Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies Degree Program Guide

Media Studies degree program guide header

The interdisciplinary program in Media Studies offers a major. The degree combines required MST courses with approved courses offered in various departments of the Faculty of Arts and, exceptionally, in other Faculties. Information on faculty advisors for this program is available from Media and Technology Studies in the Faculty of Arts.

Media Studies trains students to navigate, analyze, and evaluate, as well as contribute meaningfully and ethically, to today’s global media ecologies. The program offers an in-depth understanding of how our contemporary media landscape has evolved from the invention of the printing press through the cultural industries of twentieth-century mass media to today’s proliferating interactive, participatory, and social media; how individuals, as well as commercial and public organizations, use media technologies strategically to disseminate memes and messages, to generate narratives of truth, as well as to create and perpetuate ideological discourses; and how human beings draw on and respond to each other’s communicative actions in developing meanings related to identity, power, and belonging.

Academic Requirements for Media Studies Majors

General Requirements and Information
  • A major in Media Studies requires 42 units, including a minimum of 30 units a maximum of 48 units at the senior level, and a minimum of 6 units at the 400-level
Course Requirements
  • MST 100 - Introduction to Media Studies
  • MST 200 - Media Theory
  • MST 210 - Contemporary Media Culture
  • MST 300 - Researching Media
  • MST 310 - Political Economy of Media
  • MST 400 - Media Portfolio
  • 24 units from the list of approved courses.

The University of Alberta Calendar will always contain the most up-to-date degree requirements for your program, and your requirements are determined by the calendar year you were admitted in.

What kinds of courses can Media Studies students take?

  • MST 100 - Introduction to Media Studies
  • MST 200 - Media Theory
  • MST 210 - Contemporary Media Culture
  • MST 300 - Researching Media
  • MST 310 - Political Economy of Media
  • MST 350 - Understanding Video Games
  • MST 400 - Media Portfolio
  • MST 497 - Directed Reading in Media Studies

What kinds of careers can you pursue with a Media Studies degree?

There are many different fields and career paths that students can pursue with a Media Studies degree. From writing and journalism to media communications, graduates are equipped with communication, critical thinking and attention to detail skills to name a few, that are assets in today’s job market. Although there is a list of career options below, it is important to understand that careers are not linear. Intentionally engaging in a variety of activities and following your curiosities will open new opportunities that you might not have expected. To learn more about how you can put your Arts degree to work, stop by the HUB Career Centre (8917 HUB Mall) for more information.

  • Editor & Copywriter
  • Journalist
  • Media Spokesperson
  • Communications Associate
  • Producer 
  • Content Creator
  • Public Relations Manager
  • Broadcast Technician
  • Media Manager
  • Marketing Specialist
  • Technical Writer
  • Social Media Manager
  • Advertising Executive
  • Multimedia Creator
  • User Experience (UX) Writer
  • Educator (Professor, Secondary or Primary)
  • +More!

Interested in gaining work experience related to your career goals? If so, apply to Arts Work Experience to gain full-time, PAID, work experience before you graduate!

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