Media Studies (MA)
Master of Arts (MA)
Offered by:Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science
Why pursue a Master's in Media Studies?
Traditional and emerging media technologies and platforms affect the way we perceive the world and our place in it. As producers and consumers of different forms of media, we are actively participating in an environment that gives agency to certain individuals, groups and movements over others. Now more than ever, we need academic researchers and creators to examine the social, political and cultural dimensions of various forms of media.
The MA in Media Studies provides you with an environment to further your command of contemporary media culture, history and theory. Our renowned faculty members will supply you with an interdisciplinary formation to media studies that integrates knowledge based in the humanities, liberal arts, social sciences and fine arts.
Our students benefit from an exceptionally active research culture led by a multitude of faculty research initiatives and creations. This vibrant setting will encourage and challenge you to pursue your own research interests in areas as varied as community activism, video games and feminist media.
Our MA students are looking at topics such as:
- race, indigeneity, and transmedia art in contemporary Canada
- narratives of class and empire in honeymoon advertisements
- environmental storytelling in game studies
- the interplay between media and identity for northern Aboriginal girls
- photographs as a site where lost neighbourhoods are made visible
Program Details
Normally the candidate must have a bachelor's degree in communication (or equivalent in a cognate area) with a minimum of 3.00 GPA. Experience in media or a media-related field is an asset. Qualified applicants requiring prerequisite courses may be required to take up to 12 credits in addition to and as part of the regular graduate program. Applicants with deficiencies in their undergraduate preparation are normally required to take qualifying course(s) as deemed appropriate by the program. Credits allowed for previous graduate work must be determined by the department and the university prior to entry to the program.
Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate Admission page for further information on the Language Proficiency requirements and exemptions.
- Credits. Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits, including the three core program courses.
- Courses. COMS 600 Communication Theory (3 credits) is required for all students in the first year of the program. Students may enter one of the four options I, II, III or IV outlined below. Students elect an option after their first term of study with permission of the program director. The Research-Creation Thesis (option III) is restricted to students with adequate and appropriate media experience. The program does not provide media training.
You may choose one of four options:
Option I
Research and thesis: an independent, supervised thesis project of 20,000 to 25,000 words in length and submitted in written form at the end of the second year.
Option II
Course work only: for students interested in advancing their professional or vocational development.
Option III
Research-creation project: students with significant media production experience can undertake a research-creation project deploying one or more media forms, comprising an original media production or prototype in any genre and a 10,000 word document. The program does not provide media training.
Option IV
Major research paper: an extended 10,000 word essay or project on a topic chosen in consultation with a full-time faculty member.
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form
- Statement of purpose (5 pages, double-spaced) and should:
- provide a brief overview of your undergraduate studies and what courses, professors, or scholarly work and theorists were the most influential and/or the most challenging
- detail briefly the type of potential research (thesis or project) you would like to undertake
- identify courses in our program which are of particular interest to you and professors you feel might support your research interests
- recount any work experience (paid or voluntary) that is relevant to your application
- Writing sample (e.g. a research paper or essay from a senior undergraduate course)
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Media Studies | MA | Jan. 15 | n/a | n/a |
Consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of current courses.
Several awards and recruitment bursaries are available for new and current students, including the Communication Studies MA Graduate Scholarship, the Daniel Feist Memorial Scholarship and the Luigi Liberatore Graduate Entrance Scholarship.
Research assistant positions also exist for funded research but cannot be guaranteed. Individual faculty members determine if work opportunities are available based on their own research budgets.
Faculty of Arts and Science Fellowships
The Faculty of Arts and Science supports graduate students by awarding one-year Masters fellowships ($7,000). Other awards available through the faculty include:
- Concordia Merit Scholarship
- Concordia University Graduate Fellowship
- Harriet and Abe Gold Endowment
- Hydro-Quebec Graduate Award
- John W. O'Brien Graduate Fellowship
- Clara Strozyk Scholarship
- Out-of-Province Fee Remission Awards
Consideration for Entrance Awards is automatically part of the admissions process for all new students. We also encourage students seeking admission to our program to apply for funding from external sources in the final year of their undergraduate studies (e.g. FRQSC, SSHRC).
Please also consult Concordia’s graduate funding page and Financial Aid and Awards.
The department’s interdisciplinary faculty are known nationally and internationally for their scholarship. They regularly garner significant grants and fellowships for their contributions to the fields of communications, media studies, media arts, cultural studies and design art. They are also gaining acclaim for ground breaking research situated at the crossroads of fine arts, science and the humanities.
Faculty interests include:
- cultural studies
- the nature and conception of audiences
- rhetoric
- the history of communication
- film and documentary production
- film and television studies
- feminist and postcolonial theory
- gender and technology
- media and ICT policy
- religion and media
- international and development communication
- visual studies
- semiotics of landscape and environment
- political communication
- alternative and activist media
- video advocacy
- intermedial art practices
- sound art
- video and media arts
- performance and game studies
- nuclear culture and history
Review an inspiring list of thesis topics and research-creation projects.
