Media Arts
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:
Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.
Applicants must also submit a portfolio and letter of interest. See ufv.ca/creative-arts/how-to-apply/submit-your-portfolio for details about portfolio requirements.
Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent, and UFV ENGL 091.
Students will be considered on the basis of courses equivalent to Approved B.C. Grade 12 courses. See the Admissions section of the calendar for more information on equivalents to B.C. secondary school graduation.
Students must have B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency, meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125, and have completed an equivalent average of B (equated to the UFV grading system) in two academic Grade 12 courses.
If students have completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program, the B.C. Graduation diploma (B.C. Adult Dogwood), or the General Educational Development (GED) certificate, they may be considered to have the equivalent of B.C. secondary school graduation for admission purposes.
Note: Students who have completed a previous degree are governed by UFV's Subsequent and Concurrent Bachelor Degree policy (98).
Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies and/or a meeting with an Academic Advisor.
Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall and Winter semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.
Admission to the BMA is on a competitive basis. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Students will be admitted based on prior academic success, workplace experience, and portfolio assessment only.
For general information on tuition and ancillary fees, see the Fees and Other Costs section. Please note that all MEDA-designated courses have a differential tuition rate, which covers software licenses and digital media equipment use. For more information on the tuition rates for MEDA courses and computer/software requirements, please check the Bachelor of Media Arts webpage.
For information on financial assistance, students are encouraged to visit the Financial Aid and Awards office.
The BMA program can be completed in four years of full-time study, with students taking 10 courses per calendar year. Actual completion plans will vary from student to student based on a variety of factors.
The BMA is offered in Abbotsford. Students may take electives, if available, in Mission or Chilliwack.
The Co-operative Education option 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 use up to six credits of Co-operative Education as lower-level electives for the Bachelor of Media Arts degree. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.
There are three sets of requirements to note:
Course | Title | Credits |
MACS 130 | Introduction to Digital Media and Communications | 3 |
MEDA 100 | Introduction to Media Arts | 3 |
MEDA 110 | Digital Imaging | 3 |
MEDA 210 | Digital Concept Art | 3 |
MEDA 260 | Exploring Creativity | 3 |
THEA 205 | Foundations of Performance Studies | 3 |
VA 113 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
CMNS 125 | Communicating Professionally to Academic and Workplace Audiences | 3 |
or ENGL 105 | Academic Writing | |
THEA 250/ ENGL 253 | Introduction to Storytelling in Indigenous, Theatrical, and Global Communities | 3 |
or IPK 277 | Indigenous Art: Stories and Protocols | |
One of: | 3 | |
CMNS 126 | Communicating Visually in Organizations | |
CMNS 175 | Writing for the Internet | |
ENGL 104 | Introduction to Creative Writing | |
ENGL 203 | Literature and Film | |
ENGL 208 | Creative Writing: Screenwriting | |
ENGL 211 | Creative Writing: Playwriting | |
ENGL 212 | Creative Writing: Short Fiction | |
ENGL 213 | Creative Writing: Poetry | |
ENGL 215 | Creative Writing: Creative Non-Fiction |
Course | Title | Credits |
MEDA 350 | Critical Studies in Digital Media | 4 |
MEDA 360 | Professional Practices for Creative Digital Industries | 4 |
MEDA 403 | Media Arts Integrated Project | 6 |
SOCA 401 | Critical Theory for Creative Arts | 3 |
Students must complete one of the following concentrations as part of their degree:
Students admitted to the degree should seek advice from the Academic Advisor for Fine Arts, Design, and Media. Students should select courses based on their planned concentration beginning in their first year, and must make a formal declaration of their concentration to the Academic Advisor after completing 15 credits of lower-level core requirements and prior to the completion of 60 credits towards the degree. Exceptions may be made in special circumstances by the Academic Advisor and/or the Director of the School of Creative Arts.
Course | Title | Credits |
MEDA 270 | 3D Modeling and Animation I | 3 |
MEDA 280 | Game Engines I | 3 |
MEDA 330 | Compositing | 3 |
MEDA 370 | 3D Modeling and Animation II | 3 |
MEDA 380 | Game Engines II | 3 |
MEDA 385 | Art and Design for Virtual Reality | 3 |
THEA 111 | Acting Skills for Work and Life | 3 |
VA 101 | Figure Drawing | 3 |
VA 221 | Drawing II | 3 |
or VA 222 | Figure Painting | |
VA 321 | Painting/Drawing III | 3 |
One of: | 3 | |
AH 100 | History of Art and Culture in a Global Context | |
AH 102 | Art and Culture in the West from 1400 to the Present | |
AH 205 | Art Practices and Popular Culture | |
GD 102 | History of Graphic Design |
Course | Title | Credits |
THEA 105 | Reading and Writing About Drama | 3 |
THEA 112 | Acting I: Essentials of Acting | 3 |
THEA 125 | Technical Theatre III: Technical Controls for Performance | 3 |
THEA 311 | Digital Performance | 4 |
THEA 352 | Devised Theatre I | 4 |
Two of: | 6 | |
MEDA 270 | 3D Modeling and Animation I | |
MEDA 280 | Game Engines I | |
THEA 206 | Dramaturgy | |
THEA 211 | Acting II: Character and Scene Study | |
THEA 215 | Voice and Body I | |
Three of: | 9-12 | |
MEDA 370 | 3D Modeling and Animation II | |
MEDA 380 | Game Engines II | |
MEDA 385 | Art and Design for Virtual Reality | |
THEA 312 | Acting III: Advanced Scene Study and Auditioning | |
THEA 314 | Postmodern Approaches to Physical Performance | |
THEA 315 | Voice and Body II | |
THEA 351 | Directing I | |
THEA 370 | Design for the Theatre | |
THEA 451 | Directing II | |
THEA 452 | Devised Theatre II |
Course | Title | Credits |
FILM 110 | Introduction to Film Studies | 3 |
FILM 211 | Film in a Global Age | 3 |
FILM 212 | History of Film | 3 |
FILM 260 | Video Production Techniques I | 3 |
FILM 261 | Video Production Techniques II | 3 |
FILM 360 | Video Production III: Storytelling and the Director | 3 |
FILM 361 | Video Production IV: Short Film Project | 3 |
MEDA 330 | Compositing | 3 |
MEDA 385 | Art and Design for Virtual Reality | 3 |
THEA 112 | Acting I: Essentials of Acting | 3 |
Two of: | 6 | |
FILM 311 | Gender, Sexuality, and Film | |
FILM 312 | India on Film | |
FILM 313 | Indigenous Film | |
FILM 320 | Special Topics in Film Studies | |
MACS 399K | Globalization and Film |
Course | Title | Credits |
GD 101 | Fundamentals of Design | 3 |
GD 202 | Interactive Design I: Foundations in Web Design | 3 |
GD 304 | User Experience Design | 3 |
MEDA 270 | 3D Modeling and Animation I | 3 |
MEDA 280 | Game Engines I | 3 |
MEDA 370 | 3D Modeling and Animation II | 3 |
MEDA 380 | Game Engines II | 3 |
MEDA 385 | Art and Design for Virtual Reality | 3 |
THEA 111 | Acting Skills for Work and Life | 3 |
One of: | 3-4 | |
CIS 145 | Web Publishing | |
COMP 120 | Computing for the Sciences | |
COMP 150 | Introduction to Programming | |
COMP 152 | Introduction to Structured Programming | |
GD 204 | Interactive Design II: Web Development for Designers |
Course Repeat policy (86): Students may not register for a course more than twice without the permission of the department head/director for the discipline or their designate. All attempts will be recorded on the transcript, but only the highest grade will be included in the GPA. Transfer courses are considered in the number of attempts. A “W” or “AU” course is not counted as a duplication. Multiple repeats of the same course count as a single duplication.
Undergraduate Continuance policy (92): Students must have a CGPA of at least 2.00 to remain in good academic standing. Failure to meet or maintain a 2.00 will result in restrictions on registration and may lead to academic suspension.
Subsequent and Concurrent Bachelor Degree policy (98): Students who have already completed a degree at the bachelor’s level may be granted an additional bachelor’s degree provided that the two degrees are different, and that the student has met the program requirements. Students will complete at least one third of the total credits required for the additional degree, including at least 30 additional upper-level credits, beyond the credits taken in the first or concurrent degree. All 30 upper-level credits must be obtained through completion of UFV courses.
Transfer Credit policy (107) and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) policy (94): Students who successfully complete academic course work at another post-secondary institution can transfer this credit to UFV to satisfy BMA degree requirements. They can also earn academic credit through an assessment of prior learning.
To meet the residency requirement of the BMA, the following restrictions apply:
Students are responsible for ensuring they are eligible to graduate, and should regularly consult with the Academic Advisor for Fine Arts, Design, and Media. To be eligible to graduate, students must have:
Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.
For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.