Masters degrees in Journalism equip postgraduates with advanced knowledge of the reporting industry, particularly newscasting, photography and editing of news stories. Consideration is also given to press ownership and economic principles.
Taught MA courses are typical for this subject, though research-based MRes and MPhil programmes are also available. Entry requirements normally include an appropriate undergraduate degree. Sufficient work experience may be accepted in some cases.
This course offers a hands-on curriculum that allows you to develop core journalistic skills in broadcast and digital media. You will learn the technical skills to master tv, audio and digital reporting. The course has a very practical focus, so you will develop your own 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. While mainly being taught at our creative Harrow Campus, modules are also delivered at our Regent Street Campus in the heart of London allowing you the opportunity to report stories of this dynamic city in walking distance of the BBC or Buzzfeed.
The MA has been accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) which means we provide industry backed journalism training for online, TV and radio. 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, 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.
There is a strong emphasis on learning through 'hands-on' practice, in small class groups, using our professional studios and 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 to go to journalism events and network with professionals, and to pursue other journalism experiences.
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 Masters 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 may undertake placements in the period from the Easter break to the end of the course to gather further work experience in a news or current affairs production company of usually three to four weeks. This MA can be taken as a part-time course (daytime) over two years studying two days a week after initial more intense orientation weeks.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Core modules
Optional modules
This course is accredited by Broadcast Journalism Training Council, BJTC.
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.
Our graduates work in journalism and content production as editors, reporters, producers and successful freelancers. They have gone to work as editors with BBC News, written cover stories of The Guardian, have become producers at CNN and overlook the content output of a fashion brand or an NGO. Both pathways are accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).
We assist students to get work placements during the course, provide career advice, arrange network events, and keep close contact to potential employers.
This course offers a hands-on curriculum that allows you to develop your core journalistic skills. You will learn to master a broad variety of media formats from writing and reporting to social media and video. Besides writing, the course emphasises contemporary digital skills which will place you in high demand in an ever-changing world of content creation and distribution. Being partly taught at Regent Street Campus in the heart of London you will get the opportunity to report stories of this dynamic city in walking distance of one of the BBC or Buzzfeed. 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 media and written journalism and in video.
The course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) which means beside written journalism we also offer you industry backed journalism training for online video and broadcast providing voice training, camera skills and editing. Our graduates go on to work with a variety of leading media organisations including The Guardian, The Evening Standard, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, or Conde Nast, and many other media houses in Britain and around the world.
Many of our students have won journalism awards, and we have twice been awarded a BJTC award for excellence in teaching as our teaching staff are all experienced journalism professionals who have worked for The Guardian, The Independent or Conde Nast and other media outlets.
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 exciting world of contemporary journalism.
As well as regular classes taught by experienced journalists on our staff, we also invite 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.
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 may undertake placements in the period from the Easter break to the end of the course to gather further work experience in a news or current affairs production company of usually three to four weeks. This MA can be taken as a part-time course (daytime) over two years studying two days a week after initial more intense orientation weeks.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course. Please note: Not all option modules will necessarily be offered in any one year.
Core modules
Optional modules
This course is accredited by Broadcast Journalism Training Council, BJTC.
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.
Our graduates work in journalism and content production as editors, reporters, producers and successful freelancers. They have gone to work as editors with BBC News, written cover stories of The Guardian, have become producers at CNN and overlook the content output of a fashion brand or an NGO. Both pathways are accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).
We assist students to get work placements during the course, provide career advice, arrange network events, and keep close contact to potential employers.
This course provides industry-relevant and specialist journalism training. Based in one of our multimedia newsrooms, designed to give you the experience of working in a fully functioning and fast-paced environment, you’ll learn how to write different types of stories, design digital content and produce audiovisual journalism.
This MA has a specific emphasis on the practice of journalism and develops the skills you'll need for employment in the journalism or creative industries.
You will learn how to write advanced news and features, gain an understanding of the scope of the laws affecting journalists and develop the editorial, interpersonal and self-management skills needed to work within the media industry. You'll examine the journalism business, have the opportunity to specialise in magazine journalism and study shorthand.
You'll also gain practical skills such as audio and video production and photo editing. In your final term you'll choose between either an academic dissertation or a journalism project route – which allows you to work in a team to produce a magazine.
We have a number of dedicated multimedia newsrooms, fitted with Mac computers, a video suite and a viewing room containing industry-standard software, which are designed to give you the experience of working in a fast-paced environment. You'll be taught by a journalism team who have worked for the Daily Mail, the Guardian, Financial Times, the BBC and Reuters.
Carrying out work placements is an important part of this course and you'll need to complete a minimum of six weeks' industry work experience. Not only will you be putting the skills you've learnt on the course into practice, you'll learn valuable new ones, build a strong CV and make vital industry contacts.
There are visits to journalism and media organisations, such as the BBC, as well as special seminars and workshops held by industry professionals. Roehampton has links with local media organisations such as Haymarket Media Group. We also have a strong relationship with Newsquest, which, among other newspapers and websites, publishes the Wandsworth Guardian. These relationships have led to volunteering opportunities and paid internships for students as junior reporters.
In the autumn term, you will learn about the legal and ethical aspects of journalism, covering concepts such as libel, confidentiality, copyright and privacy. You will also explore media regulation. You will develop your advanced news and feature writing skills, as well as learning how to sub-edit a range of copy for print and online. Plus, you'll also produce your own journalism portfolio.
In the spring term, you'll study social media and data journalism, and explore content creation and the distribution of news via social media. In Multimedia Journalism, you will focus on content production within the digital media. You will gain experience in audio, multimedia and video journalism, as well as developing basic editing and sequencing skills, and an understanding of audio-visual hardware and software.
In the final term, you'll choose between a dissertation and a journalism project. The Journalism Project route will give you an in-depth understanding of the way magazines are organised, developed and produced, as well as an insight into the rapid evolution of magazines into multimedia products. You will get to produce a print and online magazine, replicating as much as possible the conditions, organisation and pace of the production of a real magazine.
Here are the modules we currently offer:
OR
Compulsory and Required modules
Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.
Optional modules
Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.
Careers in broadcasting, journalism, publishing, professional writing, public relations and social media. The MA also functions as a pathway to a PhD for those pursuing a career in academia.
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
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.
Semester one core modules
Semester one optional modules
Semester two core modules
Semester two optional modules
Semester three core modules
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.
This course is suitable for students from any degree background with an interest in current affairs and digital journalism. Some experience of social media and/or data work can be useful for those wishing to specialise in these fields.
This Interactive Journalism MA has a particular emphasis on digital media, and prepares you to enter and/or further develop a career in online journalism in particular. It has a strong reputation for preparing students for both specialist jobs, such as data journalism, social media and audience development, as well as broader roles in digital journalism. Teaching from current journalists ensures up-to-date skills and relevant industry contacts.
The curriculum reflects the continuing development of digital journalism through 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. Video and audio work are also geared to online publication.
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.
We actively encourage all our journalism student to gain journalism experience during their studies with us. Professional experience is an important step in developing a career in journalism and it helps students by put their learning into practice and make contacts in the industry.
Work experiences are not formally assessed or arranged as part of the MA Programme but your personal tutor may be able to advise you in suitable organisations to approach that may suit your chosen career path.
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.
Shorthand
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.
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.
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
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.
According to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE), previous graduates in employment six months after completing the course earn an average salary of £27,500.
Employers include:
The course is suitable for students with a good first degree, and a strong interest in international news and the way it is reported. The course combines a strong emphasis on practice with rigorous academic discussion of current trends in global journalism.
Students who successfully complete this MA in International Journalism are very employable in the media.
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:
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.
We actively encourage all our journalism student to undertake work placements during their studies with us. Many of our students are very pro-active and opt to undertake a placement. Placements are an essential step in developing their career in journalism as they help students put their learning into practice and make contacts in the industry.
Work placements are not formally assessed or arranged as part of the MA Programme but your personal tutor can advise you in suitable organisations to approach that may suit your chosen specialisms.
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:
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.
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.
You will 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 if you 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
Elective modules
Core electives:
Electives:
According to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE 2014-15), 92.6 per cent of graduates from this course are in employment six months after completing the course (95.5 per cent in work or further study). 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:
and major newspapers and magazines including:
In the heart of London’s huge and diverse media district,students have unrivalled access to industry internships and contacts.
This course is suitable for students with any good degree who want to specialise in the area of investigative journalism. You will have a keen interest in digging deeper into topics beyond the daily headlines and a hunger to expose injustices and abuses of power using an evidence-based methodology.
This course has an exceptional reputation and an outstanding graduate employment record with students going on to work at The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, Panorama, Dispatches, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Buzzfeed, Spectator and Wired magazines, Sky News, and a number of other newspapers, magazines, production companies and NGOs.
Employers respect the quality of research and reporting skills graduates acquire on this course. You will learn advanced research skills, including data journalism to analyse data to find stories, and the effective use of disclosure laws, public records and databases. The course provides case studies of high-profile investigations and will help you develop the skills needed to investigate issues of public concern and miscarriages of justice involving companies, organisations and individuals within an ethical framework.
On this course you will complete an investigation and learn practical multi-media skills including television as well as print. It moves swiftly from basic journalism to fully-fledged investigative journalism provided by leading investigative journalists. Prof Heather Brooke, who was the catalyst for the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, is pathway leader and David Leigh, former Investigations Editor of The Guardian, teaches investigative reporting. A number of working investigative journalists also deliver guest lectures on their current work.
The course is practical and encourages you to develop and practice your real-world journalistic skills and techniques. Covering both print and broadcast investigative journalism, the course is ideal as a first step into a career as an in-depth researcher and journalist.
Taking advantage of our London location and extensive alumni and contact networks, students arrange work placements across a number of media, usually arranging them for the winter and/or spring break.
We actively encourage all our journalism student to gain journalism experience during their studies with us. Professional experience is an important step in developing a career in journalism and it helps students by put their learning into practice and make contacts in the industry.
Work experiences are not formally assessed or arranged as part of the MA Programme but your personal tutor may be able to advise you in suitable organisations to approach that may suit your chosen career path.
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:
Some modules are taught in lecture theatres, such as Journalism and Society 1 and Media Law, but most are small-group workshops that allow you to develop your journalistic skills and knowledge with the support of our expert academics.
You will receive tutoring from some of the industry’s most experienced journalists and editors.
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.
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.
Topics on the MA in Investigative Journalism range from business and financial journalism to investigations into individuals, organisations and corporations to miscarriages of justice. You will also be taught the basic essential skills required by the media industry such as producing news and feature material, interviewing, production, law, structure of government and ethics.
Core modules
This course aims to prepare you for a first job in any form of journalism, including newspapers, magazines, online and the broadcast media. Investigative Journalism graduates will be especially valued in jobs which require rigorous, in-depth and advanced research and investigative skills.
Graduates of this MA are now working at organisations including:
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.
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 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
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.
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.
