Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies)

This Major provides a critical and theoretical understanding of media and culture. It places emphasis on questions of identity, power, diversity, globalization and the cultural dimensions of social, scientific and technological change and political engagement. It offers ways of thinking critically about the practice and representation of these and other issues in film, television, new media and everyday life. We encourage students to investigate these issues at the local and international level. Students who complete this Major successfully will graduate with conceptual knowledge and skills in research and analysis that are useful in a wide range of related fields such as journalism, media research, arts management, the public service, public affairs, lobbying and social advocacy.

In the core subjects, students are introduced to the key ideas and debates underpinning the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Studies. Students also study a range of methods for analyzing film, television and new media materials. Core subjects are complemented by a number of elective subjects in which students seek to understand cultural and media practices in specific historical, discursive and institutional settings.

The program regards 'Cultural Studies' and 'Media Studies' as integrated streams as the media are a major site for the discursive production and circulation of meanings in contemporary society. Concepts introduced and explored in the Cultural Studies core subjects speak to issues and themes which are central to the more media-oriented subjects.

The structure of the Major is based on the progressive development of key concepts and skills of analysis, library research and writing across levels 100 to 300. The core subjects provide the pathways for introducing, explicating, testing and applying analytic concepts, theories and literature from the interdisciplinary fields which inform Media and Cultural Studies. Complementary subjects offer sites for further exploration and application of these concepts, theories and themes and demonstrate the power and value of Cultural and Media Studies as a way of making sense of cultural practices, cultural politics and regimes of value and power.

Major Study

The Communication Studies major is made up of at least 54 credit points: at 100-level, CCS105 (6 cp); 24 credit points at 200-level and 24 credit points at 300-level. Of the 54 credit points, at least 38 credit points will be in subjects with the CCS prefix. The remaining 16 cp for the major may be made up of CCS subjects or subjects from other units approved for inclusion in the Communication Studies major. At 200-level, 16 cp must be in subjects with the CCS prefix, including either CCS207 or CCS221 (one of these two subjects must be completed). At 300-level, at least 16 credit points will be from subjects with the CCS prefix and must include CCS330. Quotas may be applied to entry to the major in Communication, including entry to CCS105.

Pre-requisites: Entry to all CCS 200-level subjects will require 36 credit points. Entry to CCS 300-level subjects will require 36 credit points including at least 8 credit points at CCS 200-level. Study abroad and exchange students can consult with the Convenor of Program about entry to upper level CCS subjects.

Minor Study

A minor in Communication Studies will consist of at least 28 credit points of subjects from the Course Structure of the Communication Studies major. It must include CCS105 and at least one subject from the upper level core. Students may not cross-count any subjects from the minor in any other minor or major study.

Honours

See Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

Study Program