Multimedia and Web Design

Multimedia and Web Design

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 from journalism, public relations and advertising to television, radio production and interactive multimedia. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication (with a concentration of their choice). 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 Academic Standard for Communication majors is: Students must earn a grade of C or above in each of the following core courses that are 
Major Requirements:

COM 101 Understanding Mass Media 3
COM 103 Introduction to Human Communication 3
COM 105 Writing for the Media 3
COM 203 Effective Speaking 3
COM 205 Media Ethics and Society AI (ME) 3
COM 212 Intercultural Communication AI (MC) 3
COM 315 Communication Research 3
COM 399 Internship Seminar 1
COM 400 Field Experience (capstone course)  4
COM 418 Media Literacy (capstone course) 3

Failure to receive a minimum grade of C in any one of these courses will result in the student having to repeat the course.

The following goals and associated learning outcomes delineate what we strive for students to achieve when they complete the major program of study in Communication:

Goal 1: Effective Writing
Upon completion of the major program of study in Communication, students will be able to

  1. Articulate their thoughts clearly in written form
  2. Write in the style demanded of their chosen profession

Goal 2: Effective Speaking
Upon completion of the major program of study in Communication, students will be able to

  1. Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills in professional presentations

Goal 3: Visual Articulation
Upon completion of the major program of study in Communication, students will be able to

  1. Demonstrate currency with technical media
  2. Demonstrate their own personal aesthetic

Goal 4: Research
Upon completion of the major program of study in Communication, students will be able to

  1. Find information to support a thesis
  2. Conduct an argument that advances a thesis

Goal 5: Knowledge of Media
Upon completion of the major program of study in Communication, students will be able to

  1. Define the functions of media
  2. Explain the influences of media in society
  3. Identify the ethical decisions and issues in the Communication field

Choose three additional COM or GRAP courses: 9 credits

Additional Requirements: 6 credits
Any 200-level ENG course: 3 credits
Additional Social Science Elective (SOC, PSYC, POLS, etc.): 3 credits

Communication students who have not declared a Concentration must complete all of the courses for the Major Requirements (29 credits), and ten (10) courses selected from the lists of courses under the Concentrations (30 credits).

General Education Core Requirements and remaining Unrestricted Electives: 55 credits

Minimum credits required for graduation: 120

Choose three additional COM or GRAP courses: 9 credits

Additional Requirements: 6 credits
Any 200-level ENG course: 3 credits
Additional Social Science Elective (SOC, PSYC, POLS, etc.): 3 credits

Communication students who have not declared a Concentration must complete all of the courses for the Major Requirements (29 credits), and ten (10) courses selected from the lists of courses under the Concentrations (30 credits).

General Education Core Requirements and remaining Unrestricted Electives: 55 credits

Minimum credits required for graduation: 120

ANTH103 - Human Origins

This course considers the morphological, behavioral and life history features that distinguish the primates from other mammals, and the hominoids from other primates. We begin with an overview of the primates and their behavioral ecology, and then explore in detail the adaptations of each of the major groups of extant primates. Finally, we apply our knowledge of morphology and behavioral patterns in living primates to the fossil record.

CJ205 - Forensics

This course provides an introduction to the modern methods used in the detection, investigation, and solution of crimes. Practical analysis of evidence such as: fingerprints and other impressions, ballistics, glass, hair, handwriting and document examination, and drug analysis are studied. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.

ECON101 - Principles of Econ-Micro

This course is an introduction to the principles of the economic behavior of individuals, firms, and industries in the mixed economic system. Topics include consumer demand; elasticity; supply and costs of production; the allocation of economic resources; international trade; and the role of government in promoting economic welfare. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in MATH 103 or placement in any math course above MATH 103.

ECON103 - Economics of Social Issues

This course examines a broad range of social issues from an economics perspective. Designed for non-business majors, the course provides an introduction to economic reasoning and to some basic economic concepts which are then used to analyze a variety of social problems. Possible topics include poverty, unemployment, agriculture, discrimination, crime, pollution, education, health care, social security, and third world development. Prerequisite: A grade of C or above in Math 103 or placement in any math course above Math 103.

ED109 - Invitation to Teaching

This course explores careers in teaching beginning with the unifying question: Why should I become a teacher? Students examine their motivations to become teachers while they learn about college and state requirements and expectations.

ED110 - Teaching & Learning in American Schools

This course provides students pursuing or considering initial teacher licensure with an overview of the teaching profession. Students study and discuss history and philosophies of education systems, as well as current trends and issues. Massachusetts professional standards and requirements for licensure are explored. This course is a prerequisite for all other ED courses. Twenty-five hours of observation and tutoring in varied school settings are required. This is a presentation-intensive course.

ED219 - Supporting Learner Variability

This course introduces students to characteristics of learners with special needs in classroom and community settings. It focuses on principles of Universal Design for Learning in developing appropriate learning environments to meet the variability of all students in Pre-K through high school settings. A required 25-hour pre-practicum provides opportunities to teach and observe in area classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 110

ED308 - Responsive Teaching in Secondary Schools

tudents will develop strategies and tools necessary to be responsive secondary teachers. Participants in this course will observe secondary teachers, develop lesson plans, reflect on their teaching philosophy, apply leadership theory to classroom practice, explore current trends and issues that impact secondary classrooms, increase their cultural competence, and expand their toolkit of strategies for differentiating instruction to address the variability of secondary students. Requires classroom observations. Pre-requisite: ED 219

ED309 - Sheltered English Immersion

This course provides a grounding in current theory and practice related to teaching English Language Learners. In particular, students learn to effectively shelter their content instruction, so that ELL students can access curriculum, achieve academic success, and contribute their multilingual and multicultural resources as participants and future leaders in the 21st century global economy. This course meets Massachusetts DESE standards for the required SEI endorsement. Course includes a 25-hour pre-practicum in license-appropriate classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 206 or Department permission

ED433 - Pre-practicum: Secondary English

Through a minimum of 150 hours of observation and reflection in public schools, and regular meetings with school and Lasell faculty, students in this course become familiar with the curriculum and organization of middle and/or high schools and English classrooms in preparation for the practicum. Prerequisite: Senior standing; passing scores on all required MTEL; permission of Department Chair

ED484 - Practicum: Secondary History

In this course, students complete a minimum of 300 field hours observing and teaching in a secondary history classroom and meet regularly with both Lasell and school supervisors. Assignments incorporate all Massachusetts requirements for licensure and include topics such as the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working parents and community members. Permission of the Department Chair required. Prerequisite: ED 435; passing scores on all required sections of the MTEL

ED494 - Professional Standards & Ethics

Taken concurrently with ED 496 or ED 498, this capstone seminar engages students in ethical questions such as student confidentiality, testing, and communicating with various constituencies as well as practical aspects of preparing for an initial teaching position. It includes conducting and reporting on the classroom-based research project that was designed in ED 421. Co-requisite: ED 496 or ED 498.

ENG212 - Literature for Young Adults

This course is a survey of current books written for adolescent and teen readers. It prepares students to evaluate young adult books in terms of literary qualtiy, reader interest, and social and political perspectives. Strategies for use in the classroom are explored. A variety of genres of books are examined. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

HIST203 - The History of Women in U.S.

This course explores the social history of women in the United States, beginning in the colonial period and ending with an examination of twen­tieth century issues. Emphasis is on the image of women held during these periods, in contrast to actual conditions. Contributions of women to social change and the growth of women’s move­ments are also analyzed. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST204 - Recent American History

This course focuses on the presidencies beginning with Kennedy to the present. Work is divided roughly into three areas: foreign affairs; domestic politics; economic, social, and cultural needs. Topics range from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the weakening of Congress and the expansion of the presidency, the women's movement, changes in popular culture, and domestic economic developments. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST207 - African American History

This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America; and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST208 - Sub-Saharan Africa after 1800

This survey of sub-Saharan African history explores the ongoing story of African political, social, and economic developments from the post trans-Atlantic slave trade period to the present. The course includes treatment of the impact of European merchants, missionaries, and adventurers on Africa from the time immediately preceding imperialism and colonialism up through the emergence of nationalism and decolonization and liberation movements. The new nation-states, their post-colonial economies, and their developing systems of justice, education, and rule are investigated. Finally, topics such as soil erosion, disease, conservation, famine, and Africa’s relationships with the wider world are discussed. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST209 - China from 1600 to Present

This course is a survey of modern Chinese history from the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the seventeenth century to Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the 1990s. Special attention will be paid to modernization, Western and Japanese imperialism in China, and the rise of Communism under Mao Zedong. In addition to learning about important milestones in Chinese history, students will also be introduced to aspects of Chinese art, culture, and women's issues through primary sources translated into English. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST210 - Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present

This survey looks at Latin American history from pre-Columbian to contemporary times. Emphasis is on native cultures, the “discovery” of the New World, European presence, colonialism, imperialism, the creation of the peasantry, wars of independence, the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, slavery and racism, development and underdevelopment, the Catholic Church, liberation theology, poverty, and revolution. Major emphasis in South America is on Argentina, Columbia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and the Portuguese speaking nation of Brazil. The course also includes examination of foreign intervention and inner instability in Mexico, including struggles for democracy, economic rights, and social justice. In the Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, especially, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, land and labor systems, gender relations, race and ethnicity, and varied forms of rule are discussed. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST211 - Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800

This course looks at the Middle East and its relations with the wider world, from the appearance of Napoleon to the present. Topics include attempts at reform and modernization in the Ottoman Empire; the impact of Western imperialism on the region as a whole; and twentieth-century developments in the area, including nationalism, pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism, the cult of the personality, coup, revolution, Zionism, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The economic and social impact of oil, the influence of fundamentalism, and the Great Power rivalry down through the position of the United States toward the area are investigated. The efforts of Iran to gain acceptance in/by the contemporary world is examined, as is the shifting attitude of Egypt toward modernity. Finally, connections between the region and the rest of the Islamic world are explored. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 100 level history course or ENG 102.

HIST325 - The Intellectual Origins of Western Civ

This seminar traces the roots of modern western thought from ancient Greece through the Enlightenment by discussing and analyzing selections from the writings of major European thinkers. The seminar focuses on dominant figures representative of an historical epoch and examines their ideas in light of existing and future political, social, economic, and intellectual developments. Prerequisite: a 200 level history course or permission of instructor.

HIST330 - Europe & The World/ Age of Expansion

This course examines political, economic, social, scientific, and religious developments that contributed to European desire for land and power, and also to fantasies and phobias directed by European conquerors toward those whom they subdued and subjected to Western rule. The reaction toward the white Westerners on the part of those exploited is also explored. The period covered is from the mid-fifteenth century through the eighteenth century. Prerequisite: a 200 level history course or permission of instructor.

PSYC221 - Child Development

This course examines the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the child from birth to adolescence. The contributions of social and cultural experiences as well as the role of biological factors in development are examined as are major theories of development. Students are introduced to the research approaches used to study human development and may be required to carry out observations in various settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology

This course examines the adolescent period of life as one of multiple simultaneous changes in the mind and body that set the stage for adult life. Particular attention is paid to gender differentiated experiences in adolescence; how males and females differ in their experience of the changes that occur during adolescence. The role of culture in determining the adolescent experience is discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PSYC223 - Adolescent Psychology

This course provides a survey of contemporary knowledge of the human brain, examining normal developmental brain processes and common brain functions. The course also covers common disorders and emphasizes understanding the impact of atypical brain development and the consequences of brain trauma. Intervention strategies and treatment are included. Prerequisite: PSYC101

Janice Barrett

Professor of Communication; Chair, Graduate Communication Program

Office: Donahue 108

Marie Campagna Franklin

Professor Emerita

Meryl Perlson

Chair of Communication; Professor of Communication

Office: Donahue 107

Brian Wardyga

Professor of Communication; General Manager, 109.2FM WLAS & LCTV

Office: Brennan Library, G04F