Program Structure

Program Requirements

Our master’s degree is designed to be completed in three terms (one calendar year) of full-time registration. Students are required to complete six half courses: three required courses and three elective courses (up to two of which may be taken outside of the program). Students are also required to complete and submit an Independent Research Project (IRP) or Independent Research-Creation Project (IRCP), which will be developed in close consultation with a faculty supervisor.

MA Media Studies – Full-Time Progression
Fall Winter Summer
Interdisciplinary Foundations of Theory (required) Research II: Project Design & Scholarly Writing (required) IRP or IRCP
Research I: Methods (required) +1 elective
+1 elective +1 elective
Teaching Assistantship Teaching Assistantship


Required Courses

9100 Interdisciplinary Foundations of Media Theory

This seminar approaches theory as an act: part agency, part structure. It prepares participants to theoretically inform and ground research into media and information industries, cultures and technologies. Seminar participants are introduced to different approaches and critiques of theorizing, along with the media, information and cultural theories that offer ways of understanding the hows and whys of systems of mediations, meanings, practices, and political economies.
Required for all students

9101 Research I: Overview of Research Methods

This course offers an overview of the different approaches, challenges, and limits involved in research. Students will develop skills to understand research language, assess research sources, identify the types of methods best suited for investigating different types of problems, and develop solid research questions that build upon a critical appraisal of existing research. In addition to developing and presenting their IRP or IRCP proposals, students will learn to: conduct multi-disciplinary literature searches, identify and locate relevant primary sources, and develop project management skills.
Required for all students

9102 Research II: Project Design and Scholarly Writing

Students in this course will present drafts (rough and revised) of a sizeable piece of academic writing related to their IRP or IRCP, incorporating feedback from students and instructor. The course will explore topics related to scholarly writing, including author’s voice, structure and organization, argumentation, effective sentences and paragraphs, abstracts and summaries, and re-writing and copy editing.
Required for all students