Pursue Undergraduate Program in
Digital Media
Offered in collaboration with the York University School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) and the Lassonde School of Engineering.
Fuse arts, media and engineering to prepare for an emerging career in game design, interactive media, and digital product development. Using code and programming as creative tools, you will lead across industries with imaginative designs for the next generation of gaming technology, original mobile apps, immersive and 3D environments, data visualization, interactive performance, and so much more. Gain professional experience through the Technology Internship Program and public showings at Digifest, Ontario Science Centre and Interaccess.
Program Overview
The Digital Media (BA) program is Ontario's only degree program integrating audio-visual media and performing arts with computer science and engineering. The innovative program is in collaboration with the York University School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) and the Lassonde School of Engineering.
Students define their unique academic and career trajectory by combining skills and disciplines. Students begin with an 18-month common core and then branch into one of three streams in the areas of (1) Digital Media Game Arts; (2) Digital Media Arts; and (3) Digital Media Development.
Digital Media Games Arts Stream
Video Games are a defining cultural form of the 21st century. Games Arts in Digital Media has a broad and forward-looking perspective on game education with an approach that incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration and new gaming frontiers.
The Digital Media Games Arts stream teaches the skills of game development and design from concept to production. Students will gain hands-on experience working with professional game engines across various platforms, including mobile media, web-based, gallery, and urban gaming.
The Digital Media Games Arts stream examines emerging trends where the boundaries of games are challenged, including alt gaming, queer games, Not Games, and urban gaming.
Digital Media Arts Stream
The Digital Media Arts stream focuses on creating digital media performance and artistic expression through technology. With its blend of offerings in digital performance, physical computing and fabrication, and mixed reality, the program encourages a seamless continuum between virtual reality and the world we inhabit. While emphasizing offerings in AMPD, the stream in Digital Media Arts emphasizes creative coding and computational and systems thinking as methods for creative expression.
The Digital Media Arts stream has the most flexibility of the three streams. Students can pursue a range of interests in exploring the cutting edge of new media and new contemporary art forms.
Digital Media Development Stream
The Digital Media Development stream encourages resilience and adaptability in the ever-shifting landscape of new media technology. Emphasizing Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offerings, the Digital Media Development stream provides a specialized track into our most advanced options in Digital Media, such as low-level game development, human-computer interaction, signal processing, virtual reality, and machine learning simulation.
Students in this stream are well situated to work in digital media and tool development areas that represent a high-demand sector in the creative industries. Students graduate knowing how to adopt new technologies and paradigms as they arise and keep on the field's cutting edge for the unforeseeable future.
Program Details
Offered By
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Degrees Offered
BA
Fall Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Winter Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Summer Entry
Yes (first and upper year)
Ways to Study
Full-Time, Part-Time
Sample Schedule (First-year)
- Introduction to Interactive Digital Media
- Building Interactive Systems
- Fundamentals of Digital Media Studies
- Programming for Digital Media
Possible Career Paths
- game programmer/manager/designer/developer
- new media artist
- AR/VR developer
- interactive media/multimedia developer
- data visualization
- web programer/manager/developer/designer
Viewbooks
Undergraduate
View Viewbook (PDF)
Transfer & Mature
View Viewbook (PDF)
Indigenous
View Viewbook (PDF)
International
View Viewbook (PDF)
Admission Requirements
I am a high-school student I have completed at least one year of full-time study at college or university I have been away from high-school for at least two years I have never studied in a formal academic high-school environment Returning / Reactivating student (previously York) Visiting StudentsSchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
Baccalauréat Français
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
- A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Bachillerato
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Minimum overall result of “Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good” on all academic courses.
- Some programs require a higher GPA.
- Arts training
CAPE
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
- Arts training
- CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- -
- Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
Chinese High School
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
Turkish High School
- Some programs require higher. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 4.0 or 70%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
GCE
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
- GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum average of C is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of C.
The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program specific basis. Some programs have limited enrolment. Admission is not guaranteed, and all requirements are subject to change.
Hong Kong
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
International Baccalaureate
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
- Analysis and Approaches higher-level
- Analysis and Approaches standard-level
- Applications and Interpretations higher-level
- Applications and Interpretations standard-level
- Arts training
- Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
To gain admission to this program, minimum IB diploma point scores of 28 is required.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires minimum IB diploma point scores of 28.
The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program specific basis. Some programs have limited enrolment. Admission is not guaranteed, and all requirements are subject to change.
Indian High School
- Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 55%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Indian School Certificate (ISC)
- Intermediate Examination Certificate
- Pre-University Examination Certificate
- Arts training
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- 4M arts (or similar arts training)
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
OUAC code YFA
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
To be considered a mature student, you must:
be at least 20 years old by the end of the calendar year of admission to the University;
have been out of full-time high school studies for at least two years; and
have attempted less than one full year of studies at an accredited college or university.
Requirements for admission:
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
Tawjihyah
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
United States High School
- Grade 12 graduation with a minimum overall average of "B" on Grade 11 and Grade 12 academic courses is required to be considered for most programs. Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- SAT or ACT scores are not required for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum outside the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam.
- SATs/ACTs are considered in combination with high school grades.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
For Fall (September) 2021 and Winter (January) 2022 entry, York University will deem the SAT/ACT as optional for students studying in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam. However, students who have completed a standardized test are encouraged to submit their test scores as it may support your application for competitive programs. SAT/ACT scores must be sent electronically from the College Board directly to York. Please browse the section below for pre-requisites and detailed admission requirements.
Note: An SAT/ACT test will be required from students who are not enrolled in a recognized accredited US curriculum high school in the United States, Puerto Rico or Guam or have not studied in a formal academic high-school environment.
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
- AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) or National Examinations Council (NECO) - minimum 6 academic courses
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
- Arts training
School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
BA
Requirements for admission:
To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.Maintaining your offer of admission to this program requires a final academic average of 75.
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.