Undergraduate programs

At the intersection of media, art, culture and technology, the Faculty of Communication, Art & Technology is situated precisely where some of the most important developments of our time are being uncovered. Undergraduate programs in FCAT provide our students with the opportunity to study across disciplines not only within our faculty but the wider university. This access to a diverse academic environment gives students the critical thinking, creative, and collaborative tools they need to succeed, whether in communications, art or design. Learn more about our undergraduate opportunities below.

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School of Communication

The School of Communication emphasizes critical thinking, reading, analysis and production in the field of communication. Students will study the cultures, histories, technologies, and ideologies of the media and communication infrastructures in our society. Students work in groups to apply theories of communication to promote social change and community engagement while professors address the most pressing environmental, economic, technological and political issues in our society through the translation of theory and research into practice and action. Through co-op work placements, students gain hands-on experience to take their studies from the classroom to the real world. Successful communication graduates are literate in media and information technologies with an understanding of social and ethical implications.

Subject areas:

Media and Culture
Technology and Society
Political Economy and Policy

CMNS alumni can be found working in a variety of sectors from non-profit organizations to entrepreneurial start-ups and media outlets. Their versatile skills and critical thinking give them an advantage as they navigate the ever-changing field of communication.

MADISON GALTS, BA 2018

Digital Communications Specialist

ICBC

"Communication opened my eyes to the power of media. While working in the industry, I have a much greater sense of responsibility by understanding the impact of both traditional and social media. I loved studying communication because the classes focus on a diverse spectrum of real-world problems including colonialism, the portrayal of women and people of colour in media, and the framing of climate change. I connected with like-minded classmates who turned into life-long friends. My degree helped me hone my writing skills, learn to think more critically, and expose and challenge my own bias. I now use critical thinking all the time while developing communications strategies and creative content.”

KEVIN CHAN, BA 2014

Communications Manager

Developmental Disabilities Association

“The Communication program taught me to think critically about media, judge the credibility of information, and feel comfortable doing my own research while being aware of biases. It also taught me how to create my own powerful messaging that I use to empower communities as a non-profit communicator. Communication at SFU is a unique program because many of the courses are constantly updated to keep up with the ways technology is changing how we communicate. The SFU communication co-op program opened my eyes to future opportunities which gave me added motivation to work towards my goals.”

Learn more about the School of Communication

School of Interactive Arts & Technology

The School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) equips students with a practical understanding of the design, development, and study of digital technologies in a human-centered context. Students in SIAT combine the study of human cognition, the analysis of media and culture, the production of art and design, and the application of new technologies — all in an effort to solve problems, tell stories, and explore the intersection of art, science, culture and the humanities.

SIAT offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs, as well as joint degrees with communication and business. Through a combination of hands-on projects and assignments, co-op work placements, and international field schools, SIAT students gain real-world experience throughout their degrees, preparing them for a variety of dynamic, technology-oriented careers.

Concentrations:

Interactive Systems
Media Arts
Design

SIAT alumni work in a variety of fields including interactive design, online technology, film and the creative industries. They can be found at organizations such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Electronic Arts using their skills to create meaningful interactive media experiences.

SEAN LEACH, BA 2019

Product Designer

Instagram

“The people you meet in SIAT are truly incredible, and I have developed life-long friendships with people who started off as classmates. SIAT offers so many different opportunities outside of the classroom. I took part in two field schools studying design and architecture in the Netherlands and Italy. The experiences I had there taught me how different types of learning can broaden our perspectives. I also had multiple opportunities to get industry experience which prepared me for life after graduation. I was able to complete three internships during my undergrad, one of them ending with a full-time job offer at Instagram (which I gladly accepted!).”

SYDNEE MCLEOD, BA 2019

Community Manager

Norsfell

“The SIAT program was unlike anything I’d heard of before, and I wanted to be part of a program that was exploring how tech could be combined with the arts. SIAT covers such a wide variety of creative areas from graphic design to video editing, to game design. I think that benefitted me as I gained different skills, whether they be art-related or more on the technical side of things. I focused mainly on the arts side of the program, and on classes about why people use technology the way they do. The SIAT co-op program helped me to polish up my resume and cover letter, which I believe set a foundation for getting a job. Co-op also had opportunities for networking events, which led to interviews. I always knew I wanted to work in the games industry, and I now work at a games company as a Community Manager for a PC title. I use a little bit of something I learned in (nearly) every class in my job now.”

Learn more about the School of Interactive Arts & Technology

School for the Contemporary Arts

The School for the Contemporary Arts, situated in one of downtown Vancouver’s most dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods, offers a unique curriculum in which studio classes in dance, film, music/sound, theatre performance and production, and visual art are integrated with the historical and theoretical study of the arts. This meeting of creative practice with academic enquiry is a core value of the school and is enhanced by their attention to critical contemporary issues as well as their commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration both within the classroom and beyond. Today’s world is facing unprecedented economic, social, and environmental pressures that demand flexible and creative responses. In this rapidly changing landscape, the school encourages students to see art as a powerful instrument for critical expression. Their internationally renowned faculty members focus on equipping students with the skills, discipline, understanding and creativity to excel in the arts in Canada and around the world.

Majors:

Dance
Film
Music & Sound
Theatre Performance
Theatre Production & Design
Visual Art
Art, Performance & Cinema Studies (APCS)

KATHLEEN HEPBURN, BFA 2007

Filmmaker

Kathleen Hepburn is a Vancouver born writer and director whose celebrated films have shown in festivals nationally and internationally, including her debut feature, Never Steady, Never Still, which premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival, and The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open, which was co-written and co-directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.

KRYSTLE COUGHLIN, MFA 2019

Visual Artist

Krystle Coughlin is a Vancouver-based artist from the Selkirk First Nation in the Yukon. Her work is multidisciplinary, with a focus on two-dimensional composition and Indigenous aesthetics. Her work has been included in multiple exhibitions, locally and nationally. Krystle was a finalist for the 2018 RBC Canadian Painting Competition.

MILTON LIM, BFA (HONOURS) 2012

Theatre maker & Performer

Milton Lim is a theatre director and multi-disciplinary performer based out of Vancouver. His practice oscillates between multimedia and various modes of performance. Milton is a co-artistic director of the interdisciplinary collective, Hong Kong Exile, an Artistic Associate with Theatre Conspiracy, a key archivist with videocan, and a co-creator of culturecapital: the performing arts economy trading card game.

Learn more about the School for the Contemporary Arts

Programs, pathways and special courses

Publishing Program

Integrating advanced industry practice with insights gained from applied research, the Publishing Program challenges students with dynamic seminar courses and intensive simulation projects.

Minor in Print and Digital Publishing

Learn more about the Publishing Program

FCAT BA Double Minor Program

The BA Double Minor Program is for students wishing to acquire knowledge in two program areas for their BA degree. However, instead of pursing a major or a joint major program, they purse two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors, where at least one of the program areas live within the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT).

Learn more about FCAT BA Double Minor Program

Certificate in Digital Journalism

This program provides an introduction to and experience in diverse forms of public communication that draw on journalistic traditions that are being transformed by digital platforms and data driven communication. Students with this certificate will gain interdisciplinary experience and have a unique qualification to be ready to enter the rapidly changing world of digital journalism.

Learn more about Certificate in Digital Journalism

Certificate in Sound

The certificate provides a credential to acknowledge an interdisciplinary grounding in the study of sound through its study in all three schools within FCAT.

Learn more about Certificate in Sound

Semester in Podcasting

This full-time semester long course teaches students how to develop and produce their own podcast. The Semester in Podcasting: Untold Stories doesn’t just ask what your story is, but invites you to explore the best way to tell it, and gives you the tools to do so. By putting the tools of storytelling in your hands, we invite you to explore how audio storytelling can give voice to the many communities who define you.

Learn more about Semester in Podcasting

Semester in Alternate Realities

Semester in Alternate Realities proposes a unique educational experience meant to inspire interdisciplinary teams to solve a real-world problem exploring technologies currently referred to as xR (ranging from Virtual reality (VR) to Augmented (AR) and Mixed reality (MR)).

Learn more about Semester in Alternate Realities

Fraser International College

The partnershp of SFU and Fraser International College (FIC) offers international students a unique pathway to an undergraduate degree at SFU.

Learn more about Fraser International College

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology