Broadcast Media Studies, BCMM (Honours)

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Students who are interested in pursuing graduate school or who wish to explore their discipline in more depth are advised to apply for admission into the Honours stream. Core BCMM program requirements are augmented with an advanced research seminar and the completion of an Honours Research Project. Please contact the Communication Student Advisor for more detailed information on admission and course planning for the Honours stream.

Admission Requirements - Honours

To be considered for admission into the Honours stream, students must achieve the following:

Minimum grade of B+ in COMM 3500 and COMM 3738;
Minimum GPA of 3.50 in their core courses; and
Successfully securing an Honours supervisor.

Note: Admission into the Honours stream is competitive and is not guaranteed solely on meeting the above requirements. A student who has already graduated with a Bachelor of Communication may not apply to enter the Honours stream.

Application for Admissions - Honours

Students may apply for admission into the Honours stream in the winter semester immediately after completing 60 credits toward their degree. Applications will be accepted each year from February 15 to April 15. The process for application to the Honours stream can be found by contacting the Communication Student Advisor.

If a student is admitted into the program, they will take COMM 5010 - Communications Honours Seminar in the fall semester of their final year. This will replace COMM 4501 - Roles and Practices in Contemporary Communications taken in the non-Honours stream.

Upon successful completion of COMM 5010, the student will then commence their COMM 5020 - Communications Honours Research Project in the winter of their final year. This will replace one of the six Elective requirements taken in the non-Honours stream.

Program Continuance - Honours

Students admitted to the Honours stream must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50. Students who fail to maintain a semester GPA of 3.50 will lose their place in the Honours stream. Students will normally not be permitted to re-apply to the Honours stream and may do so only with the permission of the Chair of their honours discipline. Students permitted to re-apply must follow the procedures for “application into the Honours stream,” as mentioned above. There is no guarantee that a student will be re-admitted into the Honours stream.

Student Conduct

Broadcast Media Studies students must adhere to MRU’s Code of Student Conduct as well as the expectations of professional industry organizations such as the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, the Ads Standards Council’s Canadian Code of Advertising, and the Association of Electronic Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Any deliberate breaches will result in disciplinary action with transgressions being equated to academic dishonesty, and with consequences as outlined in the Mount Royal Code of Student Conduct.

Work Experience

Students in the Broadcast Media Studies program are required to complete a non-credit, semester-long supervised work experience (a minimum of 12 weeks of full-time work) in the industry. This is an opportunity to further develop their skills in a media-related environment alongside professionals.

To be eligible, all students must complete a range of prerequisites. Because the work involves professional placements, the program chair can, for a fixed period, deny eligibility for the placement to any student who has acted in an inappropriate and unprofessional manner during the preparation phase or during the work experience placement.

Any student who exhibits professional misconduct before or during the placement may be required to withdraw from the program subject to terms of the Student Code of Conduct.

Curriculum

The Broadcast Media Studies, BCMM (Honours) includes three required Common Communication courses, 20 major specific courses, two honours courses, 10 General Education courses, and five electives, for a total of 40 courses over four years.

Common Communication Courses

The three required Common Communication courses for all BCMM students consist of the following:

Major Specific Courses

The major in Broadcast Media Studies consists of 20 courses, all of which are required.

Honours Specific Courses

BCMM Honours students must take the following two courses.

Zero-credit program elements

In addition to the above, students in the Broadcast Media Studies major must complete the following zero-credit requirements:

BMST 4490 - Broadcast Workplace Preparation Seminar *
BMST 4491 - Broadcast Media Work Experience *
*All courses are three credits except zero-credit courses BMST 4490 and BMST 4491.

Electives

Five Elective courses

General Education Requirements

Ten courses must be completed to meet the General Education requirements to graduate with a Bachelor of Communication.

Four courses will be taken at the foundation level: one from each of the four thematic cluster areas.
Three courses will be taken at the second tier: no more than one from a given thematic cluster. One of these courses must be from the Numeracy and Scientific Literacy cluster.
Three courses must be taken at the third tier, selected from at least two of the thematic clusters.

Review details on the nature and structure of General Education .

Graduation Requirements

Degree candidates in the Bachelor of Communication must complete all core program courses with a final grade of “C” or better. Students must achieve a minimum program GPA of 3.50 to be eligible for graduation within the Honours stream. Successful completion of 120 credits and all courses for graduation listed. Successful completion of one zero-credit work placement and the zero-credit work experience preparation seminar.