Southern Alberta is quickly becoming a hot spot for the film and media industry, garnering investments, job opportunities, and now, education for the growing cultural sector.
The University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts is launching a new major in Cinema and Media Studies, a broad program that blends theory and history with hands-on studio courses to support interdisciplinary approaches to the study of visual culture and the moving image.
“Students enrolled in the program will enjoy a highly distinctive approach to the study of moving image and media culture, both in terms of using and making media,” says Dr. Aaron Taylor, Professor of Cinema Studies.
The unique major will be offered as a Bachelor of Arts that has both core requirements and custom courses, allowing students to build a degree path tailored to their interests. Students in the major can enhance their creative practice, combining theoretical work with practical, applied opportunities in film and media, which prepares them for careers in the arts or further education in filmmaking.
Graduates of this program will play a key role in strengthening Alberta’s cultural and community sectors, bringing versatile skills in storytelling, media production and communication to support creative initiatives, organizations and community-building efforts across the region.
“Having a robust showing of media-savvy folk in southern Alberta shows how important we feel moving image industries are in the region,” says New Media Instructor Ryan Harper-Brown.
“We live in a media-rich world and having the tools to navigate it are a necessity. Our students and alumni are uniquely situated to take advantage of this landscape, and their flexible skill sets are extremely valuable when they enter the workforce. The rising number of productions coming to the region and the beautiful, untapped locations are ripe for more creative industries to move to the region.”
Students in the major will have access to top-of-the-line equipment and technology in the Faculty of Fine Arts and will gain skills in media analysis, communication and management. As a result, graduates of the Cinema and Media Studies program will be well positioned for careers across Alberta’s growing creative and cultural sectors, including opportunities in film and television, broadcasting, policy, research and arts administration, where labour market projections show increased job openings through 2028.
Taylor says the new major allows ULethbridge to make an impact within the larger discipline of media studies while staying true to its liberal education philosophy.
“Institutionally, ULethbridge is in an extremely fortunate position in that it has long fostered dynamic structural connections across academic units and programs that take advantage of natural existing synergies between disciplines,” says Taylor. “This new major incorporates offerings from a variety of pre-existing programs, connecting students from a range of academic cultures in a completely unique, and forward-thinking way.”
Applications for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies are anticipated to open in February for the Fall 2026 (September-December) term. Interested applicants can email finearts.admissions@uleth.ca for information on admissions.