Masters Degrees (Journalism)

About the course

Do you want to report the news from the most interesting and important parts of the world? Are you committed to a career in journalism but need the professional skills?

From the moment you start our International Journalism MA course you will learn to deliver high quality video, audio, online and print journalism.

The International Journalism MA is designed to provide our students with digital multiplatform journalism skills and advanced understanding of the context of journalism in the fast changing world of news media. This is a challenging, employment orientated course in a major London university focussed on international reporting.

We believe the sooner you get practical experience of a real journalism workplace the sooner you will be ready to join the industry. All our students find placements in the news industry while they are with us. The course features a synthesis of practical and theoretical skills contextualising different forms of journalistic practice within a framework of technological, political and cultural change.

As a research university we are able to offer small course groups so we provide a bespoke service where we know and advise each student individually in their skills and journalism career. We choose students from all over the world.

This course is suitable for:

A recent or mature graduate from a wide range of degree disciplines wanting a career in journalism or to develop a research interest in international news media.

A mature student without a first degree, but with some relevant professional experience. We consider each individual on their merits.

Aims

You will acquire the skills and knowledge to immediately enter the journalism industry in an international context, and will be equipped to undertake further postgraduate level research.

You will gain comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of the advanced academic study of international journalism, and the techniques and principles applied in practice.

You will be provided with the relevant expertise and learning environment to support your critical and practical engagement with issues at the heart of analysing and practising international journalism.

[email protected] employment rates are excellent, with graduates working for news organisations like BBC World Service, Norway’s DTK TV News, Italy’s Il Mattino and London’s China Weekly.

Course Content

This strongly vocational programme is distinctive in allowing students to develop their own journalistic practice at the same time as learning about the impact of technological change, cultural developments and political issues on different forms of global journalism.

Particular attention will be paid to the global versus the local, which will be examined through practical assignments as well as media ownership, the legal context, issues pertaining to journalistic ethics, and the role of journalism in the international political process.

The programme builds on the success of the School of Arts' postgraduate provision by providing a broad-based programme, within a credit framework, offering you the opportunity for specialisation. It consists of a common core of study in journalism, with an offer of specialist study in print/online or broadcast journalism, which will facilitate student entry into different aspects of the industry.

This is particularly relevant in the context of a converging media industry requiring multi-skilling and the ability to adapt to new media environments.

The programme will be delivered by a combination of academics based at Brunel (who also have considerable journalistic experience) and visiting journalists and legal experts working in key positions within the media industries.

You will greatly benefit from the College's excellent links with the journalism, broadcasting and publishing industries, and will be offered the opportunity for work placement.

The MA consists of compulsory modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach:

Journalistic Practice 2
International Institutions
Journalism Issues
Global News Analysis
News and Feature Writing
Major International Journalism Project

Contact Hours

Full time option only:
Term One: 11 Contact hours + 3 hours optional lecture + tutorials and guest speakers
Term Two: 10 Contact hours + tutorials and guest speakers

The course provides for an optional data journalism course in term one.

Assessment

Assessments will take the form of practical projects and tasks, essays, exams, case studies, presentations, reflexive reports and dissertations.

Assessing students’ knowledge and understanding of theoretical debates, hermeneutic skills and understanding of the historical and institutional context of different international journalism practices will be undertaken via written essays.

The assessments covering these cognitive skills are practical exercises, written work and productions which test the acquisition of practical skills and strategies; essays which test theoretical and historical knowledge; and the final journalism project (and accompanying written analysis) which requires a summation of the critical, creative and practical skills learned during the programme.

The Major Project will test students’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills (with supporting reflexive practice) to A-Level commensurate with a Master's qualification. Dissertations are usually agreed in advance with the supervising tutor.

Special Features

The International Journalism MA has the following signature characteristics:

- Multi-skilling in journalism technology
- An emphasis on writing for global journalism
- Specialist activity for informed career choice
- Journalism practice contextualised within a framework of technological, legal, political and broader cultural change
- Work placement, with experience of real-world journalism, supported by strong Brunel/industry links
- International news agenda where students from all over the globe share their journalism and cultural experiences.

8 Reasons to study International Journalism MA

You will be a multi-platform journalist
From the moment you start our course you will learn to deliver high quality video, audio, online and print journalism in our fantastic, 24-hour, state-of-the-art digital newsroom and studios. You will develop the mind-set to find lots of ways to report and present a story or feature to deadline using the very latest techniques. We push you hard and help you develop your personal, professional and intellectual skills. Our course is transformative.

You will be highly employable
Editors come to us when recruiting journalists. Brunel Journalists are now working as staff in top newsrooms across the globe, including the BBC, Norway’s NDK, The Guardian, The Independent, news agencies, glossy consumer magazines, business-to-business journals, websites, local and regional press and broadcasting. Several are now award winning journalists.

You will receive individual attention
As a research university our course groups are small and we can provide individual tutoring. All full-time lecturers are available at least four hours per week for personal consultation on academic issues. A structure of senior tutor and year tutors provides students with an easily accessible system for addressing queries about the programme. Each student has access to top journalists for career guidance.

We have top weekly guest speakers
[email protected] features an impressive record of top level guest speakers from the news industry. This year we have speakers from Cosmopolitan, the Guardian, the Independent, BBC, Sky, Daily Express, C4 News and more.

Great work placements
Brunel journalists land all the best placements, gain enviable referees and see their bylines in leading publications. We have one of the best university Professional Development Centres in the UK who coach our students not only in CV and application writing but also help them develop the necessary skills to exceed at job interviews. We have great contacts with local media including Trinity Mirror newspapers which provides for very easy work experience.

You are taught by top industry names
Our staff team and visiting lecturers comprise some of the biggest names in the business, such as leading investigative journalist Paul Lashmar (World in Action, The Observer, The Independent), Jacquie Hughes (Granada, BBC) and many more. You get the very best expertise preparing you for your career.

London-based campus environment
Brunel’s campus is a lively and attractive environment that buzzes with creativity and diversity, and is within easy reach of Central London. There is always something going on and a wide variety of amenities ranging from the bars and cafés to the computing clusters and the Library.
[email protected] visits to some of London’s major news organisations. Recent visits have included Sky News, Bloomberg and The Guardian.

There’s great student media on site
Whether you fancy going on air, online or in print, you can do it here at Brunel. There’s student radio, a student newspaper and a host of online opportunities at your fingertips to enhance your CV and boost your employability. You will also have the opportunity to compete in national student media awards.

But it’s not all hard work…
There are industry trips, days out, screenings, quizzes, networking events to build your contacts, confidence and just to have fun.

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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.

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The International Journalism MA is a one-year professional practice course in which you will develop skills in journalism and thinking about journalism in a global context.

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for students with a first degree looking to become journalists with an international perspective rooted in the UK’s journalistic traditions. Students with degrees in all disciplines are welcome. Law, Business, Agriculture, and Science are among the first degree subjects that are in demand by many publishers and broadcasters. Overseas applicants are especially welcome. Prospective students need excellent general knowledge based on a worldview and a thorough briefing of what is in the news each day.

Students who successfully complete this MA in International Journalism are very employable in the media.

Objectives

The MA in International Journalism is a keystone course at City and has built up a worldwide reputation. This course has been running since 1982 and has more than 1,000 alumni working in journalism around the world.

During the course, you will become adept at print, broadcast and online journalism in a global context by:
-Studying news in all its forms
-Obtaining a profound understanding of international journalism from a UK perspective
-Practising all platforms of journalism (print, broadcast and online) Exploring theory as well as reflect on your practice

You will learn how to gather and report in various styles and modes for a range of media (print, broadcast, online). You will also explore the contemporary global domain of journalism.

The course attracts students from all over the world, who will become your future professional network. You will benefit from being in one of the world’s most significant media cities with access to thousands of international journalists and sources.

On this course you will gain from using both traditional and contemporary journalism tools, and acquire comprehensive skills,which you can take back to your own country or move on with to anywhere in the world.

Placements

Work placements are an integral part of all MA Journalism courses, giving you the chance to put your learning into practice and, more importantly, make contacts in the industry.

They are also a way you can build up evidence of what you can do to a potential employer (cuttings, video and audio clips).

You are encouraged to undertake work experience during the breaks in the terms.

Academic facilities

You will gain practical skills in our state-of-the-art digital television studio, digital editing suites, radio studios and broadcast newsrooms.

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 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

The International Journalism MA is a professional/practice course with an emphasis on developing practical skills in journalism. The teaching staff are all professional journalists in print, broadcast or online. We focus on "learning by doing" - you cover real stories and produce newspapers, run a radio station, broadcast on the internet, and produce television news programmes and multimedia websites.

During the course, you have opportunities to meet, listen to and question journalists and other people from the media. You are encouraged to reflect on your own experiences as journalists and the ways in which practicing journalists do their jobs by developing an understanding of ethical issues in journalism, the media and international reporting.

You will be treated as a professional journalist throughout the practice-based elements of the course. Learning is intensive and at times teaching hours will resemble those of a full-time job.

Some modules are taught in lecture theatres, such as Global Journalism and Society and Ethics, Rules and Standards, but most are small-group workshops that allow you to develop your journalistic skills and knowledge with the support of our expert academics.

Industry visitors
The MA International Journalism course prides itself on its close connections with journalism practitioners. Here are some of the high-level industry figures who have contributed to the course in recent years:
-David Schlesinger, Global Managing Editor, Reuters
-Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News
-Phil Harding, Director English Networks & News, BBC World Service (as External Examiner)
-Yosri Fouda, London bureau chief and host "Top Secret", Al Jazeera
-Salim Amin, ceo A-24 African network and head Camera Pix
-Mark Brayne, Director, Dart Europe
-Waleed Ibrahim, Reuters Iraq Bureau
-Tim Lambon, Deputy Foreign Editor, Channel 4 News
-Gavin McFaydean, Director, Centre of Investigative Journalism
-David Leigh, Investigations Editor, The Guardian
-Sandy McIntyre, head of APTN.

Assessment
Assessment is part of learning, and course assessments vary to reflect the learning being
achieved. They include workshop exercises, studio work, oral presentations, essays, reflections
and production (making journalism products), and different forms (written, oral, visual, aural), as
well as being individual and team-based.

Modules

All students on the International Journalism MA take modules in storytelling and online journalism before specialising in either print, broadcast or online journalism. This choice informs your studies for the rest of the course through to the completion of a final project.

There is a dissertation option for students who prefer a more academic route through the course.

You are encouraged to complete an internship, either in the UK or overseas. This must be arranged by you.

Core modules
-Global Journalism (20 credits)
-Journalistic Storytelling (20 credits)
-International News (15 credits)
-Production (30 credits)
-International Online Journalism (10 credits)
-Journalism Ethics (15 credits)
-Professional Project or Dissertation (30 credits)
-Specialism Journalism or Journalism and Conflict (20 credits)

Elective modules - choose from:
-Print Journalism (20 credits)
-Broadcast Journalism (20 credits)

Career prospects

92.6 per cent of graduates from this course are in employment six months after completing the course (95 per cent in work or further study) (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2014-15). Graduates work in both global and national media and in allied occupations around the world.

Most recently, these have included roles from researchers to editors in broadcasting such as:
-BBC Radio and TV (including BBC World Service)
-ITN
-Channel 4
-Al Jazeera
-Deutsche Welle
-CNN
-France24
-Bloomberg,
-Sky News
-Fox News
-NHK (Japan)
-Thomson Reuters
-Associated Press
-Dow Jones

And major newspapers and magazines including:
-The New York Times
-Financial Times
-The Hindu
-Politiken
-GQ
-Fairfax Media (New Zealand)

In the heart of London’s huge and diverse media district,students have unrivalled access to industry internships and contacts.

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This is an integrated multimedia journalism course that prepares you for a career in the global journalism industry by providing you with the core skills for print, broadcast, magazine and online platforms.

During the course you learn how to gather, organise, write and present information to a professional standard across a variety of platforms and to different audiences.

Key areas of study include • print • broadcast • digital/online journalism • writing and presentation skills • interviewing • TV and radio presentation skills • professional practice • global journalism • shorthand.

By selecting options to meet your own interests you are able to specialise in print journalism, magazine journalism, radio journalism and television journalism.

Throughout the course you gain an understanding of how your chosen area operates in Britain and internationally by examining different examples of journalistic practice. You are able to bring your own experience of journalism in your home country and gain insight into practices in Britain, Europe and the wider world. You study case-studies from regions of the world that interest you in order to compare different approaches to journalism.

Print and online journalism modules prepare you to develop the multiplatform skills to operate effectively as a news and feature journalist in any global newsroom. This means learning to develop a strong news sense, an ability to select and prioritise key facts and quotes, and writing skills for different platforms.

You also

• learn how to produce accurate material for publication to a given length and deadline
• develop an understanding of how news is consumed and how to meet the needs and expectations of a range of audiences
• develop both multidisciplinary and team working skills that equip you to work with people from a range of backgrounds

Broadcast journalism modules develop your skills in radio and TV broadcasting, and in interviewing and presenting. You produce radio and TV packages in a dedicated TV and radio studio and two dedicated newsrooms.

Alongside practical skills, the course gives you the opportunity to study the ethical, legal and regulatory context in which journalism is practised. Theoretical content deepens your understanding and critical awareness of on-going debates about the economic and political role played by journalists and global news organisations in modern societies.

Read about opportunities and experiences available to our students on our Journalism blog.

Sheffield Hallam University acts as a centre for the NCTJ national examinations.

Course structure

Semester one core modules

• writing for the media
• radio journalism
• magazine journalism

Semester one optional modules

• sports journalism 1
• media law and regulation 1
• practical PR and professional experience

Semester two core modules

• print and online reporting
• TV journalism
• international journalism and PR

Semester two optional modules

• sports journalism
• media law and regulation 2
• public affairs
• PR: politics and lobbying

Semester three core modules

• international journalism project

Assessment

• coursework
• critical evaluation
• dissertation or project
• a combination of practical and theoretical work

Employability

Journalism is a global industry and this course prepares you for a career in your home country or elsewhere in • print journalism • magazine journalism • sports journalism • online journalism • broadcast journalism (TV and radio) • public relations.

Journalism is a broad term and you could pursue a very rewarding career in any of its many forms.

A career in journalism suits those who are flexible and enjoy team work as you may be dealing with breaking news and a tight deadline. In today’s newsrooms journalists require skills across a range of media-platforms and need to be able to communicate news and information to a range of audiences.

There are opportunities to work on regional newspapers, television and radio throughout the world, but some choose to pursue a career in a national media industry and may therefore be based in a capital city. Many journalists work on a freelance basis and the demand for experienced freelancers is increasing, making this an attractive option, especially for feature writing.

In the UK salaries vary considerably depending on whether the post is a regional or national one. A regional journalist just starting out on a career in the UK can expect to earn £12,000 – £15,000 as a trainee, whereas an experienced person working for a national newspaper can expect up to around £35,000 – £40,000. 

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About the course

MA Journalism (NCTJ-accredited) offers you one of the best ways to launch your journalism career – whatever the medium you hope to work in.

Our programme is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists, ensuring you get a qualification that really counts when you apply for your first position. Unlike other single-medium Journalism MAs, you will be taught journalism from the basic building blocks of online reporting and writing through to substantial news and feature projects in video, audio and print and multi-platform.

You will be studying not only for your prestigious Brunel Master's degree but also the NCTJ Diploma, which examines you in Reporting, Public Affairs, Law, Video, Teeline shorthand and a Portfolio. We work in close consultation with senior journalists, ensuring our syllabus provides a rigorous foundation to a career in this dynamic, challenging and often controversial industry.

This programme is distinctive in allowing you to develop your own cutting-edge journalistic practice, whether it's exploring 3G news, or on-screen page make-up. At the same time you learn about the impact of technological change, cultural developments and political issues surrounding different forms of journalism.

Particular attention will be paid to factors such as ethics, professionalism, media ownership, the regulation of the media, and the role of journalism in the political process.

The Journalism Diversity Fund is aimed at people from diverse backgrounds who need help funding their journalism training. Candidates must be from a socially or ethnically diverse background, be able to demonstrate genuine commitment to becoming a successful journalist and have secured a place on an NCTJ-accredited course. For more information, please visit http://www.journalismdiversityfund.com/

Aims

You will gain a systematic understanding of the field of contemporary journalism and a critical understanding of the current problems in the field.

You will acquire an understanding of the main theoretical approaches and techniques of journalism. You will be encouraged to use these critically, both in their studies of journalism and their own critical practice.

You will be provided with a critical understanding of the journalistic field that will enable you to use most effectively the skills which they acquire on the programme.

Course Content

MA Journalism consists of a common core of study in journalism, with an offer of specialist study in print or broadcast journalism in the second term, which will facilitate your entry into different aspects of the industry. This is particularly relevant in the context of a converging media industry requiring multi-skilling and the ability to adapt to new media environments.

The programme will consist of five modules - two that provide cutting-edge journalism skills essential for the new entrant to the industry, coupled with two that offer in-depth analysis of the recent history and political economy of the industry, critical evaluation of the cultural, political, ethical and legal frameworks within which journalism operates, and academic interrogation of current and emerging journalistic issues.

The fifth module, a major project, requires a synthesis of practice and theory. Through undertaking these modules, you will be enabled to identify and apply the most useful practical, theoretical and contextual approaches to help you to produce “good” journalism. In this way, you can enter journalism confident of your abilities, with highly-developed research skills, ethical judgement, the necessary contextual knowledge and an ability to navigate successfully an increasingly market-led industry.

The MA consists of compulsory modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach:

Journalistic Practice 1
Journalistic Practice 2
Issues in Journalism
Major Research Project

Contact Hours

Full-time: Minimum four days attendance per week

Part-time: Three days in year 1 and 1-2 days in year two provided the 100wpm Teeline exam has been passed in year 1.

These are the attendance hours for terms 1 and 2. Terms 3/4 are more varied and flexible as this is when you will have assignments, exams and supervision.

Assessment

Assessments will take the form of practical projects and tasks, essays, exams, case studies, presentations, reflexive reports and dissertations.

Assessing students’ knowledge and understanding of theoretical debates, hermeneutic skills and understanding of the historical and institutional context of different international journalism practices will be undertaken via written essays.

The assessments covering these cognitive skills are practical exercises, written work and productions which test the acquisition of practical skills and strategies; essays which test theoretical and historical knowledge; and the final journalism project (and accompanying written analysis) which requires a summation of the critical, creative and practical skills learned during the programme.

The Major Project will test students’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills (with supporting reflexive practice) to a level commensurate with a Master's qualification. Dissertations are usually agreed in advance with the supervising tutor.

Special Features

We are industry accredited
This means you will study for the NCTJ Diploma as well as your Masters degree – two qualifications in one. The NCTJ Diploma doesn’t just prepare you for local media – BBC, Sky and The Guardian are on the Board.
You will become a multi-platform journalist by learning how to work in online, print, audio and video journalism in our fantastic, 24-hour, state-of-the-art digital newsroom and studios. You will develop the mindset to find lots of ways to report and present a story or feature to deadline using the very latest techniques.

You will be highly employable
Editors come to us when recruiting journalists. Brunel Journalists are now working as staff in top newsrooms across the globe, including the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, news agencies, glossy consumer magazines, business-to-business journals, websites, local and regional press and broadcasting. Several are award winning journalists. Find out more about where our graduates are now working.

You will receive individual attention
All full-time lecturers are available at least four hours per week for personal consultation on academic issues. A structure of senior tutor and year tutors provides students with an easily accessible system for addressing queries about the programme. Each student has access to top journalists for career guidance.

We have top weekly guest speakers
We have an impressive range of high-profile industry guest speakers, giving you the chance to network with some of the leading journalists in the country. This year we have speakers from Cosmopolitan, the Guardian, BBC, Sky, Daily Express, C4 News and more.

Great work placements
Brunel journalists land all the best placements, gain enviable referees and see their bylines in leading publications. We have one of the best university Professional Development Centres in the UK who coach our students not only in CV and application writing but also help them develop the necessary skills to exceed at job interviews.

You are taught by top industry names
Our staff team and visiting lecturers comprise some of the biggest names in the business, such as leading investigative journalist Paul Lashmar (World in Action, The Observer, The Independent), Jacquie Hughes (Granada, BBC) and many more. You get the very best expertise preparing you for your career.

London-based campus environment
Brunel’s campus is a lively and attractive environment that buzzes with creativity and diversity. There is always something going on and a wide variety of amenities ranging from the bars and cafés to the computing clusters and the library. Our students also benefit from the fantastic links to London and its local, national and global media, not only through expert speakers but also via excellent work placements.

There’s great student media on site
Whether you fancy going on air, online or in print, you can do it here at Brunel. There’s student radio, a student newspaper and a host of online opportunities at your fingertips to enhance your CV and boost your employability. You will also have the opportunity to compete in national student media awards.

But it’s not all hard work..
There are days out, screenings, quizzes, networking events to build your contacts, confidence and just to have fun.

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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)

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Interested in journalism and keen to gain qualifications that will make you stand out from others? This course leads to both an MA and NCTJ Diploma in Journalism.

Course overview

‌This Masters is one of the few postgraduate degrees in the UK to be accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). NCTJ accreditation is widely recognised as a gold standard for courses that turn out highly skilled, highly motivated and highly employable trainee journalists.

‌Previous study of journalism is not a requirement. If necessary, we may ask you to undertake a short course that covers essential skills and knowledge, before you join the main Masters course.

Journalism is an intensive course that trains, write and research like a journalist. It covers media ethics and law, reporting and public affairs, shorthand, sub-editing and production. You will develop your own specialist areas of interest such as crime, health or political journalism. In the final stage of the course you can produce your own newspaper or series of in-depth articles, with support from our professional journalists.

An important benefit of a Masters at Sunderland is the relevance of our research expertise, which includes sports and magazine journalism as well as web writing and social media. Sunderland hosts the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS) and our Media Department has been recognised for producing some world-leading and internationally excellent research.

The Journalism Diversity Fund is aimed at people from diverse backgrounds who need help funding their journalism training. Candidates must be from a socially or ethnically diverse background, be able to demonstrate genuine commitment to becoming a successful journalist and have secured a place on an NCTJ-accredited course.

This course can also be taken part time - for more information, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/artsdesignandmedia/postgraduate/journalism-part-time/

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors.

Modules on this course include:
Journalism – Stage 1 (60 Credits)
-News Journalism: Principles and Practice 1
-Essential Media Law
-Essential Public Affairs
-Shorthand

Journalism – Stage 2 (60 Credits)
-News Journalism: Principles and Practice 2
-Reporting
-Media Ethics and Society
-Shorthand

Journalism – Stage 3 (60 Credits)
-Dissertation

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working. The course aims to stretch your creativity and maximise your sense of personal fulfilment.

In Stage 1 and Stage 2, you will have approx 22/23hrs teaching per week. This is arranged so that you have Friday off each week. The course is taught by respected academics and journalism professionals through a combination of newsroom workshops, seminars and tutorials. You will work on projects both on your own and with others, developing skills in communication and teamwork.

We encourage you to publish your work. The department has strong relationships with local and national media including Johnston Press, NCJ Media and Room 501 Publishing.

Facilities & location

The facilities at the David Puttnam Media Centre help you gain skills in areas such as writing, page design, online research, managing production, IT, and time management and presentation skills.

The mediaHUB
Throughout your time in Sunderland you will have an outlet for your creative talents in the mediaHUB, a bustling multimedia newsroom on the top floor of our David Puttnam Media Centre that will give you a real taste of life as a working journalist. The mediaHUB runs websites covering sport, news, entertainments and fashion, provides the content for news bulletins on our award-winning Spark Radio and is responsible for writing and editing Spark magazine.

Journalism/PR suites
We have four journalism suites, each with 18 Apple Mac workstations with design applications and video editing. There’s an additional open access project completion suite with 20 more workstations and colour laser printing.

Broadcast Journalism Newsroom
The Broadcast Journalism Newsroom has 20 workstations plus a Sky feed with two 40” plasma screens. Each workstation has industry-standard software including Newscutter, Burli and ENPS.

Technical support
The Journalism Newsroom has another 20 Mac workstations and offers drop-in sessions run by a rota of working journalists who can advise on projects, assignments and your personal portfolio. These sessions are available every day of the week during term time. In addition, technicians are available to help you use all the software and equipment.

Radio studios
We have six radio studios including a transmission suite for 107 Spark FM, our student-run community radio station and a city centre hub.

TV studios
We have two broadcast-quality TV studios complete with green room and changing facilities. Equipment includes four Steadicam rigs plus dolly, track and mini crane. We have over 40 full HD tapeless field camera systems.

Other media facilities
We have a live Sky feed and off-air recording facility, including DVD and Blu-ray recording, plus extensive footage archive/library. There is also a 203-seat cinema with full HD projection, 7.1 surround sound facility and the capability to play 3D feature films.

University Library Services
We’ve got a wide range of books, journals and e-books on relevant topics, with many more available through the inter-library loan service. Some useful resources for your studies include:
-Lexis, which provides full-text newspaper articles as well as access to legal information
-JSTOR (short for ‘Journal Storage’), which provides access to important journals across the humanities, social sciences and sciences
-Archival Sound Recordings with over 12,000 hours of recordings
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media in higher education and research

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course you will be equipped for roles throughout the PR and communications industries.

Recent Sunderland graduates are now working in PR consultancies as well as in the PR departments of organisations such as the Environment Agency, Tyne and Wear Sports and AA Press Office.

During the course we encourage you to gain industry experience which will enhance your skills, build up a valuable network of contacts and boost your employability.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.
As a professionally accredited centre for journalism education, we provide you with an opportunity to influence the future teaching of journalism. You can become an NCTJ student representative and attend a national council meeting once a year.

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This course will be held at the Medway Campus

- https://www.kent.ac.uk/locations/medway/

Postgraduate programmes in journalism at Kent offer you the opportunity to research and learn in an environment that combines excellence in the practice of convergent, multimedia journalism with intellectual leadership in the history, ethics and future of the news industry.

Research programmes are best suited to students who have a clear and original idea of a topic that they would like to investigate in detail. The MA by Research entails producing a 40,000 word thesis; the MPhil programme demands a high level of research and analysis resulting in a dissertation of 50,000 words (MPhil).

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/111/journalism

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

All first-year research students attend a Methodologies and Research Skills seminar. Through the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Centre provides training in methods of using sources and can assist in funding applications.

We welcome research applications across the range of expertise in the Centre and from all over the world.

Research areas

History of journalism, political reporting, environmental journalism, conflict reporting, journalism technology, democracy

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.

The resources for journalism research at Kent are led by the Drill Hall Library at Medway. The journalism collection includes a comprehensive range of texts on the history, principles and practice of journalism. Specialist resources include a complete microfiche archive of popular newspapers of the Second World War. Students have access to online full-text journals plus extensive online newspaper resources. The Centre subscribes to all relevant UK journals. Research students have access to the SCONUL access scheme to visit and borrow from other UK libraries. The Drill Hall Library contains more than 250 study spaces, 370 computers and more than 150,000 items.

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); The Media, Politics and Public Life, Slow Living, Informing Voters? Politics, Media and the New Zealand Election 2008, Politics and the Media (Geoffrey Craig); 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.

Researcher Development Programme
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/tstindex.html) for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subjectspecific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills

Careers

A postgraduate research degree in Journalism provides you with qualifications for a teaching career in Journalism or a related discipline. It can also provide you with expertise that can assist in a journalism career in a particular area of reportage. Other career options include public policy research, media promotions and public affairs.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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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

The print and online pathways of this course will equip you with all the practical and intellectual skills you need to work as a multi-platform journalist. While gaining insights into contemporary digital news production and storytelling, this course is allowing you to gain a deeper grounding in the abilities of written journalism. For this all students learn the basic skills of audio, video. 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 print 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 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 interactive media. 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.

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, national and local, and 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.

Many of our students have won journalism awards, the most recent being the Best Radio News item for 2014, awarded by the BJTC. We have twice been awarded a BJTC award for excellence in teaching.

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. 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:
-News and Feature Writing
-Multimedia Journalism Skills
-Issues in journalism

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

Final Projects (MA only) - These are all individual projects:
-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

Interested in magazine journalism and keen to gain qualifications that will make you stand out from others? This course leads to both an MA and NCTJ Diploma.

Course overview

This Masters ‌is one of the few postgraduate degrees in the UK to be accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). NCTJ accreditation is widely recognised as a gold standard for courses that turn out highly skilled, highly motivated and highly employable trainee journalists. Our course is ranked 4th out of the 17 UK NCTJ postgraduate courses by performance.

Previous study of journalism is not a requirement. If necessary, we may ask you to undertake a short course that covers essential skills and knowledge, before you join the main Masters course. ‌

Magazine Journalism is an intensive course that trains you to think, write and research like a journalist. It covers media ethics and law, reporting, shorthand and public affairs. You will also learn how to design and produce magazine pages using software such as Adobe InDesign. In the final stage of the course you can produce your own magazine or website, with support from our professional journalists.

An important benefit of a Masters at Sunderland is the relevance of our research expertise, which includes magazine and sports journalism as well as web writing and social media. Sunderland hosts the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS) and our Media Department has been recognised for producing some world-leading and internationally excellent research. The Journalism Diversity Fund is aimed at people from diverse backgrounds who need help funding their journalism training.

Candidates must be from a socially or ethnically diverse background, be able to demonstrate genuine commitment to becoming a successful journalist and have secured a place on an NCTJ-accredited course.

For more information on the part time version of this course, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/artsdesignandmedia/postgraduate/magazine-journalism-part-time/

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors. Modules on this course include:
Magazine Journalism 1 (60 Credits)
-Magazine Journalism: Principles and Practice 1
-Essential Media Law and Public Affairs
-Business of Magazines
-Shorthand

Magazine Journalism 2 (60 Credits)
-Magazine Journalism: Principles and Practice 2
-Reporting
-Media Ethics and Society
-Shorthand

Magazine Journalism 3 (60 Credits)
-You will complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working. The course aims to stretch your creativity and maximise your sense of personal fulfilment.

In Stage 1 and Stage 2, you will have approx 22/23hrs teaching per week. This is arranged so that you have Friday off each week.
The course is taught by respected academics and journalism professionals through a combination of newsroom workshops, seminars and tutorials. You will work on projects both on your own and with others, developing skills in communication and teamwork.

We encourage you to publish your work. The department has strong relationships with local and national media including Johnston Press, NCJ Media and Room 501 Publishing.

Facilities & location

The facilities at the David Puttnam Media Centre help you gain skills in areas such as writing, page design, online research, managing production, IT, and time management and presentation skills.

The mediaHUB
Throughout your time in Sunderland you will have an outlet for your creative talents in the mediaHUB, a bustling multimedia newsroom on the top floor of our David Puttnam Media Centre that will give you a real taste of life as a working journalist. The mediaHUB runs websites covering sport, news, entertainments and fashion, provides the content for news bulletins on our award-winning Spark Radio and is responsible for writing and editing Spark magazine.

Journalism/PR suites
We have four journalism suites, each with 18 Apple Mac workstations with design applications and video editing. There’s an additional open access project completion suite with 20 more workstations and colour laser printing.

Broadcast Journalism Newsroom
The Broadcast Journalism Newsroom has 20 workstations plus a Sky feed with two 40” plasma screens. Each workstation has industry-standard software including NewsCutter, Burli and ENPS.

Technical support
The Journalism Newsroom has another 20 Mac workstations and offers drop-in sessions run by a rota of working journalists who can advise on projects, assignments and your personal portfolio. These sessions are available every day of the week during term time. In addition, technicians are available to help you use all the software and equipment.

Radio studios
We have six radio studios including a transmission suite for 107 Spark FM, our student-run community radio station and a city centre hub.

TV studios
We have two broadcast-quality TV studios complete with green room and changing facilities. Equipment includes four Steadicam rigs plus dolly, track and mini crane. We have over 40 full HD tapeless field camera systems.

Other media facilities
We have a live Sky feed and off-air recording facility, including DVD and Blu-ray recording, plus extensive footage archive/library. There is also a 203-seat cinema with full HD projection, 7.1 surround sound facility and the capability to play 3D feature films.

University Library Services
We’ve got a wide range of books, journals and e-books on relevant topics, with many more available through the inter-library loan service. Some useful resources for your studies include:
-Lexis, which provides full-text newspaper articles as well as access to legal information
-JSTOR (short for ‘Journal Storage’), which provides access to important journals across the humanities, social sciences and sciences
-Archival Sound Recordings with over 12,000 hours of recordings
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media in higher education and research

Employment & careers

On completing this course you will be equipped for employment at an advanced level, with opportunities in both print and digital media. Potential roles include working for consumer magazines, writing features in newspapers, and working in various positions across the communications, media and marketing industries.

The course’s accreditation by the National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ) will boost your employability within journalism. You can choose, at an additional cost, to gain the NCTJ’s Diploma in Journalism.

Recent Sunderland graduates are now working for employers such as NCJ Media, Johnston Press and Media Works. Some graduates have started up their own media organisations.

During the course we encourage you to gain industry experience which will enhance your skills, build up a valuable network of contacts and boost your employability. The Department has good links with regional media organisations and national organisations like IPC and Future plc.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

Read less

Interested in sports journalism and keen to gain qualifications that will make you stand out from others? This course leads to both an MA and NCTJ Diploma.

Course overview

This Masters is one of the few postgraduate degrees in the UK to be accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). The combination of an MA and NCTJ Diploma will significantly boost your employability as a sports journalist. This course is ranked 6th out of the 17 UK NCTJ postgraduate courses by performance.

This is an intensive course that trains you to think, write and research like a journalist; previous study of journalism is not a requirement. You will learn how to write previews, match reports and sports features, and you will also cover media ethics and law, reporting and shorthand. In the final stage of the course, you will undertake a dissertation or a practical project, such as a sports journalism website or a series of in-depth articles.

We encourage you to publish your work and build up your portfolio. Opportunities for publication include SportsByte, our student-run website covering sport across Sunderland.

An important benefit of a Masters at Sunderland is the relevance of our research expertise, which includes sports and magazine journalism as well as web writing and social media. Sunderland hosts the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies (CRMCS) and our Media Department has been recognised for producing some world-leading and internationally excellent research.

The Journalism Diversity Fund is aimed at people from diverse backgrounds who need help funding their journalism training.

Candidates must be from a socially or ethnically diverse background, be able to demonstrate genuine commitment to becoming a successful journalist and have secured a place on an NCTJ-accredited course.

For more information on the part time version of this course, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/artsdesignandmedia/postgraduate/sports-journalism-part-time/

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors. Modules on this course include:
Sports Journalism 1 (60 Credits)
-Sports Journalism: Principles and Practice 1
-Essential Media Law
-Essential Public Affairs
-Shorthand

Sports Journalism 2 (60 Credits)
-Sports Journalism: Principles and Practice 2
-Reporting
-Media Ethics and Society
-Shorthand

Sports Journalism 3 (60 Credits)
-You will complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of commitment and independent working. The course aims to stretch your creativity and maximise your sense of personal fulfilment.

In Stage 1 and Stage 2, you will have approx 22/23hrs teaching per week. This is arranged so that you have Friday off each week. We encourage you to publish your work. The department has strong relationships with local and national media including Johnston Press, NCJ Media and Room 501 Publishing.

Facilities & location

The facilities at the David Puttnam Media Centre help you gain skills in areas such as writing, page design, online research, managing production, IT, and time management and presentation skills.

The mediaHUB
Throughout your time in Sunderland you will have an outlet for your creative talents in the mediaHUB, a bustling multimedia newsroom on the top floor of our David Puttnam Media Centre that will give you a real taste of life as a working journalist. The mediaHUB runs websites covering sport, news, entertainments and fashion, provides the content for news bulletins on our award-winning Spark Radio and is responsible for writing and editing Spark magazine.

Journalism/PR suites
We have four journalism suites, each with 18 Apple Mac workstations with design applications and video editing. There’s an additional open access project completion suite with 20 more workstations and colour laser printing.

Broadcast Journalism Newsroom
The Broadcast Journalism Newsroom has 20 workstations plus a Sky feed with two 40” plasma screens. Each workstation has industry-standard software including Newscutter, Burli and ENPS.

Technical support
The Journalism Newsroom has another 20 Mac workstations and offers drop-in sessions run by a rota of working journalists who can advise on projects, assignments and your personal portfolio. These sessions are available every day of the week during term time. In addition, technicians are available to help you use all the software and equipment.

Radio studios
We have six radio studios including a transmission suite for 107 Spark FM, our student-run community radio station and a city centre hub.

TV studios
We have two broadcast-quality TV studios complete with green room and changing facilities. Equipment includes four Steadicam rigs plus dolly, track and mini crane. We have over 40 full HD tapeless field camera systems.

Other media facilities
We have a live Sky feed and off-air recording facility, including DVD and Blu-ray recording, plus extensive footage archive/library. There is also a 203-seat cinema with full HD projection, 7.1 surround sound facility and the capability to play 3D feature films.

University Library Services
We’ve got a wide range of books, journals and e-books on relevant topics, with many more available through the inter-library loan service. Some useful resources for your studies include:
-Lexis, which provides full-text newspaper articles as well as access to legal information
-JSTOR (short for ‘Journal Storage’), which provides access to important journals across the humanities, social sciences and sciences
-Archival Sound Recordings with over 12,000 hours of recordings
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media in higher education and research

Employment & careers

On completing this course, you will be equipped for employment at an advanced level, with opportunities throughout the sports journalism industry. Potential roles include various positions across the communications, media, marketing and sports industries.

The course’s accreditation by the National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ) will boost your employability within journalism. You can choose, at an additional cost, to gain the NCTJ’s Diploma in Journalism.

Recent Sunderland graduates are now working with organisations such as Sky Tyne and Wear and Durham County Cricket Club.

During the course we encourage you to gain industry experience which will enhance your skills, build up a valuable network of contacts and boost your employability. The Department has close links with regional organisations including North East Press and NCJ Media. The North East is famous for its sport and you will have opportunities for match visits, press conferences and interviews at local clubs including Sunderland AFC, Newcastle United, Newcastle Falcons and Durham CCC.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study International Journalism at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in International Journalism offers an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to contemporary journalism studies under the impact of globalisation and digitalisation, drawing upon expertise in Media and Communication Studies.

Key Features of MA in International Journalism

The MA in International Journalism provides an international and cross-cultural approach to journalism in the 21st century and aims to develop the knowledge and understanding of the role of journalism in society. The International Journalism course combines the teaching of practical skills and techniques of journalistic production with the exploration of practice from a range of theoretical and analytical perspectives. Graduates have careers in journalism, media, communication and PR, broadcasting, publishing, marketing and sales.

The College of Arts and Humanities has a Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

The International Journalism course structure is split across the year allowing three modules in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. The dissertation component allows students to either write a 20,000 word dissertation or a journalism/media project of their own (with 10,000 word report) which draws upon issues and themes developed throughout the year.

Modules

Modules on the MA in International Journalism typically include:

• Global Media

• Conceptual Issues in the Theory and Practice of Social Sciences

• Development and Communications

• Risk Reporting

• The Digital Edge

• The Business and Politics of Digital Media

• Digital Skills and Defence

• Online Journalism

• War Reporting

• Promotional and Professional Writing

Who should Apply?

Students interested in journalism and media studies, from a media studies, literature, history, sociology, politics and international relations, social science, or other related background. Professionals interested in journalism and global media both in terms of their professional practice, but also related to fields in policy research and public administration.

Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to global media and international journalism.

Careers

Career expectations are excellent for International Journalism graduates. Media organizations, non-profit organizations, government and the public sector and private companies value the fact that our graduates have developed a range of critical abilities and skills in problem solving. Our International Journalism graduates enter careers in journalism (Guardian Online), broadcasting (BBC Wales), advertising, publicity, arts and cultural bodies or are employed as NGOs. Others go on to study a PhD and have a career in academia.

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City's MA in Interactive Journalism is an exciting contemporary course, responding to the rapidly changing environment of digital journalism, with a focus on social media, audience development, data journalism and multimedia storytelling.

Who is it for?

This course is suitable for students from any degree background with an interest in current affairs. Students will have a keen interest in the media, specifically in digital journalism. Some experience of social media and/or data work can be useful for those wishing to specialise in these fields.

Objectives

This course has a particular emphasis on digital media, and prepares you to enter and/or further develop a career in online journalism in particular. The curriculum reflects the continuing development of digital journalism through more interactive content and formats that engage users as active participants.

Innovative modules focus on social media and audience development, data journalism and coding for journalists. Multimedia work is geared to online publication. Alongside this, you will also learn the essential journalistic skills of writing, reporting, newsgathering, interviewing and feature writing, plus law and ethics -- core elements of City’s renowned MA Journalism courses.

Academic facilities

You will gain practical skills in our digital newsrooms, with access to cameras, audio recorders and other equipment, with dedicated technical support. 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 include two digital newsrooms - impressive modern facilities that enable you to learn the skills required to produce newspapers, magazines and websites.
-A television studio: enabling simultaneous multi-media 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.

Placements

Students on all Journalism MA courses may opt to undertake work placements, which many find an essential step in developing their career in journalism. They can give you the chance to put your learning into practice and, more importantly, make contacts in the industry.

You are encouraged to seek work experience while you study on this course, and your personal tutor can advise on suitable organisations to approach.

Work placements are not formally assessed as part of the MA programme.

Teaching and learning

Some modules are taught in lecture theatres, such as Ethics, Rules and Standards and UK Media Law, but some involve small-group workshops that allow you to develop your journalistic skills and knowledge with the support of our expert academics.

Our students have the option of taking part in a Teeline shorthand course alongside their studies. This costs £100 (refundable if you reach 100 words per minute) and runs across two terms.

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. Assessment is often through a portfolio of journalistic assignments of this kind.

Modules

This course will prepare you for work in the rapidly changing environment of online journalism, with a focus on the key areas of social media, audience development, data journalism and coding.

You will develop these digital specialisations alongside essential journalistic skills of writing, reporting, newsgathering, interviewing and features - core elements of City's renowned Journalism MA programme. Multimedia work is geared to online publication.

Core modules
-Ethics, Rules and Standards (30 credits)
-Journalism Portfolio (30 credits)
-Final Project (30 credits)
-Social, Community and Multimedia Management (30 credits)
-Introduction to Data Reporting (15 credits)
-Advanced Data and Coding (15 credits)
-UK Media Law (15 credits)
-Political Headlines (15 credits)

Career prospects

Students benefit from a central London location, unrivalled industry contacts and a thorough grounding in the best practices of professional journalism.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in both specialist digital roles (such as social media, audience development and data journalism) and as reporters and sub-editors.

Employers include:
-BuzzFeed
-Metro
-BBC
-Financial Times
-The Times
-The Guardian
-The Daily Telegraph
-Daily Mirror
-City AM
-The Independent
-Bloomberg News
-The Daily Mail
-Property Week
-Media Briefing
-MSN
-Aeon Magazine
-Manchester Evening News
-Exaro News

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The MSc in Computational and Data Journalism is a cutting-edge programme based at the UK’s leading Journalism School (Guardian’s University Guide 2016). It is jointly delivered by the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies and the School of Computer Science and Informatics.

This programme provides the perfect vantage point from which to succeed in digital journalist and allows you to develops skills in both data journalism and newsroom development. No previous knowledge of computing is necessary and the programme is open to graduates from any discipline.

This MSc is ideal for recent graduates looking for specialist skills in digital journalism and coding that are proven to be in demand by leading organisations. We also work with working journalists looking to develop their skills in this growing area of the industry.

As a hands-on programme, it focuses on the development of knowledge and skills through research-informed practical learning in journalism, data science, computer coding and digital development.

During this one-year, full-time Master's degree, you will benefit from a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops to develop your skills in an open, discussion-driven environment.

You will develop a solid foundation in journalism and computing, before specialising in your areas of interest and finally completing a practical and research-based dissertation project using the unique skills that you have acquired.

This programme is the perfect foundation for a career at the forefront of digital journalism. It has been designed to respond to a shortage in skills reported by employers and built to develop professional writing and editorial skills. In addition, it delivers specialist training to understanding data, coding and web application development.

Distinctive features

• This innovative programme is the first of its kind in the UK and is supported by leading industry bodies such as the Financial Times, the BBC and the Office for National Statistics

• Specialist modules include science reporting, sport, business journalism, crisis reporting, visual communication and information design

• The course has a strong focus on practical application of the skills acquired

Structure

This is a year-long, full-time course. It is taught through a mix of formal lectures, demonstrations, and practical exercises as well as individual and team projects but always with a focus on applying the skills in the real world.

The course is structured in three phases – foundation, application and specialisation, dissertation - to support you in the development of skills and knowledge in the key aspects of the course.

You will initially gain a solid foundation in journalism and computing before specialising in your areas of interest and finally, completing a practical and research-based dissertation project using the unique skills that you have acquired.

Core modules:

Information Processing in Python
Web Application Development
Reporters and the Reported
Digital Investigation
Data Journalism
Data Journalism
Dissertation Project

Optional modules:

Computer Science Topic 1: Web and Social Computing
Human Centric Computing
Visual Communication and Information Design
Reporting Business, Finance & Economics
Global Crisis Reporting
Reporting Health and Science
Managing Print Media in a Digital World
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 formal lectures, practical exercises, and individual or group projects which replicate an industry environment.

You will benefit from a dedicated programme of seminars to complement your skills and understanding across the two different disciplines and to bring together the issues arising from the existing teaching modules.

You will also attend a cross-computing/journalism set of workshops and seminars, which support early application and development of the skills developed through each of the subject areas.

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

The skills taught by this MSc are in demand with employers. Students from the course have gone on to work as data journalists with national news organisations. Students on this programme have also included working journalists looking to specialise in this important area of growth within the media.

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