MA - Journalism

Before coming to study at Goldsmiths, I was a journalist in India. I had already obtained a Master’s degree in communication, but after working as a writer and a journalist for a couple of years, I felt the need to specialise, hone my skills and gain some experience in an international environment.

Even though I received part scholarship for a journalism programme at another university in the UK, I chose Goldsmiths, not only because of its reputed Media and Communications Department, but also because it was located in London, where the hotbed of journalism churns out many of the best publications in the business.

I am glad I chose Goldsmiths because the MA Journalism programme is one of the finest – the hands-on, practice-oriented approach helps a student to learn by doing. The teachers in the Media and Communications Department are well-established journalists and renowned media theorists, who took a keen interest in our learning and continue to help us when we seek it.

Our small, hand-picked class of 12 were a mix of British and international students, who supported each other through the demands of the rigorous course. I had the chance of not only studying journalism, but also learning about British society through it. The atmosphere of the campus was always charged with a creative spirit and it was great fun to hold discussions with students studying other areas like anthropology, art, drama and music. Having lived in the halls of residence with other international students, I now have friends spread all over the world.

The gamble of having chosen to be in London paid off, and not long after I started at Goldsmiths, I had a part-time job with the Guardian Unlimited, where I worked 20 hours a week for nine months – a dream come true for a foreign student studying journalism in the UK. I was happy to be in a newsroom in London, which has many similarities to and differences from a newsroom in India. London itself is a vibrant and exciting city because of its diversity and culture.

I left the UK to return to India in November 2003 and the credentials I came back with opened up many opportunities. I now have a job which demands extensive international travel, which I can cope with confidently, all thanks to the year that I spent at Goldsmiths in London.