Lakeland College

General Studies

Upon completion of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree through Lakeland College, degree-earning students will have:

• earned at least 120 semester hours of college credit, with a minimum of 30 semester hours having been earned through Lakeland College;
• satisfied the requirements of at least one academic major;
• completed the General Studies requirements; and
• maintained a cumulative 2.0 grade-point-average in both the major and in all coursework taken at Lakeland College.

The Lakeland College liberal arts component enables students to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to:

• communicate clearly
• inquire methodically
• evaluate rationally
• reason validly

These skills are developed through courses in:

• Distributional Studies, which develop knowledge in areas outside the major; and
• Interdisciplinary Studies, which encourage the integration of knowledge and values.

Required Coursework (42 semester hours)

Complete the following core courses:

• COM 100 Introduction to Mass Media
• COM 111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
• COM 211 Interpersonal Communication
• COM 220 Persuasion & Advocacy
• COM 325 New Media and Digital Communication
• COM 340 Communication Theory
• COM 350 Rhetorical Criticism (Writing Intensive)
• COM 425 Critical Communication Approaches to New Media
• WRT 300 Advanced Composition (Writing Intensive)

Three semester hours of additional communication (COM) electives.

Complete one of the following areas of emphasis:

Rhetoric & Public Communication Emphasis
Four of the following*:

• COM 225 Political Communication & Activism
• COM 240 American Oratory
• COM 280 Special Topics in Communication
• COM 360 Media Literacy and Effects
  OR SOC 225 Sociology of Media and Mass Communication
• COM 370 Communication and Social Media
• COM 480 Special Topics in Communication

Professional Communication Emphasis

Four of the following*:

• COM 212 Team-Based and Group Communication
• COM 280 Special Topics in Communication
• WRT 150 Computer Design/Adobe InDesign for the PC
  OR ART 103 Digital Page Layout/InDesign
• WRT 201 News Writing
• WRT 330 Advertising and Public Relations Writing
• COM 370 Communication and Social Media
• COM 480 Special Topics in Communication

*Note: Students may only use a maximum of two Special Topics in Communication courses (either 280 or 480) to fulfill requirements in their area of emphasis.

Communication Minor (24 semester hours)

• COM 100 Introduction to Mass Media
• COM 111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
• COM 211 Interpersonal Communication
• COM 220 Persuasion & Advocacy
• COM 325 New Media and Digital Communication
• COM 350 Rhetorical Criticism (Writing Intensive)

Two of the following:

• COM 212 Team-Based and Group Communication
• COM 225 Political Communication & Activism
• COM 240 American Oratory
• COM 340 Communication Theory
• COM 360 Media Literacy and Effects
• COM 370 Communication and Social Media
• COM 480 Special Topics in Communication

General Studies (36 semester hours)