Financial Journalism MA

Course overview

This new MA, starting in September 2010, is aimed at producing a generation of outstanding journalists who will excel at covering the next financial crisis – and understand the ramifications of the current one.

 

The field of financial journalism has expanded rapidly, and has now moved to the front page of many newspapers.

 

This MA programme will only admit a limited number of students, all of whom will have guaranteed placements with the Financial Times group or the BBC.

You will benefit from close proximity to the City of London, one of the world’s leading financial centres, with guest lecturers drawn from the world of banking and from major media organisations.

 

You will also benefit from the new first-class facilities at the Graduate School of Journalism, and will share lectures and seminars provided by the distinguished faculty in one of the UK's top journalism schools.

 

Course content

The course aims to develop the practical skills and knowledge needed to work in a full multimedia environment, as well as the analytic understanding of the key concepts and issues in financial journalism.

 

By the end of the course, you will have had extensive training in the best professional practice of reporting business and financial news. You will have developed professional skills such as interviewing, researching and writing news stories and features.

 

You will also understand how to obtain and use key economic and financial data, using state-of-the art Bloomberg and Reuters terminals. You will have a firm grounding in key concepts in finance and economics, and the ability to understand and manipulate financial data and critically analyse the context and assumptions within statements by key policy makers.

Modules

  • Key Issues in Financial Journalism | This module will teach you how to cover the big issues in financial and economic journalism. The course will concentrate on one or two issues that are dominating the current economic debate, which may vary from year to year, but typically could include the global financial crisis and its effects, and the debate in the UK over the need to cut back public spending and close the budget deficit. The aim is to give you an in-depth
    understanding of the issue, and the tools to evaluate the rival claims being made by interested parties. It is also to help you develop a critical perspective towards the way the financial press covers issues, and an awareness of the multiple perspectives that may be needed.
     
  • The World of Financial Journalism | This module aims to give you an understanding of and practical experience in financial journalism to a professional level. Topics covered include: the financial markets and media; corporate finance and reporting; understanding financial statements; reporting on strategy and operations; reporting deals; and reporting business ethics.
     
  • Global Political Economy | This module aims to give you the knowledge to understand the economic and political context of globalisation including: the movements towards localism and political devolution; state policies; the global flows of people, products and capital; and regional and global production and commodity chains.
     
  • Editorial Production | The media industry expects graduates to have practical competence in, and knowledge of, a range of editorial practices, including sub-editing and layout skills. This units enables you to learn those skills. You are taught to see that page/publication design and layout is the logical progression of research, reporting, interviewing, news and feature writing and sub-editing and that, properly handled, it will enable the reader to more
    readily appreciate the messages being communicated.
     
  • Journalism Practice | This module will equip you with the journalistic skills needed to work effectively in the print industry, and will give you the entrepreneurial skills needed to work as a freelance journalist and to market your skills. By the time you finish this module, you will have reached a standard high enough to allow you not only to carry out your journalistic duties with technical and professional fluidity, but enabling you to reflect on the nature of your work and its impact on a variety of audiences. You will be able to spot a story, angle it, research and write it at speed and to a deadline for a print or online publication. As theoretical and practical modules inform and enrich each other, you will also be able to identify any ethical and legal issues, question established norms and viewpoints, and intellectually reflect on the nature of your work and understand the power and responsibility you have as a journalist. 

 

Teaching and assessment

The course will be led by Professor Steve Schifferes, former BBC economics correspondent, and will include both practical training in multimedia journalism skills as well as a more analytic approach to contemporary issues.

 

The course will be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and group and individual assignments which allow hands-on practical experience. You will also carry out a major project of your own in the summer term to publishable or broadcast standards, on a topic of their choice, under supervision.

 

Employment

Graduates of the MA in Financial Journalism can typically expect to begin entry level jobs at major international news organizations and wire services, such as Reuters, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, or the BBC.

 

Other potential career paths would include press officers or media consultancies for public organisations such as the Bank of England, UN agencies, FTSE-100 companies, or the large private banks. You could also work for magazines such as Estates Gazette or Institutional Investor, or pursue freelance careers.

 

City Journalism alumni now working in business and finance journalism include:

  • Ian King (Deputy Business Editor, The Times)
  • Kamal Ahmed (Business Editor, Sunday Telegraph)
  • Faisal Islam (Economics Correspondent, Channel 4 News)
  • Stephen Foley (Associate Business Editor, The Independent)
  • James Daley (Personal Finance Editor, The Independent)
  • Kathryn Cooper (Money Editor, The Times)
  • Kiran Stacey (Reporter, FT)
  • Lucy Warwick-Ching (Editor of www.ft.com/money for the FT and producer of the Money Show)
  • Tracey Boles (City and Business Editor, The Express)

 

How to apply

Entry requirements

The course is suitable for UK/EU graduates or non-EU graduates with good English skills. It is also suitable for existing journalists who want to specialise in financial journalism, and for individuals with a background in the financial sector who want to work as journalists.

 

The entry requirements are as follows:

  • You should be able to show that you have a commitment to journalism through relevant work experience, which might include work on a university/college publication, or work experience, ideally in a publication dealing with business, economics or finance
  • You should have at least a good second-class degree in any subject, ideally with at least GCSE or A levels in mathematics and/or economics. Considerations will also be given to mature applicants with substantial work experience in the financial sector and/or journalism
  • You should be able to demonstrate some knowledge and experience of finance and economics, which could be demonstrated either through academic qualifications or practical experience
  • For students whose first language is not English, an IELTS score of at least 7.0 is required.

 

Interviews will be required for UK students and where possible will also be carried out for overseas applicants. 

How to apply  

Please submit the following:

 

1. One application form. You can download a pdf file of our application form below. An online application form will be available shortly.

 

2. Two references. We prefer you to submit one academic reference, and one reference from a journalism- or finance-related work placement.

Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that your references reach us at the same time as your application.

 

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 or the financial sector. Applicants should be able to demonstrate commitment to financial 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 250 words why you want to come on our course and study financial journalism, and what you expect to gain from it. Please include relevant details of your interest and experience in both journalism and the financial agenda. (This replaces the "Statement in Support of Application" requested in the application form.)
  • Article 2: a 250-word article on a topic of your choice in business or financial journalism, based on your own personal investigation of the topic, including an interview with someone relevant to the topic.

Application forms

Selection process

1. Application deadline

We will accept applications until the course is full. We suggest that you submit your application as early as possible – and no later than 30 April 2010 – to avoid disappointment.

It is your responsibility to submit a completed application, including references and articles specified above.

2. Selection days

Most interviews will take place between March and May 2010.

3. Offers

You should expect to hear whether or not you have been selected for a place on the course within a week or two of your interview.

Return address

Please return all application material, marked "Postgraduate Applications 2010", to: Admissions, Graduate School of Journalism, City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK.

 

Fees & bursaries

The fees for 2010/11 are available here.

Bursaries

The Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation is funding studentships for applicants to the MA in Financial Journalism. Please see their website for details of how to apply.

 

Please follow this link for details of other bursaries and scholarships within the Department of Journalism.

 

further information

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