¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

School of Communication | Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Calendar 2012 Spring

The bachelor of arts degree with honours in communication is a special opportunity for advanced students. The program enables students to focus on a subject within communication that interests them by writing an extnded research paper over two terms, or by taking additional upper level seminars. In either case, it is envisioned as a contribution to their personal development and satisfaction, as well as a step toward employment, or graduate studies. The School of Communication has a long-standing tradition of critical, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of media and technology, with a commitment to social theory and political economy. The school bridges the critical and the applied in its undergraduate programs, and is committed to offering students the opportunities and the means to explore, analyze and critically evaluate the complexities and interplay between the numerous and diverse dimensions of communication.

Program Requirements

Students complete 132 units, as specified below.

Lower Division Requirements

A grade of C- or better is mandatory in each of the required lower division CMNS courses below.

Students complete both of

• CMNS 110 Introduction to Communication Studies (3)
• CMNS 130 Explorations in Mass Communication (3) or
• CMNS 130W Explorations in Mass Communication (3)

and at least six 200 division CMNS courses (18 units), including at least two of

• CMNS 260 Empirical Communication Research Methods *^† (3)
• CMNS 261 Documentary Research in Communication (3)
• CMNS 262 Design and Method in Qualitative Communication Research (3)

The remaining four 200 division CMNS courses must include at least one course from each of the following three areas of concentration.

^*completion of this quantitative (Q) course satisfies half of the University's Q requirement for students admitted in fall 2006 or later (see Writing, Quantitative and Breadth Requirements below)
^†or an equivalent course such as BUEC 232, PSYC 210, STAT 100, 101, 201, 203, 270, 285, 302, SA 255

Media and Culture Concentration

In addition to the above, students also complete one of

• CMNS 220 Understanding Television (3)
• CMNS 221 Media and Audiences (3)
• CMNS 223 Advertising as Social Communication (3) or
• CMNS 223W Advertising as Social Communication (3)
• CMNS 235 Introduction to Journalism in Canada (3)

Political Economy and Policy Concentration

• CMNS 230 The Cultural Industries in Canada: Global Context (3)
• CMNS 240 The Political Economy of Communication (3)

Technology and Society Concentration

In addition to the above, students also complete one of

• CMNS 210 Media History (3)
• CMNS 253 Introduction to Information Technology: The New Media (3)

Option A: Honours Project

Upper Division Requirements

Students may enrol in upper division courses only when prerequisites have been completed.

A minimum total of 60 upper division units is required. This includes the required upper division CMNS courses, any additional upper division CMNS courses completed, and any upper division courses completed to fulfil the required 40 units outside the school (see External Requirements below).

Students complete seven upper division CMNS courses (at least 28 units), at least two of which are 400 CMNS division courses. Directed study and field placement courses may not be used to meet this requirement.

In addition, students also complete one of

• CMNS 362 Evaluation Methods for Applied Communication Research (6)
• CMNS 363 Approaches to Media and Audience Research * (6)

Honours Project

As well, students pursuing this option produce an honours project by completing both of

• CMNS 497 Honors Research Proposal (5)
• CMNS 498 Honors Research Project (10)

*Students who were admitted in fall 2006 or later are strongly urged to complete CMNS 363 because this six unit quantitative (Q) course entirely satisfies the University's entire Q requirement. Also, CMNS 304W or 323W are strongly recommended because the completion of one of these courses will entirely satisfy the University's upper division writing requirement. (See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements below.)

Option B: Additional Upper Division Requirements

Upper Division Requirements

Students may enrol in upper division courses only when prerequisites have been completed.

A minimum total of 60 upper division units is required. This includes the required upper division CMNS courses, any additional upper division CMNS courses completed to fulfil the required 40 units outside the school (see External Requirements below).

Students complete eleven upper division CMNS courses (at least 46 units), at least six of which are 400 CMNS division courses.

Directed study and field placement courses may not be used to meet this requirement.

Included in these units, students also complete one of

• CMNS 362 Evaluation Methods for Applied Communication Research (6)
• CMNS 363 Approaches to Media and Audience Research ^† (6)

^†Students who were admitted in fall 2006 or later are strongly urged to complete CMNS 363 because this six unit quantitative (Q) course entirely satisfies the University's entire Q requirement. Also, CMNS 304W or 323W are strongly recommended because the completion of one of these courses will entirely satisfy the University's upper division writing requirement. (See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements below.)

External Requirements

In addition to the specified CMNS courses, students complete at least 40 units from disciplines other than communication including the following.

• 12 units minimum from Asia-Canada, contemporary arts, English, First Nations, French, general studies, history, humanities, Latin American development studies, linguistics, philosophy, Spanish or other languages; or to partially satisfy the University's breadth requirements (see Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements), two three-unit breadth-humanities and two three-unit breadth-social sciences courses with a minimum C- grade in each
• two science courses totalling six units; or to partially satisfy the University's breadth requirements (see Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements), two three-unit breadth-science courses with a minimum C- grade in each
• two upper division courses (minimum three units each) chosen from any department outside the school

Note that no course may be used to satisfy more than one of the above three requirements; for example, an upper division breadth-science course may be used as one of the two science courses required, or one of the two upper division non-CMNS courses required, but not both.

Graduation Requirements

To receive honours in communication, students must

• meet the graduation requirements of the communication honours program, as stated above
• meet the honours graduation requirements of the University and the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, including at least 60 upper division units
• successfully complete an honours project (CMNS 497 and 498) (if pursuing Option A)
• successfully complete 46 upper division CMNS courses, at least six of which are 400 level CMNS courses (if pursuing Option B)
• obtain certification by an undergraduate communication advisor of satisfactory program completion.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University’s residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 units as upper division work.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.

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