Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to some common questions about the CTS program, and links to resources for further information
I don’t know anything about coding or computer science. Can I still study CTS?
Yes! While some of your classes will include modest amounts of coding, many of our students have no coding experience at all. While we welcome computer science students, a knowledge of CS or coding is not a requirement for the program. As you proceed through the program, you will be taught fundamental skills which will enable you to understand and use digital tools in your research and communications. You may find you love it or you may find you are more comfortable working from software applications that don’t require programming: both are valid approaches in CTS. The flexibility of the program means that you can choose projects and Areas of Emphasis that dovetail with your comfort level in various technologies.
CTS seems to be closely related to the field of Digital Humanities. What is Digital Humanities?
The field of Digital Humanities emerges from the insight that humanities—the study of human society and culture—is now inseparable from the technologies we now use everyday. Conversely, we can study technology itself and the ways our engagement with it continually shapes the human experience. Culture and Technology Studies students will develop an understanding of the digital mediation of cultural processes and the role humans play in technological work and technology development.
What is an Area of Emphasis? Do I need to choose one to complete my degree?
The CTS major allows for three optional Areas of Emphasis: Storytelling & Public Humanities; Performance, Making, & Design; and Power, Identities, & Equity. To add an area of emphasis, students will complete 2.0 credits in a single Area of Emphasis. Courses in each area are listed here. Like Majors and Minors, Areas of emphasis are declared by contacting the BA Counselling Office.
Students taking the Performance, Making & Design area of emphasis are required to complete CTS*3010 Experiential Learning: Digital Arts and Critical Making. Storytelling & Public Humanities requires the completion of CTS*3020 Experiential Learning: Digital Storytelling and Public Humanities. Those in Power, Identities and Equity do not have specific core courses to take beyond the already required CTS*3000 Data & Difference, but are encouraged to focus their context and/or praxis courses on a particular aspect of power such as race, gender, Indigeneity, environment, or economics.
Students who are not taking CTS as a double major or minor are encouraged to choose an area of emphasis in order to direct their studies toward a range of possible career paths. Your chosen AoE will show on your university transcript.
What career paths are available for me as a CTS Major? And how do I get started in the right direction?
Graduates of CTS will find many opportunities to apply their knowledge in a variety of careers and as part of interdisciplinary teams. Those leaning toward a career in the technology sector may become web or game designers, digital publishers, information technologists, technical writers, or data scientists. You may find yourself employed in the arts community as a curator of digital collections at a museum or library, or working in arts administration. You may work in a community group or non-profit, creating open-access, linked databases. As a journalist or historian, you can contribute digital content to websites or online repositories. Teachers adept in understanding and using digital technologies will be in increasing demand. You can also choose to continue your research after graduation and work towards a Masters or PhD in a specialization such as History, English, Fine Art, or Information Science, or an interdisciplinary program such as Digital Humanities or Science and Technology Studies.
If you major in CTS, choosing an Area of Emphasis will help you focus your studies in the direction of a career that interests you. A major or minor in CTS alongside another major will provide complementary knowledge and skills. Visit the CTS Pathways page to see how your CTS degree can guide you towards a career goal.
For more information, contact our Faculty Advisor (listed on Our Faculty & Staff, and Resources pages) to discuss the right path for you. Bachelor of Arts Counselling services are also available for assistance in helping you meet the requirements of your degree and scheduling your courses.
I’m interested in doing a co-op. Does the CTS program have a co-op option?
Yes! Beginning in Fall 2022, you can apply to do a co-op CTS degree, with work terms in three semesters (with an optional fourth). Current information and updates to the co-op program can be found here.
Some of the required courses are Disciplinary Praxis Courses and Context Courses. What does this mean?
Praxis describes the practice of an area of study, as opposed to the theory of it. Praxis courses give you the opportunity to put what you have learned into practice and develop more advanced skills in the context of a particular discipline or subject of study. These may include user interface design, web design, digital music, electronic literature, games, digital narrative forms, and more.
Context courses allow you to apply digital tools and methods to subject-specific courses including English, History, Sociology, Theatre, Fine Art, Political Science, Philosophy and many more. Context courses count toward requirements in your chosen Area of Emphasis.
Please note that both Praxis and Context courses may have prerequisites; the fact that they count towards CTS does not change those requirements.
View Praxis and Context courses in the current calendar.
I’m interested in graduate studies. As a graduate of the CTS Program, what options would be available to me?
As a major or a minor, CTS provides a unique pathway to prepare students for many possible futures, including graduate certificates and a range of programs including library and information science, data science, digital humanities, or Guelph’s new Collaborative Specialization in Artificial Intelligence, as well as some more traditional graduate fields such as English (graduate admission requirements vary). There are also graduate certificates and professional programs in areas such as publishing, arts management, or project management that may be of interest to you.
If you graduate with a double major, you can choose a variety of paths that will bring together your two majors, including graduate studies in Library and Information Science, Communications and Media Studies, Museum Studies, Art History, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, or Studio Art. To learn more about graduate programs at U of G, click here.