Cultural Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Gain a unique grounding in questions of identity, power, diversity and justice from global perspectives.

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Degree

Bachelor

Length

4 years

Faculty/School

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Why study Cultural Studies at UBC Okanagan?

Cultural studies provides an education for students that integrates their daily experiences and the world around them. Cultural studies courses provide students opportunities to develop skills in collaboration and consensus decision-making through team-based projects, communication to diverse audiences (including oral presentation skills and writing/publishing) and digital production.

Visit our Cultural Studies Matters blog showcasing some of our student projects.

Degree Options

Students can declare cultural studies as their major at the end of first year. Students can also combine their major in Cultural Studies and the requirements of another BA program that offers a combined major (currently art history and visual culture, creative writing, English and French).

Cultural studies students organize their degree within two themes: media and popular cultures—which focuses on media analysis, the significance of popular culture and courses developing skills in production; and identities and power—which uses critical and cultural theory to study cultural production, cultural history, representation and social practices.

Sample Courses

Cultural studies program draws together core courses with others from a variety of humanities and social sciences, including Indigenous studies; gender, women and sexuality; sociology and visual arts.

These are examples of courses you can enrol in during your studies. View course descriptions for the current academic year. Browse cultural studies courses and descriptions in the academic calendar.

CULT 100: Media and Popular Cultures in Global Context
CULT 101: Cultural Studies Practices

CULT 205: Introduction to Contemporary Japan Through Popular Culture
CULT 210: Reading Screens
CULT 250: Foundations: Indigenous Literature
CULT 275: Interdisciplinary Theory and Method in Literary Research
INDG 201: Okanagan Indigenous Peoples Historical Perspectives

CULT 312: Internet Culture
CULT 320: Creative Activism: Art, Media, and Social Justice
CULT 350: Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
GWST 335: Feminist Theory in the Humanities
CULT 346 – Human Rights, Literature, and Culture

CULT 400: Topics in Popular Culture
CULT 437 – Postcolonial Studies
CULT 460: Posthumanism and Critical Animal Studies
CULT 499: Community-Engaged Research in Cultural Studies
ARTH 410: Gender, Art, and Space in the Islamic World

Plan your academic journey by exploring the undergraduate academic planning guide designed for Bachelor of Arts students.

Explore customized Program Plans designed to support your journey to graduation and beyond.

Careers and Outcomes

UBC degrees are respected by employers around the globe. Program graduates will have the skills to pursue a career in a variety of fields like,

  • Advertising
  • Alternative media
  • Anti-oppression training
  • Arts organizations
  • Community research
  • Cultural safety
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion policy and education
  • Global education
  • Journalism
  • International development
  • Intercultural education
  • Law
  • Library science
  • Marketing
  • Media analysis
  • Museums and Heritage
  • Non-profit agencies
  • Politics and government
  • Publishing
  • Social Planning and Research
  • Teaching
  • Television

Cultural studies prepares students to live in a world where communication skills such as writing, speaking, presenting, and social media, as well as skills in critical reading, coding and decoding, collaboration, and project planning are in high demand. Secure a career in social planning, marketing, or publishing, or continue your education to work in professions such as law, teaching, communications, or social work.

Admission, Fees, Applying

You could soon be studying at one of the world’s top universities. Be sure to review the content below to prepare for attending UBC Okanagan.

Zine making in Cultural Studies

Experiential Learning

Expand your horizons while studying abroad, conducting meaningful research, or working in the community with your UBC colleagues.

Learn more about Co-op, Go Global, Undergraduate Research Awards and other opportunities at Experiential Education.

Cultural studies students actively engage in research projects that range from cultural activism, community research, cultural heritage and digital production. Past student projects include a report on the positive impacts of parklets for the future of Kelowna and perceptions of fair trade labeling and availability of fair trade certified products in Kelowna.

The program organizes a number of events each year, including zine fairs on campus and the Annual Cultural Studies Speaker.

The Cultural Studies Student Collective is a community that organizes a variety of social and educational events.

Global and Close-Knit

At UBC Okanagan, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally ranked, top 5% university while studying in a close-knit learning community. 50% of graduates, from all across the globe, choose to stay in the region.

Discover the Okanagan

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards, orchards and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan is an inspirational landscape perfect for those seeking leisure or outdoor adventure.

UBC's Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 150,000 people— the fourth fastest-growing population in Canada.