CHANGES IN THE WORKS - DIGI ARE NOW MEDI
As of May 2025 all courses that formerly had the prefix DIGI have been renamed MEDI. The timetable has been updated to reflect this, but if you have inadvertently enrolled in Fall or Spring 2025 DIGI classes you may receive a message saying you have been unenrolled or that the course is ending.
For more information, please contact the Chair of the department, Joy Gugeler, at joy.gugeler@viu.ca
What's it like in a Media Studies Classroom?
Media Studies bridges the humanities and social sciences by concentrating on the exploratory and experiential areas listed below with expert faculty, classes of 28-34 students, and both essay and project-oriented assignments. Courses explore the convergence of communication, culture, and technology and develop written, oral, visual, and multimedia communication skills to meet both interest and demand.
Classes use academic critique, theory, methodology, and case studies to analyze all iterations of media, pop culture, and propaganda and to reveal how media shapes our personal practices as well as informs broader societal shifts. They also teach technical skills to meet industry standards for coding, filming, recording, and editing, citing best practices for creative projects across platforms.
Collaboration is a hallmark of remix and transmedia movements and invites students to share what they know to demonstrate these literacies in projects, internships, and our annual Media Showcase.
Media Studies is also an excellent complement to other disciplines including: Graphic Design, Creative Writing, Journalism, Publishing, Gender Studies, Indigenous Studies, Global Studies, English, Political Science, Sociology, Computer Science, Information Technology, Management, and many others.
Credit Requirements for Minor and Major
(Updated June 2025)
Minor in Media Studies – 8 courses, of which 4 are upper level = 24 credits
- MEDI 100
- MEDI 110 (formerly DIGI 110)
- + two 100 or 200-level MEDI electives
- MEDI 310
- + three 300 or 400-level MEDI electives
Major in Digital Media Studies – 16 courses, of which 10 are upper level = 48 credits
- MEDI 100
- MEDI 110 (formerly DIGI 110)
- one of the following: INTR 100, MEDI 111, MEDI 113, MEDI 115, MEDI 165, MEDI 202, MEDI 215
- one of the following: MEDI 200, MEDI 205, MEDI 230 (formerly DIGI 230)
- two of the following: MEDI 220 (formerly DIGI 220), MEDI 221 (formerly DIGI 221), MEDI 260 (formerly DIGI 260), MEDI 270 (formerly DIGI 270), MEDI 280 (formerly DIGI 280)
- MEDI 300
- MEDI 302
- MEDI 310
- MEDI 496 (formerly MEDI 495 and DIGI 496)
- + six 300 or 400-level MEDI electives