Explore Media and Public Interest at Western University! Engage in social justice issues & gain real-world experience. Apply now for international students!
Program Description Students in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Media and the Public Interest will learn about fake news, the power of social media and how Facebook and Google profit from our online profiles. They will c onduct research, write essays and debate a wide range of media topics. Uncover the controversies swirling around large data breaches and mass surveillance. This program is design to help students d evelop their media production knowledge, study media and understand how to produce it. Students will create media and develop creative content through elective courses. They will d iscover how money, politics, culture and society interact with and influence technologies like smart phones, social media and digital advertising. FIMS will teach why these things matter. The focus on Media and the Public Interest guides students to learn how to make a difference through the lens of media. For those moved by the crisis in Darfur, the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, and who want to work for a public service or a non-profit organization, the Media and the Public Interest (MPI) program might be the perfect choice. The MPI program is the only one of its kind in Canada and connects issues of communication and media to social justice issues such as democracy, equity, class, race, and gender. Students in MPI examine social movements and how media can be used to further these causes. Some example courses in the MPI program include Alternative Media, Social Movements and Media, and Activism in Mainstream Media. Match critical media studies with real-world experiences A primary goal of the program is to connect media theory learned in the classroom to real world experiences. Students are encouraged to put what they learn to use. Many of the courses feature a service learning component or practicum that gives students the opportunity to volunteer in a community organization. NOTE: Please note the English scores listed are minimum requirements. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission. Students with low English scores may be admitted to the English BOOST Program, a 9 week training program for conditional admission to their chosen program.
