Media Studies


Faculty List

  • R. Bai, B.A., M.A. (Beijing Foreign Studies), Ph.D. (Illinois), Associate Professor
  • T.L. Cowan, B.A. (Simon Fraser), M.A., Ph.D. (Alberta), Assistant Professor
  • J. Cudjoe, B.Sc. (Webber International), M.Sc. (Florida International), Ph.D. (Rutgers), Assistant Professor
  • R. Grohmann, B.A. (Juiz de Fora, Brazil), M.A., Ph.D (São Paulo, Brazil), Assistant Professor
  • D. Nieborg, B.A. (Utrecht), M.A. (Utrecht) Ph.D. (Amsterdam), Assistant Professor
  • M. Petit, M.A., Ph.D. (Colorado), Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Emeritus
  • T. Phu, B.A., M.A. (McMaster), Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley), Professor
  • J. Rault, B.A. (Alberta), M.A. (York), Ph.D. (McGill), Assistant Professor
  • S. Yu, B.A. (Simon Fraser), M.I.S. (Yonsei), Ph.D. (Simon Fraser), Associate Professor


A.C.M. Program Manager: M. Hussain  Email: acm-pa@utsc.utoronto.ca

Media are ubiquitous in contemporary society. Every aspect of human experience – the personal, social, economic, political, cultural, moral, and aesthetic – is mediated. We live in a world that is increasingly fragmented yet globally connected; a world saturated with fast-paced, intensive online and mobile communication and the accompanying ads that pay for it; a world in which new documentary formats and interactive ways of knowing about the world such as Virtual Reality (V.R.) are appearing; a world in which YouTube, Snapchat and Social Media have replaced traditional network television for many as sources of news about current events and issues. We live in a world where individuals and the cultural industries and institutions that produce, control, and disseminate media texts and images operate as consciousness industries that influence how we understand ourselves and the world around us. They compete for our attention 24/7, and the distinction between "everyday reality" and "media reality" is becoming increasingly blurred for many. At the same time, the development of digital technologies and the forms of new media they make possible are in the process of destabilizing these very same cultural industries and institutions, including traditional understandings of the role of media and journalism in a democratic capitalist society.

Related Programs
Major (Joint) Program in New Media Studies
Students interested in systematic practice-based and industry-specific training in digital media design and communication should consider applying to the Major (Joint) Program in New Media Studies offered in partnership with Centennial College and listed in the New Media Studies section of the Calendar. Interested students should complete the core first-year courses and submit a Supplementary Application form by the end of the Winter session, please refer to the New Media Studies Program website for details.

Specialist (Joint) Program in Journalism
Students interested in systematic practice-based and industry-specific training as a journalist should consider applying to the Specialist (Joint) Program in Journalism, offered in partnership with Centennial College and listed in the Journalism section of the Calendar. Interested students should contact the ACM Program Manager.

Notes:

  1. Students cannot combine the Minor Program in Media Studies with the Major Program in Media Studies (any of the two streams).
  2. Students cannot combine the Major Program in Media, Journalism and Digital Cultures – Media Studies Stream with the Major Program in Media, Journalism and Digital Cultures – Journalism Stream.
  3. The Major in Media, Journalism and Digital Cultures cannot be combined with the Specialist in Journalism.

Experiential Learning and Outreach
For a community-based experiential learning opportunity in your academic field of interest, consider the course CTLB03H3, which can be found in the Teaching and Learning section of the Calendar.