Newspaper Journalism  MA

Overview

City's Newspaper Journalism MA prepares you for a first job in newspaper journalism. The course has an exceptional reputation and an outstanding graduate employment record. The degree has been helping aspiring journalists into employment since 1982.

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

The course combines practical skills training in reporting, interviewing, writing, editing, research and newspaper production with a concern for critical and ethical reflection. Our graduate employment record is second-to-none.

Students from the 2009/10 course alone have gone on to work on:  

  • national newspapers (Daily Mail, Telegraph, The Times, Financial Times, The Independent, Daily Express, Mail on Sunday)
  • regional press (London Evening Standard, Manchester Evening News, Ham & High, CityAM)
  • newspapers overseas (The Daily Star, Beirut; China Daily, Beijing; The National, Abu Dhabi)
  • news agencies (Dow Jones, Bloomberg, Press Association)
  • magazines and other online (New Statesman, Construction News, Jewish Chronicle, Time Out, Total Politics)

Course Fees:

  • Full-time EU: £9,000
  • Full-time Non EU: £18,000

Start Date:

24 September 2012

How to Apply

Entry Requirements

  • You should have at least a good second-class degree in any subject.
  • You should have gained a minimum of four weeks' work experience on local/regional UK newspapers (or have this arranged when you apply)
  • The MA in Newspaper Journalism focuses primarily on journalism in the UK. Applicants from outside the UK are encouraged to apply for the MA in International Journalism.

Before starting the course you should have had a minimum of four weeks' work experience in regional/local newspapers. At interview you must have a commitment to a career in journalism. Candidates should have at least a second class degree in any appropriate subject, but consideration will be given to mature entrants who can demonstrate substantial working experience.

Other Suitable Qualifications

Consideration will be given to mature applicants who can demonstrate substantial work experience.

English Requirements

If your first language is not English, we advise you to apply for the International Journalism MA, which is designed specifically for students from outside the UK.

Visa Requirements

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course at City, there are different rules for:

  • Students on courses of more than 6 months
  • Students on courses of less than 6 months
  • Students on a pre-sessional English Language course

For more information see our main Visa page.

When and Where

Start Date:
24 September 2012
Duration:
Full-time (10 months). We advise our students that they need to be available for classes and assignments from Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.

Course Content

The course has been helping aspiring journalists into employment since 1982. You will benefit from a central London location, unrivalled industry contacts, and a thorough grounding in the best practices of professional journalism.

The course combines practical skills training in reporting, interviewing, writing, editing, research and newspaper production with a concern for critical and ethical reflection.

The course offers you a thorough grounding in the best practices of professional journalism.

It delivers knowledge and skills, and nurtures a concern for the highest journalistic standards.

Course Structure

Modules include:

Teaching and Assessment

All MA Journalism courses at City are practical, hands-on courses designed for people that want to become 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.

Some courses 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.

We advise our students that they need to be available for classes and assignments from Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.

Tutors

  • Jonathan Hewett | Course Director
  • Ann McFerran | Journalism Practice
  • Prof Roy Greenslade | Journalism and Society
  • John Battle | Media Law
  • Joy Johnson | Public Administration
  • Paul Bradshaw | Online Journalism
  • Ron Emler | Editorial Production for Newspapers

Recommended Reading

Sample reading list for Journalism & Society 1

Belsley, Andrew , Chadwick, Ruth (Eds) Ethical Issues in Journalism and the Media, Routledge, 1992

Quinn, Frances, Law for Journalists, Pearson Education, 2007

Morrison, James, Public Affairs for Journalists, Oxford University Press, 2009

Wynford, Hicks, English for Journalists, Routledge, 1998

　

Fees

  • Full-time EU: £9,000
  • Full-time Non EU: £18,000
Please note that, for part-time courses, the tuition fee is likely to increase by a small percentage in subsequent years.

Funding

For up-to-date information about tuition fees, living costs and financial support, visit Undergraduate Fees and Finance or Postgraduate Fees and Finance.

Some bursaries are advertised and awarded by media organisations. Please visit our website for more details.

Bursaries

Some bursaries are advertised and awarded by media organisations. Please visit the Department of Journalism's bursaries page for more details

Career Prospects

We have been running Journalism courses at City since 1976. In the 34 years since, over 4,000 students have graduated and are now working in the media in the UK and internationally.

Read alumni stories and see the full list of graduate destinations in the 25th anniversary issue of our alumni magazine XCity.

Employment

City Journalism alumni occupy top positions in newspaper journalism, including:

  • James Harding, Editor, The Times
  • Will Lewis, former Editor-in-Chief, Telegraph Media Group
  • John Mullin, Editor, Independent on Sunday

See more leading City Journalism alumni in newspapers.

See also where graduates of the 2009/10 MA class are working now.


Find out more about City University London

Application Deadline

27 February 2012 for submission of postal applications and all supporting documents (references, articles, etc.)

MA Newspaper Journalism

You can apply either in hard copy by post, or online. Please follow the instructions below carefully.

Please submit the following:

  1. One application form

  2. Two references. We prefer you to submit one academic reference, and one reference from a journalism-related work placement.
    Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that your references reach us no later than 27 February 2012.
  3. A copy of your degree transcript. We require one of the following: an original transcript; a copy certified by your university; or an electronic scan of your transcript. If you have not yet graduated, you will be required to submit your degree transcript as soon as it is available. You will not be able to register as a City student without having supplied your degree transcript.
  4. Details of your work experience in journalism. Applicants should be able to demonstrate commitment to journalism through relevant work experience.Either include these on a separate sheet with your postal application, or copy and paste the details into the "Personal Statement" section of the online application form.
  5. The following two articles. Either include these with your postal application, or copy and paste them into the "Personal Statement" section of the online application form.
    Article 1: explain in not more than 200 words why you want to come on our course and what you expect to gain from it. (This replaces the "Statement in Support of Application" requested in the application form.
    Article 2: a 250-word article suitable for a local newspaper, based on an interview you conduct with someone interesting in your local area.

Selection process

  1. Application deadline
    27 February 2012 for submission of applications and all supporting documents (references, articles, etc.)
    It is your responsibility to submit a completed application, including references and articles specified above, by the application deadline. We do not accept applications submitted after the deadline.
  2. Consideration of your application
    Your application will only be read and considered after the deadline has passed.
  3. Selection days
    Interviews will take place in April 2012. Further details will be posted here as soon as they are available.
  4. Offers
    You should expect to hear whether or not you have been selected for a place on the course in early May 2012.

Application forms

or

Return address

Please return all application material, marked "Postgraduate Applications 2012", to: Admissions, Graduate School of Journalism, City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK.