Journalism PgDip/MA
Why choose this course?
Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) for over a decade, this Journalism PgDip/MA course will equip you for a career in journalism by offering the industry's most sought-after qualification alongside your PgDip or master's degree. It combines professional training and academic study with the skills you will need to succeed in this intensely competitive industry.
As well as being the only London university to offer an NCTJ diploma alongside a news journalism MA, Kingston University was ranked 1st in London for Journalism and Publishing in the Guardian University Guide 2020.
In the last reaccreditation report from the NCTJ, it was noted that "this course... plays a valuable role in producing industry-ready early career journalists".
All of the modules are taught by practising journalists with a range of experience and contacts. As well as teaching you practical skills, the course will engage you in discussion and debate about the state and future of the industry, and the legal, political and ethical context in which journalists operate. Alongside your core modules, you can choose from a range of specialisms, including Sports Journalism, Data Journalism, Feature-writing and Broadcast Journalism, where you will cover everything from making TV and radio packages to voice training.
| Mode | Duration | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | 1 year | September 2021 |
| Full time | 2 years including professional placement | September 2021 |
| Part time | 2 years | September 2021 |
| Location | Penrhyn Road |
2020/21 entry
If you are planning to join this course in the academic year 2020/21 (i.e. between August 2020 and July 2021), please view the information about changes to courses for 2020/21 due to Covid-19.
Continuing students
Students who are continuing their studies with Kingston University in 2020/21 should refer to their Course Handbook for information about specific changes that have been, or may be, made to their course or modules being delivered in 2020/21. Course Handbooks are located within the Canvas Course page.
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- We are the only NCTJ-accredited MA in London, enabling you to sit the NCTJ diploma exams alongside your MA. The diploma is a passport to a wide range of jobs, and includes a shorthand qualification highly prized by employers.
- This is a fast-paced, exciting and very practical course: while you will also be taught theory and context, it is above all a professional preparation master's degree, getting you ready for the workplace. You will be reporting, writing, filming, interviewing, editing and publishing your journalism right from the start, enabling you to build the wide range of skills needed to thrive in the industry today. Many of our students are in good journalism jobs before even finishing the course. In 2019, 100% of our graduating cohort were in jobs within six months of graduating.
- You will undertake work experience in professional newsrooms, and go on field trips to real-life settings like the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the BBC, Sky, Crown Court and County Council. In 2019, we took a group of students to Lille to learn about being foreign correspondents.
Accreditation
National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
Kingston's links with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) open many doors for our students, including opportunities to attend networking events. Eligible students on our course have the option of applying for the NCTJ-run Journalism Diversity Fund, which provides bursaries for living and study costs to a wide range of students.
'Tutors clearly go the extra mile with pastoral care, and supporting students with particular needs.'
NCTJ accreditation report
What you will study
You will develop a range of professional, practical skills and knowledge that will equip you for a job in journalism, including news and feature writing, public affairs, online journalism, media law and shorthand. You will have the opportunity to report and write for our news website, the Kingston Courier, which is run by our postgraduate students. Using your acquired design skills, you'll learn to produce a print supplement to our university newspaper, The River.
Once you have achieved the PgDip, which runs over two semesters from September to May, you can continue on to the MA degree by researching and writing a dissertation or carrying out an equivalent work-based practical project. This will develop your critical thinking and analytical skills, and give you the chance to carry out independent academic research.
The core modules are worth 30 credits each. You'll be expected to complete 180 credits altogether.
Modules: Full-time study
Modules: Part-time study
Optional placement year
You can choose to study for either a PgDip or MA award. If you opt for the MA, you will have the opportunity to do a work-based final project, or a dissertation which allows you to focus on an area of interest and gain valuable research skills, as a potential gateway to a PhD.
Core modules
Hands-on Journalism
30 credits
This module - which includes a two-week work placement outside the university - aims to give students the practical skills needed to work as a journalist. You'll get a chance to practise your core skills of researching, writing, interviewing and editing, running a live news website, the Kingston Courier as a team. You'll learn how to design newspaper pages, and will also learn a wide range of multimedia skills, including video, audio and live broadcast using online and social media platforms. During the course of the module, you will build a wide-ranging portfolio to showcase all of the skills learned on the MA.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Journalism exam.
Journalism in Context: Law, Ethics and the Industry
30 credits
This year-long module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory structure within which journalists operate. In recent decades, the industry has changed significantly as it adapts to the opportunities and challenges of the internet age. You will be invited to examine and debate the direction and future of journalism, thinking about everything from legal restrictions on reporting to fake news to the public's perception of journalists.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Law and Ethics exams.
Journalism and Power
30 credits
This module will explore the origins, purpose and present-day structure/composition of local and central government in Britain and its devolved nations – and the news media's role as a ‘fourth estate' with a public duty to hold the political establishment and its institutions/agencies to account and expose abuses of power and privilege.
At its core will be an examination of the UK's constitutional framework; its global position in relation to pan-national organisations like the European Union, Nato, United Nations and G8/G20; and the shifting balance of power (and responsibility) between state and individual in Britain today.
The module encompasses the syllabus leading to the NCTJ's Essential Public Affairs exam.
Non credit-bearing modules taken as part of the NCTJ diploma
Court Reporting
0 credits
This module will give you an understanding of how the UK court system works, and get you ready to report from a variety of courts and hearings, including magistrates and crown courts, county courts and inquests. You'll get a chance to visit Kingston Crown Court - just across the road from campus - and practise your legal, shorthand and reporting skills. The module, which is not-for-credit, is taken by all students studying for the MA Journalism, and may also be of interest to MA Magazine Journalism students. It culminates in the NCTJ Court Reporting exam.
Shorthand (Postgraduate)
0 credits
All students on the MA Journalism course study Teeline shorthand, and the module is also available to those studying MA Magazine Journalism. Shorthand is an extremely useful skill for journalists, and one prized by employers: it generates trust with interviewees and increases the speed and efficiency of reporting. You will be taught Teeline, which uses written outlines derived from consonants, by a teacher of longstanding experience; the aim is to reach a speed of 100 words per minute (wpm) by the end of the course.
Shorthand exams at 60, 80 and 100 wpm, count towards the NCTJ diploma.
MA students also choose either the Journalism Dissertation or the Practical Project
Practical Journalism Project
60 credits
Students who wish to go straight into the workplace can opt to do a Practical Journalism Project module while they work, in lieu of a dissertation. This module includes a piece of academic research as well as a portfolio of journalism produced as a working journalist. You will also be asked to reflect on your practice, considering how you can learn from your experience and develop as a journalist. This module takes place between May and September, after core teaching has finished.
MA Journalism Dissertation
60 credits
Students wishing to undertake a substantial piece of academic work can opt to take the dissertation module, which is carried out between May and September, after core teaching has finished. Once you have narrowed down your area of interest, you will be given a supervisor who will work individually with you to help you develop your ideas, frame a hypothesis and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research. The MA dissertation is a good bridge for any students wishing to pursue further study, at PhD level or beyond.
Optional modules
Feature Writing
30 credits
Whatever the type of magazine - from quality Sunday paper supplements to women's lifestyle monthlies - features dominate content. This module encourages students to look critically at feature writing in all its forms and to analyse exactly what makes a great feature. You will learn how to generate winning ideas, research those ideas thoroughly, and turn that research into eye-catching copy. You will also learn how to pitch ideas to publications, and be encouraged to pitch for real during the course.
Specialist Journalism: Sport
30 credits
This module offers an introduction to and broad experience of sports journalism. It will help you develop your writing and reporting skills to produce professional sports copy, including match reports, interviews, sports news stories, profiles and comment. You will also explore the context and pressures under which sports journalism is produced in the modern media. During project work in the second half of the module, you will produce a publishable sports package.
Broadcast Journalism
30 credits
This module aims to teach students the principles and practice of broadcast journalism. You will learn to use a variety of industry-standard software and hardware, and acquire the technical skills necessary to produce quality radio and television packages. You'll learn about broadcast regulation, find out how to pitch stories to potential employers, and develop your presentation skills, receiving voice coaching and taking part in radio and television news days. Alongside traditional methods of broadcast, you will consider what opportunities the internet offers for both storytelling and live reporting.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Broadcast Journalism exams.
Specialist Journalism: Digital detectives: Data journalism
30 credits
In this module, you will build practical skills in searching for and developing original investigative stories from online datasets as well as learning how to make use of basic digital tools to visualise your findings in dynamic graphic formats. An understanding of the role and context of data journalism in the light of developments in online ‘data dumping' by ‘hacktivists' is paramount. You will consider accompanying changes to the role of the professional journalist as the traditional ‘gatekeeper' to news and information.
These are exciting times to be involved in data journalism and the module will equip you with the skills necessary for the newsroom and beyond.
We offer a part-time study option to help you fit the course around other commitments.
Year 1: Part-time students take two modules in the first year
Hands-on Journalism
30 credits
This module - which includes a two-week work placement outside the university - aims to give students the practical skills needed to work as a journalist. You'll get a chance to practise your core skills of researching, writing, interviewing and editing, running a live news website, the Kingston Courier as a team. You'll learn how to design newspaper pages, and will also learn a wide range of multimedia skills, including video, audio and live broadcast using online and social media platforms. During the course of the module, you will build a wide-ranging portfolio to showcase all of the skills learned on the MA.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Journalism exam.
Journalism in Context: Law, Ethics and the Industry
30 credits
This year-long module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory structure within which journalists operate. In recent decades, the industry has changed significantly as it adapts to the opportunities and challenges of the internet age. You will be invited to examine and debate the direction and future of journalism, thinking about everything from legal restrictions on reporting to fake news to the public's perception of journalists.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Law and Ethics exams.
Year 2: Part-time students take one module in the second year
Journalism and Power
30 credits
This module will explore the origins, purpose and present-day structure/composition of local and central government in Britain and its devolved nations – and the news media's role as a ‘fourth estate' with a public duty to hold the political establishment and its institutions/agencies to account and expose abuses of power and privilege.
At its core will be an examination of the UK's constitutional framework; its global position in relation to pan-national organisations like the European Union, Nato, United Nations and G8/G20; and the shifting balance of power (and responsibility) between state and individual in Britain today.
The module encompasses the syllabus leading to the NCTJ's Essential Public Affairs exam.
Year 2: Part-time students also choose either the Journalism Dissertation or the Practical Project
Practical Journalism Project
60 credits
Students who wish to go straight into the workplace can opt to do a Practical Journalism Project module while they work, in lieu of a dissertation. This module includes a piece of academic research as well as a portfolio of journalism produced as a working journalist. You will also be asked to reflect on your practice, considering how you can learn from your experience and develop as a journalist. This module takes place between May and September, after core teaching has finished.
MA Journalism Dissertation
60 credits
Students wishing to undertake a substantial piece of academic work can opt to take the dissertation module, which is carried out between May and September, after core teaching has finished. Once you have narrowed down your area of interest, you will be given a supervisor who will work individually with you to help you develop your ideas, frame a hypothesis and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research. The MA dissertation is a good bridge for any students wishing to pursue further study, at PhD level or beyond.
Year 2: Plus one optional part-time module
Feature Writing
30 credits
Whatever the type of magazine - from quality Sunday paper supplements to women's lifestyle monthlies - features dominate content. This module encourages students to look critically at feature writing in all its forms and to analyse exactly what makes a great feature. You will learn how to generate winning ideas, research those ideas thoroughly, and turn that research into eye-catching copy. You will also learn how to pitch ideas to publications, and be encouraged to pitch for real during the course.
Specialist Journalism: Sport
30 credits
This module offers an introduction to and broad experience of sports journalism. It will help you develop your writing and reporting skills to produce professional sports copy, including match reports, interviews, sports news stories, profiles and comment. You will also explore the context and pressures under which sports journalism is produced in the modern media. During project work in the second half of the module, you will produce a publishable sports package.
Broadcast Journalism
30 credits
This module aims to teach students the principles and practice of broadcast journalism. You will learn to use a variety of industry-standard software and hardware, and acquire the technical skills necessary to produce quality radio and television packages. You'll learn about broadcast regulation, find out how to pitch stories to potential employers, and develop your presentation skills, receiving voice coaching and taking part in radio and television news days. Alongside traditional methods of broadcast, you will consider what opportunities the internet offers for both storytelling and live reporting.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Broadcast Journalism exams.
Specialist Journalism: Digital detectives: Data journalism
30 credits
In this module, you will build practical skills in searching for and developing original investigative stories from online datasets as well as learning how to make use of basic digital tools to visualise your findings in dynamic graphic formats. An understanding of the role and context of data journalism in the light of developments in online ‘data dumping' by ‘hacktivists' is paramount. You will consider accompanying changes to the role of the professional journalist as the traditional ‘gatekeeper' to news and information.
These are exciting times to be involved in data journalism and the module will equip you with the skills necessary for the newsroom and beyond.
Part-time students can opt to do shorthand in either their first or second year
Shorthand (Postgraduate)
0 credits
All students on the MA Journalism course study Teeline shorthand, and the module is also available to those studying MA Magazine Journalism. Shorthand is an extremely useful skill for journalists, and one prized by employers: it generates trust with interviewees and increases the speed and efficiency of reporting. You will be taught Teeline, which uses written outlines derived from consonants, by a teacher of longstanding experience; the aim is to reach a speed of 100 words per minute (wpm) by the end of the course.
Shorthand exams at 60, 80 and 100 wpm, count towards the NCTJ diploma.
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Tier 4 visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Module
Professional Placement
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates professional placement learning, following completion of 120 credits. It provides you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject-specific professional skills in your chosen subject. You may wish to use the placement experience as a platform for your subsequent major project module, and would be expected to use it to help inform your decisions about future careers.
The information above reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. Updates may be made on an annual basis and revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. The regulations governing this course are available on our website. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods include workshops, lectures, student-led seminars and guided research.
Assessment methods are often based on the production of news stories, features and essays. You will also be appraised on your performance on the postgraduate publications which you work on during the course. The NCTJ diploma is assessed by exams.
You will also benefit from weekly guest lectures – in the past year guests have included senior journalists and editors at The Guardian, Glamour, The Sunday Times, VICE, Vogue, New Statesman and CNN.
Entry requirements
Who teaches this course?
This course is delivered by one of the top-ranked journalism departments in the country. You'll graduate with excellent employment prospects: students from recent years have entered positions at Grazia, The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Channel Four News, The Daily Mail, Closer, OK!, The Daily Express, Dow Jones, Metro, Associated Press, South West News, The Lawyer, Pink News, Gulf News and a range of local newspapers.
You'll be taught by a team of dedicated lecturers who are practising journalists with a wide range of experience and insider knowledge about working in today's industry. Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.
Alongside the academic staff, you'll benefit from high-profile guest speakers, who have previously included Anoosh Chakelian, deputy web editor at the New Statesman; Will Dean, commissioning editor G2 (Guardian); Radhika Sanghani, feature writer, Daily Telegraph; Rachel Rodriguez, social media producer, CNN International.
Fees for this course
Facilities
The journalism department has a dedicated newsroom, fully equipped with dual-booting iMacs, professional newswires from Rex Images and the Press Association, 24-hour news channels and industry standard software such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro.
The campus at Penrhyn Road is a hive of activity, housing our fantastic new Town House, with four floors of study space and our extensive library, the main student restaurant, and a host of teaching rooms and lecture theatres.
The Town House offers group study spaces for when you need to work together. The light, airy top floor café serves light snacks and drinks, as well as fabulous views!
At the heart of the campus is the John Galsworthy building, a six-storey complex that brings together lecture theatres, flexible teaching space and information technology suites around a landscaped courtyard.
See a virtual tour of Penrhyn Road campus
Resources in London
Kingston is just a 30 minute train journey away from central London, where you will find the biggest concentration of press and publishing in the UK. This gives you the opportunity to undertake work experience in high-profile media environments.
Student work gallery
MA Journalism students in a Kingston University leacture hall with local MP Ed Davey
Cover of Mindful: a River supplement
Screenshot of Kingston Courier student online newspaper
Spread from Mindful: a River supplement
Spread from Mindful: a River supplement
After you graduate
In addition to a possible career as a journalist, alternatives may include work in publishing, advertising and marketing, film, television, radio, arts management, new media, business and teaching.
Every year the vast majority of our students go on to successful careers, mostly in journalism and the media, or related industries. In the last few years, our graduates progressed to roles at CNN, the Daily Express, Wandsworth Guardian, Accountancy Age, Barcroft media, Container Management, Metro, Grazia, Richmond and Twickenham Times and Investors Chronicle.
What our students and graduates say
Links with business and industry
Guest lectures
The Journalism department hosts weekly guest lectures and other events led by industry experts with a strong focus on developments in the fast-changing world of digital media and journalism. Recent speakers have included:
- Samira Ahmed – An award-winning journalist with 20 years' experience in print and broadcast
- Anoosh Chakelian – Deputy web editor at the New Statesman
- Will Dean – commissioning editor G2 (Guardian)
- David Jenkins – Editor of Little White Lies, a bi-monthly movie magazine powered by illustration that has just reached its 60th issue
- Ben Machell – Writer for The Times, columnist for ES Magazine
- Fatiman Manji – News correspondent and presenter at Channel 4 News
- Rachel Rodriguez – social media producer, CNN International
- Radhika Sanghani – feature writer, Daily Telegraph
- Samira Shackle – Deputy Editor of New Humanist, and freelance journalist specialising in politics, terrorism and gender
- Alex Stedman – Fashion blogger The Frugality, former style editor at Red magazine
- Farrah Storr – Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, former editor of Women's Health
- Rossalyn Warren – An award-winning foreign affairs journalist, formerly of BuzzFeed News. Her reporting has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, VICE, CNN, BBC, ELLE, Newsweek, and Teen Vogue
MA Journalism students in Lille
Links with business and industry
Events
We hold events on current affairs such as the recent panel discussion ‘Truth and Terror' examining the relationship between the Islamic State and the media and a live debate on the future of press regulation between Hacked Off and the Press Complaints Commission.
The department also hosts the annual Journalism Oscars to celebrate the brightest and best journalism students, with categories including news reporter, feature writer, digital journalist and postgraduate of the year.
