English and Communication and Media Studies
Welcome
We offer degrees in English and in Communication and Media Studies, diplomas such as Creative Writing and certificates in Indigenous Studies or Film Studies. All of our programs are designed to help you read closely, think critically, and write effectively. These shared purposes help us to be informed about our world, to be capable of accurately describing it and deciding how to live with it and act in it.
How you express yourself is cultural. Our stories, and yours, all shape our culture, communities, and social circles. We can鈥檛 rely on others to know and tell these stories; we shouldn鈥檛 bring a forklift to the gym (Chiang, 2024). A degree in literature or communication and media studies is 鈥淧ilates for emotional intelligence鈥� (Bruni, 2026). Many of us simply love these fields and what they can teach us. Reflecting emotionally and analytically on these sources of knowledge can help you figure out what you want to do with your life鈥攁nd how.
The American columnist and professor Frank Bruni claims, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine any profession or any world in which better communicators aren鈥檛 better off鈥� (2026). Statistics show that people with degrees in the humanities gain jobs with earnings that are comparable to those in many of the sciences, health services, the trades, some fields of engineering, and beyond (鈥淓mployment,鈥� 2023). Often, our practice with language can lead to management positions, where knowing how to communicate with sensitivity and authority, verbally and in writing, is key.
Your Skills at Work
Anyone can tell a story, but it helps to have knowledge and skill. People who know what makes a good story tend to be effective presenters, whether they are teachers, managers, or CEOs (Harrison, 2015). People who study creativity, history, philosophy, and related areas (together called the humanities) understand what motivates activism and policy change in corporate and political leadership; they also know precedents and tactics for engaging politically as citizens with a stake in democracy (Foley, 2020).
You can learn this too. A long-term study of university graduates identifies strategic thinking, investigative research, creative problem-solving, and persuasive communication as skills that they gained from the humanities (Moseley-Christian, 2025). Through literature, theatre, comics, creative writing, film, video games, and social media, we can work with you develop these competencies and expertise.
What Could Be Next
The empathy that comes relationally from reading literature and engaging critically in cinematic and videographic narratives can prepare you for further studies in education or social work; the precision with language can set you up for law school or editorial consultancy. The strategic thinking you learn can shape your vision on a team or at a think tank; your attention to style can help you as an influencer in marketing and communications. Recent graduates have found work in publishing; in website design and social media; in the theatre, television, and film industries; in social enterprise, government, and education; and in a variety of other areas.
Works Cited
Bruni, Frank. 鈥淔or a Bonkers New World, a 鈥楤rave New World.鈥欌�� The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/opinion/college-ai.html?unlocked_article_code=1.71A.LpMw.PVd6fxhDSL1f&smid=nytcore-ios-share.
Chiang, Ted. 鈥淲hy A.I. Isn鈥檛 Going to Make Art.鈥� The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2024.
鈥淓mployment Income Statistics by Major Field of Study (Detailed, 4-digit) and Highest Level of Education: Canada, Provinces and Territories.鈥� Statistics Canada, 4 Oct. 2023,https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810040901.
Foley, Sean. 鈥淓ducation without Liberal Arts Is a Threat to Humanity, Argues UBC President.鈥� Ideas, CBC Radio, 14 Jan. 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/education-without-liberal-arts-is-a-threat-to-humanity-argues-ubc-president-1.5426112.
Harrison, Kate. 鈥淎 Good Presentation Is 91传媒 Data and Story.鈥� Forbes, 20 Jan. 2015, https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2015/01/20/a-good-presentation-is-about-data-and-story/?sh=2ba41f67450f.
Moseley-Christian, Michelle. 鈥淭he Case for Degrees that Teach Us How to Think.鈥� Times Higher Education, 27 Nov. 2025, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/case-degrees-teach-us-how-think.
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