Media Studies Electives (2025-26)

To support program planning, electives have been grouped into six thematic clusters based on related content and approaches. These groupings are not mandatory—they’re meant to help students discover pathways and interests within the program. Students are encouraged to mix and match electives across clusters and explore a variety of topics that align with their goals, passions, and curiosity.

Thematic Clusters

Media History & Popular Culture
Media Theory, Politics & Society
Visual Culture & Design
Games & Interactive Media
Music, Sound & Media Technologies
Feminism, Gender & Media

Media Studies Clusters and Career Pathways

To support intentional program planning, Media Studies electives are grouped into six thematic clusters. These clusters are not mandatory, but they help students explore connections between course interests and potential career paths. Each cluster includes a sample career direction and related job titles, along with Canadian NOC codes where applicable.

What is NOC?
The is Canada’s official system for organizing and describing jobs. It helps students understand how their university studies connect to real-world careers by listing common job titles, skill requirements, and employment sectors.

Why it matters:
We use NOC codes to show how Media Studies skills align with careers like content creation, digital design, public policy, and more. It’s a helpful tool for exploring job options, building résumés, and planning your next steps after graduation.

🎬 Media History & Popular Culture

Explore how media have evolved across time and culture, and how popular forms like film, television, and print shape public imagination and identity.

Courses:

  • C LIT 228 – Literature, Popular Culture, and the Visual Arts (Winter)
  • ENGL 398 – Histories of Reading (Fall)
  • ENGL 425 – Studies in the History of Reading (LEC B1) Topic: Reading, Readers & Mass Media (Winter)*
  • ENGL 483 – Studies in Popular Culture (Fall)
  • FS 201 – Introduction to Film History I (Fall)
  • FS 202 – Introduction to Film History II (Winter)
  • FS 203 – Television from Broadcasting to Screen Cultures (Fall)
  • FS 215 – Introduction to Film Theory (Winter)
  • FS 330 – Documentary Film (Winter)*
  • FS 340 – Making Television: Production Cultures (Winter)
  • FS 399 – Special Topics in Film Studies (LEC A2 only) Topic: Action Cinema (Fall)*
  • FS 412 – Topics in Film Studies (Winter)
  • FS 416 – Analyzing Television (Fall)
  • RELIG 395 – Topics in Religion and Popular Culture (LEC A1) Topic: Jews & Judaism in Popular Culture (Fall)*
  • SCAND 330 – Mamma Mia! Queer I Go Again! (Fall)*

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Communications, public relations, cultural journalist or content writer

Related Job Titles:
  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications specialist, digital marketing consultant, event marketing consultant, fundraising consultant, information officer, media coordinator, media relations officer, museum educator, press secretary, public affairs officer, public relations consultant, publicist, social media specialist
  • Writing, translating and related communications professionals (NOC 5111)
    • Advertising editor, editorial consultant, news editor, publications editor, web site editor, broadcast journalist, columnist, correspondent, cyberjournalist, game critic, movie critic, network reporter, news analyst, political reporter, sports columnist, video journalist
  • Authors and writers (NOC 51111)
    • Advertising copywriter, interactive media writer, script writer, speech writer, technical writer (NOC 51112)

🧠 Media Theory, Politics & Society

Analyze systems and structures that shape media institutions, platforms, and policies, including surveillance, bias, and digital governance.

Courses:

  • SOC 226 – Surveillance Studies (Fall, Winter)
  • SOC 302 – Topics in Sociology (LEC A1 only) Topic: Media and Society (Fall)*
  • SOC 444 – Critical Media Studies (Fall)
  • STS 200 – Introduction to Science, Technology and Society (Fall, Winter)
  • MLCS 210 – Approaches to Cultural Studies (Fall, Winter)*
  • ANTHR 103 – Introduction to Anthropology (LEC A1 only) Topic: Anthropology and the Media (Fall)*
  • ANTHR 230 – Anthropology of Science, Technology, and Environment (Fall)
  • HIST 115 – Technology and History (Spring, Fall, Winter)*
  • HIST 203 – History of Computing (Winter)
  • HIST 293 – History of Science, Technology and Medicine: Key Moments (Winter)
  • POL S 298 – Topics in Political Science (LEC B1 only) (Winter)*
  • POL S 448 – Gender Politics and Mass Media (Winter)
  • FS 399 - Special Topics in Film Studies (LEC A2) Topic: Film and Politics (Fall)*

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Policy analyst, media researcher, consultant/advocate

Related Job Titles:

  • Policy researcher, consultant, program officer (NOC 41400)
    • Communications policy researcher, policy analyst/advisor, digital media consultant
  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications officer, digital marketing consultant, information officer, press secretary, public affairs officer, public relations consultant
  • Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41403)
    • Community organizer, Indigenous affairs officer, international aid and development researcher, political organizer, social issues researcher, social policy analyst

🎨 Visual Culture & Design

Develop visual literacy and creative design skills by working with artistic media, digital tools, and communication theory.

Courses:

  • ART 134 – Art Fundamentals (Spring, Fall, Winter)
  • DES 135 – Design Fundamentals (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
  • ART 323 – Printmaking: Intaglio/Relief (Fall, Winter)*
  • ART 350 – Media Arts: Digital Media I (Fall, Winter)*
  • ART 450 – Media Arts: Digital Media II (Fall, Winter)*
  • HADVC 256 – History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture in the Contemporary Era (Spring, Fall)
  • HADVC 257 – History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture in Canada (Winter)
  • EASIA 373 – Arts of Korea: Tomb Murals to Video Art and VR Films (Fall)*

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Digital media developer, web graphics and user interface design

Related Job Titles:

  • Graphic designer and illustrator (NOC 52120)
    • Digital media designer, web graphics designers, visual content designer, multimedia designer
  • Web Designers (NOC 21233)
    • Interactive media developer, user experience (UX) designer, digital interaction designer, multimedia interface developer
  • Occupations in art and culture (NOC 531)
    • Various occupations in art and culture, including occupations related to museums and art galleries; photographers and support occupations in arts and culture; occupations in creative and performing arts

🎮 Games & Interactive Media

Understand games and interactive platforms as cultural texts and design environments. Develop skills in narrative systems and media critique.

Courses:

  • MST 350 – Understanding Video Games (Fall)
  • MST 351 – Understanding Video Games (Fall)
  • MST 399 – Special Topics in Media Studies (LEC B1) Topic: Trans and Queer Game Design (Winter)*
  • MST 299 – Special Topics in Media Studies (LEC B1) Topic: Language and the Internet (Winter)*
  • EASIA 343 – Video Games and Japanese Culture (Fall)*
  • EASIA 260 – Popular Culture and Contemporary Japanese Society (Winter)
  • INT D 350 – Game Design Principles and Practice (Winter)
  • INT D 450 – Computers and Games (Winter)

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Game designer, interactive media developer

Related Job Titles:

  • Game designer (NOC 52120)
  • Software developers and programmers (NOC 21232)
    • Animation programmer, artificial intelligence programmer, computer game developer, computer game programmer, graphics programmer, interactive media developer, multimedia developer, multimedia programmer, software developer, software development project manager
  • Information systems testing (NOC 22222)
    • Application tester, software tester, user acceptance testing

🎧 Music, Sound & Media Technologies

Examine how music, sound, and digital media technologies shape culture, identity, and storytelling across platforms.

Courses:

  • MUSIC 103 – Introduction to Popular Music (Fall, Winter)
  • MUSIC 203 – Issues in Popular Music Studies (Winter)
  • MUSIC 245 – Introduction to Music Technologies (Spring, Fall)
  • MUSIC 445 – Electroacoustic Music (Winter)
  • MUSIC 488 – Studies in Music and Media: Popular Music & Streaming Media (Fall)
  • EASIA 224 – Interculturalism and East Asian Music (Fall)*
  • EASIA 226 – Globalism and Transformation in Chinese Pop Music (Winter)*

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Audio producer, sound editor, program director

Related Job Titles:

  • Audio and video recording technicians (NOC 52113)
    • Audiovisual technician, multimedia technician, recording engineer, recording studio technician, sound design, sound effects editor, sound mixer, sound technician, video and sound recorder
  • Technical and coordinating occupations in media (NOC 52119)
    • Music program planner, production coordinator, program coordinator, studio manager
  • Media management (NOC 50011)
    • Media administrator, copyright and royalties manager, podcast producer, programming director, music licensing coordinator

🌍 Feminism, Gender & Media

Explore how media intersect with race, gender, sexuality, and power. Learn to critique and create media that supports inclusion and justice.

Courses:

  • WGS 101 – Representations of Girls and Women (Spring, Fall, Winter)
  • WGS 220 – Feminism and Popular Culture (Fall)
  • WGS 321 – Feminism and Film (Fall)
  • WGS 298 – Critical Issues (LEC B2 only) Topic: Queer Chinese Cinemas (Winter)*
  • PHIL 383 – Film and Philosophy (Fall)
  • EASIA 429 – Landscape and Soundscape in East Asian Culture (Winter)*

Footnote: *Special topics or rotating theme course

Sample Career Path: Equity officer or advocacy communications specialist

Related Job Titles:

  • Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41403)
    • Community organizer, employment equity policy consultant, human rights officer, immigration policy advisor, Indigenous affairs officer, international aid and development project officer, social policy researcher, women's issues lobbyist, women's status policy consultant
  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications consultant, community information officer, development officer, digital marketing consultant, information officer, museum education officer, public affairs officer, public relations consultant, social media specialist
  • Business development officers and market researchers and analysts (NOC 41402)
    • Advertising analyst, business issues lobbyist, community development consultant, international marketing specialist, market researcher