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Media Production

The Creative School

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:

  1. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in ENG4U/EAE4U. 
  2. 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 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

NMA 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.

Some course codes in this program have changed. See RTA-NMA Course Code Conversion Chart for further information.

1st & 2nd Semester

1st Semester

REQUIRED:

  • RTA 101 Introduction to Media Theory and Practice
  • RTA 102 Creative Process for Media Production
  • RTA 103 Intro to Digital Media
  • RTA 104 Introductory Audio Production

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

 

3rd & 4th Semester

An optional Concentration may be selected from Core Elective Table I starting in 4th Semester.

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

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:

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:

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

Option 3: Media Writing Project

Option 4: 

* RTA 701 has a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

REQUIRED GROUP 1:  Choose one of the following four options:

Option 1: Thesis Production Project

Option 2: Major Research Paper

Option 3: Media Writing Project

Option 4:

REQUIRED GROUP 2: One option from the following:

Option 1:

Option 2:

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

Students will complete six (6) of the following:

  • NMA 220 New Media Art History
  • NMA 323 Contemporary Strategies in New Media
  • NMA 939 Indigenous Media
  • NMA 946 Issues in New Media Theory/History
  • RTA 903* News and Current Affairs Theory
  • RTA 938 Digital Popular Cultures
  • RTA 940* Canadian Televisual Studies

*RTA 903 and RTA 940 are not intended to be offered in 2025-2026. Students pursuing the Concentration in Critical Media Theory who have not taken RTA 903 and/or RTA 940 will not be able to complete the concentration in 2025-2026.

Concentration in Digital Media

Students will complete six (6) of the following:

Concentration in Media Business

Students will complete six (6) of the following:

Concentration in Radio & Sound

Students will complete RTA 311*, plus four (4) of the following:


NOTE: * RTA 311 has a GPA Weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00

Concentration in Screenwriting

Students will complete six (6) of the following:

Concentration in Social Media

Students will complete six (6) of the following:

  • NMA 521 Media for Social Change
  • NMA 933 Hacking, DIY and Open Source Studio
  • NMA 934 Virtual Identities and Communities
  • RTA 848 Esports and Online Streaming Production
  • RTA 902 Social Media
  • RTA 930† Social Practices in Hybrid Media Spaces

† RTA 930 is not intended to be offered in 2025-2026. Students pursuing the Concentration in Social Media who have not taken RTA 930 will not be able to complete the concentration in 2025-2026.

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 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

* RTA 313, RTA 314, RTA 330, RTA 802, and RTA 803 have a GPA weight of 2.00 and a course count of 2.00.
†Available only to students admitted Fall 2024 and before.

Concentration in Video Game Design

Students must take 6 of the following courses:

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).

Anna Ashitey
Digital Producer

Mark Bishop
Co-President
Blue Ant Studios

Tammy Frick
CEO
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television

Jocelyn Hamilton
President
Canada - eONE TV (Lionsgate)

Don Hewitt
Sales Manager, Central and Western Canada
Ross Video

Lisa Hunter
Writer

Chris Krasek
Creative Director, Broadcast Design
Rogers Media

Naveen Prasad
Chair
Bell Fund

Amrita Singh
Senior Producer
CBC