Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (BCMS)

Contact Information

Website: arts.ucalgary.ca/communication-media-film

For Program Advice

Students should consult an undergraduate program advisor in the Arts Students’ Centre for information and advice on their overall program requirements. Advising contact information can be found online: arts.ucalgary.ca/advising.

Introduction

The Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (BCMS) is offered by the Department of Communication, Media and Film.

The Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (BCMS) is designed for students who want to integrate a two-year communication-related diploma within a focused undergraduate program in communication and media. The diploma offers hands-on training in media creation and communication in professions such as journalism and web design. The university coursework provides a broader academic foundation in Communication and Media Studies.

The program’s flexible transfer credit structure allows students to complete their qualifying diploma either before or after their university courses. The diploma is usually completed at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), but a diploma from another institution may be approved if it is equivalent in content and scope to a qualifying SAIT diploma (see program details). University degree requirements can be completed in as little as two and a half years, rather than adding four more years of study to the diploma.

The field of Communication and Media Studies explores the ways in which communication constructs and reflects society and culture. The program emphasizes the theory, criticism, and history of communication through traditional media, new media and popular culture. It also focuses on the theory, critique and production of informative, persuasive and professional discourse in a range of public, media and organizational contexts (e.g., discourses related to identity, health, technology, food and food marketing and the environment).

The program aims to educate flexible and articulate analysts, researchers and practitioners for a wide range of academic, public and professional contexts. It provides graduates with the knowledge and discernment to communicate ideas effectively. Students investigate communication in and across a variety of media, including digital media, television, film and radio, and critically examine modes of communication including speech, writing, and visual communication.

Our co-operative education and experiential learning opportunities enable students to develop and apply their skills in non-academic contexts.

A different but related program is the Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies (BA CMDS). This degree does not require the completion of a two-year diploma. Students who have completed a two-year diploma prior to entering this program will receive transfer credit as detailed in Future Students: Transfer Credit.