing is more important to us than our intimate relationships. What are the building blocks of successful relationships? What makes us attracted to other people? How important are first impressions? How and why do men and women approach relationships differently? What types of verbal and non-verbal communication are key for successful relationships? What is and how important is commitment? How can we stay committed and content? What types of communication are dysfunctional and how can we avoid them? What do we expect from our relationships and how can we get what we desire? What is the difference between friendship and love? What are the different types of love and attachment? Does romantic love last? How important is sex in relationships? Who gets jealous and why? What are the consequences of lying and betrayal? How can inevitable relationship conflict be effectively managed? How and why do relationships end? How can you effectively maintain good relationships and repair troubled ones? Learn all this, and much more. Having studied the modern science of close relationships, you should be better equipped to understand, create, and maintain happy, rewarding relationships that last.
Even though I took this class during the summer, the hardest time to focus, I was always interested and excited to go to class. The concepts that Suman teaches in CS 114 can be applied to your everyday life. Understanding relationships and how the female and male minds differ was eye-opening. Though it seems like a foreign concept to talk about personal relationships in a college course, it was incredibly helpful to my life, and interesting as well. The reading assigned in this class was very easy to get through since it was so relatable. I actually kept this book and refer back to it from time to time. Suman requires you to know the material from lecture and in the book very well, but this made me remember it today and use it to understand differences in my own relationships. Whether you are a communications major or not, I would highly recommend this class for the sake of your future relationships.
Communication Studies 114 is one of my favorite classes at UCLA. People always say, “What do you want to do with a Communication Studies major? Do you want to be a journalist or a news reporter?” But honestly, there are classes in the Comm department unlike any you’ll ever take, and CS 114 is one of them. CS114 is about Intimate Relationships – one of only two such courses on this campus. The readings are fantastic – interesting, applicable, and well written. And Professor Suman is a great lecturer, well-read and very knowledgeable. The topics covered in class are incredibly insightful and useful for everyday relationships as well as intimate ones. Even if you have never been in an intimate relationship (as was my case), the class is quite helpful for understanding the workings of relationships and how to be successful in them. You learn everything from common pitfalls in relationships (like trying to mind read) to how to remedy and mediate conflict with your partner. This class has had an incredible influence on how I communicate with my friends and co-workers, and all for the better! I’ve used things I’ve learned in CS114 in countless situations (and as recently as last week!). So, what can I do with a Communication Studies degree? Anything I want! Because I’ve learned how to effectively discuss feelings and desires with people in a vast array of settings, intimate or otherwise. Do not miss out on this class! It is a fantastic opportunity to learn about something that everyone wishes he/she understood better.
Summer Session C
Check out Dr. Michael Suman’s UCLA ONLINE summer course, “Persuasive Communication” (Communication 140).
What comes to mind when you think of persuasion? Presidential candidates trying to get you to vote for them? Websites shamelessly promoting products and companies? Charismatic political and religious leaders trying to get you to see things their way? Lawyers trying to get you to convict–or find their client innocent? Can you think of any time when the media or some attractive communicator changed your mind? Have you ever been convinced to buy something that you didn’t need or even want? Have you ever been talked into an unnecessary car repair? Have you ever been persuaded to loan money to a friend only to discover that she had no intention of paying you back? On the other hand, have you ever been helped by persuasive communication? Have you ever been talked into giving up some bad habit? Have you ever had a conversation with a friend that gave you a new and positive attitude? Have you ever been convinced by someone to look at the world in a new way? Have you ever been persuaded by a teacher that you had potential that you had not known you had? How and why are we persuaded in some instances, but not others? This class examines persuasion through media, interpersonal, psychological, and sociological lenses. It systematically explores the processes, complexities, and subtleties of persuasion in everyday life.
I took Comm 140 the summer after my first year at UCLA. I initially took this class to prove to myself that I was capable of getting an A in a Comm class, after I dropped the ball in the previous one I took. However, my motives quickly changed once I took my seat on the first day of Session C. The content of this class sparked my interest, and dare I say it, this was the first class to do so at UCLA. My favorite feature of this class was how it did not stop at presenting you with the information, but it took everything a step further by giving examples of the concepts’ implementations of real life. I believe Professor Suman did a remarkable job of not only teaching in a clear and organized manner, but also by choosing the perfect book for this course. “Yes!” by Robert Cialdini is the only book I bought during my four years of college that I actually kept after the course was over. Altogether the course holds a plethora of content that is applicable to life, whether you are an entrepreneur, looking to get a job in corporate America, or even presenting proposals for projects. I recommend this class to anyone who sees value in communication. This is a class that receives a 10/10 rating from me.
I took CS140 in the summer session C in 2017 and it was one of the best choices I have made. Doctor Suman is no doubt a good teacher who is patient, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. As a foreign student, I might have some difficulties understanding some concepts during the class. Doctor Suman always explained to me patiently. He made sure we could put those theories into practice and utilize them properly. The readings assigned in class were also relatable and instructive. I kept the two books for daily utilization. With all those theories, I can persuade people and make people say YES when I need to reach agreement with others, in moral ways. Also, I can prevent myself from being persuaded by merchants and advertisers if I don’t need to purchase their products. I even used some of the theories from the class in a graduate school paper which brought praise from my teacher. I believe CS140 is a course that can be highly recommended.
Dr. 
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