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2024-2025 Academic Calendar | York University Faculty of Graduate Studies

Communication & Culture

Posted on 17 August 2022

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LocationEmail AddressProgram Website
3004 Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Buildingcomcult@yorku.cayorku.ca/gradstudies/cmct/

A Joint Program of York University and Toronto Metropolitan University

The Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture is a unique partnership of York University and Toronto Metropolitan University. The Joint program combines academic and professional work, with the objective of promoting the application of critical theory and research to contemporary issues and practices in communication and culture. It brings together perspectives from the social sciences, humanities and fine arts, and communication- and media-related professions, and aims to encourage critical and innovative thinking, research, and practice. The curriculum reflects the view that advanced work in this field requires not only a thorough grounding in critical theory and method but also a grasp of the policies, practices, processes, and technologies in contemporary communication and cultural production.

Drawing on faculty members from many programs in both universities, the program’s curriculum is structured around three distinct but inter-related areas of study:

  • Media and Culture
  • Politics and Policy
  • Technology in Practice: Applied Perspectives

The curriculum features required core courses for both the MA and PhD foundation courses in each area, and a wide range of electives, including courses mounted especially for this program.

Program requirements have been designed to serve the needs of both full-time and part-time students and courses are offered at both universities. Offerings include opportunities for directed studies, directed research, and field placements (in public and private institutions).

The focus of the program is on critical theory, research, and analysis of media, cultural practices, professional practice, institutions, production, and technology. The doctoral program is research-oriented and is designed to provide advanced training for candidates intending to pursue careers in research and post-secondary teaching.

Admission Requirements

MA

PhD

Graduates with an honours degree or equivalent from a recognized university in social sciences, humanities, fine arts, or a related applied program (such as media production or communication technology), with at least a B+ average in the final two years of study, may be considered for admission to the MA program.

Applicants are expected to provide evidence of a high level of achievement in writing, research, or cultural production and of commitment to advanced work in communication and culture. Students whose first language is not English must have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 600.

Admission to the PhD program requires demonstrated capacity to undertake advanced study in communication and culture, normally through completion of the MA in communication and/or cultural studies or in a related academic or professional field (or equivalent), with a high level of accomplishment (normally a minimum of B+ average or equivalent). Students whose first language is not English must have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 600.

In addition to the submission of transcripts from all universities attended and three letters of reference, applicants are also asked to submit a statement of interest (or proposed plan of study) and a sample of their written (or other relevant) work.

Applicants applying on the basis that their academic and professional credentials are equivalent to an honours degree (for the MA program) or to a master’s/magisteriate degree (for the PhD) must make the case for equivalency in their statements of interest or in a covering letter as part of their applications.

Note: Students lacking background in theories relevant to the study of communication and culture or knowledge of relevant technologies may be required to take upgrading courses as a condition of admission for the MA or PhD.

Degree Requirements

MA

PhD

MA

All students must complete the following six half courses:
Communication & Culture 6002 3.0: Research Methodologies
Communication & Culture 6004 3.0: Communication and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Communication & Culture 6005 3.0: Research Specialization and Practice

Students are required to take one elective course offered internally by the Communication & Culture program in EACH of the three areas of specialization:

  • Media and Culture
  • Politics and Policy
  • Technology in Practice: Applied Perspectives

Students may complete the degree by Master’s Research Paper, Thesis, or Project.

Students must successfully complete 9 half courses plus a master’s Research Paper:

  • 6 required half courses (as listed above); and,
  • 3 additional half courses selected from the list of elective courses offered by the program. A maximum of two elective courses may only be taken outside of the program with permission from the program(s).

Students must undertake research and produce a 50-75 page paper on an approved topic, working under the supervision of a faculty member appointed to the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture. The paper is assessed by the supervisor and an arms-length second reader.

Students must successfully complete 8 half courses plus a thesis or project:

  • 6 required half courses (as listed above); and,
  • 2 additional half courses selected from the list of elective courses offered by the program; other elective courses outside the program may only be taken with permission from the program(s).

Students may choose between an MA thesis or MA Project and Paper.

MA Degree by Thesis
In addition to coursework, students must undertake original research under the direction of three faculty members (normally at least one from each university). The principal supervisor must be a member of the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture. Students must submit a thesis (of about 100-120 pages) based on original research. The thesis can take a variety of forms, including monograph, manuscript-based, complex digital, or multimodal, in line with Faculty of Graduate Studies Regulations. Students are required to defend the thesis at an oral examination.

MA Degree by Project
In addition to coursework, the project option permits MA students to report on advanced work in non-traditional ways. Projects could include an audio, video, or multimedia production, a website or network design, a photo essay, technical manual, or strategic information plan, among many possible examples. The required project paper (about 30 pages) must document the work involved, place it in the context of theory and practice in the field, and explain its theoretical and/or methodological contribution to the field of communication and culture (i.e., demonstrate how it ‘breaks new ground’). The work is done under the direction of three faculty members (normally including one from each university). The principal supervisor must be a member of the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture. Candidates are required to defend the project/paper at an oral examination.

The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 5 terms. For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 5 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 5 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.

PhD

Students must take a minimum of six half-courses including:
Communication & Culture 7000 3.0: Perspectives in Communication and Cultural Studies, and,
Communication & Culture 7200 3.0: Advanced Research Methodologies; and,
Communication & Culture 7005 3.0: PhD Field Seminar: Disciplinary Practices.

Students must select a major area of specialization: a minimum of two half courses as selected from in-program electives, and a minor specialization: a minimum of one half course [which may be taken in a related program only with permission of the program(s)].

In-program courses are to be selected from:

  • Media and Culture
  • Politics and Policy
  • Technology in Practice: Applied Perspectives

Upon completion of the above course work students are required to complete their qualifying examination (also called comprehensive exams) as described below:

PhD candidates must demonstrate an overall command of the field and of the major and minor areas of area specialization by passing both written and oral components of the comprehensive examination. The examination is normally taken by the end of the second year of registration (or by the end of the third year for part-time students). The examination tests the student’s grasp of the history of the field, its central themes and debates, and the key theoretical and methodological issues. The examination also reflects the diversity of perspectives in the areas of specialization. Successful completion of both the written and oral components of the examination demonstrates that the candidate is qualified to teach at the university level and has the level of knowledge in her/his area of specialization needed to begin work on the dissertation.

The expected outcome of the qualifying examination is that the candidate prepares a formal dissertation proposal, under the direction of an advisory committee of program-faculty (normally at least one from each university). Upon completion of the qualifying exams, the formal proposal is submitted for approval by the thesis committee and the graduate program.

Candidates are required to develop the proposal into an original thesis that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the field. The thesis can take a variety of forms, including monograph, manuscript-based, complex digital, or multimodal, in line with Faculty of Graduate Studies Regulations. The dissertation is submitted to the examining committee for review and oral examination.

There are no specific requirements, but students are required to be competent in those languages or cognate skills essential to their research.

The PhD program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

Normal degree completion time for full-time PhD students is 18 terms (6 years). Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.