The Bachelor of Media Studies Program at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver campus) invites applications to teach the following course:
Winter 2026, Term 2:
(January – April 2027)
| Course / Section | Title | Credits | Term | Schedule |
| MDIA 490 001 | Emerging Media Practitioners | 3 | 2 | Fridays, 2:00pm-5:00pm (seminar) |
Details on the UBC Bachelor of Media Studies can be found here: https://mediastudies.arts.ubc.ca/academics/program-requirements-2023-or-after/. For more details on the course, please see https://vancouver.calendar.ubc.ca/course-descriptions/courses/mdiav-490-emerging-media-practitioners.
All courses are designated as “in person” and it must conform to UBC policies (found here: https://students.ubc.ca/enrolment/courses/course-modes-delivery).
Course Description
MDIA 490, a required course of the BMS degree, is a digital practice-based course with approximately graduating BMS students. The class approaches terms of media agency, wherein students examine the social and political dimensions of their own creative media work and develop a coherent, public-facing professional identity. The course both tackles analysis of real-world media complexities and articulating their own values and attitudes towards responsible practice, and the development of a personal online portfolio that displays their creative identity, and reflective engagement with the conditions of media-making.
The successful candidate will work with one (1) teaching assistant and the BMS Digital Specialist.
For questions regarding this course, please contact BMS Chair, Dr. Christine D’Onofrio, christine.donofrio@ubc.ca.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Active practice as a media professional or cultural producer, with engagement of the ethics and politics of media-making with confidence holding space for difficult conversations about race, power, oppressions, and complicity in media;
- Grounding in critical media studies and the ability to pair professional practices with academic study;
- An orientation towards mentorship and student cohort community, with genuine investment in helping students find and articulate their own creative identities;
Applicants with background in any media discipline are welcome, however an interest in interdisciplinary knowledge construction and media modalities is essential to the role. Required qualifications include:
- Graduate degree (with either undergraduate or graduate degree in an MDIA-relevant field);
- Experience as a collaborative media creator;
- Demonstrated experience in teaching at university-level;
How to apply
Returning Applicants
Those who have taught for the program in the last two years can upload an updated curriculum vitae and the outline of the course(s) they are interested in teaching.
New Applicants
Applications must include the following documents:
- Cover letter that outlines related experience and interest in the course;
- CV that includes individual descriptions of past courses taught;
- A maximum 1-page outline of how you’d approach teaching the course that includes:
(1) link to a sample of an original online portfolio development (can be your own) project that proves experience in what it means to present a public-facing, online presentation for a media field (2) main student outcomes you’d reach upon teaching the course (2) brief assignment ideas and reference to topics, and (3) academic texts or relevant readings you might assign; - Evidence of teaching effectiveness (i.e., teaching evaluations, if available);
- Contact details of two references.
Applications must be submitted online by May 26, 2026. Please submit all application materials online as pdf files and follow the instructions provided on the application webpage: https://fyip.air.arts.ubc.ca/2026w-sessional-bms/.
All positions are subject to availability of funds. Sessional Lecturer appointments will be governed by UBC’s “Agreement on Conditions of Appointment for Sessional Lecturers.” The minimum salary will be $9,559.11 per 3-credit course.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.