Bachelor of Arts (Media and Cultural 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, and students are encouraged to investigate these issues at a local and international level. Student’s who complete this major, will graduate with conceptual knowledge and skills in research and analysis, which will be useful in a wide range of related fields such as journalism, media research, arts management, 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 analysing 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 arena for the discursive production and circulation of meanings in contemporary society.  Concepts introduced and explored in the Cultural Studies core subjects, speak to the 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 Cultural and Media 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 MCS major is made up of at least 54 credit points. At 100-level, students must take the introductory core subject SMAC100 (6cp). At the upper level, students must take two core subjects, one at 200-level, and one at 300-level.  The remaining four upper level subjects may be taken from the following schedule at 200- or 300-level, but must not include more than two from the subjects listed as ‘elective’.  Overall, a student must complete a minimum of three subjects from the schedule at 300-level.

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

Minor Study
A minor in Media and Cultural Studies will consist of at least 28 credit points of subjects from the Course Structure of the Media and Cultural Studies major. 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