Bachelor of Media Arts

This guide has been prepared with the information you need to successfully register for your first year at UFV. Please review the information provided on this page thoroughly before contacting your academic advisor with questions.

Overview

The Bachelor of Media Arts prepares students for the changing demands of digital media industries by training technically skilled, creative, and collaborative artists, with an awareness of the history and ethical demands of the digital media field. Students gain professional communication, creative problem solving, and project management skills. Concentrations allow students to specialize based on their chosen career paths and creative passions.

Upon successful completion of the BMA, students will be able to:

1. Situate digital media in historical, cultural, social, and theoretical context.
2. Develop skills in two or more distinct creative fields.
3. Apply professional communication practices in written, oral, and visual forms.
4. Create compelling narratives and stories using digital media.
5. Develop collaborative creative team skills.
6. Develop self-directed ideation, problem solving, and project management skills.
7. Produce creative work using digital media technologies (e.g. films, animation, documentaries, websites, games, interactive learning modules).
8. Apply ethical principles in information sharing, intellectual property, and media law.
9. Perform in creative and managerial roles to professional standards.

Options

Co-operative Education (Co-op) is an option that provides students with the opportunity to acquire paid, career-related work experience in conjunction with their studies in the Bachelor of Media Arts degree program. Students may apply up to six credits of Co-operative Education to the Bachelor of Media Arts degree. Explore the Centre for Experiential Learning and Career Education for more information.

Another option for work experience is an Arts practicum, in which a student is placed with a local industry partner for approximately 10 hours per week over the course of one semester. Contact Tamara.Courage@ufv.ca for more information, or discuss with your academic advisor at your next advising appointment.

Program structure and requirements

Students complete 120 credits for the BMA degree, including core Media requirements and one of five concentrations:

• Digital Entertainment Art: Integrating traditional art and design fundamentals with digital media technologies, this concentration is designed for students interested in concept art, motion design, animation, visual effects, interactive media, and games.
• Digital Performance: Investigating the intersection of live performance and virtual embodied experience, students focus on digital scenography, acting for digital media industries, or creating for immersive experiences, interactive performances, and mixed reality.
• Film: Applied instruction in all areas of film production combined with the study of film as a global media form. Students gain industry-standard technical, creative, and professional skills and will situate their creative practice historically and theoretically.
• Interactive Media: Students design and produce engaging interactive experiences utilizing various digital media platforms such as mobile applications, games, online experiences, and mixed reality.
• Interactive Media Leadership: Students focus on problem-solving, facilitation, and persuasive communication, as well as basic creative production processes, to develop the skills needed to manage creative teams, coordinate work flow, and oversee large projects in new media.

See academic calendar for current requirements.

View a sample program plan outline for Fall 2023

Selective Entrance

Entrance to this program is selective, based on a combination of grades and a portfolio, with possible consideration given to prior academic and/or workplace experience.

Vancouver Film School Pathway

The BMA is one of four UFV Arts degrees available on the Vancouver Film School pathway program. VFS graduates applying for the Bachelor of Media Arts are required to submit a letter of intent and are exempt from submitting a portfolio.

Computer and Software Requirements

All students in the Bachelor of Media Arts program are required to have reliable access to a computer with Adobe Creative Suite. We recommend that students have their own MacBook Pro laptop; however, this is not a requirement for the program. Some courses and/or concentrations may have additional computer or software requirements. Students should consult with the Academic Advisor for Fine Arts, Design, and Media for advice on program and concentration requirements.

Tuition

Please note that all MEDA-designated courses have an alternate tuition rate. For more information on the tuition rates for MEDA courses, please check Bachelor of Media Arts.

Workload

Studying full time at 10 courses per calendar year, students can complete the program in four years. There is no deadline to complete, and credits don’t expire, so attendance can be customized to suit your lifestyle. Note, it is not possible to complete this program online or outside of typical work hours exclusively.

A typical approach for a first-year arts student is to take 3-4 courses to start, equalling about 9-12 hours per week in class. Students should expect to spend the same number of hours on homework as they spend in class weekly. For example, three classes will be approximately 20+ hours per week of schoolwork, both in and out of the classroom. If you are planning on getting a student loan, you must take at least 3 courses or nine credits of coursework in a semester. International students must study full time to meet the terms of their study visa.

Suggested course plan (first semester)

Note: these plans provide one pathway through each concentration, based on completing full-time studies in fall/winter for four years. Students should meet with the BMA Advisor regularly to plan completion based on their own interests and goals.

Please visit the UFV Course Descriptions page on the Academic Calendar and select the area of study to view more detailed course descriptions.

Next steps

Visit the How to Register guide for step-by-step instructions on registration, including tutorial videos. On this page, you can also find links to information on important dates and fee payments.