Media Studies Electives (2026-27)

Below is a list of approved MST electives for Spring/Summer 2026 and Fall 2026/Winter 2027. To view lists of approved MST electives from previous years, please visit the MST Approved Electives Archive.

Please note:
  • It is important to follow the program requirements for the year you were admitted. See the Calendar archive and select the appropriate year.
  • Below are the courses from the approved calendar list of electives that are running in Spring/Summer 2026 and Fall 2026/Winter 2027.
  • Courses with an asterisk (*) are also approved for the specified term, but are not yet in the University Calendar. Once you have successfully completed one of these courses, it will be manually moved on your Academic Requirements Report.
  • Check Bear Tracks carefully for specific enrollment instructions and course information, and contact the department offering the class if you have further questions.

Spring 2026

Approved Electives:
  • ART 134 - Art Fundamentals
  • DES 135 - Design Fundamentals
  • ENGL 303 - Digital Culture
  • ENGL 384 - Popular Culture
  • HIST 115 - Technology & History*
  • MUSIC 245 - Intro to Music Technologies
  • WGS 101 - Representations of Girls and Women

SUMMER 2026

Approved Electives:
  • DES 135 - Design Fundamentals
  • MST 499 - Special Topics in Media Studies (Topic: AI Systems & Ethics)
  • WGS 101 - Representations of Girls and Women

Fall 2026 & Winter 2027

Media Studies Clusters and Career Pathways
To support intentional program planning, Media Studies electives are grouped into six thematic clusters. These clusters are not mandatory, but they help students explore connections between course interests and potential career paths. Each cluster includes a sample career direction and related job titles, along with Canadian NOC codes where applicable.

What is NOC?
The National Occupation Classification (NOC) is Canada’s official system for organizing and describing jobs. It helps students understand how their university studies connect to real-world careers by listing common job titles, skill requirements, and employment sectors.

Why it matters:
We use NOC codes to show how Media Studies skills align with careers like content creation, digital design, public policy, and more. It’s a helpful tool for exploring job options, building résumés, and planning your next steps after graduation.

What’s Your Path? Take the Quiz

🎬 Media History & Popular Culture

Explore how media have evolved across time and culture, and how popular forms like film, television, and print shape public imagination and identity.

Fall 2026

  • C LIT 210 - Literature in the Digital Age
  • C LIT 440 - Comparative Studies in Popular Culture
  • ENGL 483 - Studies in Popular Culture (Topic: Indigenous Women’s Detective Fiction)
  • FREN 445 - Contemporary Cinema in French
  • FS 201 - Introduction to Film History I
  • FS 203 - Television from Broadcasting to Screen Cultures
  • FS 309 - Quebec Film
  • FS 341 - Television Genres
  • FS 399 - Special Topics in Film Studies (Topic: Screenwriting) LEC A01 Only)*
  • FS 410 - Topics in Filmmakers (Topic: Stanley Kubrick)
  • HIST 115 - Technology and History
  • HIST 486 - Topics in the History of Technology (Topic: History of Spaceflight)
  • SOC 444 - Critical Media Studies
  • SPAN 325 - Introduction to Cinema

Winter 2027

  • C LIT 228 - Literature, Popular Culture, and the Visual Arts
  • C LIT 352 - Literature and Other Arts
  • ENGL 397 - History of the Book
  • FS 202 - Introduction to Film History II
  • FS 215 - Introduction to Film Theory
  • FS 324 - Monsters, Slashers, and Ghosts
  • FS 333 - Experimental Films
  • GERM 343 - Cultures in the 20th and 21st Centuries
  • HADVC 256 - History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture in the Contemporary Era
  • HIST 115 - Technology and History
  • HIST 203 - History of Computing*
  • ITAL 420 - Italian Cinema*

Related Job Titles:

  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications Specialist, Digital Marketing Consultant, Public Relations Consultant, etc.
  • Writing, translating and related communications professionals (NOC 5111)
    • News Editor, Broadcast Journalist, Sports Columnist, etc.
  • Authors and writers (NOC 51111)
    • Advertising Copywriter, Interactive Media Writer, Script Writer, etc.

🧠 Media Theory, Politics & Society

Analyze systems and structures that shape media institutions, platforms, and policies, including surveillance, bias, and digital governance. 

Fall 2026

  • ENGL 395 - Topics in Print Culture and Media Studies (Topic: Banned Comics)
  • FS 412 - Topics in Film Studies (Topic: Prisons & Cinematic Imagination)
  • MLCS 231 - Language and Power*
  • POL S 298 - Topics in Political Science (Topic: Politics of Digital Technologies) LEC A01 Only*
  • POL S 470 - Comparative Topics in Politics (Topic: Communications Policy in Canada) LEC A01 Only*
  • SOC 226 - Surveillance Studies
  • STS 200 - Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

Winter 2027

  • EASIA 422 - Urban Crime Film in East Asia*
  • ENGL 485 - Topics in Media Studies (Topic: Misinformation, Truth, and Epistemology) LEC X50 Only*
  • MST 499 - Special Topics in Media Studies (Topic: New Media Narratives)
  • PHIL 365 - Philosophy of Computing
  • PHIL 385 - Ethics and Artificial Intelligence*
  • POL S 448 - Gender Politics and Mass Media
  • SOC 226 - Surveillance Studies
  • SOC 347 - Intermedia, Environment, & Communication Theory*
  • STS 200 - Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

Related Job Titles:

  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications Specialist, Digital Marketing Consultant, Public Relations Consultant, etc.
  • Policy researcher, consultant, program office  (NOC 41400)
    • Policy Analyst, Digital Media Consultant, Communications Policy Researcher, etc.
  • Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41403)
    • Indigenous Affairs Officer, International Aid/Development Researchers, Social Policy Analyst, etc.

🎨 Visual Culture & Design

Develop visual literacy and creative design skills by working with artistic media, digital tools, and communication theory.

Fall 2026

  • Art 134 - Art Fundamentals
  • Art 350 - Media Art: Digital Media I*
  • Design 135 - Design Fundamentals
  • DES 393 - Visual Communication Design Foundations I*

Winter 2027

  • ART 134 - Art Fundamentals
  • ART 350 - Media Art: Digital Media I
  • DES 135 - Design Fundamentals
  • DES 394 - Visual Communication Design Foundations II*
  • FS 321 - Animation

Related Job Titles:

  • Graphic designer and illustrator (NOC 52120)
    • Digital Media Designer, Visual Content Designer, Web Graphics Designer, etc.
  • Web designer  (NOC 21233)
    • Interactive Media Developer, User Experience (UX) Designer, Multimedia Interface Developer, etc.
  • Occupations in art and culture (NOC 531)
    • Photographer, Creative and Performing Arts, Gallery/Museum Worker, etc.

🎮 Games & Interactive Media

Understand games and interactive platforms as cultural texts and design environments. Develop skills in narrative systems and media critique.

Fall 2026

  • MST 260 - Language and the Internet
  • MST 350 - Understanding Video Games
  • MST 351 - Understanding Video Games

Winter 2027

  • HIST 191 - Video Games, History, and Storytelling
  • INT D 350 - Game Design Principles and Practice
  • INT D 450 - Computers and Games
  • MLCS 399 - Special Topics (Topic: Slavic Gaming Culture) LEC B02 Only*
  • MST 399 - Special Topics in Media Studies (Topic: Retro Game Design)
  • MST 399 - Special Topics in Media Studies (Topic: Constructed Languages)

Related Job Titles:

  • Graphic designer and illustrator (NOC 52120)
    • Game Designer, etc.
  • Software developers and programmers (NOC 21232)
    • Animation Programmer, AI Programmer, Computer Game Developer, etc.
  • Information systems testing (NOC 22222)
    • Application Tester, Software Tester, User Acceptance Testing, etc.

🎧 Music, Sound & Media Technologies

Examine how music, sound, and digital media technologies shape culture, identity, and storytelling across platforms. 

Fall 2026

  • EASIA 372 - K-Pop and Korean Culture
  • MUSIC 103 - Introduction to Popular Music

Winter 2027

  • MST 299 - Special Topics in Media Studies (Topic: Introduction to Digital Media Practice)
  • MUSIC 103 - Introduction to Popular Music
  • MUSIC 170 - Introduction to Composition and Sonic Arts*
  • MUSIC 203 - Issues in Popular Music Studies
  • MUSIC 445 - Electroacoustic Music

Related Job Titles:

  • Audio and video recording technicians (NOC 52113)
    • Audiovisual Technician, Recording Engineer, Sound Effects Editor, etc.
  • Technical and coordinating occupations in media (NOC 52119)
    • Music Program Planner, Production Coordinator, Studio Manager, etc.
  • Media management (NOC 50011)
    • Media Administrator, Copyright and Royalties Manager, Music Licensing Director, etc.

🌍 Identity, Representation & Media

Explore how media intersects with race, gender, sexuality, and power. Learn to critique and create media that supports inclusion and justice.

Fall 2026

  • ENGL 387 - Youth Cultures
  • FS 318 - Science Fiction Film
  • MLCS 210 - Approaches to Cultural Studies
  • WGS 101 - Representations of Girls and Women
  • WGS 220 - Feminism and Popular Culture
  • WGS 298 - Critical Issues (Topic: Feminist Media Studies) LEC 800 Only*
  • WGS 498 - Special Topics (Topic: Technology and Transgender Studies) SEM A01 Only*

Winter 2027

  • FS 412 - Topics in Film Studies (Topic: Indigenous Women’s Media)
  • SPAN 333 - Reading Popular Culture*
  • WGS 101 - Representations of Girls and Women
  • WGS 220 - Feminism and Popular Culture

Related Job Titles:

  • Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 41403)
    • Indigenous Affairs Officer, International Aid/Development Researchers, Social Policy Analyst, etc.
  • Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202)
    • Communications Specialist, Digital Marketing Consultant, Public Relations Consultant, etc.
  • Business development officers and market researchers and analysts (NOC 41402)
    • Business Issues Lobbyist, Community Development Consultant, International Marketing Specialist, etc.

If your Academic Requirements Report does not reflect a course you have successfully completed, please contact the Undergraduate Advisor (mtsug@ualberta.ca).