The course list, or program of study, outlines the program’s structure by term and year. It is the group of courses you must complete in order to graduate.
1. core courses – required for graduation
2. electives – credit courses that allow you to tailor your education to your own interests. They supplement the program’s core and optional courses
3. options – credit courses that give more additional specific knowledge about your field of study
BCSC 100 - Grammar and Composition Foundations
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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In this course, students learn how to write with clarity and precision, and to communicate successfully with a variety of audiences. Building on an understanding of traditional grammar, students examine the relationship between language structures and the expression of an author’s intentions. By studying various writers and genres, students learn to identify and manipulate sentence elements to produce clarity, drama, power and other rhetorical effects. They also consider how media, technology and culture are influencing language and writing in general and grammar in particular. |
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BCSC 101 - Communication and Human Interaction
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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This course introduces students to basic concepts and principles of human communication and interaction. It includes an examination of processes of communication in three common communication settings: interpersonal relationships, group gatherings and public gatherings. Other topics to be covered include nonverbal communication, listening, and public speaking. |
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BCSC 102 - Introduction to Visual Communication
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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In this course, students communicate using visuals. Evaluating historical and contemporary examples of visual communication, students assess the meaning and impact of visual design. Students identify elements of visual communication design and evaluate their effect on message creation and interpretation. They develop skill in the basic functions of key digital applications widely used today for creating and combining text, photos and graphics files. Students leave the course with the knowledge and digital skills needed to start collaborating on communication projects. |
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BCSC 200 - Communication Theory
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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In this course, students survey major theoretical perspectives and foundational approaches to contemporary communication professions. Students engage in the "3As" of a critical thinker by practicing appreciation, analysis and application. Students examine historical and current political, social and economic contexts in the study of communication, including the contributions of Canadian thinkers. Theory is demystified and students develop an appreciation of the intellectual traditions in communication research through the study of key concepts, models and issues. |
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BCSC 202 - Online Communication and Information Architecture
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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Online publication is changing the way journalists and communicators engage their audiences. From self-publication tools to social media, students examine and experience how communications professionals use various forms of online publication to achieve a wide variety of goals. The course connects traditional mass media to the practices and issues of emerging technologies and tools. Students are introduced to information architecture through user behaviours and site features. |
| Prerequisites: BCSC 102. |
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BCSC 203 - Introduction to Research Methods
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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This course introduces quantitative and qualitative research methods including empirical research, ethnography, narrative analysis, phenomenology, and grounded theory within the context of communication research questions. Specifically, students learn to evaluate secondary sources, gather accurate and meaningful information from primary sources through methods such as surveys, and examine the concepts of reliability, validity, generalizability, and professional ethics. In a collaborative project, they interpret and report the data they gathered from primary sources. |
| Prerequisites: ENGL 102 |
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BCSC 301 - Communication Law
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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Contemporary law and communication technologies have significantly affected how information gets to the public: how information is produced, paid for, presented and circulated. In this course, students examine the influence of media convergence on communication law and the effects of public policy on the development and use of technology and media. Although modern communication has no borders, this course emphasizes Canadian laws within a global context. |
| Prerequisites: BCSC 200. |
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BCSC 302 - Multimedia Authoring
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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In today's rapidly changing media convergence environment, professional communicators are increasingly required to author texts in multiple forms for multiple audiences. Building on BCSC 202, this course emphasizes the authoring of texts for a variety of forms, audiences, channels, and purposes. Projects include work with visual, audio, and verbal content, drawing on communications fundamentals applied effectively and ethically across a global, multi-channel environment. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in BCSC 202. |
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BCSC 306 - Ethical Practice and Portfolio
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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This course examines common ethical and practical considerations as students prepare to enter the workplace. Students reflect on the knowledge and skills they have gained in their classroom study and explore their readiness to work. They then apply their skills and interests to identify employment opportunities and develop employment materials. The ultimate goal of the course is to develop a portfolio to present to internship employers. |
| Prerequisites: BCSC 301. |
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BCSC 398 - Professional Field Placement
| Hours:0:0:160 |
Credits:3 |
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Students gain work experience in tasks and assignments typical of an entry-level journalist or professional communicator. Under the guidance of a faculty supervisor, students apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in their first three years of study to a work situation. The field placement is a crucial component of the program, integrating theory and practice and demonstrating the values and attitudes acquired through classroom study. |
| Prerequisites: BCSC 306. |
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BCSC 411 - Advanced Research Methods
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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In this course, students build on skills and knowledge acquired in the introductory research course and expand their applied knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research. The course covers at a senior level the principles and ethics of scientific inquiry, hypothesis construction, research design, data collection, sampling, interpretation of statistics, ethnographic research, and evaluation of results. Students collaboratively plan and deliver one group research project, as well as design and deliver one individual research project. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in BCSC 203. |
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ENGL 102 - Analysis and Argument
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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This course helps students to develop the academic writing skills they use throughout their university studies. The essay is the most important genre in this course, but students may also study works from other genres. By analyzing, summarizing, synthesizing, and critiquing a variety of texts, students learn how to develop their own analyses and arguments with appropriate and correctly documented primary and secondary sources. A thorough review of grammar and sentence structure is a key component of this course. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum final grade of 65 per cent in English 30-1. 3. Minimum final grade of C- in ENGL 111. |
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ENGL 103 - Introduction to Literature
| Hours:45:0:0 |
Credits:3 |
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Building on the writing skills students developed in ENGL 102: Analysis and Argument, ENGL 103 introduces students to a range of works within at least three literary genres. In addition to a minimum of one play, novel, or novella, students analyze works from other literary genres such as short stories and poetry. ENGL 103 covers the basics of literary analysis and research. Note: Students cannot receive credit for both English 103 and English 133. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in ENGL 102. |
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