Program description
Social communication explores how information is perceived, transmitted and understood. It also looks at the impact on society of various means of communication. Social communication includes the cultural, political and sociological aspects of communication.
Offered by the Faculty of Human Sciences, the Social Communication undergraduate program equips students with a range of communication tools to help them understand our world and interact with it.
In addition to the foundational courses,* the program provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge of the multiple aspects of communication: the history of media and communications, globalization and social media, social marketing, ethics and organizational communications. Students are also given an opportunity to explore specific subjects in greater depth.
*The foundational courses are a compulsory part of every bachelor’s degree program offered at Saint Paul University.
What you’ll learn
During your studies you will acquire a solid foundation in planned communications, acquire excellent analytical skills, and broaden your understanding of communication theory. You will also learn how to express your point of view in professional-calibre writing, and how to develop and assemble multi-platform audiovisual productions.
Why choose Saint Paul University?
Career opportunities
Click here to find out more about Admission Scholarships at Saint Paul University.
Other programs that may interest you
A student enrolled in the Social Communication program (Honours Bachelor of Arts with Specialization) may add a complementary minor, according to the student’s particular interests and requirements.
Applications: A step-by-step guide
STEP 1: Choose a program of study
STEP 2: Learn about admission requirements
STEP 3: Submit your application
STEP 4: Gather the documents needed for the assessment of your application
STEP 5: Assessment of your application
STEP 6: Accept your offer of admission
STEP 7: Choose your courses
STEP 1: CHOOSE A PROGRAM OF STUDY |
Undergraduate programs:
STEP 2: LEARN ABOUT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS |
Ontario applicants
From secondary school
Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with at least six 4U or 4M level courses, including one 4U level course in English or français.
From Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT)
Our transfer agreements
Saint Paul University has developed a number of transfer agreements with colleges, allowing applicants to receive up to 30 equivalency credits. Find out more by consulting the tab entitled College Credit Transfer.
Quebec applicants
From secondary school
Have a Secondary School Diploma with an average of 84%, including one course in English or français at the Secondary V level.
From Cégep
Have completed 12 courses of general studies (not including physical education and refresher courses), including English (603) or français (601). Applicants who have successfully completed 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 15 credits of advanced standing, and those who have successfully completed more than 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 30 credits of advanced standing.
Applicants from the Atlantic and Western provinces
Have a Secondary School Diploma, including one course in English or français at the Grade 12 level.
Applicants from other universities
Applications from other Canadian or international universities will be assessed based on the applicant’s previous secondary and post-secondary studies. University equivalency credits may be granted depending on the studies completed and the program into which the person is admitted.
International applicants
Have a diploma attesting to 12 years of education equivalent to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Persons who have completed a secondary diploma attesting to 13 years of education, such as the Baccalauréat de l’enseignement secondaire français, can receive up to 30 credits of advanced standing.
Mature applicants
When the applicant’s academic record does not meet normal conditions for admission, it is possible to apply as a mature applicant, provided that the person has not been enrolled in full-time studies for at least two consecutive years. In order to be considered for admission, applicants must have experience that can be considered sufficient preparation for pursuing undergraduate studies.
STEP 3: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION |
You have two options
OPTION 1 |
If you are applying for admission to an undergraduate program at more than one Ontario university, including Saint Paul University:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Saint Paul University is federated with the University of Ottawa, you will find programs offered by Saint Paul University listed under the University of Ottawa.
OPTION 2 |
If you are applying for an undergraduate program at Saint Paul University only, or if you are applying for a master’s or doctoral program:
STEP 4: GATHER THE DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
In order for us to assess your application, you must submit official transcripts for all of your previous studies (secondary, college and university). These transcripts must be sent directly from your academic institution to the following address:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
However, to expedite the assessment process for your application, you can scan your documents and e-mail them to the Office of Admissions at admission@ustpaul.ca and then send your official documents through the mail.
STEP 5: ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
Once the Office of Admissions receives all the required documents, it will begin to assess your application. One of the following decisions will be sent to you at the email address you gave us, as well as to your postal address.
Possible decisions
STEP 6: ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF ADMISSION |
To accept an offer of admission and a scholarship offer, if applicable, you must sign the form entitled Admission acceptance form that accompanies your offer of admission and send it to Saint Paul University by email, before the deadline, to the following address admission@ustpaul.ca or mail it to:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
STEP 7: CHOOSE YOUR COURSES |
With your offer of admission, you will receive all the information you will need to choose your courses. You will also receive the contact information for our academic advisors; you can meet with them one on one or during information sessions for guidance and to help you finalize your course selection.
Foundational Courses (24 credits)
Compulsory Courses: 21 credits
Optional Courses: 3 credits from
Discipline Specific Courses (60 credits)
Compulsory Course: 36 credits
Optional Courses: 24 credits
Nine credits from (2000 level):
Six credits from (3000 level):
Three credits from (3000 level):
Six credits from (4000 level)
Elective Courses (36 credits)
Students choose 36 credits or complete a minor (30 credits) and 6 credits.
6 credits must be of 3000 or 4000 level.
This course addresses multiple aspects of the evolution of western thought, from Antiquity to current times, and the impact of major events and thinkers, and the influence of other civilizations on the contemporary understanding of human nature, culture and society.
Introduction to theoretical approaches in the Humanities and to the methods that are applied to interpret the multiple expressions of human experience, particularly those expressed in important works of art and literature.
Social and ecological challenges facing humanity today, and related issues of social justice. These questions will be examined from a perspective of community building and efforts towards ecological and social transformations for a hopeful future.
This course investigates faith, justice and the common good from religious, philosophical and human science perspectives. The course draws on classic and contemporary resources, in particular those from the Christian intellectual traditions.
Initiation to the techniques of communication and to the study of media. Trough basic exercises initiation to the laws of image from the perspective of the communication studies, to design and to photography. Audiovisual editing (image and sound), computer software and new technologies of communication.
Basics of methodology in communication. Distinction between argumentation and empirical research. Distinction between qualitative and quantitative research. Key principles of qualitative and quantitative work.
Definition of an organization. Usual approaches to communication within the organizations: functionalist, strategic, critical, and cultural. The change management issue. Impact of technology.
Constitutive elements of ethical behavior. Basic ethical criteria in media communication. Rights in communication situations. Deontology codes in use in several institutions. Case analysis in media praxis: persuasion communication and fiction.
Initiation to the language of communication. Main concepts. Most usual models in communication studies. Functions of communication. Communication scales from the personal interactions to mediated communication.
This course is dedicated to the improvement of writing skills in order to become an effective communicator in several contexts.
Initiation to news gathering. Verification procedures. Initiation to writing for electronic media. Initiation to news presentation. Initiation to radio and TV interview.
Learning the techniques of efficient public speaking. Introduction and training to personal impression making in electronic media. Development of a professional attitude and self-confidence.
Sound in communication. Qualities of sound. Sound recording techniques. Sound editing. Implementation to radio production. Introduction to program direction and production.
Introduction to the television lexicon. Imaging and its composition. Sound recording, lighting and editing. Basic exercises with the camera. Production of a short story. Prerequisite to the other video courses.
Rules in information writing. The course will clarify the links between the apprenticeship of press writing and press reading. The course will also present the press writing rules in a broader theoretical context. Basic techniques concerning news gathering, story processing and diffusion of information in written press. News, reportage and editorial. Lectures and praxis.
Definition of campaign, objectives, target audience, channel, public environment, etc. Planning of strategic communications. Development of a communication plan; evaluation processes. Project management.
Main theories and techniques of analysis in the process of interpersonal communication. Conditions for successful interpersonal communication. Experiential learning in professional contexts as in other situations. Non-verbal communication.
Great traditions in social thought. In particular: the functionalist tradition; the conflictual tradition; the interactionist tradition; the economical conceptions of social reality.
Study of a topic from a specific analytical or theoretical perspective.
Initiation to the use of basic tools required for successful strategic communications. Research and analysis tools. Writing messages and integrating them to images, photographs and video. Press and media relations. Exhibits and promotional items. Use of social media.
Theories on the nature and the psychological, social and cultural influence of mediated communication. Introduction to the understanding of "magic ball" theories, of selective influence, of social differentiation, of indirect influence, of social organization, of the social construction of reality, etc.
Marketing in general, social marketing and advertising and related communication tools. Basic concepts; application of the marketing and advertising approaches to the promotion of social ideas, values and causes: product and audience analysis, identification of marketing and communications objectives, campaign evaluation.
This is a course on key social debates concerning media and new media. In particular: information and the public sphere; status of minorities; great culture VS popular culture; great fears (sexuality, rumors, violence, consumption, death and religion).
Professional Ethics in Communication Overview of approaches to professional ethics covering different subject areas of social communications including: news journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing. Ethical codes and regulation. Case studies.
Main theories and concepts in social psychology useful for the understanding of following phenomena: communication, progression of the information and their effects. Classical concepts: attitudes, attribution, persuasion, cognitive dissonance. Mains concepts of contemporary social cognition theories: bias, heuristics.
Television, radio and cross media genres. Stages of production: from the original project, to creating the show, to scriptwriting, to the multiplatform strategy.
Introduction to the language of images within the study of communications. Expressive value of the image and communication. Cultural iconic codes. Semiology of the image. Image as a language in relation to discourse and the weight it carries in a media context.
Exploring different types of television production. Design: idea, script, storyboards, planning. Exercises: sets, staging, direction, advanced techniques for sound and image production.
Prerequisite: ISC2317.
Different theories and techniques to analyze content. Critical study of different types of messages: information, entertainment, advertising, etc.
Study of a topic from a specific analytical or theoretical perspective.
Practical application of acquired knowledge. Activities monitored by a supervisor in a professional communication setting. Writing of practicum report. Graded S/NS.
In depth presentation of several theories. Particularly on the following: technologies and their impacts; networks and systems; culture and symbolism; conflicts and ideologies; critical theories; contributions from neurosciences.
Evolution and future of great media. Commercial logic and business models. Understanding media issues in specific social contexts. National media reality and globalization.
History and basic models of public relations. Main approaches, tools, audiences, work environment. Management, marketing, advertising, public affairs. Case studies.
Journalism in the Internet age. Traditional journalism and new intermediaries of information. Integration of new means of collecting, processing, selecting, prioritizing and broadcasting information.
Prerequisite: ISC2326
Historical survey of Canadian produced content and global trends. Learning the methodology of research, scripting, shooting and editing of a documentary. Production of a documentary video.
Prerequisite: ISC2317.
Elements of the theory of argumentation. Concept of arguments in communication. Writing and public intervention exercises.
Concept of social communication. Evolution of the Web and advent of social media. Types of social media and their main uses. Social media and current practices in communication.
Historical clashes between the media and religious traditions. Culture, religious traditions and the media. Possible divergences and convergences. Religious traditions and new technologies.
Evolution of the concept of sustainable development and its different definitions. Role and responsibility of social communications in sustainable development. Communication strategies for implementation.
Skill development in the analysis of social and socio-political situations. Several key concepts: situations, actors, problem framing, stakes, constraints. Identifying social and communication issues. Case analysis.
Notions of culture and socialization. Myths and rituals. Imagination and rationality. Social construction of meaning. Types of human being in media culture, types changed through modern experience of social communication. Institutionalized communication.
Practical application of acquired knowledge. Activities monitored by a supervisor in a professional communication setting. Writing of practicum report. Graded S/NS.
Individual or small group study on a topic corresponding to the needs or particular interests of students. Record of accomplishments. Possibility of recognizing a relevant professional activity in the communication or information sectors.
Study of the traditional, universalist, approach to knowledge as well as contemporary standpoint approaches, such as feminist and postmodernist.
The human effort to express the experience of the sacred and to name our sense of the “Beyond”. The different forms such expressions have taken: cosmic wonder and its symbols, foundations stories, ritual life. The meaning of this effort for understanding the quest of the human spirit and its attempts to build order in society and community.
The Bible: book or library, history or story? History of the Jewish people and of the culture in which the Bible was written. The Bible and its content. Interpreting the text. The Jesus event. The influence of the Bible on history and on contemporary culture.
Introduction to the world religions with an emphasis on Christian faith in interaction with other living faiths.
Contact Us
Office of Admissions, Registrar and Student Services
Room 148
Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA
Notice to gmail address holders, be sure to check your junk mailbox regularly, as due to your server's firewalls our email response to your application may end up there.
Telephone: 613-236-1393
Fax: 613-782-3014
admission@ustpaul.ca
Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
Please leave your documents in the mailbox in front of room 148 when our offices are closed.
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1S 1C4
Toll free
1.800.637.6859
613-236-1393
613-782-3005
info@ustpaul.ca