Last updated: March 20, 2003 @ 06:56PM

Popular Culture
This program is co-ordinated by the Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film.

Chair
Jim Leach

Undergraduate Program Adviser
Russell Johnston

Director, Co-operative Programs
Cindy Dunne

General Information

Administrative Assistant
Bridget Cahill

905-688-5550, extension 4290
Academic North 308
http://www.brocku.ca/cpcf/

The Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film offers three separate programs of study. A four-year program leading to the BA honours degree and a three-year program leading to the BA pass degree is offered in all three programs. In addition, four-year Co-op programs leading to a BA honours degree in Communications Studies or Popular Culture and a four and one-half year program leading to a BA honours degree in Film Studies are available.

Popular Culture is a series of critical and historical courses which examines popular culture and its relation to folk, mass and high culture. Popular Culture is studied in its wide variety of forms (including film, television, literature, music and advertising) and its economic, political and historical contexts.

The Popular Culture Co-op program combines academic and work terms over a four-year period. Students spend two years in an academic setting, where they acquire the necessary background prior to taking the first work placement. In addition to the current fees for courses in academic study terms, Popular Culture Co-op students are assessed an annual administrative fee (see the Schedule of Fees).

Admission to the Popular Culture Co-op program is on the basis of marks, a review of personal resumes and employer availability. An interview may be required. The normal requirement for admission is a minimum 80 percent average on six OACs (or equivalent). As this is a limited enrolment program, admission is not guaranteed by attainment of the minimum requirement. The Brock University Co-op Programs Office will facilitate admission decisions.

Students admitted to the Popular Culture Co-op program must follow the Co-op program schedule. Failure to adhere to the schedule may result in removal from the Popular Culture Co-op program. Eligibility to continue is based on the student's major average and non-major average. A student with a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average will be permitted to continue. A student with a major average lower than 70 percent will not be permitted to continue in the Popular Culture Co-op program. If a student subsequently raises his/her major average to 70 percent, the student may be readmitted only if approved by the Co-op Admissions Committee.

The Popular Culture Co-op program designation will be awarded to those students who have honours standing and who have successfully completed a minimum of twelve months of Co-op work experience.

Program Notes
  1. PCUL 4F99 is strongly recommended for honours students intending to continue their studies at the graduate level. Students may not register for this course without permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser, who should be consulted before June 30 of the previous year.
  2. In all 20 credit degree programs, at least 12 credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, six of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above and of these, three must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above. In all 15 credit degree programs, at least seven credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, three of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above.

Honours Program

Year 1
·   COMM 1F90
·   FILM 1F94
·   one Science context credit
·   one Social Science context credit
·   one elective credit
Year 2
·   PCUL 2P20, 2P21 and 2P94
·   COMM 2P15
·   one credit from PCUL 1F00, 2F92, 2P22, 2P70, COMM 2F50, DRAM 2P91, ENGL 2P10, 2P11, FILM 2P56, GEOG 2P06, WISE 2P97
·   two elective credits
Year 3
·   PCUL 3P20, 3P21 and 3P96
·   PCUL 3P16 or 3P17
·   one credit from PCUL 1F00, 2F92, 2P22, 2P70, 3P16, 3P17, 3P92, DRAM 2P91, ENGL 2P10, 2P11, FILM 3P56, 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98, GEOG 2P06, WISE 2P97
·   two elective credits
Year 4
·   PCUL 4P17, 4P30 and 4P31
·   two credits from PCUL 3P92, 4F80, 4F99, 4P23, 4P55, FILM 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98
·   one and one-half elective credits

Popular Culture Co-op (honours only)

Students admitted to the Popular Culture Co-op stream must follow the program schedule as listed below. Failure to adhere may result in removal from the program.

Year 1
·   COMM 1F90
·   FILM 1F94
·   one Social Science context credit
·   one Science context credit
·   one elective credit
Spring/Summer Sessions:
·   COMM 2P20 and 2P21
·   two elective credits (MGMT 1P90 and 1P91 strongly recommended)
Year 2
·   PCUL 0N90, 2P94, 3P20 and 3P21
·   PCUL 3P17 (or one-half elective credit if PCUL 3P16 is taken in year 3)
·   COMM 2P15
·   one and one-half credit from PCUL 1F00, 2F92, 2P22, 2P70, 3P16, 3P17, COMM 2F50, DRAM 2P91, ENGL 2P10, 2P11, FILM 2P56, 3P56, 3P93, 3P95, GEOG 2P06, WISE 2P97
·   one elective credit (MKTG 2P51 and 2P52 strongly recommended)
Spring/Summer Sessions:
·   PCUL 0N01
Year 3
Fall Term:
·   PCUL 3P96, 3P16 (or one-half elective credit if PCUL 3P17 was taken in year 2) and 4P30
·   one of PCUL 2P22, 2P70, 3P16, 3P17, ENGL 2P10, 2P11, FILM 3P56, 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98, GEOG 2P06, WISE 2P97
·   one of PCUL 3P92, 4P23, 4P55, FILM 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98, HIST 4V24
Winter Term:
·   PCUL 0N02
Spring/Summer Sessions:
·   two elective credits
Year 4
Fall Term:
·   PCUL 0N03
Winter Term:
·   PCUL 4P17 and 4P31
·   one and one-half credits from PCUL 3P56, 3P92, 4P23, 4P55, FILM 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98, HIST 4V24

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the honours program entitles students to apply for a pass degree.

Combined Major Program

Honours
·   PCUL 2P20, 2P21, 2P94, 3P20, 3P21, 3P96, 4P30 and 4P31
·   COMM 1F90
·   FILM 1F94
·   two credits from PCUL 1F00, 2F92, 2P22, 2P70, 3P16, 3P17, 3P92, 4P23, 4P55, 4F80, 4F99, COMM 2F50, DRAM 2P91, ENGL 2P10, 2P11, FILM 2P56, 3P56, 3P93, 3P95, 3P97, 3P98, GEOG 2P06, WISE 2P97
Pass
·   PCUL 2P20, 2P21, 2P94, 3P20, 3P21 and 3P96
·   COMM 1F90
·   FILM 1F94

Minor in Writing

With the exception of students in the Co-op stream, it is possible for Popular Culture majors to earn a Minor in Professional Writing. For details see the calendar entry for the Department of English Language and Literature.