Combined Honours in Communication Studies and Media Arts (B.A.)

Admission

Enrolment in this program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement in MEDIAART 1A03  (or MMEDIA 1A03, if taken previously) and CMST 1A03 , and a supplemental application (see Note 2, below). It requires, as a minimum, completion of any Level I program and a Grade Point Average of at least 5.0 including a grade of at least C in MEDIAART 1A03  (or MMEDIA 1A03, if taken previously) and a grade of at least C in CMST 1A03 . (See Notes below.)

Notes

1. Applicants must have completed any Level I program including the course MEDIAART 1A03 (or MMEDIA 1A03, if taken previously) and CMST 1A03 by April of the year in which application is made. Decisions regarding admission into the Combined Honours in Communication Studies and Media Arts program are made in May when final grades for the previous Fall and Winter terms are known.
2. Application for this program must be made during the program/plan selection process at the end of the Winter term. Please see Application to Level II Programs under Academic Regulations in this section of the Calendar for information with regard to the application procedure. Serious applicants are advised to rank the Combined Honours in Communication Studies and Media Arts program as their first program of choice for Level II. Starting in 2026-27, students must submit a portfolio of creative media arts project work and attend an interview with the application committee. Admissions decisions will be based on a combined assessment of the media arts portfolio, interview and the student’s Level I GPA and grade in MEDIAART 1A03. The supplemental application will be available on the program website from March 15 to April 30 at https://csma.humanities.mcmaster.ca/undergraduate-programs/media-arts-program/.
3. Students entering the Combined Honours in Communication Studies and Media Arts program should be aware that, due to course sequencing and prerequisites, it takes a minimum of THREE years beyond Level I to complete program requirements.
4. Students are required to take CMST 2RA3 , 2TM6  and MEDIAART 2B06 , 2DF3  and 2G03  by the end of Level II.
5. Students are required to take CMST 3HC3 , MEDIAART 3D03  and MEDIAART 3Z03  by the end of Level III.
6. Students wishing to take more than the required three units of Level IV Communication Studies courses must first obtain permission from the department’s undergraduate counselor.
7. The Faculty of Humanities introduced a new requirement for all Humanities degree students starting in 2024-25. The Skills for Life Concurrent Certificate comprises 18 units that provide a foundation for students to develop important academic and career-relevant skills such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy. The mandatory requirements below assume successful completion of HUMAN 1DL3, HUMAN 1HL3 and HUMAN 1VV3 in Humanities 1. Students transferring to Humanities programs beyond Level 1 are exempt from the concurrent certificate. Please see Faculty of Humanities Academic Regulations for more information.

Requirements

Students who entered Combined Honours in Communication Studies and Media Arts (B.A.) prior to September 2025 should refer to the Undergraduate Calendar of their entry year and their individual advisement report for their program requirements.

120 units total (Levels I to IV), of which 48 units may be Level I