Masters Degrees (Broadcast Journalism)

The Broadcast Journalism MA at City is highly rated in the industry as evidenced by the range and number of alumni working in broadcasting, the awards won, and the industry placements offered.

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for students with a first degree, looking to become well-rounded broadcast journalists. You will have a keen interest in TV and radio news and current affairs plus sport, lifestyle and national and international politics. Though this course is NOT about presenting on screen or on air, you must be prepared to present your material on camera or mic, and write and direct material for others to perform. The MA in Broadcast Journalism is essentially about visual and audio communication of topical information, and requires a desire to communicate through essential team working. City provides an alumni network second to none in the UK broadcast industry; and provides possibly the best employment opportunities of any postgraduate broadcasting course in the UK.

Objectives

The MA in Broadcast Journalism produces award winning young journalists and has a superb reputation. You will learn learn comprehensive TV and radio skills. The course benefits from a large cohort of 50 students with great networking and peer support. Teaching groups of 15 ensure daily personal contact with Professor Lis Howell; TV reporter Colette Cooney; Dr Abdullahi Tasiu; and key visiting staff like Talksport’s Sandy Warr and former Reuter’s producer Lloyd Watson.

New from autumn 2016 Broadcast Journalism aims to offer hour long TV news programmes on news-days produced by students gaining practical training. Newswriting, television and radio journalism are taught in groups of fifteen and larger groups through lectures, workshops and broadcast simulation.

Placements

Work placements are an integral part of the Broadcast Journalism MA. MA Broadcasters arrange their own placements - with help from academics if necessary. You must have 15 days of work experience whilst on the course. This usual happens during the the Christmas break. The size of the City cohorts past and present means unique networking opportunities with present students and 4,000 alumni. But at the same time every student is given personal help in finding a placement and help ultimately to find a job in broadcasting. Every student counts.

Organisations who have hosted City students in the past include:
-ABC
-Al-Jazeera
-BBC
-BBC local radio stations across the UK
-Blakeway Productions
-Blink
-CTVC
-Flame
-Hardcash Productions
-ITN
-ITN Sport (Olympics)
-NorthOne
-October Films
-OR Media
-Plum Films
-politics.com
-Reuters
-Sky
-Talkback

Academic facilities

In 2014 we completed a £12m development project for our Journalism facilities. These facilities were developed in consultation with experts from the BBC and ITN and were praised by the BJTC. They include:
-A television studio: enabling simultaneous multi-media simulated broadcast and a major expansion in the number of news and current affairs programmes produced.
-Four radio studios: enabling an increase in output and the potential to explore a permanent radio station.
-Two radio broadcast newsrooms: high-tech facilities that enable you to learn how to produce a radio programme.
-Two digital newsrooms: impressive modern facilities that enable you to learn the skills required to produce newspapers, magazines and websites.
-Two TV editing and production newsrooms: state-of-the-art facilities that enable you to learn about TV production.

Teaching and learning

Some courses are taught in lecture theatres, but most are small-group workshops that allow you to develop your journalistic skills and knowledge with the support of our expert academics.

Activities include lectures, practical work in groups and individually, personal tutorials, and independent learning

This pathway is taught by professors, senior lecturers and lecturers, with industry practitioners as visiting lecturers, and a number of key industry visiting speakers.

Assessment

All MA Journalism courses at City are practical, hands-on courses designed for aspiring journalists. As a result, much of your coursework will be journalistic assignments that you produce to deadline, as you would in a real news organisation.

Assessments vary from module to module but include coursework, practical work both in groups and individually, a Final Project, a written timed test, and essays.

Modules

All of our Broadcast Journalism MA students must undertake core modules in Ethics, Rules and Standards and a Final Project. As a Broadcast Journalism student you will take a module in Newsgathering for TV and Radio; a module in Newsdays and Longer From film-making; and a module in Studio Production. Teaching hours are between Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.

Core modules
Ethics, Rules & Standards (30 credits)
Final Project (30 credits)
Newsgathering for TV and Radio (30 credits)
Newsdays Production (30 credits)
Studio Production for TV or Radio (15 credits)
UK Media Law (15 credits)
Political Headlines (15 credits)

Elective modules
Journalism Innovation (15 credits)
Social & Digital Journalism (15 credits)

Career prospects

96.8% of graduates from this course were in employment six months after completing the course (DLHE survey 2014-15).

Alumni include famous names such as:
-Sophie Raworth (BBC)
-Dermot Murnaghan (Sky News)
-Barbara Serra (Al Jazeera)
-Jo Whiley (BBC Radio).

Recent graduates of the MA Broadcasting include:
-Ramita Navai, Emmy Award-winning documentary maker
-Chris Mason (BBC Political Reporter)
-Isobel Webster (Sky News)
-Darren McGaffrey (Sky News)
-Minnie Stephenson (ITN)
-Cordelia Lynch (Sky News Washington)

Read less

The MA Broadcast Journalism programme builds on the strengths and achievements of the postgraduate diploma course, which has been running since 1981. Currently accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), the course has a reputation for the quality of its students and their success in obtaining employment in the industry.

UCLan is committed to producing broadcast journalists who are realistically skilled and highly employable. The postgraduate Broadcast Journalism is designed to prepare students for working in the broadcast industry, so the emphasis is on learning by doing. You will learn in a newsroom environment, producing interviews, stories and packages for radio and television and online. You will also gain a thorough understanding of media law and public administration.

This course is eligible for a BAFTA Scholarship. Selected students will receive up to £10,000 to cover course fees, an industry mentor and free access to BAFTA events around the UK.

INDUSTRY LINKS

The course enjoys superb links with industry – across the region and nationally. Many former postgraduate broadcast journalists who now work in BBC and commercial radio and TV, make regular return visits – to pass on their invaluable knowledge and insights as well as providing one-to-one feedback on radio and television newsdays.

Our MA Broadcast Journalism programme is recognised as providing “general excellence in broadcast journalism training" by its accrediting body – the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

Greenbank Building has five sound studios, each with professional mixing desks and computers, a large talks studio, and a television studio, with remote cameras, lighting, Autocue, control room and AVID digital editing suite.

The broadcast newsroom is equipped with telephones, digital editing workstations, ENPS and Burli news management systems, AVID iNews and news feeds from Independent Radio News and the Press Association.

The course enjoys excellent support from the broadcast industry. Students benefit from frequent guest lectures and industry speakers as well as editors and producers from radio and TV who visit regularly to work with the students.

The work placements are an essential part of the course and students are expected to spend at least three weeks in a BBC or commercial radio newsroom and one week at a television programme or company.

Most assessed work is in the form of practical assignments. For radio, students submit a portfolio of work, including a news bulletin, interview and news package. For television, students work on a variety of assignments.

For Law and Public Administration students must produce an essay and pass a final examination.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Work experience is a vital part of the programme and is often the starting point for paid employment. We ensure students are fully aware of the opportunities available to them and encourage them to make the most of the unprecedented access to our network of industry contacts. The official 6 week placements will normally take place in early summer – after students have completed their major project. However, we actively encourage all our students to make the most of any opportunities to participate in on-going placements during weekends/holiday periods.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course we expect you to have acquired the skills and knowledge required to carry out the work of a professional broadcast journalist and be capable of operating independently in a confident and reflective manner. To achieve this, the course sets out to:
-Provide you with the key journalistic skills and knowledge required by professional broadcast journalists
-Promote self-awareness and self-confidence, and the ability to communicate clearly
-To provide you with underpinning knowledge of relevant legal and ethical requirements
-Stimulate all-round development within a positive, supportive and creative learning environment.
-Provide you with the opportunity for a substantial piece of independent production or research
-Provide you with the intellectual skills and creative insights necessary for your development as a reflective practitioner

FURTHER INFORMATION

We provide training and support in an environment that enables students to reach the high standards of professional competence demanded by the industry. Entry into the profession is competitive and most employers recruit new journalists only if they have completed a recognised postgraduate course.

For the Masters award, students will demonstrate their practical skills and critical understanding of the medium by producing an extended broadcast project under the supervision of a module tutor.

Read less

The MA Broadcast Journalism is aimed at people who have decided to pursue a career in radio or television news and current affairs. Our aim is to help you to get your first job in a highly competitive industry.

All journalists need to know how to find and research stories, how to interview people and how to write well. These days, that’s not enough. Modern broadcast newsrooms are digital and multi-media. Entry-level journalists are expected to be multi-skilled and familiar with the latest technology.

We use digital TV and radio studios to teach you how to gather and broadcast your content. We also organise a three-week industry placement for you to put into practice the skills we teach.

We will encourage you to originate and distribute your stories through the latest social channels. Are you comfortable using Twitter, Instagram, or Steller in a professional way? You will be by the time you leave us.

We are looking for people who can demonstrate a keen interest in news. We expect you to be engaged with what’s happening in the world. If you regularly watch and listen to TV and radio news programmes, that’s a good starting point.

We also look for people who already have some evidence of their commitment to a career in journalism. This could be acquired through student journalism or work placements in a newsroom. We don’t mind what subject you have studied at undergraduate level.

You will leave us with an MA that is widely recognised as being at the forefront of postgraduate training for a broadcasting career in digital multi-media newsrooms. Your time with us will be hard work, but hopefully it will be rewarding, and the beginning of an exciting career.

Distinctive features:

• MA Broadcast Journalism is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council
• Industry placements in the second semester
• An outstanding alumni network across the media

Structure

This is a year-long course.

Broadcast journalism skills are acquired through a series of lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises and feedback sessions of increasing complexity and realism - from 'paper exercises' in the early days to complex radio and television productions that report on real events in real time. These sessions are supplemented by seminars, playbacks, group discussions and industry guests.

Basic writing, reporting and technical skills are taught in the first semester against a background of group listening and viewing to good current professional practice.

The second semester adds editorial and production skills in both radio and television. We use the device of twice weekly ‘production days’ to integrate newsgathering and production skills with the team working and editorial/resource management skills needed to produce real-time broadcast outputs.

During the Easter break you will test your skills against the real world in a work placement (or placements) of a minimum three weeks duration in a radio or television newsroom of your choice.

Following the Easter recess you will have the opportunity to study from a wide and varied selection of elective modules which include sports, motoring, business and data journalism.

Finally individual writing, reporting and storytelling skills are tested in both media are tested in the final portfolio of work and the final practical examinations.

Your major project will be self-accessed and student-led. You will originate, research and produce a story that will be delivered for radio, television and online.

Core modules:

Public Administration
Reporters and the Reported
Digital Journalism
Broadcast Journalism
Broadcast News Production
Broadcast News Reporting & Production
Media Law and Ethics
Professional Development
Major Project

Optional modules:

Motoring Journalism
Business and Financial Journalism
Lifestyle & Consumer Journalism
Political Reporting
Sports Journalism
Data Journalism
Yr Agenda Cymreig

Teaching

You will be taught through a variety of practical workshops, studio time and productions days which replicate an industry environment as well as lecture series to support the more academic elements of the course.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a wide range of formative and summative assessments throughout the course. These range from practical class room activities to academic essays and examinations.

Career prospects

This is a period of great change in all fields of journalism – including broadcast – but our employment record continues to be good.

Our graduates typically leave us to work as broadcast journalists in local radio or regional TV newsrooms. Recent graduates are now working for organisations like BBC and ITV News, SKY, CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg and Al Jazeera English. Over the years we have helped hundreds of people to start their careers in broadcast journalism. Many are now working at the top of the profession.

Placement

You will undertake a 15 day industry placement during the Easter break. Placements are co-ordinated by the course tutors and take into account your geographical preferences. Placements may be in radio or TV newsrooms, or both.

Read less

This course is highly vocational and our students often progress into industry jobs before graduating. The course has full accreditation from the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) and students are also able to take the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) core exams.

You will work with a team of top journalists and academics. Two of your main tutors have a vast amount of experience in television and radio, having been in charge of news and sports departments at regional and national level.

You will learn how to self-shoot and edit a TV package, how to present on television and radio and how to operate as a multimedia journalist. You will also be taught how to write news pieces and then present them on TV, radio and online; how to report, how to interview, how to use a TV camera and how to produce and direct in a studio.

The latest industry-standard equipment is used and stories relating to events in the local community, national politics, international affairs, sports news and celebrity gossip are all covered. Recent graduates work at Sky, MTV, BBC, ITV and on BBC local and commercial radio.

Course content

Through comprehensive core modules, we provide the opportunity to tailor your award to your specific career goals.

You will study:
-Broadcast Journalism: Theory and Practice
-Government, Politics and Journalism
-Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues
-Specialist Broadcast Journalism
-Journalism Studies
-Research Project

Accreditation

This award is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, an organisation part-funded by the broadcast industry to maintain standards of delivery of broadcast journalism training at accredited centres in the UK, including Staffordshire University.

In addition all students are able to sit National Council for the Training of Journalists pre-entry exams. The NCTJ, the awarding body, is regulated by Ofqual, and offers professional pre-entry qualifications recognised by the industry for those seeking a career in journalism.

Past NCTJ papers are used in class exercises to give students appropriate material relevant to newsroom practice and as preparation for NCTJ examination content and format.

Shorthand is taught through workshops delivered by an experienced specialist shorthand tutor who takes the students from scratch, by exposition, example and class practices, up to, potentially, the ability to pass the NCTJ 100 words per minute.

Read less

About the course

Accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.

Learn how to write for radio and television news: how to find your own stories and turn them into sharp and imaginative broadcast material. You’ll record and film material and edit it using a desktop software package. You’ll also learn media law and public administration, ethics and regulation.

We’ll prepare you for the multimedia environment by teaching you how to create audio and video for the web and how to use social media effectively.

Your career

A masters from Sheffield is the mark of someone who thinks differently. Graduates from our applied courses are creative, disciplined journalists.

They’re working in radio and television, newspapers and magazines, print and online, across the UK and internationally.

The BBC, Guardian, Daily Mail, Channel 4, Sky and Wall Street Journal all employ Sheffield journalists.

About us

Our teaching staff are professionals who have worked at the highest level in newspaper, magazine, radio, television and online journalism. This is a great place to learn practical skills. Three quarters of our research is rated world-leading or internationally excellent. The discussion of ideas about journalism, its past, present and future, is part of all our courses.

We have strong links with the industry. We send our masters students on a three-day field trip to London, visiting national news organisations for briefings on current developments with senior editors and meeting politicians and political journalists.

Guests from the media industries, regulators, campaigning groups and research institutes give lectures in the department. Broadcast editors run radio and television newsdays, and print and online production editors bring their expertise to newspaper, web and magazine exercises.

Work experience

If you’re taking one of our applied courses, we encourage you to go on a work placement of one to three weeks during vacation time. Employers regularly notify us as opportunities come up and we have a dedicated work placement administrator to help you find a placement that’s right for you. Our students often find a work placement leads to a job after graduation.

Professional accreditation

All our applied postgraduate courses are accredited by the main professional bodies representing the media industries: the National Council for the Training of Journalists, the Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the Professional Publishers Association. Our International Political Communication and Global Journalism programmes are not accredited and have limited practical content.

Real-world learning environment

The University has invested £3 million in a superb new home for the department in 2014, with four large newsrooms designed to simulate a real working environment. The print newsroom is equipped with 30 PCs, all of which have access to the latest print production software such as Adobe Indesign, Incopy and Photoshop. You’ll also have access to a Press Association newsfeed, telephones, daily newspapers and Sky TV.

The broadcast newsroom is equipped with industry-standard software for radio production. We have a state-of-the-art radio studio and digital audio recorders. Students on the applied MA courses learn how to create packages, put together live news bulletins, shoot professional news pieces on HD TV cameras, and use Apple Final Cut X to cut rushes together. They acquire the skills needed to prepare text, audio and video content for publication online. These degrees also show how to use audio recorders, video and stills cameras to gather content. In the web newsroom, students use audio, video and image editing software to create their own sites.

Studentships

There are a limited number of external bursaries for UK students on the Print, Magazine and Broadcast courses, from the AHRC, Scott Trust and Journalism Diversity Fund. Please see our web pages for details.

Core modules

Researching News; Law for Journalists; Ethics and Regulation; Power and Society; Broadcast News; Advanced Broadcast Journalism; Broadcast Journalism Dissertation/Portfolio (PGDip students don’t take this module).

Examples of optional modules

A range including: Global Journalism; Journalism, Globalisation and Development; Researching Social Media; Propaganda, Media and Conflict; News and Civil Society; Journalism Politics and Public Debate; Journalism in Britain.

Teaching and assessment

There are lectures, seminars, group workshops, individual and team assignments. You’re assessed on essays, examinations and practical broadcast journalism – producing news stories, radio and TV news items and features, web pages and portfolios.

Read less

About Broadcast Journalism Degrees

One of Britain's leading industry-accredited broadcast journalism courses it provides a very high-level of vocational training, preparing trainees for careers in radio, television and online news.

Leeds Trinity University was the first UK institution to introduce a postgraduate programme in Broadcast (Radio and Television) Journalism and the Diploma is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC). The programme provides thorough training in the techniques of broadcast news and is impressively successful in providing enhanced employment prospects for graduates.

Trainees spend one month on-air where they produce radio bulletins and online material in real time for Bradford Community Broadcasting. During this period all of the Broadcast trainees gain experience in the roles of news editor, newsreader and reporter.

Working to tight deadlines trainees also produce Yorkshire Voice regional news programme, showcasing their television skills, and its associated web content. Each edition is reviewed by senior industry figures.

Our alumni are strongly represented in the BBC, commercial radio and television, and newspaper and magazine newsrooms across Yorkshire and the rest of the country.

Leeds Trinity’s continuing partnership with many of the major news organisations ensures access to placements and monitoring opportunities.

Graduate Destinations

The Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism is a highly vocational, calendar year programme which prepares trainees for roles as journalists in a multi-platform environment.

Our alumni are strongly represented in the BBC, commercial radio and television, and newspaper and magazine newsrooms across Yorkshire and the rest of the country.

The course provides a thorough grounding in the techniques of broadcast news, writing for newspapers and magazines, and website production. Trainees work in dedicated newsrooms and studios with all trainees taking roles of responsibility as editors, producers or presenters.

Trainees who follow the broadcast pathway produce Leeds Today, a regional TV news programme that showcases television skills. They also spend a month on air with Bradford Community Broadcasting during which bulletins are produced in real time against deadlines. Trainees following the Print and Magazine pathways produce the North Leeds Newspaper and MORE magazine. Trainees on all pathways are also expected to produce online video, audio and written material for the course’s main news website.

The Broadcast pathways are accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) while the Print and Magazine pathways have National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCJT) accreditation.

Structure

The following five modules make up the diploma:

- News Skills – an intensive, practical module providing the multi-media skills needed in any newsroom, regardless of platform and including shorthand.
- Law, Ethics and Regulation – the knowledge required to be legally safe and ethical journalists, and to follow regulatory codes.
- Live Production – Producing real packages in real time for Yorkshire Voice and the BCB radio.
- Public Affairs – where public affairs embraces British Central and Local Government.
- Professional Work Placement – all trainees must complete at least four weeks of placement in a professional newsroom environment.

The MA in Journalism consists of one module which trainees may register for up to two years after completion of the Diploma.

Research Methodologies and Journalism Research Project – culminates in the production of a supervised research dissertation.

Assessment – Trainees must attend a four-day introduction session in January and submit their research proposal by Easter. Trainees have 12 months to complete their thesis.

Read less

The MA in Sports Broadcast Journalism is the only course of its type in the UK. It provides professional opportunities in the world of sports media for many postgraduates who are now working at the BBC, ITV, Sky, ESPN and several top football clubs. The award has been praised and accredited by the BJTC. It is run by professional sports broadcasters and offers an exciting blend of practical and academic subjects.

You will learn the practical essentials of broadcast journalism including use of cameras, TV and radio studios and Premiere Pro video editing. Newsdays will replicate professional practice and students will report, present and produce to broadcast standards.

Other subjects include sports broadcast studies and law; you will also undergo six weeks of work placement in a professional setting; and learn how to produce documentary features.

Industry links

National newsrooms visit:
The course includes a three-day visit to London in January when students get the chance to go to the heart of the industry – the main newsrooms. We visit Sky News, Sky Sports News, ITV News (formerly ITN), the Daily Telegraph and others. The trip is a huge opportunity for students to observe newsrooms in operation at close quarters and make valuable contacts. The cost is included in the course fees.

Accreditation

This award is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, an organisation part-funded by the broadcast industry to maintain standards of delivery of broadcast journalism training at accredited centres in the UK, including Staffordshire University.

All students also have the opportunity to sit the National Council for the Training of Journalists pre-entry exams. The NCTJ, the awarding body, is regulated by Ofqual, and offers professional pre-entry qualifications recognised by the industry for those seeking a career in journalism.

Past NCTJ papers are used in class exercises to give students appropriate material relevant to newsroom practice and as preparation for NCTJ examination content and format.

Shorthand is taught through workshops delivered by an experienced specialist shorthand tutor who takes the students from scratch, by exposition, example and class practices, up to, potentially, the ability to pass the NCTJ 100 words per minute.

Read less

This specialist course prepares you to work in radio and TV news and factual programming and includes a work placement. The course is based at the University's Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism, with dedicated newsrooms and studio facilities.

Why choose this course?

The Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism (CBJ) at Nottingham Trent University has been training aspiring journalists for 20 years. We provide specialist training to equip students with the well rounded skills required within this industry.

This course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC). This professional accreditation reflects the high standard of this course.

It focuses on areas such as video editing, story selection, bulletin production, camera work, TV and radio presentation, interviewing, voice training, plus specialised reporting such as sports writing, documentary making and two-way work. You will be taught by our team of experienced media professionals, and their knowledge is supplemented by a lecture and tutorial programme of visiting professors, journalists and other guests.

The course has a practical focus, and you are expected to develop story ideas and contacts and gather your own material for journalistic work. Online production is an integral part of the course with students focusing on the key multi-media skills required by the industry. The course also incorporates a work placement to allow students to put their newly developed skills into practice and build valuable experience.

Read less

This practical, vocational programme is designed to produce graduates with the skills and knowledge employers would expect of professional journalists starting their careers.

About the programme

The programme has an outstanding employment record. Recent graduates have found work at the BBC and STV; a host of commercial radio stations such as Radio Clyde and Heart; and busy media offices and a range of high-quality journalism employers.

Your learning

Taught primarily in the University’s purpose-built television and radio studios in Ayr, students take six modules (20 credits each at SCQF 11):
• News Journalism – students compile and broadcast radio bulletins. Newswriting, interviewing, editing, and online content are taught. Professional voice coaching is also an important element of the module.

• Journalism Law and Regulation – the main legal and regulatory issues that confront working journalists are taught and analysed.

• Television Journalism – students make television packages, conduct live two-ways, write out of vision scripts, and present live television news bulletins.

• Advanced News Journalism – There is greater emphasis on presentation skills, online and social media content in this module, which requires students to file video, audio and written work for the web.

• Journalism and Public Affairs – students engage with the major debates surrounding the reporting of global issues, government and politics.

Plus one of either:
• Features and Packaging – you will be expected to produce and voice radio and video packages to a professional standard.

• Global Media Contexts – students are introduced to a range of critical and cultural debates and themes including environment, digital media, convergence, the past, and indigenous media.

By successfully completing these six modules you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits). If you wish, you may continue to MA level (180 credits), which gives you the opportunity to produce a television or radio documentary.

Professional input is vital: lecturers have extensive experience of both BBC and commercial broadcasting. There is a course of guest lectures and talks from working broadcast journalists and editors as well as a series of industry visits.

Practical experience

Work placement is an integral part of the programme. Each student is sent on placement, often to commercial radio stations, which have actively recruited from the programme.

Our Careers Adviser says

We only accept students who we believe have a realistic chance of building a career as a broadcast journalist. This helps to sustain the excellent reputation of the University among employers, leading to the jobs record outlined above.

Professional recognition

The programme is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.

Financial support

In session 2015/16 the Postgraduate Diploma element of this programme carried SAAS postgraduate loan funding for eligible students. Check http://www.saas.gov.uk for 2016/17 loan info.

Great facilities

Accreditation by Creative Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media, has led to the creation of the UWS Creative Media Academy. Operating across our campuses and through the UWS Glasgow Creative Enterprise Cluster, the Academy offers:
• A wide range of practice-led programmes

• First-rate facilities including an £81million investment in our new campus at Ayr

• Teaching in skills which are in demand by the creative industries

Research excellence

Our vibrant research culture spans a wide range of areas, including:
• providing advice on the cultural and educational aspects of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games

• student and industry collaboration on the creation of transmedia projects that offer real research and development potential and generate new online experiences for mobile and tablet users

• practice-led research in popular music, theatre, broadcasting and the visual arts

• new media art, ethics and emerging media technologies

• collaboration with leading arts festivals and venues including CCA Glasgow and Film City Glasgow

• creative writing for fiction, film, theatre and TV, working with leading broadcasters and arts companies

• cultural policy, cultural practice and cultural economy in Scotland and Europe, from small island communities to large urban areas

• participatory arts and media practice, community regeneration and public art

• journalism, politics and media representation

• the future of journalism and social media

• independent film and new media

Read less

The International Multimedia Journalism MA programme teaches multimedia journalism to graduates of universities outside the UK who aspire to pursue a career in the news industry. You learn to report for newspapers, websites, radio and television in a live newsroom environment. Using state-of-the-art technology located in dedicated radio/television studios and multimedia newsrooms you work to real deadlines to make news programmes and upload your work to the internet. Your tutors are award-winning journalists with decades of front-line experience in national and international news. Every day starts with an editorial conference and the degree programme balances focus on journalism as practical reality with intense academic study and reflection.

This programme is especially designed for those students who do not intend to practise journalism in the United Kingdom.

About the Centre for Journalism

The Centre for Journalism is leading the development of journalism as an academic discipline rooted in professional newsroom practice. It was established in 2008 to achieve top standards in teaching and research.

A lively and welcoming community spirit exists within the Centre. There are regular social events, seminars and masterclasses. Recent visitors have included: Allan Little, BBC correspondent; Sarah Ivens founding Editor-in-Chief of OK! Magazine USA; Gavin Esler, former presenter of Newsnight; Jon Snow, presenter of Channel 4 News, Mark Thompson, former Director General of the BBC, Alex Crawford three times RTS TV journalist of the year, Stephanie Flanders former Economics Editor BBC and Stuart Ramsay Sky News chief Correspondent. Thanks to the range of research and professional interests in the Centre, we can offer wide scope for research supervision.

The Centre enjoys strong links with other academic departments including the School of History, Kent Law School and the School of Politics and International Relations. It encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary research and joint supervision.

Course structure

Compulsory modules in Reporting and Writing, Journalism and Free Expression and Practical Multimedia Journalism introduce you to the intellectual and professional challenges of reporting for newspapers, radio, television and the internet. You choose optional academic modules from a range including: History of Journalism; Reporting Conflict; Communication and Humanitarianism, Political Reporting and Propaganda - Media, Manipulation and Persuasion.

You may choose to complete a dissertation.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year.

JN800 - Reporting (45 credits)
JN802 - Practical Multimedia Journalism (45 credits)
JN804 - Dissertation in Multimedia Journalism (30 credits)
JN814 - Journalism and Free Expression (30 credits)
JN815 - Political Reporting (15 credits)
JN816 - Propaganda-Media, Manipulation and Persuasion (15 credits)
JN806 - Reporting Conflict (15 credits)
JN807 - Advanced Multimedia Storytelling (15 credits)
JN808 - Communication and Humanitarianism (15 credits)
JN813 - Sports Journalism (15 credits)

Assessment

The degree is taught by a combination of lectures, seminars, masterclasses, news days, tutorials and editorial conferences. Assessment is by coursework (including essays, reporting exercises and presentations) and examinations. The optional dissertation counts for a third of the final grade.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- teach the professional and academic skills required to practise multimedia journalism to those wishing to pursue a career in the news industry

- educate you to think critically about the ethics, duties and responsibilities of journalism in democratic societies and in emerging democracies and thus improve the quality of journalism as a profession

- produce graduates with a courageous and principled vision of the purpose of journalism and its constitutional value in contemporary democratic societies

- develop a detailed and systematic understanding of particular forms of journalism and their historic and contemporary role in the shaping of culture and society

- develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of the impact of new technologies on journalism

- develop an appropriate range of cognitive, critical and intellectual skills and research skills

- foster lifelong learning skills that will enable you to work with self-direction and originality and to contribute to journalism and society

- bring scholarly and critical insights to bear on the subjects, activities and processes associated with multimedia journalism

- provide teaching and learning opportunities that are informed by high quality research and scholarship from within the Centre for Journalism and elsewhere.

Research areas

History of journalism, political reporting, environmental journalism, conflict reporting, documentary film, journalism technology, democracy, propaganda, global media

Study support

Postgraduate resources
The Centre is based in state-of-the-art multimedia newsrooms equipped with the latest audio and video-editing technology, a radio studio and broadcast-quality television facilities. A dedicated postgraduate newsroom opened in September 2010. Newsroom computers offer a wide range of software for teaching and research support. Students have access to Press Association news wires, Sky News Radio and Reuters World Television News feeds. They use the Centre’s dedicated multimedia website, http://www.centreforjournalism.co.uk which offers live publishing facilities in text, audio and video. The site is a forum for debate about issues in journalism and the news industry involving students and practitioners in Britain and abroad.

Dynamic publishing culture
Staff regularly contribute to newspapers, magazines, journals and books. These have included: This is Today – a Biography of the Today Programme, The Phone Hacking Scandal: Journalism on Trial, Mirage in the Desert? Reporting the Arab Spring, Face the Future: Tools for the Modern Media Age and Afghanistan, War and the Media (Tim Luckhurst); What do We Mean by Local? (Ian Reeves), Specialist Journalism: Journalism Studies; Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism; Ethical Space; British Journalism Review; Parliamentary Affairs; Journal of Language and Politics; Environmental Communication; The Guardian; Media History; Political Quarterly; The Daily Telegraph; Independent; The Times; Sunday Telegraph; Toronto Globe and Mail; Los Angeles Times; The New Republic; The Word; Prospect.

Our students have obtained jobs at places such as Sky News, The Daily Mail, BBC Newsround and the Huffington Post.

Read less

Course Duration

Full-time 1 year

Summary:

Like journalism itself, this practical course is fast and dynamic, and you’ll be expected to work in a range of newsroom contexts within weeks of starting your course.

Under the guidance of award-winning journalists who have worked with organisations ranging from the BBC and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism to commercial radio and magazines, you’ll develop a keen eye for a story. You’ll also develop advanced newsgathering and data journalism techniques that help you establish the facts, experience how to work within a range of newsroom contexts and tell those stories across a range of online and social media platforms.

You’ll have access to some of the industry’s most respected journalists who are working in the field now, learn about the legal, commercial and ethical contexts surrounding the future of journalism.

The course is completed full time across three semesters covering one year. Students can choose to focus on either the online journalism route or the international broadcast journalism route.

Modules:

Semester one
Narrative: from Media to Interactive Media (core)
Research in Practice (core)
Online Journalism option: Multiplatform, Mobile and Data Journalism
International Broadcast Journalism option: International Broadcast Journalism

Semester two
Media Law, Ethics and Security (core)
Entrepreneurship in Practice (core)
Industry Placement (core)
Online Journalism option: Specialist Journalism, Investigations and Coding
International Broadcast Journalism option: News and Current Affairs Production

MA by Practice

Assessments:

Assessments usually emphasise scholarly or professional practice through which the key learning objectives are tested. Three weeks are set aside for assessment work.

Read less

The MA in Financial Journalism is unique in its international reach. Supported by the Marjorie Dean Foundation the course aims to develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to work in a multimedia environment.

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for journalists who want to specialise in financial journalism, and for individuals with a background in the financial sector who want to work as journalists. We welcome applications from UK/EU graduates or non-EU graduates with good English skills.

Objectives

The MA in Financial Journalism is unique in its international reach and includes the chance for overseas travel. The course teaches the skills needed for finance journalism. Supported by the Marjorie Dean Foundation the course aims to develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to work in a multimedia environment.

By the end of the course, students have had extensive education in reporting business and financial news.
Students develop interviewing, researching and writing skills using state-of-the art Bloomberg and Reuters terminals, and produce their own special and exciting coverage of the UK Budget.

Through the generous support of the Marjorie Deane Foundation for Financial Journalism, the MA Financial Journalism degree offers two unique features:
-A study abroad programme that subsidises student travel to study financial journalism in New York and Shanghai.
-Full tuition scholarship opportunities through the generosity of the Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation for both UK/EU students and overseas students from developing countries.

Placements

Many media organisations approach the MAFJ course with requests for interns. All students are encouraged to seek work experience while they study on this course.. Internships can be undertaken full-time during the six-week winter break and the summer, as well as part-time during the spring. This programme does not grant academic credit for any work experience undertaken. Some internships, particularly those by large media organisations over the summer, are paid. Examples of the kind work experience students on this programme have successfully arranged:
-Bloomberg
-Reuters
-BBC
-Financial Times
-CNBC
-Sky News
-CityAM
-Which Money

Additionally, there are two dedicated internships from Argus Media only open to City, University of London students, subject to a successful recruitment process.

Throughout the course there are opportunities for you to visit and gain inside understanding of the application process at a number of leading media organisations including: Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal.

Scholarships

The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation - Studentships
The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation funds several full studentships exclusively for students who have been offered places on the MA in Financial Journalism. Students must be from an OCED country and a UK/EU resident, and have been made an offer to be eligible, and a separate application has to be submitted to the Course Officer for forwarding to the Foundation, who has the sole responsibility for awarding the studentships. The studentships can cover the full cost of tuition, and discretionary living costs, dependent on need

Marjorie Deane International Excellence Studentships
The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation is also offering a few competitive studentships to outstanding students from developing countries who wish to study on the MA Financial Journalism course. The aim is to improve the standard of financial and business reporting around the world. Students from EU countries, or countries that are members of the OECD, are not eligible.
All other students who have been offered a place on the course are eligible to apply. The selection criteria are academic achievement and promise, relevant practical journalism experience, and the potential to make a difference in their home countries. The studentships can cover the full cost of tuition.

Academic facilities

In 2014 we completed a £12m development projects for our Journalism facilities. These facilities were developed in consultation with experts from the BBC and ITN, and were praised by the BJTC. Our facilities include:
-A television studio: enabling simultaneous multi-media simulated broadcast and a major expansion in the number of news and current affairs programmes produced.
-4 radio studios: enabling an increase in output and the potential to explore a permanent radio station.
-2 radio broadcast newsrooms: high-tech facilities that enable you to learn how to produce a radio programme.
-2 digital newsrooms: impressive modern facilities that enable you to learn the skills required to produce newspapers, magazines and websites.
-2 TV editing and production newsrooms: state-of-the-art facilities that enable you to learn about TV production.

Teaching and learning

The MA Financial Journalism is led by Professor Steve Schifferes, former BBC economics correspondent. Recent guest speakers have included Wall St Journal editor Gerard Baker, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler, economist Jim O'Neill, the inventor of the BRICs idea (Brazil, Russia, India and China), and David Mulford, former US ambassador to India and Deputy US Treasury Secretary for International Affairs. Guest lecturers from the highly rated Cass Business School also provide tuition on specialised topics in business and financial journalism.

The course includes two online production days on the UK Budget and Autumn Statement, producing a web-based special report, and radio and TV production weeks.

This pathway is taught by professors, senior lecturers and lecturers, with industry practitioners as Visiting Lecturers, and a number of key industry visiting speakers

Activities include lectures, practical work in groups and individually, personal tutorials, and independent learning. Assessments vary from module to module but include coursework, practical work both in groups and individually, a Final Project, and essays.

Modules

By the end of the course, you will have had extensive training in the best professional practice of reporting business and financial news, working across television, radio, print and online media.

You will develop professional skills in:
-Interviewing
-Researching
-Writing news stories and features

You will develop an understanding of how to obtain and use key economic and financial data, using state-of-the art Bloomberg terminals. You will have a firm grounding in corporate, financial and economic reporting, the ability to understand and manipulate financial data and to critically analyse announcements by companies and government departments. You will also complete a final project which demonstrates their ability to write a longer piece of written journalism or a broadcast video to a professional standard.

All of our MA Journalism students must undertake underpinning core modules in Ethics, Rules and Standards and a Final Project.

Teaching hours are between Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.

Core modules
-Ethics, Rules & Standards
-Journalism Portfolio
-Editorial Production
-Final Project
-Key issues in Financial Journalism

Electives
-Introduction to Data Reporting
-Journalism Innovation
-Reporting Business
-Reporting Finance

Career prospects

Three quarters of our Alumni are still working in London, with others located in major financial centres like New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Singapore. In 2014, nearly all our students had received job offers within three months of graduating from the programme.

Recent graduate destinations include:
-Financial specialist PR
-Chief Sub-editor at Financial Times
-Sub-editor at Financial Times
-TV Producer at Bloomberg
-Press Officer at Commonwealth secretariat
-Financial Advisor for the Financial Times group
-Blogger for beyondthebrics at Financial Times
-Financial Times, production desk
-Hedge Fund Manager
-Intern at Reuters London,
-Billionaires Reporter at Bloomberg,
-Reporter at Argus Media,
-Researcher/Reporter at Financial Times Hong Kong (MandateWire)
-Freelancing for the Financial Times (Scheme Xpert, Pensions Week, Money)and EuromoneyFXNews
-Reporter at Silu (http://www.silu.com)

Read less

This MA is a practical introduction to TV journalism, and aims to teach you the professional conventions of UK news and current affairs broadcast journalism and relevant production skills- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-tv-journalism/

The programme encourages a critical understanding of television journalistic practice, and an informed knowledge of the overall political and industrial contexts in which journalists are now working, including an introduction to multimedia journalism; it locates this understanding and creative development within a wider enquiry into the relationship between media practice and culture.

At the end of the programme you should be familiar with the techniques and practices of television journalism, and conversant with the wider ethical, legal and technological contexts of broadcast journalistic practice.

You will be able to describe the qualities of your own work and of its cultural significance, and have a professional standard portfolio of original television news, current affairs and online reports.

Hands-on experience

You'll be involved in all aspects of studio work, filmmaking and multimedia web journalism, including editorial experience on eastlondonlines.co.uk, our student-run independent news site. All teaching is workshop-based.

Where practicable and possible, you may undertake a placement of three to four weeks in a news or current affairs production company.

Winner of a Broadcast Journalism Training Council Award for Excellence in Teaching Broadcast Journalism 2007-8.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Linda Lewis.

Modules & Structure

The programme is a practical introduction to TV news journalism. Modules are practical and skills-based, but are taught within a theoretical framework which is only possible in an institution renowned for its research work.

You'll cover:

television journalism practice
practice theory
research methodologies
key media law and ethical issues in relation to UK and US media law
In the first term you are taught in lectures, small group seminars and practical workshops for a period of approximately 12-15 hours. During the rest of the week, you are expected to work on individual and joint projects without supervision.

In the second term, teaching time of 8-10 hours is usually concentrated on two or three days per week to allow more time for production.

In the third term you are expected to work, with support, on your production for assessment.

Core modules:

Core course Television Journalism Practice- 120 credits
Asking the Right Questions: Research and Practice- 15 credits
Journalism in Context- 15 credits
Media, Law and Ethics- 15 and 30 credits

Assessment

Essay; unseen examination; production portfolio comprising the research, planning, shooting and editing of original current affairs reports; coursework assessment.

Skills

You'll develop:

A critical understanding of television journalistic practice
an awareness of the techniques appropriate to television journalism
project management skills
multimedia journalism skills

Careers

Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers in:

television
radio
broadcasting
the press
the web
publishing
film-making
advertising
marketing
public relations

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

Read less

With strong links to the media, The Liverpool Screen School houses the industry relevant technology that will advance your professional development, and ability to gather and report throughout this globally relevant News Journalism Masters programme.

•Masters degree available to study full time (one year)
•Teaching delivered in £38million Redmonds Building
•Develops your understanding and knowledge of the practice of journalism, particularly broadcast, for use in an international context
•Gain a working knowledge of international relations relevant to the concerns of mainstream news organisations
•Secure the expertise required to produce quality journalism suitable for broadcast
•Develop research skills at Masters level

News journalism in the 21st century is a 24-hour business, transcending boundaries, timelines and cultures. You will become part of a supportive, scholarly community dedicated to developing your skillset to meet contemporary broadcast standards for the UK.

The Masters in International News Journalism, delivered by the respected Journalism teaching team within the Liverpool Screen School, has been designed to provide a deep understanding and knowledge of the practice of professional journalism, particularly focusing on broadcasting.

The course delivers a combination of practical experience, using the School’s state of the art media suite facilities and strong, Masters-level research skills which you will demonstrate in your dissertation.

You will develop a working knowledge of international relations and several key journalistic disciplines. You will also be expected to show originality in the application of knowledge, and the boundaries of knowledge, through ground-breaking research. On completion of the Masters, you will be able to deal with complex issues systematically and creatively and you will be encouraged to show originality in tackling and solving problems.


You will develop the knowledge and qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgment, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments.

The course is designed for international students and will allow you to develop your language skills alongside your intellectual and journalistic knowledge and key skills.

What you will study on this degree

Please see guidance below on core modules for further information on what you will study.

Journalism Studies

An introduction to the theoretical concepts surrounding the study of journalism. The module will cover a range of subjects including news values, law and ethics, agenda setting, gatekeeping, representation and stereotyping, the use of language, the business of a newsroom and the effects of online journalism on the news agenda

International Relations for Journalists

Examines the theory and practice of international relations focusing in particular on cultural, economic and security relations

Academic research for Journalists

Provides you with a thorough understanding of academic research methods and methodologies suitable for journalism social research and the production of research papers and dissertations at masters level

Advanced UK broadcast Journalism

You will synthesise your skills in writing, reporting and production while working to produce journalism broadcast artefacts both in groups and individually that approach professional UK standards

Introduction to UK Journalism

You will research and produce original news artefacts for a range of media outlets. You will demonstrate developed writing and production skills for a range of news outlets showing a clear understanding of target audiences

Dissertation

You will produce a written dissertation that researches a key issue relating to International Journalism and demonstrates mastery in its analysis or evaluation

Broadcast Journalism Project

This module builds on the Advanced UK Broadcast Journalism module to enhance your professional practice and apply features treatment to a story

Further guidance on modules

The information listed in the section entitled 'What you will study' is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal Academic Framework review, so may be subject to change. Students will be required to undertake modules that the University designates as core and will have a choice of designated option modules. Additionally, option modules may be offered subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Academic Framework reviews are conducted by LJMU from time to time to ensure that academic standards continue to be maintained.

Please email [email protected] if you require further guidance or clarification.

Read less

The broadcast pathway of this course will equip you with all the practical and intellectual skills you need to work as a multi-platform journalist, at the same time allowing you gain a deeper grounding in the abilities of broadcast journalism. All students learn the basic skills of audio, video and digital reporting. The course has a very practical focus, so you are expected to develop story ideas and gather your own material through research and reporting for journalistic course work. You will be given full training in using our up-to-date media resources, ensuring that you graduate from the course as a multi-skilled journalist being competent in digital and broadcast journalism. Both the MA and the Postgraduate Diploma can be taken as a part-time course (daytime) over two years studying two days a week.

The PG Diploma and MA have been accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) which means we provide industry backed journalism training for online, TV & radio. The organisation accredits a number of British journalism courses, providing the syllabus meets their requirements. Our students regularly win BJTC awards, and the course has been awarded the BJTC award for excellence in teaching.

The University of Westminster itself is designated a Skillset Media Academy, Skillset being the UK skills body for the Creative Industries ensuring excellence and quality for education and skills training in television and interactive media.

Our teaching staff are highly experienced journalism professionals, and our graduates go on to work with a variety of leading media organisations including BBC TV and Radio, BBC News Online, ITN, Russia Today, Al Jazeera, the Financial Times and The Guardian, Conde Nast, and many other media houses in Britain and around the world.

Course content

There's a strong emphasis on learning through 'hands-on' practice, in small class groups, using our professional standard facilities. Most of your assessed course-work will be 'real' journalism assignments, a preparation for the world of contemporary journalism.

As well as regular classes taught by experienced journalists on our staff, we also invite other media professionals as guest speakers or to critique student work. We support you in applying for work placements, encourage you go to journalism events and network with professionals, and to pursue other journalism experiences. We work closely together with the charity One World Media, for example. One World Media promotes coverage of the wider world and offers bursaries for students who wish to cover a story in a developing country for their final project.

You will have the chance to air your work on Smoke Radio, the University's multi-award-winning internet radio station, or post items onto the MA's own news site, Westminster World.

The course is taught over two semesters, and for the Master's students followed by the largely self-directed final project in the summer. Unlike many other journalism MAs, you can undertake an extensive practical Final Project. This could be a TV or radio documentary or a digital project. Students usually undertake their placements in the period from the Easter break to the end of the course.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

CORE MODULES - SEMESTER ONE:
-Documentary Skills
-Multimedia Journalism Skills
-Issues in journalism

CORE MODULE - SEMESTER TWO:
-Digital Journalism

OPTIONAL MODULES - SEMESTER TWO:
-Investigative Journalism
-Travel Journalism
-Online Journalism
-Sociology of News
-Specialist Journalism

Final Projects (MA only)
These are all individual projects:
-Final Radio or Video Documentary Project
-Final Journalism Project
-Online Journalism Final Project

Associated careers

Though designed to prepare you for a career in journalism, this course could also lead to a career in public relations, communications, or any other professional pathway which requires effective communication skills, and the use of convergent media.

Read less