Program calendar icon Program Length

  • 4 Years

Program credential icon Credential

  • Bachelor Degree

Program option icon Options

  • Major

Program location icon Fully Available at

  • Nanaimo

Program location icon Partially Available at

  • Cowichan
  • tiwšɛmawtxʷ (Powell River)

Do your interests lie at the convergence of communication, culture and technology? VIU’s Digital Media Studies program will help you gain valuable skills for employment as you learn about digital culture.

Students take a combination of Digital Media and Media Studies courses in a four-year BA program and finish with a powerful skill-set that can be applied to a variety of occupations, including writers and artists, web developers, multimedia producers, teachers, public service workers and entrepreneurs.

Courses in our Digital Media program focus on developing well-rounded digital communication skills and increased awareness of the ways media shapes culture.


The Digital Media Studies (BA) Program

The BA Major in Digital Media Studies balances theory, critical thinking, and communication skills with the technical and creative skills needed for today's emerging digital technologies. Students take a combination of Digital Media (DIGI) and Media Studies (MEDI) courses in a four-year program and emerge with a powerful set of skills that prepares students for a variety of careers: from writers and artists, web developers, and media producers to teachers, public service workers, and entrepreneurs. The skills developed in the program are in demand in the entertainment arts, the film and broadcasting industries, management services to business, advertising and public relations, publishing, web development, media production, journalism, advocacy, communications, library science, archival research. A recent survey in the United Kingdom revealed that Media Studies graduates were "most employable" of all disciplines, a trend we expect to see in the Canadian market.

The program emphasizes media agency in all aspects of study, requiring students to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to engage with contemporary media in a wide range of contexts from advocacy to management to production. The program explores the multi-disciplinary nature of Digital Media Studies as a field of inquiry. Course content integrates the best insights of such diverse areas of study as culture, perception, digital society, political economy, game theory, marketing and public relations, policy and regulation, and digital media creation (Web, video, audio). While this program has a distinctive focus on contemporary Canadian media and culture, we encourage international students to bring their experiences into the classroom and share them through dialogue and assignments based on their knowledge of other cultures. Students will discover how digital media studies knowledge and skills supplement and enhance their courses in other disciplines as well. This creative multi-disciplinary approach to learning contributes to the career flexibility required in the current labour market and sought by graduate schools.

Assignments are designed to balance theory with professional-level production knowledge. In all courses, students develop strong critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Collaboration is a hallmark of the media field, and this program requires students to work collaboratively in many courses. Students are required to demonstrate effective written and oral skills.

Students are encouraged to purchase a laptop with industry standard software as their production machine. A portable computer lab, wireless network, video and audio production equipment, and technical support are availabe for student use in the program. Arrangements with the VIU Campus Store provide support for student purchase of computers and software.

The program also has been designed to accomodate students who transfer to VIU after two years of study elsewhere, and those who hold two-year diplomas in the Media Studies, Communications, and Media Production fields can normally begin studies at the third-year level. (Note that some lower-level courses may be required; please consult the Department Chair for individual information on transfer.) As noted in the matrix below, students in the BA Major are encouraged to complete a major project in their final year. This project has flexible guidelines and is determined through extensive consultation with faculty members in the program. The program offers a number of research assistant opportunities for qualified students both within the program itself, and in the Media Research Lab.

Requirements for a Major

Students must fulfill all the Institutional B.A. degree requirements, including Degree English Requirements and courses listed below:

Year 1Credits
DIGI 110 - (Introduction to Digital Media)3
MEDI 100 - (Introduction to Media Studies and Communication)3
Plus one course from the following:
MEDI 111 - (History of Communication)
MEDI 113 - (Emerging Digital Communications)
MEDI 115 - (Popular Culture and Mass Media)
3

 

Year 2Credits
DIGI 230 - (Interactive Communications)3
MEDI 200 - (Media, Audience and Society)3
Plus three courses from the following:
DIGI 220 - (Web Production I)
DIGI 221 - (Scripting for Dynamic Digital Media) 
DIGI 260 - (Interactive Motion Media)
DIGI 266 - (Introduction to Game Engines)
DIGI 270 - (Digital Audio I)
DIGI 271 - (Digital Audio II)
DIGI 280 - (Digital Video I)
DIGI 281 - (Digital Video II)
9
Plus two courses from the following:
MEDI 205 - (Promotion, Persuasion and Propaganda)
MEDI 211 - (Understanding Television) 
MEDI 215 - (Global Popular Culture Genres) 
MEDI 265 - (Introduction to Game Studies) 
6

 

Years 3 and 4Credits
DIGI 301 - (Digital Media Literacy)3
MEDI 300 - (Research Methods in Media Studies)3
Plus four courses from the following:
DIGI 320 - (Web Production II: Presentation and Accessibility)
DIGI 330 - (Designing User Experiences)
DIGI 340 - (Digital Social Narratives)
DIGI 350 - (Interactive Imagery)
DIGI 366 - (Foundations of Game Design)
DIGI 405 - (Advanced Topics in Digital Media Technology)
DIGI 440 - (Digital Identities)
DIGI 460 - (Advanced Interactive Motion Media)
DIGI 480 - (Advanced Documentary I: Pre-Production) 
DIGI 481 - (Advanced Documentary II: Filming and Production) 
DIGI 482 - (Advanced Documentary III: Post-Production and Distribution) 
DIGI 496 - (Senior Digital Media Project)
12
Plus four courses from the following:
MEDI 301 - (Studies in Global Media)
MEDI 302 - (Making the News)
MEDI 303 - (Documenting Culture)
MEDI 311 - (Film about Media)
MEDI 312 - (Studies in Canadian Media)
MEDI 315 - (Music, Culture, and Technology)
MEDI 401 - (Public Relations, Advocacy and the Media)
MEDI 402 - (Technology and Identity)
MEDI 415 - (Media and Cultural Studies)
MEDI 490 - (Independent Project)
MEDI 495 - (Senior Media Studies Project)
12

Note: Only required courses are offered every year, and other courses are typically offered on a two-year rotation.

Note: INTR 100 combines ENGL 115 and MEDI 115. 

Note: INTR 101 combines ENGL 125 and DIGI 110. 

Domestic Fees | International Fees

Domestic Fees

Tuition and Other Mandatory Student Fees

When applying to the program, applicants will be charged a non-refundable application fee.

When applying to graduate, students will be charged a non-refundable graduation and alumni fee.

Some courses have additional fees to pay for extraordinary class–related expenses.

Fees for One Year* Amount
Tuition (30 credits x $163.14 per credit) 4,894.20
Student Activity fee (4% of tuition) 195.77
Student Services fee (30 credits x $7.21 per credit) 216.30
VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $26.59 per month) 212.72
Health and Dental Plan fee ($265.00 per year) 265.00
Approximate cost for books and supplies for one year 1,500.00
Notes

The VIUSU Health and Dental Plan fee is assessed for all students enrolled in 6 credits or more per term, or in Trades/Vocational programs of 5 months or longer.  

All fees are subject to change without prior notice and are expected to increase by 2% each year on April 1.


International Fees

Tuition and Other Mandatory Student Fees

When applying to the program, applicants will be charged a non-refundable application fee.

When applying to graduate, students will be charged a non-refundable graduation and alumni fee.

Some courses have additional fees to pay for extraordinary class–related expenses.

Fees for One Year* Amount
Tuition (2 semesters x $10870.72 per semester) 21,741.44
Ancillary Fee (2 semesters x $463.40 per semester) 926.80
VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $26.59 per month) 212.72
Health and Dental Plan fee ($265.00 per year) 265.00
Approximate cost for books and supplies for one year 1,500.00
Notes

Tuition in the above table is based on $776.48 per credit, up to a maximum of $10,870.72 per semester for 15 credits; $776.48 per credit beyond 15 credits. Ancillary Fees in the above table are based on $33.10 per credit, up to a maximum of $463.40 per semester for 15 credits; $33.10 per credit beyond 15 credits.

The VIUSU Health and Dental Plan fee is assessed for all students enrolled in 6 credits or more per term, or in Trades/Vocational programs of 5 months or longer.  

All fees are subject to change without prior notice and are expected to increase by 2% each year on April 1.

Domestic (Canadian)

Program Start Date Accepting Applications Campus
Next Intake(s):

The Bachelor of Arts program has one intake each Fall and one intake each Spring.

Application Fee:
$44.27
Testing Required:
No
Admissions Assistant:
Name: Erica Ellenchuk
Phone: 250.746.3512
Email: Erica.Ellenchuk@viu.ca
Next Intake(s):

The Bachelor of Arts program has one intake each Fall and one intake each Spring.

Application Fee:
$44.27
Testing Required:
No
Admissions Assistant:
Name: Erica Ellenchuk
Phone: 250.746.3512
Email: Erica.Ellenchuk@viu.ca
Anticipated intake for someone applying today:
Application Fee:
$44.27
Accepting Late Applications:
Yes
Waitlist:
No
Testing Required:
No
Admissions Assistant:
Name: Erin Johnson
Phone: 604.485.8033
Email: Erin.Johnson@viu.ca
Comments:

Please consult Student Services/Advising at 604.485.2878 or email PR.StudentAffairs@viu.ca for more information on program or admission requirements.

International

Program Start Date Accepting Applications Campus
Anticipated intake for someone applying today:
Next Intake(s):

The Bachelor of Arts program has one intake each Fall and one intake each Spring.

Application Fee:
$150.00
Accepting Late Applications:
Yes
Waitlist:
No
Testing Required:
No
International Admissions Officer Contact:
Name: Elham Akhoundi
Email: Study@viu.ca
Comments:

For prospective international applicants, please send your inquiries to WorldVIU@viu.ca.

Further information on this program can be found on the Department website.

Visit the Department Website

Previous versions of this program can be found in the Program Archive.