The program focus is found in a sequence of courses in media and communications. At the same time, it integrates business courses to create an interdisciplinary degree that provides a sound foundation for work in media and communications organizations, as well as other communications-related business careers. Team activities are an intrinsic part of many courses and build team skills vital for real-world success, as well as providing a collegial learning environment.

Elective Area – Communications Management

One of the fastest-growing fields in communications is communications management. By taking selected advanced business courses and applying them to communications projects, this elective area provides training for those who hope to manage complex communications projects and departments in any industry.

In September 2021, UCW received 5 stars rating from the QS Stars higher education rating system, the world’s most popular source of comparative data on university performance.

As part of the QS Stars audit process, institutions receive an overall rating of between zero and 5+ stars, as well as a rating in at least eight of 13 key areas. We have achieved 5 stars in Teaching, Employability, Online Learning, Academic Development, Social Responsibilities and Inclusiveness and 4 stars for Internationalisation. UCW is the third university in Canada, and the first in British Columbia, to receive a 5 Star rating from QS Stars. There are only a total of seven institutions in the United States and Canada to receive a 5 Star rating.

Program Structure

Tier 1 University Foundation

Tier 1 courses are your entry into the BA program.

• Introduction to Anthropology
• Introduction to Business
• Mass Media and Society
• Science elective
• Academic Writing
• Contemporary Literature: Drama and Narrative
• Foundation Mathematics
• Moral Philosophy
• Fundamentals of Psychology

Tier 2 Disciplinary Foundation

• Business Environment
• Communications Theory
• Information Gathering
• Writing for the Media
• Visual Communications in Mass Media
• Statistics
• Marketing Management
• Organizational Behaviour

Tier 3 Disciplinary Applications

• Social Media
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Mass Media
• Technical Writing and Business Communications
• Professional Communications –Written and Oral
• Media and Government
• Public Relations in Practice and Theory
• Research Methodology

Tier 4 Integrative Applications

Tier 4 courses are the final step in your program.

• Communication Strategy
• Communication Capstone 1
• Communication Capstone 2