Movies on demand; 24-hour cable news; Internet advertising and social media. What part of your life is not affected by the mass media? Through a series of media studies courses, students learn about the functions and influences of the media, so they enter the profession with an awareness of the cultural impact their work will have, as well as associated social and ethical issues regarding the roles and functions of the media in our society.

In addition, consistent with Lasell's connected learning philosophy of education, communication majors will gain hands-on experience in and outside of the classroom throughout their four years of studies. There are numerous opportunities to work on class projects at our state-of-the-art Lasell College Radio station, in programming, production, and promotions, in our high-tech multimedia lab, as well as the studios of NewTV, Newton's community-access cable television located just three miles from the Lasell campus. Students interested in print media can become involved in the 1851 Chronicle student newspaper or the award-winning campus fashion magazine, Polished. Required courses like Human Communication include a service-learning component to connect students with organizations in the real world.

The communication major culminates in a capstone course in Media Literacy and a required professional internship. Lasell is ideally located for internship opportunities at some of the most prestigious media outlets and organizations in the country, such as The Greater Boston Radio Group, Community Newspapers, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, Boston Herald, ABC5-TV, FOX25, WMJX-FM (MAGIC 106.7), and the Arnold Worldwide advertising agency. Students gain valuable professional experience and significant contacts through internships and professional mentoring within the communication industry.

Upon graduation, students are well-prepared to pursue careers in the growing and exciting fields of communication such as journalism, public relations, advertising, television, radio production and the sports and entertainment industries. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication (with a concentration of their choice).

By planning early in consultation with an academic advisor, students may be able to reduce the time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree in Communication to 3 or 3½ years.

The department also offers minors in Communication and Sports Communication.

The Communication Department offers a Master of Science with three areas of concentration: Health Communication, Integrated Marketing Communication, and Public Relations. The Graduate Program is described elsewhere in the catalog.

The Communication major has six areas of concentration: Creative Advertising; Entertainment Media; Journalism and Media Writing; Public Relations; Radio and Video Production; and Sports Communication Learn more about each Concentration in the Communication department:

• Creative Advertising
• Entertainment Media
• Journalism and Media Writing
• Public Relations
• Radio and Video Production 
• Sports Communication