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Journalism at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

This journalism course offers you a fast-track but thorough grounding in practical journalistic skills. You will gain a strong working knowledge of the media industry and develop the cutting-edge skills you need to build, manage and navigate a career within today's media landscape. Why choose this course?

  • This course offers you a unique, multidisciplinary approach blending an academic emphasis with focused practical modules taught by established media professionals.
  • It allows you to explore the political, social and cultural dimensions of news and media, while also mastering the vocational skills required to work across journalism and media production.
  • If you choose to study the MA, you will have the opportunity to tailor your degree to your interests and gain valuable experience undertaking an academic dissertation or journalistic work suitable for publication or broadcast.
  • Depending on your interests or career aspirations, you can also specialise by taking certain modules to graduate with an MA Investigative Journalism.
What you will learn Engaging with a combination of academic modules that draw on theoretical traditions and the history of ideas to understand the issues we face today, you will learn from authors from politics, cultural studies and sociology. You will learn to analyse and apply their thinking on issues such as the role that media should play in society to contemporary issues such as disinformation, corruption and the culture wars. In practical modules you will develop your skills in writing, creating, designing, researching and analysing across a range of journalistic specialisations and platforms. These are taught by established media professionals who will equip you with all the skills you need to write, research and communicate as a journalist, as well as how to design and produce print publications, audio and video. How you will learn The course is available for full- and part-time study. It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops with an emphasis on interaction and engagement. We offer this course as a Master’s, Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate. For the Diploma and Certificate you study fewer modules and do not complete a dissertation. The MA course starting in October is part of our new Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both. Highlights
  • We offer an extensive portfolio of internationally respected courses that engage with the latest ideas and techniques in journalism, media and cultural theory, arts policy and management, film and television studies, creative marketing, digital culture and East Asian cultural studies.
  • We also affiliate with a number of research centres and networks, including Birkbeck Interdisciplinary Research in Media and Culture, Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, Vasari Research Centre for Art and Technology and the Centre for French, Francophone and Comparative Studies.
  • Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.
Careers and employability On successfully graduating from this journalism course, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
  • high-level oral and written communication skills
  • the ability to work across different media platforms, formats and genres
  • research and analysis skills
  • the ability to work as part of a team.
Graduates can pursue career paths in journalism, the media, or public relations. Possible professions include:
  • journalist
  • editor
  • researcher
  • social media manager
  • professional communications and public relations role.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

Assessment is 100% coursework, with additional in-class writing exercises and portfolio requirement. Unassessed written work.

How to apply

International applicants

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this course is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in any related subject; other qualifications will be considered. Applications are encouraged from those with prior journalistic experience. Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £11070 Year 1
Northern Ireland £11070 Year 1
Scotland £11070 Year 1
Wales £11070 Year 1
International £20340 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Journalism at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS