Cinema & Media Studies
Cinema & Media Studies
The Cinema and Media Arts Program in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design is a unique interdisciplinary program combining traditional scholarship with extensive opportunities for engaged, hands-on learning in the field of Cinema and Media Arts.
The Cinema and Media Studies Program, leading to an BA Honours degree, focuses on history, theory, criticism, curation, and producing of cinema and other media-rich arts, such as gaming and social media forms. Students learn to understand film, television and other moving images in relation to history, criticism, technology and aesthetics. They encounter a diverse world of cinema and media, and learn vital skills that will help them become leaders in our future world – a world that is increasingly interconnected through modes of communication and interaction that relay cinematic and moving images.
Through coursework students will develop specialized knowledge and critical understanding of multiple fields of cinema and media studies including genre, authorship, national and transnational cinemas, technologies of the image, and cultural theory. Students wishing to pursue careers in the cultural industries will have the opportunity for engaged learning in the areas of producing, marketing, the business of film, curating, and festival programming. In addition to practice-based workshops and specialized assignments, students can expect opportunities for placements and internships with a broad array of organizations, such as local film and media festivals such as TIFF and Images Festival, independent distribution companies, the National Film Board of Canada, the Ontario Art Gallery, film magazines and journals, independent production companies, archives, and many more.
- Our students pursue careers in the media industries, cultural organizations and/or academia.
- Our graduates in Cinema & Media Studies go on to study in master's and doctoral programs at universities throughout the world.
- Throughout the year, the Norman Jewison Series features presentations by guest speakers from the industry, offering all majors an up-to-the-minute insider's look at the working world of film production, expanded cinema and media arts.
- York's Sound and Moving Image Library (SMIL) houses a multidisciplinary media collection available to the York University community for educational, research and personal use. SMIL collections include 100,000 CDs and DVDs for loan, 150,000 audio and video files for online access, and a large archive of historial formats for research.
Program Details
Offered By
Degrees Offered
Fall Entry
Winter Entry
Summer Entry
Ways to Study
Sample Schedule (First-year)
- Making Media
- Film Art: An Introduction
- Introduction to Screenwriting
- Introduction to Television Studies
Possible Career Paths
- film/media festival programmer
- film, television or media producer
- media critic
- Cinema/media scholar
Viewbooks
Admission Requirements
I am a high-school student I have completed at least one year of full-time study at college or university I have been away from high-school for at least two years I have never studied in a formal academic high-school environment Returning / Reactivating student (previously York) Visiting StudentsBA
BA
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- Minimum overall result of “Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good” on all academic courses.
- Some programs require a higher GPA.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
- CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BA
- Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- Some programs require higher. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 4.0 or 70%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
- Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
- Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 55%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Indian School Certificate (ISC)
- Intermediate Examination Certificate
- Pre-University Examination Certificate
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
BA
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
- Grade 12 graduation with a minimum overall average of "B" on Grade 11 and Grade 12 academic courses is required to be considered for most programs. Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- SAT or ACT scores are not required for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam.
- SATs/ACTs are considered in combination with high school grades.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
For Fall (September) 2021 and Winter (January) 2022 entry, York University will deem the SAT/ACT as optional for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam. However, students who have completed a standardized test are encouraged to submit their test scores as it may support your application for competitive programs. SAT/ACT scores must be sent electronically from the College Board directly to York. Please browse the section below for pre-requisites and detailed admission requirements.
Note: An SAT/ACT test will be required from students who are not enrolled in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam or have not studied in a formal academic high-school environment.
BA
- AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BA
BA
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.
Connect with the Division of Students