COMM 2501 — Communication Law
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath ERusually offered: fallBostonOnlineOnlineTraditional
Introduces the fundamental principles of communication law and ethics. Explores the complex interplay between law (the First Amendment) and ethics (personal and professional responsibilities). Topics covered include blasphemy, commercial speech, copyright, defamation, fighting words, free press/fair trial, hate speech, heresy, incitement, obscenity, political speech, pornography, prior restraint, public forums, special settings (such as schools, prisons, and the military), symbolic speech, threats, and time-place-manner restrictions. Emphasizes ethical issues involving privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility. The transcendent question in communication law and ethics is whether it is right to exercise the rights granted communication professionals under the First Amendment.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 1 | 21 | 30 | 70% | 9.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 30 | 30 | 100% | 0.0 |
| Summer A 2025 | 1 | 29 | 30 | 97% | 1.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 30 | 30 | 100% | 0.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 27% · T 0% · W 19% · Th 0% · F 27%
Common patterns: F (27% of sections), M (27% of sections), async (26% of sections), W (19% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Ryan Ellis (74% of students) · reviews
- Maria Elena Villar (26% of students) · reviews
Summer A
- Joshua Grimm (100% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Links
Official catalog (COMM course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All COMM courses · Plan it at numap.app