Full-time: 10 months
Full-time: £10,400 *
Full-time: £20,810 *
From October 2019
Northampton Square
If you are attracted to an exciting international career reporting on global finance, are passionate about consumer affairs, or interested in investigating money stories this is the programme for you. Most students don’t have any background in finance but are interested in working as financial journalists. The programme also attracts working journalists who want to specialise in financial journalism, and graduates with a background in the financial sector who want to work as journalists. We welcome applications from UK/EU graduates and non-EU graduates with good English skills.
While many traditional roles in newsrooms are disappearing, financial journalism is growing and our graduates are in high demand. As a student, you will work alongside your peers to report on market movements and trading statements from the FTSE100; understand global economics; and how the Hang Seng Index and Wall Street operate in funded study trips to China and New York. During the programme, which is supported by the Marjorie Deane Foundation, you will also develop a range of professional skills and knowledge needed to work in a fast-paced multimedia newsroom environment.
The MA in Financial Journalism is unique in its international reach and includes the chance for overseas travel. The course teaches the skills needed for financial journalism. Supported by the Marjorie Deane Foundation the course aims to develop the professional skills and knowledge needed to work in a multimedia environment…
Through the generous support of the Marjorie Deane Foundation for Financial Journalism, the MA Financial Journalism degree offers two unique features:
Applicants should hold an upper second class honours degree or the equivalent from an international institution. Consideration will also be given to mature applicants with substantial work experience in radio and/or television journalism.
As well as new graduates, we also welcome mature applicants with substantial work experience.
Don’t meet the entry requirements? INTO City, University of London offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare you for study at City, University of London. You’ll learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry. To prepare for this degree course, learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Journalism.
If English is not your first language, you must get a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS English language test, including at least 7.0 in the writing component of the test and no lower than 6.5 in any other component. Students from outside the UK might wish to apply for the International Journalism MA, which is specifically designed for a global cohort.
Don't meet the English language requirements? INTO City, University of London offers English language programmes to help prepare you for study at university. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to degree courses.
If you are not from the European Economic Area / Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study.
The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:
For more information see our main Visa page.
Applications for 2020/21 are now open:
MA Financial Journalism (Full time)
When you are able to apply you will be expected to submit the following
Please note: Academic references are not required when you submit your application. However, the admissions tutor may request them at a later date to help make a decision on your application.
We suggest that you submit your application as early as possible after opening to avoid disappointment.
* Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
The following organisations have also supported students in the Department of Journalism in the past. This is not a guarantee of future sponsorship, and you are advised to check the websites of these organisations for details of future bursary and scholarship schemes:
Future Finance offers students loans of between £2,500 and £40,000 to help cover tuition fees and living expenses. All students and courses are considered. All loans are subject to credit checks and approval. For further details please visit the City Finance website.
Manisha Jha
MA Financial Journalism Alumni Manisha Jha talks about her experiences studying at City
Many media organisations approach the MAFJ course with requests for interns. All students are encouraged to seek work experience while they study on this course. Internships can be undertaken full-time during the six-week winter break and the summer, as well as part-time during the spring. This programme does not grant academic credit for any work experience undertaken. Some internships, particularly those by large media organisations over the summer, are paid. Examples of the kind work experience students on this programme have successfully arranged:
Additionally, several media organisations have offered dedicated paid internships exclusively to students on MA Financial Journalism course, including Argus Media and AFP, subject a separate application process. These have often led to full-time job offers.
Throughout the course there are opportunities for you to visit and gain inside understanding of the application process at a number of leading media organisations including: Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal.
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:
We offer a variety of accommodation options and support services for postgraduate students.
Read more about our postgraduate halls.
Our Accommodation Service can also help you find private accommodation.
We offer a free language course for City, University of London students.
Course timetables are normally available from July and can be accessed from our timetabling pages. These pages also provide timetables for the current academic year, though this information should be viewed as indicative and details may vary from year to year.
Please note that all academic timetables are subject to change.
We offer an extensive support network during your time here at City, University of London – from Learning Support (including disability support) and counselling to financial and career advice – leaving you free to enjoy every opportunity campus life has to offer.
Find out more about the different types of student support available.
Chat to our current students and read their blogs to gain an insight into studying at City and learn more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
The MA Financial Journalism is currently led by Jane Martinson, Marjorie Deane professor of financial journalism who remains a Guardian columnist and broadcaster after a long career in journalism. Module tutors include Jane Fuller, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation and a former financial editor and Lex writer at the FT; the former Sunday Times Banking Correspondent Aimee Donnellan; Anne Senior, former editor and head of editorial learning at Reuters and Camila Reed,who has 20 years’ experience as a multi-media journalist and broadcaster.
Recent guest speakers have included Financial Times interactive editor Martin Stabe, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler, and economist Jim O'Neill. Guest lecturers from the highly rated Cass Business School also provide tuition on specialised topics in business and financial journalism.
The programme includes an online live production day reporting on the UK Budget, producing a web-based special report, and a TV production week during which you will produce a half-hour current affairs business television programme.
This pathway is taught by professors, senior lecturers and lecturers, with industry practitioners as Visiting Lecturers, and a number of key industry visiting speakers. Activities include lectures, practical work in groups and individually, personal tutorials, and independent learning.
For details of the expert academics who teach on this course see the Academic Profiles below. In addition you will also be taught by a team of visiting lecturers.
In 2019/20 the experts listed below taught on this course, but may be subject to change in future years.
Julian Worricker is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster with nearly 30 years' on-air experience. He presents 'Weekend' on the BBC World Service. He presented 'You & Yours' on Radio 4 for five years, and was one of the main voices on Radio Five Live for 13 years.
Paul Dunn has more than 40 years' experience as a working journalist and has held senior positions at The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer, The Sunday Express, Sunday Business and The Times. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Jane Fuller is co-director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, an independent think-tank. A former financial editor and Lex writer at the Financial Times, she still trains its journalists. She is also Director of the Wincott Foundation, which promotes high-quality economic, financial and business journalism.
Aimee Donnellan is a columnist for Reuters Breaking Views. She previously worked at The Sunday Times as banking correspondent. Prior to that, she was a senior reporter covering the bond market at IFR.
Anne Senior is a media trainer, journalist and leadership coach with three decades of experience across print, TV and online media. Former Head of Editorial Learning at Thomson Reuters, and Front Page Editor at Reuters News.
Nigel Stephenson was the Specialist Editor, EMEA Financial Markets at Thomson Reuters. He co-teaches a global economic reporting module and helps organise summer exchange programme at City for students from New York University.
Paul Solman has extensive experience on newspapers, magazines and online media, including 18 years on the staff of the Financial Times.
Claire de Than is Co-Director of the Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism at City, University of London. She is a Law Commissioner (Jersey). The author or co-author of more than 15 books.
Assessments vary from module to module but include coursework, practical work both in groups and individually, a Final Project, and essays.
By the end of the course, you will have had extensive training in the best professional practice of reporting business and financial news, working across television, radio, print and online media.
You will have a firm grounding in corporate, financial and economic reporting, the ability to understand and manipulate financial data and to critically analyse announcements by companies and government departments.
You will also complete a final project which demonstrates your ability to write a longer piece of written journalism or a broadcast video to a professional standard.
All of our MA Journalism students must undertake underpinning core modules in Ethics, Rules and Standards and a Final Project.
Teaching hours are between Mondays to Fridays during working hours, and occasionally outside those times.
The programme specification contains more information on how the course is organised, the requirements for progression for each part and credits required for awards.
Three quarters of our Alumni are still working in London, with others located in major financial centres like New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Singapore. In 2014, nearly all our students had received job offers within three months of graduating from the programme.
Recent graduate destinations include:
Our graduates include:
Applications for 2020/21 are now open:
MA Financial Journalism (Full time)
When you are able to apply you will be expected to submit the following
Please note: Academic references are not required when you submit your application. However, the admissions tutor may request them at a later date to help make a decision on your application.
We suggest that you submit your application as early as possible after opening to avoid disappointment.
Find out more about City and all our postgraduate degree programmes.
