Communication + Strategic Communication Leadership (BA/MA)
Credential: Bachelor of Arts
Majors: Biblical Studies, Communication
Certification/Licensure: This program is not intended to lead to licensure.
Location: Lancaster
Program Director: Dr. Michael Freeman
Program Mission Statement: The Communication major is part of Lancaster Bible College’s Communication & Media Arts Department and is our response to the urgent need for communicators to influence the media and culture from a relevant, biblical worldview. This major seeks to meet this demand by producing skilled communication professionals rooted in Christian values. It offers students broad exposure to media writing, graphic design, web content development, news media, and marketing.
Program Description: Designed to produce effective communication professionals through competitive courses and hands-on experiences, LBC’s Communication major is built on the study of media ethics, theory, and practice. This lays the foundation for effective career placement, as well as further study in specialized communication fields at the graduate level.
Program Learning Outcomes: As a result of this program, students will:
1. Articulate and evaluate the significance of culture on message design, delivery and impact.
2. Identify and differentiate the major communication theories and describe the relevance of appropriate theories to their chosen communication field.
3. Participate in a communication career field to further develop skills, knowledge, and experiences.
4. Appropriately apply ethical principles and professional codes of ethics to the practice of communication.
5. Integrate a biblical worldview into the practice and evaluation of communication.
Experiential Learning: The Communication program includes numerous hands-on experiences and an internship.
Curriculum Structure and Degree Requirements
|
Curriculum Structure
|
Credits
|
|
LBC Foundation Studies Courses
|
4
|
|
Bible & Theology Core Courses
|
30
|
|
Arts & Sciences Core Courses
|
31
|
|
Major Courses
|
49 |
|
Exploration Studies – Elective Courses
|
6 |
|
Program Total
|
120 |
The following tables show the scope & sequence to the undergraduate degree in a 4+1 program. Upon graduation from the undergraduate program, the student enrolls in the master's program and completes the remaining master's courses.
LBC Foundations (4 credits)
Bible & Theology Courses (30 credits)
| BTH 101 | Foundations for Biblical and Theological Studies | 3 |
| BIB 103 | Creation & Covenants: OT I | 3 |
| BIB 104 | Israel's Life & Literature: OT II | 3 |
| THE 223 | Christian Narrative I: Creation & Fall | 3 |
| THE 224 | Christian Narrative II: Redemption & Consummation | 3 |
| BIB 203 | Life of Christ: NT I | 3 |
| BIB 204 | Early Church: NT II | 3 |
| Bible Elective - BOT or BNT | 3 |
THE
| Theology Elective | 3 |
| THE 320 | Christianity and Culture | 3 |
Arts & Sciences Courses (31 credits)
| LAN 101 | Academic Writing, Research, and Rhetoric | 3 |
| LAN 104 | Public Speaking | 3 |
LIT
| Literature Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
HIS
| History Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
SCI
| Science Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
SCI
| SCI Lab (100/200 Level) | 1 |
MAT
| Math Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
| HUM 212/COM 212 | Media: Conveyor of Cultural Ideas | 3 |
| Arts & Sciences Elective (300 or 400) level | 3 |
| Arts & Sciences Elective (300 or 400) level | 3 |
| HUM 235/COM 235 | Introduction to Graphic Design | 3 |
Communication Courses (49 credits)
| COM 100 | Communication Seminar | 1 |
| PRO 101 | Introduction to Media Arts | 3 |
| COM 102 | Introduction to Communication | 3 |
| COM 110 | Principles and Practices | 3 |
| COM 201 | Communication Ethics | 3 |
| COM 203 | Writing for Social Media | 3 |
| COM 320 | Marketing Communication | 3 |
| COM 221 | Co-Curricular Credit | 1 |
| COM 222 | Co-Curricular Credit | 1 |
| COM 223 | Co-Curricular Credit | 1 |
| COM 224 | Co-Curricular Credit | 1 |
| COM 400 | Cross-cultural Experience | 1 |
| COM 450 | Communication Internship | 3 |
| COM 470 | Communication Senior Project | 1 |
THE
| Major-related Theology Elective | 3 |
| COM 505 | Seminar in Strategic Communication | 3 |
| COM 506 | The Communication Vocation | 3 |
| COM 507 | Digital Media Metrics and Analytics | 3 |
| COM 509 | Leadership in Organizational Communication | 3 |
| COM- or CMA-Related Elective | 3 |
| COM- or CMA-Related Elective | 3 |
Major-related THE courses include THE 315 Theology of Media & Technology, THE 380 Creativity by Design, or The 3XX Theology of Popular Culture.
Exploration Studies (6 credits)
Program Director: Michael J. Freeman, DEd, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Michael J. Freeman has been teaching and mentoring communication students for over two decades. He has former students working at Fox, ESPN, and even on Capitol Hill. He has prepared students to excel in the fields of television, radio, print journalism, marketing and public relations, and in both corporate and non-profit communication.
Dr. Freeman's research passion is the intersection between audiences and the mass media. He has presented at and chaired numerous conferences and panels on media affects. He is the past president of ACCESS, a professional organization for Christians in Distance Education and completed his doctoral dissertation studying the impact of mediated instruction on both a student's spiritual formation and an institution's missional focus.
Dr. Freeman supports our students by advising Charge - LBC's fine arts magazine, Focus - the student online newspaper, and Ichthus - the yearbook. In this advisory capacity, Dr. Freeman has provided students with valuable pre-professional opportunities. He serves as the Communication Advanced Internship supervisor, supervises senior projects, and is an academic adviser for the Communication major. He also contributed to the design of LBC's communication production facilities, WJTL Studio B (a collaborative effort between LBC and WJTL to launch a professionally equipped streaming radio station for all LBC students) and the Video Production Studio.
Dr. Freeman helped to design LBC's Communication major and continues to work to keep its curriculum current with industry changes and professional demands. Dr. Freeman trains LBC's Communication majors to be embedded missionaries in a very secular profession. He prepares them to be professionally excellent and spirituality equipped to use the passions, talents, and gifts God has given them to be used where He plants them, influencing the influencers.
Faculty:
Dr. Michael J. Freeman, DEd
Mr. Ryan A. Geesaman, MS
Dr. Mark Menga, PhD
Mr. Thom Scott, MB