Journalism MA

Our MA Journalism is an intense programme that prepares graduates for the dynamic and competitive world of journalism and communications.

It has the rare advantage of dual accreditation by the National Council for the Training of Journalism (NCTJ) and the British Journalism Training Council (BJTC). This highly regarded combination, along with our impressive work placement and industry mentoring programmes, opens the doors to organisations including the BBC, ITV, The Express, Sky Sports and a whole network of local, regional and national newspapers and radio stations.

The MA Journalism provides a comprehensive understanding of professional journalism practice, including researching and substantiating news stories, interviewing techniques and establishing contacts. Hands-on camera, studio, editing and mobile journalism skills are taught so that our trainees are confident and competent on their industry work placements.

We also cover the increasingly important areas of social media skills, verification techniques, data journalism and analytics. Shorthand is embedded in the course and you will sit your NCTJ diploma alongside your Masters.

Awareness of professional roles, law, public affairs and the regulatory responsibilities of journalists is taught, along with a critical understanding of the political and commercial structures within which the media operate. All the skills you learn come together for your Journalism Project when you can do more in-depth research on a topic of your choice to produce a multi-media project, a short video documentary or a podcast.

Our annual Journalism and Media Week runs every November consistently attracting big names from the industry. You will report the events live across multimedia platforms, interview guests and develop longer features. Above all else, it’s a great chance to make key contacts.

The gold standard of journalism training
Our MA has rare dual accreditation by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the British Journalism Training Council (BJTC).

These are the accreditations that editors look for when recruiting a trainee journalist because they effectively mean that the trainee has successfully completed a course that meets the 'gold standard' of journalism training. The accreditation recognises the quality of the course in developing journalists for the demands of a fast-changing multimedia industry. Students sit the NCTJ Diploma alongside their MA at no additional cost for their first attempts.