Communications Studies
Bachelor of Arts (also available as a Bachelor of Communications Studies)
(Faculty of Arts)
Communications Studies is a widely applicable and deeply challenging liberal arts degree that explores various forms of communication and their relationship to culture and society. In Communications Studies, you will use a variety of approaches to understand how knowledge and culture are produced and reflected in speech, writing, television, film, radio, digital media and interactive entertainment, the internet and wireless networks. Our program is particularly strong in critical media studies, rhetorical studies and discourse on science and technology.
Graduates of the program are flexible and articulate communicators, communication analysts, and communication researchers in a wide variety of academic, public and professional contexts. Graduates acquire a deep understanding of the complex world of communication, its dynamics and its impact on contemporary societies and cultures. You will gain the tools to explore, evaluate, and critically analyze various aspects and intersections of communication systems, skills in communication analysis, and the ability to communicate ideas effectively and clearly.
The program offers two degrees, a four year Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Communications Studies (BCS) offered in partnership with SAIT Polytechnic. BCS students complete a highly defined set of core communications courses in the first two years of their studies, and transfer to the SAIT campus for their third and fourth years to complete a technical diploma as part of their university degree. The BA offers more opportunities for academic breadth and depth while the BCS offers more training in professional skills to complement your academic experience.
The Co-operative Education version of the BA and BCS programs will give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in up to four paid work terms of three months each. For details go to arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission applicants are required to present the appropriate high school subjects and a competitive average.
Application/Document Deadlines
Why take this program?
Problems of critical importance
As human beings we do nothing in a vacuum. Everything we know, our culture and the fabric of interactions that make up our world, are all shaped by symbolic interaction. Communications Studies strives to unpack this network of interactions in all its forms. In Communications Studies, you will be engaged with some of the most fundamental issues that constitute our world. You will learn how we got to where we are now in order to understand where our technologies of communication and cultures of politics and persuasion may take us in future.
A wide variety of career paths.
From administration to government, business, politics and education, communication is fundamental. Employers tell us they often prefer Communications Studies graduates to employees trained in a more specialized field precisely because they have the breadth of background and the intellectual skill to be both critical and flexible. The Co-op Education route will allow you to add relevant work experience to your portfolio without sacrificing the academic rigour of your coursework. A Master of Communications Studies (MCS), MA and PhD program are available if you wish to continue your studies.
Interdisciplinary education
Like all programs in Communication and Culture, Communications Studies is founded on the belief that narrow specialization is a recipe for obsolescence. As part of your degree you will become familiar with the deep roots of Western culture, with one or more non-Western cultures, and with the intersections of thought that knit together politics, science, religion, art and philosophy. This broad education can form the basis for a rich and varied range of careers.
What will I study in my first year?
In your first year you will take Communications Studies 201, which provides an introduction to the most important currents of thought in your degree program.
You should also explore other introductory courses offered by Faculty of Arts. The relatively open nature of the Communications Studies first year makes it an ideal time to explore a wide variety of courses in other areas that might interest you: Sociology, Art History, Languages, Philosophy, Literature, Canadian Studies, Law and Society, Development Studies, etc. -- try them all!What will I study in later years?
Communications Studies offers a new curriculum beginning in Fall, 2009. We recommend you take COMS 369 as soon as possible. An understanding of Rhetorical Communication will prepare you to not only analyze communication strategies and audiences across a variety of media but will also help you produce more effective academic and public communication during your degree.
Communications Studies courses will familiarize you with Communications History (COMS 381) the Rhetorical tradition (COMS 369), and the critical analysis of media (COMS 371). From this base you will be able to go into more depth in rhetoric (the study of persuasion and influence) and professional communication (COMS 463 and 481), and media studies, including Popular Culture (COMS 473) and New Media and Society (COMS 481). Other courses such as Publics and Science (STAS 421) will introduce you to issues in the public understanding of science. You may wish to add courses from two complementary programs in the Department, Film Studies or Science, Technology and Society, to achieve a balanced understanding of a wide variety of issues surrounding media, culture and technology.
In addition, you will take a pair of courses that many students describe as life-changing experiences: General Studies 300 and General Studies 500. These courses integrate a breathtaking sweep of knowledge and culture from the Greeks and Romans to present-day thinkers and artists into a personal search for meaning and place in an uncertain world. The courses expose you to the evolution of modern ideas through some of the most influential thinkers of the past.
In your final year, you may wish to take an Honours program. Honours in Communications Studies is excellent preparation for graduate school, but you may also be interested in Honours for the opportunity to explore a topic in depth for eight months in close consultation with a supervisor. For details see http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/honours
In later years you may choose to enrich your educational experience through a number of other opportunities such as courses that integrate learning with a community-based service project (GNST 407) or deepen your learning by acting as a peer mentor for junior students while you learn the theoretical background of knowledge building (GNST 507 and 509). See http://comcul.ucalgary.ca/undergraduate/the-student-experience for a wide variety of ways to enrich your experience in the Department of Communication and Culture.
What can I do with this degree?
COMS graduates are excellent communicators who are able to speak to and write for different audiences. They can think critically, discerningly and with broad social awareness, and can apply their understanding of the role and development of culture and society, effective writing and speaking skills, and strong analytical and theoretical knowledge to a range of productive careers. Their critical skills, research abilities, and knowledge of policy analysis make them eligible for a large number of careers including administration, opinion and market research, fundraising, and civil service. Previous graduates have gone on to professional positions in writing and journalism, as well as in media and public relations.
To see a full list of potential skills, careers and industries available to you, take a look at the Career Services Communication Studies Career Profile (PDF).
Additional information
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