Communication and Digital Media Studies

General information

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Digital Media Studies (Honours) program offers a four-year degree with a high-quality, socially relevant curriculum designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the theory and practice of communication in the 21st century. This program emphasizes digital media and social justice and equity, while providing a broad-based liberal education in communication studies in a range of courses designed to impart professionally relevant communication skills. The curriculum explores crucial developments in human communication, from oral traditions and the emergence of literacy to the development of contemporary social media, with an emphasis on how changes in communication technologies and practices shape culture and society. The courses are designed to help students not only to understand the role of communication in society, but also teach how communication can be employed to promote social justice and equity. Students are given the opportunity to develop communication skills and to relate them to developments in the economy and society, with attention to practical applications in such sectors as corporate communication and social advocacy. The curriculum provides insights into the role of communication in the Canadian and global contexts.

Admission requirements

Admission is competitive. The specific average or standing required for admission varies from year to year. Students are selected by taking into consideration a wide range of criteria including school marks, distribution of subjects taken, and performance in subjects relevant to the academic program. Possession of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Preference will be given to applicants with the best qualifications.

Current Ontario secondary school students must complete the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six 4U or 4M credits including English (ENG4U). All other applicants should refer to admissions  for the requirements for their specific category of admission.

Practicum

A limited number of fourth-year students are granted an opportunity to participate in a learning experience with a community organization. The Practicum course consists of 100 hours of fieldwork, in-class seminars, a set of academic assignments and a major research paper and poster. As part of the pre-practicum process, students will be required to acquire a Vulnerable Sector check. For additional information, please refer to the course description for SSCI 4098U .

Internship

This program offers students who have successfully completed three years of study with a cumulative 3.0 GPA (B average on a 4.3 scale) an opportunity to engage in a work-integrated learning partnership with organizations locally and globally. The internship program not only gives students an opportunity to apply classroom concepts to the challenges of organizational life, but also helps them to gain valuable and relevant work experience to promote networking and life-long career success.

The internship program placement equates to a minimum of 280 hours of paid or unpaid field experience. The intern’s wages, where applicable, are paid by the sponsoring organization over a contracted period. The faculty may provide links to various internship placement opportunities or a student may secure an internship opportunity that meets the criteria as prescribed by the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities. Successful work placement completion and both a verbal and written final project will result in the intern receiving a mark and three credits toward the Honours Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.

Admission to the internship program is competitive. While students are participating in an internship program, they may enrol in up to two additional courses (six credits) per semester. These courses must not interfere with the internship schedule outlined by the employer. For additional information, please refer to the course description for SSCI 4103U .

Double majors

Students registered in a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) program within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at the university have the opportunity, in most cases, to combine two majors within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities concurrently as a double major (note - some restrictions apply). Double major program maps have been approved by the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities and are available through the Academic Advising Office. Students undertaking a double major within the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities will, in most cases, be required to complete more than 120 credit hours. Students wishing to declare a double major must consult with the Academic Advising office.

Degree and major requirements

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Communication and Digital Media Studies, students must meet both the degree requirements  and requirements of the major as outlined below for a total of 120 credits. Each year prior to course registration, the order and timing of course offerings will be released by the faculty and communicated to students.

Required first-year courses for all Bachelor of Arts students [21 credit hours]

• COMM 1100U – Introduction to Communication Studies
• CRMN 1000U – Introduction to Criminal Justice
• LGLS 1000U – Foundations of Legal Studies
• POSC 1000U – Introduction to Political Science
• PSYC 1000U – Introductory Psychology
• SOCI 1000U – Introductory Sociology
• SSCI 1910U – Writing for the Social Sciences

Communication and Digital Media Studies major [99 credit hours]

• COMM 1320U – Public Speaking
• COMM 1420U – Living Digitally
• COMM 2110U – Communication Theory: Keyworks
• COMM 2210U – Researching Communication and Digital Culture
• COMM 2220U – The Media in Canada
• COMM 2311U – Writing and Publishing in the Digital Age
• COMM 2410U – History of Communication Technology
• COMM 2411U – Digital Media Policy
• COMM 2530U – Advertising and Society
• COMM 2620U – Interpersonal Communication
• Second-year Communication elective*
• COMM 3110U – Communication Ethics
• COMM 3250U – Pop Culture
• COMM 3410U – Digital Media Storytelling
• COMM 3510U – Work in the Digital Age
• COMM 3610U – Persuasion
• COMM 3710U – Intercultural Communication
• Third-year Communication elective**
• COMM 4261U – Tweet, Friend and Follow Me: Understanding Social Media
• COMM 4420U – Digital Media, Politics and Democracy
• COMM 4510U – Public Relations
• COMM 4610U – Communication and Conflict Resolution
• COMM 4710U – International Communication
• Two fourth-year Communication electives***

• 
  One of:

• COMM 4120U – Contemporary Issues in Communication or
• SSCI 4101U – Honours Thesis I

• 
  One of:

• COMM 4130U – Capstone Project or
• SSCI 4102U – Honours Thesis II

•  

• Six general electives****

Total [120 credit hours]

*Second-year Communication electives

• COMM 2240U – Television
• COMM 2270U – Entertainment Goes Global
• LGLS 2500U – Information and Privacy Law
• SSCI 2900U – Research Methods
• SSCI 2910U – Data Analysis
• SSCI 2920U – Qualitative Research Methods

**Third-year Communication electives

• COMM 3310U – Communication, Communities and Social Change
• COMM 3350U – Environmental Communication
• COMM 3720U – Communicating Identities
• COMM 3740U – Digital Games Studies: From Pong to Pokémon GO
• LGLS 3510U – Censorship and Freedom of Expression
• LGLS 3520U – Law and Technology
• LGLS 3530U – Intellectual Property

***Fourth-year Communication electives

• COMM 4140U – Visual Rhetoric
• COMM 4210U – Special Topics
• COMM 4530U – Research within Communities: Alternative Methods for Social Sciences
• CRMN 4032U – Mediation and Conflict Resolution
• POSC 4000U – International Politics and Policy
• SSCI 4098U – Practicum
• SSCI 4103U – Internship

Note:

• Not all Communication electives will be offered every year.
• Communication elective courses from adjoining years can be chosen with permission of the academic advisor.
• Communication electives may be chosen as general electives.

****General electives

General electives can be taken at/or adjoining their year level, where permission has been granted and prerequisites have been fulfilled. No more than three 1000-level elective courses can be included and a minimum of three elective courses must be offered by the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities but outside of major and at the 2000-level or higher. ALSU 1101U  is recommended as a general elective in first year.

SSCI 4101U and SSCI 4102U Honours Thesis I and II

In order to be considered for the Honours Thesis I , students must apply during their sixth semester to begin their Honours Thesis I  in semester seven. The course application must include a detailed statement of intent outlining the methodology, theoretical significance and the projected timelines for completion of the project. To proceed to Honours Thesis II , a student must have successfully completed Honours Thesis I with a minimum A- and prepare a written statement outlining the projected timelines for completion of the project.

Please note: only a limited number of applicants will be admitted to the Honours Thesis. Consent is required from both the instructor and the dean.