Media Production
Degree Awarded: | Bachelor of Arts (BA) |
Administered by: | RTA School of Media |
Program Format: | Full-time, four-year program. |
O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English (ENG4U)/Anglais (EAE4U).
Notes:
- A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in ENG4U/EAE4U.
- Final admission selection will be based on grades and non-academic criteria.
- As part of the admission selection process, applicants must visit the Program page for details about the non-academic requirements.
- A non-academic assessment fee of $50 CAD (non-refundable and subject to change) is required.
- Students must be able to keyboard, as hand written assignments will not be accepted.
- Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.
Media Communications in Canada is a rapidly changing environment which requires motivated individuals who possess discipline, flexibility and creativity. The information age is open to those with analytical and conceptual skills and the flair to recognize and act on new opportunities.
An appropriate academic background for this program would include the foundational skills developed in the traditional secondary/post-secondary courses which stress research, strong writing skills and demonstrated application of critical thinking to achieve superior academic results. Performance, arts and media courses may be chosen to develop and indicate career interest, but successful Media Production students come from a wide range of disciplines.
The Media Production program centres on content creation/storytelling, media production, critical theory, the law and business of media in radio, television, music and new media industries. The BA in Media Production will offer eight Concentrations: Radio & Sound, Television & Video, Digital Media, Media Business, Screenwriting, Social Media, Critical Media Theory and and Video Game Design.
Creative Practice Hours
To graduate from any of the RTA School of Media Undergraduate Programs, each student must complete a minimum of 60 hours of Creative Practice unpaid volunteer work in a qualifying RTA institution or project. This can be done at any time over the four years of the program. This will be considered one requirement of successful completion of RTA 711, RTA 82A/B or RTA 431.
Liberal Studies
Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.
Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .
Table A - Lower Level Restrictions
RTA 120 is not available for credit.
Table B - Upper Level Restrictions
Minors
Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates
Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window) for complete details.
1st & 2nd Semester
3rd & 4th Semester
An optional Concentration may be selected from Core Elective Table I starting in 4th Semester.
3rd Semester
LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.
REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: One of the following:
- RTA 311* Intermediate Audio Production
- RTA 313* Production: Intermediate Multi-camera
- RTA 314* Production: Intermediate Single-Camera
*RTA 311, RTA 313 and RTA 314 have a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00.
Or
Option 2: Two of the following:
- RTA 312 Motion Graphics
- RTA 317 Media For Participatory Audiences
- RTA 320 Interactive Storytelling
- RTA 321 Intro to Tangible Media
- RTA 925 Making Objects
- RTA 928 Introduction to Game Design
- RTA 934 Virtual Identities and Communities
- RTA 958 Networked Art
- RTA 962 Designing Interactions
- RTA 963 Web Design
- RTA 965 Advanced New Media Topics
- RTA 968 Emerging New Media Practices
4th Semester
REQUIRED:
- RTA 310 Media Aesthetics and Culture
CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Table I.
OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective
LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.
5th & 6th Semester
5th Semester
REQUIRED:
- RTA 912 Media Audiences
CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Table I.
OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective
LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.
6th Semester
REQUIRED:
- RTA 503 Project Development - Media Production
CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.
OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives
LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.
7th & 8th Semester
7th Semester
OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives
LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.
REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose one of the following four options:
Option 1: Thesis Production Project
- RTA 701* Thesis: Production Project
Option 2: Major Research Paper
- RTA 702 Thesis: Major Research Paper
- Plus one course from Core Elective Table I.
Option 3: Media Writing Project
- RTA 703 Thesis: Media Writing Project I
- Plus one course from Core Elective Table I.
Option 4:
- Two courses from Core Elective Table I.
* RTA 701 has a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00.
8th Semester
REQUIRED:
- RTA 711 Master Class
REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose one of the following four options:
Option 1: Thesis Production Project
- Two courses from Core Elective Table I
Option 2: Major Research Paper
- RTA 704 Major Research Paper II
- Plus one course from Core Elective Table I.
Option 3: Media Writing Project
- RTA 705 Thesis: Media Writing Project II
- Plus one course from Core Elective Table I.
Option 4:
- Two courses from the Core Elective Table I.
REQUIRED GROUP 2: One option from the following:
Option 1:
- Two courses from Core Elective Table I
Option 2:
- RTA 888 Media Production Internship
- Plus one course from Core Elective Table I
A Concentration is a structured plan of study within a program (6 to 12 core or core electives) that provides an opportunity for advanced or in-depth study in a particular area of interest. Students must declare their concentration prior to applying to graduate. Courses used to fulfil the requirements of a concentration cannot also be used to fulfil the requirements of a minor.
The following optional Concentrations may be selected from within Core Elective Table I (opens in new window) . Concentrations are optional, but must be formally declared and completed before graduation to be noted on the academic transcript.
Concentration in Critical Media Theory
For students admitted Fall 2021 and before. Students admitted Fall 2022 and after see revised curriculum below.
Students will complete RTA 101, plus five (5) of the following:
For students admitted Fall 2022 and after:
Students will complete six (6) of the following:
Concentration in Digital Media
Students will complete six (6) of the following:
- RTA 221 Experiential Media/Interdisciplinary Practice
- RTA 222 Intro to Computational Arts or FCD 222 Coding for Creatives
- RTA 223 Designing Material Experiences
- RTA 317 Media For Participatory Audiences
- RTA 320 Interactive Storytelling
- RTA 321 Intro to Tangible Media
- RTA 832 Cybernetics and Body Centric Technologies
- RTA 838 Generative Processes
- RTA 842 Data as Material
- RTA 847 Artificial Intelligence - Music and Audio
- RTA 925 Making Objects
- RTA 928 Introduction to Game Design
- RTA 929 New Narrative Forms
- RTA 933 Hacking, DIY and Open Source Studio
- RTA 934 Virtual Identities and Communities
- RTA 948 Interactive Spaces
- RTA 953 Mobility and Mixed Reality
- RTA 954 Empathy Machines
- RTA 958 Networked Art
- RTA 961 2-D and Object Animation
- RTA 962 Interaction Design or FCD 962 Designing Interactions
- RTA 963 Web Design
- RTA 965 Advanced New Media Topics
- RTA 968 Emerging New Media Practices
- RTA 975 Video Compositing and Visual Effects
Concentration in Media Business
Students will complete six (6) of the following:
- RTA 906 Marketing for Media Professionals
- RTA 908 Business of Producing I
- RTA 909 Business of Producing II
- RTA 913 Media Entrepreneurship
- RTA 915 Legal Issues in Media
- RTA 918 Ethics in Media
- RTA 927 Business of Music I
- RTA 936 The Business of Art
- RTA 937 Business of Music II
- RTA 950 Selected Topics in Media
- RTA 960* Selected Topics in International Media
- RTA 999 RTA in LA
*RTA 960 is only available as a course for the Media Business Concentration for students admitted Fall 2021 and before.
Concentration in Radio & Sound
For students admitted Fall 2021 and before. Students admitted Fall 2022 and after see revised curriculum below.
Students will complete RTA 311*, plus five (5) of the following:
- RTA 837 Live Audio Production
- RTA 847 Artificial Intelligence - Music and Audio
- RTA 854 Live Radio Broadcasting
- RTA 858 Music Production
- RTA 864 Immersive and Interactive Audio
- RTA 905 History and Culture of Popular Music
- RTA 907 Sound Media
- RTA 921 Audio Technical Theory
- RTA 971 Audio Post Production and Sound Design
- RTA 972 Sound Synthesis
- RTA 974 Radio Broadcasting
- RTA 985 Advanced Audio: Sound for Video
- RTA 996 The Art of Podcasting
NOTE: * RTA 311 has a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00
For students admitted Fall 2022 and after:
Students will complete RTA 311*, plus four (4) of the following:
- RTA 837 Live Audio Production
- RTA 847 Artificial Intelligence - Music and Audio
- RTA 854 Live Radio Broadcasting
- RTA 858 Music Production
- RTA 864 Immersive and Interactive Audio
- RTA 905 History and Culture of Popular Music
- RTA 907 Sound Media
- RTA 921 Audio Technical Theory
- RTA 971 Audio Post Production and Sound Design
- RTA 972 Sound Synthesis
- RTA 974 Radio Broadcasting
- RTA 985 Advanced Audio: Sound for Video
- RTA 996 The Art of Podcasting
NOTE: * RTA 311 has a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00
Concentration in Screenwriting
For students admitted Fall 2021 and before. Students admitted Fall 2022 and after see revised curriculum below.
Students will complete RTA 212 , plus five (5) of the following:
- RTA 320 Interactive Storytelling
- RTA 923 Videogame Narrative
- RTA 941 Dramatic Writing
- RTA 943 Comedy Writing
- RTA 944 Writing for Animation
- RTA 945 Writing for Factual and Reality Programs
- RTA 703 Thesis: Media Writing Project I
- RTA 705 Thesis: Media Writing Project II
- RTA 808 First Draft
- RTA 999 RTA in LA
For students admitted Fall 2022 and after:
Students will complete six (6) of the following:
- RTA 320 Interactive Storytelling
- RTA 923 Videogame Narrative
- RTA 941 Dramatic Writing
- RTA 943 Comedy Writing
- RTA 944 Writing for Animation
- RTA 945 Writing for Factual and Reality Programs
- RTA 703 Thesis: Media Writing Project I
- RTA 705 Thesis: Media Writing Project II
- RTA 808 First Draft
- RTA 999 RTA in LA
Concentration in Social Media
Students will complete six (6) of the following:
- RTA 521 Media for Social Change
- RTA 848 Esports and Online Streaming Production
- RTA 902 Social Media
- RTA 930† Social Practices in Hybrid Media Spaces
- RTA 933 Hacking, DIY and Open Source Studio
- RTA 934 Virtual Identities and Communities
† RTA 930 is not intended to be offered in 2024-2025. Students pursuing the Concentration in Social Media who have not taken RTA 930 will not be able to complete the concentration in 2024-2025.
Concentration in Television & Video
Students will complete either RTA 313 or RTA 314*, plus four (4) of the following:
- RTA 330 Advanced Live Sport Production
- RTA 802* Advanced Live Multi-Camera
- RTA 803* Production: Advanced Single Camera
- RTA 908 Business of Producing I
- RTA 909 Business of Producing II
- RTA 910 Production Management
- RTA 911 Directing and Performance
- RTA 955 Sports Broadcasting
- RTA 956 Children's Programming
- RTA 957 Documentary Production
- RTA 960 International Media Co-production
- RTA 969 Live Event Technical Producing
- RTA 970 Lighting, Grip and Effects Specialty
- RTA 973 Independent Production
- RTA 975 Video Compositing and Special Effects
- RTA 978 Editing Specialty
- RTA 979 Colour Grading and Finishing
Concentration in Video Game Design
Students must take 6 of the following courses:
- FCD 222 Coding for Creatives OR RTA 222 Computational Arts
- FCD 962 Designing Interaction OR RTA 962 Interaction Design
- RTA 320 Interactive Storytelling
- RTA 820 Game Prototyping and Testing
- RTA 828 Special Topics in Game Design
- RTA 840 Esports
- RTA 864 Immersive and Interactive Audio
- RTA 865 Exploring Virtual Environments
- RTA 923 Videogame Narrative
- RTA 928 Intro to Game Design
- RTA 934 Virtual Identities & Communities
- RTA 953 Mobility & Mixed Reality
- RTA 997 Intermediate Game Design: Mechanics
A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).
Chair: Nancy Chapelle
Executive Director, Bell Fund
TVO
Grant Buchanan
Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Jocelyn Hamilton
President, Canada
eOne Television
Michael Hirsh
Executive Chairman
DHX Media
Formerly CEO of Cookie Jar Entertainment, Founder of Nelvana
Matt Hornburg
Executive Producer/Partner
Marble Media/Blue Ant
Tom Igoe
Associate Arts Professor
New York University
Raja Khanna
Co-CEO
Glassbox Television
Karen King
Speaker, Author, Inclusion Consultant
Mark Milliere
Senior VP, Production
TSN
Scott Moore
President of Broadcasting
Rogers Media Inc.
Jim Munroe
Executive Director
The Hand Eye Society
Linda Schuyler
President
Epitome Pictures Inc.
Justin Stockman
Vice President, Specialty Channels
Bell Media
Karen Thorne-Stone
President and Chief Executive Officer
Ontario Creates
Madeline Ziniak
Chair
Canadian Ethic Media Association
David Zitzerman
Partner
Goodmans Entertainment Group