Undergraduate

Journalism

BA (Hons)

Study options

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Open day

What is Journalism BA (Hons)?

Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire is all about learning by doing. From creating exciting content for social media to broadcasting live from our industry-standard news rooms, you won’t just learn all the skills needed to become a multimedia journalist – you’ll be putting them into practice too. It’s a hands-on experience, and an experience our students tell us they enjoy.

Our journalism courses are in the top 10 for course satisfaction and teaching satisfaction, according to the Guardian University Guide 2020. On top of this, it’s one of only a handful of courses to be accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council. These are nationally-recognised industry kite marks which give our graduates a real competitive edge.

Study style

You’ll learn practical skills, such as news and feature writing, shooting videos and recording audio. You’ll put these into practice on multimedia news days and news weeks.

You’ll be following a curriculum which will see you taking NCTJ diploma exams alongside the university’s own assessments. You’ll study for exams in the NCTJ Essential Media Law and Regulation, Videojournalism, Court Reporting, Public Affairs, Newspaper and Magazine Regulation and Essential Journalism – while shorthand will be a part of your second year.

In your final year you can choose between an academic dissertation or advanced practical project. Students have covered relevant and challenging topics such as an academic discussion into the use of social media in news gathering, and a piece of investigative journalism into failings in NHS maternity care.

Get Journalism BA (Hons) course updates and hear more about studying with us.

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Entry requirements

Passion and creativity, not tariff points
- Because we want to offer this course to creative students with talent and potential (and because we know that exam grades don’t always tell the whole story), we make offers following an interview instead of using tariff points.
  
  You will need to have, or be studying for, a NQF level 3 qualification – that’s A-level/BTEC/Welsh Baccalaureate or equivalent.
  
  Once you apply, we will invite you to interview so we can decide whether to make you an offer.
  
  Check out our Interview Guide to learn what to expect and help you prepare.
Mature students
- We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants though the entry requirements still apply.
  
  Some courses require several years of working experiences in the relevant industry.
International students
- Please read the entry requirements for your country – and you’re welcome to contact our admissions team if you have questions.
Required subjects/grades
- English and Maths Grade 4/C in GCSE (or equivalent) are normally required.

Course modules

Fees and costs

See the further details of fees and potential extra costs when studying a course at the University of Gloucestershire.

Start date	Location	UCAS code	Fee (UK) per year	Fee (international) per year
Sep 2021	Park, Cheltenham	P502	£9,250	£14,700
Sep 2022	Park, Cheltenham	P502	—	—

Possible careers

Graduates from this course can go on to work as:

Reporter
Presenter
Social Media Editor
Multimedia Content Producer
Public Relations and Communications Executive
Marketing Officer.

Industry links

The course has very close ties with industry. You’ll be able to hear from leading media professionals in guest lectures and workshops, as well as on our industry-standard news days. In recent years we’ve been joined by journalists, editors and content producers from the likes of Google, Marie Claire, Top Gear magazine, the BBC, ITV and Heart radio.

You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your own industry contacts at our annual Media Festival and network with some of our high-flying graduates at our Meet the Alumni events.

Plus this year we’ve guaranteed that all our final year students will have their own individual industry mentor to help them achieve their employment goals.

Learn from experts

You’ll be taught by award-winning journalists who have worked for the likes of the BBC, ITV, Grazia, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Athletic. Big-name visitors in recent years have included Elle UK editor Farrah Storr and Terri White, editor of Empire.

Train in state-of-the-art facilities

Our facilities include TV and radio studios, three multimedia newsrooms and fully equipped Mac suites. You will use industry standard equipment, such as JVC cameras that are used by BBC journalists, and new mobile journalism kits, based around the iPhone.

Student in a green screen studio smiling

Industry links give you a head start

We have excellent links with national and local media. Our students have gone on to work for some of the UK’s biggest media employers, including Sky, The Telegraph, ITV, Vice, the BBC, and international magazine publisher Bauer Media.

Student on Sports Journalism course interviewing rugby player

Journalism - Academic Support - NSS 2020

Our Journalism courses rank 4th in the UK for academic support according to the National Student Survey 2020.

Journalism - Learning Community - NSS 2020

Our Journalism courses rank 10th in the UK for learning community according to the National Student Survey 2020.

Placements

Our industry connections have helped students secure work placements at organisations including Sky News, Channel 5 news, The Telegraph, BBC radio and TV, Hello! magazine, The Guardian and ITV.

"I travelled the world covering industry conferences"

“With a background in publishing, I trained to be a journalist at News Associates in London. I started as a trainee reporter on the independent Maidenhead Advertiser before becoming news editor and taking responsibility for training young reporters. I moved to a global b2b publication where I travelled the world covering industry conferences before returning to local news to become Head of Content for Gloucestershire Live, part of Reach Plc, the UK’s largest news publisher. After five years at Reach, during periods of huge change for the media industry, I now use my experience and passion for training to help journalism students become the best they can be.”

Sophie Flowers, Lecturer in Journalism

"I'm now a multimedia broadcast journalist for the BBC"

Abby Mobbs
“Some days I can be shooting and editing videos for social media, and others I can be reporting for radio and television, or producing a live show. Having course tutors with industry experience really helped me take my first steps into my career. They supported me when I sent off applications, and I made valuable contacts through my work experience.

“Lectures by guest speakers gave me the drive to pursue a career in the media. They made me realise my final goal was achievable.”

Abby Mobbs, graduate

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