We don’t just study journalism at the University of Gloucestershire – we do it. From creating exciting content for social media and podcasts to broadcasting live from our industry-standard newsrooms, you’ll learn all the skills needed to become a multimedia journalist. And you’ll put those skills into practice every day on a hands-on course where you’ll never be just a number.
Our journalism, publishing and public relations courses are ranked in the top 20 in the UK, and 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction by the Guardian University Guide 2023. Our Journalism and Communications courses achieved the second highest satisfaction rate for the sector in the country in the 2022 National Student Survey.
Our accreditation from Britain’s biggest journalism training organisation, the National Council for the Training of Journalists, means you can be sure that the skills you’re developing are the ones that employers prize. You’ll have your own exclusive industry mentor in your final year, and the chance to go on placements at the BBC, ITV, commercial radio stations and major regional news brands such as Reach and Newsquest. In fact, the news team at Reach brand Gloucestershire Live are based at our Park campus one day a week, meaning you’ll be immersed in the latest industry thinking.
We’re also delighted to have appointed four expert course associates to support our teaching team. You’ll benefit from their knowledge and connections.
They are Radio 1 Newsbeat presenter Rebecca Swash, Vice documentary director Tayo Yusuff – both graduates from the BA Journalism programme, ITV news presenter Kylie Pentelow and multi-award-winning reporter, author and TikTok creator Sophia Smith Galer.
You’ll learn practical skills, such as news and feature writing, shooting and editing videos and making content from podcasts to TikToks. We’ll give you workshops to boost your confidence, and you’ll sharpen your skills at multimedia news days in our industry-standard newsrooms and studios. You’ll begin your storytelling journey with your own area or specialism to cover right from the start of the first year.
You’ll be following a curriculum which will see you taking NCTJ diploma exams alongside the university’s own assessments. You’ll study for the NCTJ exams Essential Media Law and Regulation, Videojournalism for Digital Platforms, Court Reporting, Public Affairs, Newspaper and Magazine Regulation and Essential Journalism – while shorthand will be a part of your second year. We’ll also be offering the NCTJ’s Journalism for a Digital Audience unit as a diploma option.
But the majority of your assessments will see you putting together portfolios of your work – from ground-breaking investigations through TV presenter showreels to social media campaign plans.
96 – 120 UCAS tariff points, CCC – BBB at A levels, MMM – DDM at BTEC, or a Merit in your T-Level.
Entry to this course is by interview. Check out our Interview Guide to learn what to expect and help you prepare.
English Language or Literature and Maths Grade 4/C in GCSE (or equivalent) are normally required.
We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants, although some entry requirements may still apply for Professionally Accredited Courses. We accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas and make offers on an individual basis.
Please read the entry requirements for your country – and you’re welcome to contact our admissions team if you have questions.
Here's an example of the types of modules you'll study (the contents and structure of the course are reviewed occasionally, but it is unlikely that there will be significant change).
Module information is not available for this programme.
| Start date | Location | UCAS code |
Fee (UK) per year |
Fee (international) per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2023 | Park, Cheltenham | P502 | £9,250 | £15,450 |
| Sep 2024 | Park, Cheltenham | P502 | TBC | TBC |
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International students can benefit from a range of scholarships and bursaries across many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. |
Find out more | |||
In the last two years, students from this course have found work as:
And our graduates can be seen on Sky News, in all areas of the BBC, on commercial radio and in senior PR and content creation roles around the country and around the world.
We’re hugely proud of our 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 BBC, ITV, radio firms Heart and Bauer, and the newsrooms of regional brands such as Gloucestershire Live and the Swindon Advertiser.
You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your own industry contacts at our annual Creative Industries Festival and network with some of our high-flying graduates at our Meet the Alumni events.
And we’ve guaranteed that all our final year students will have their own individual industry mentor to help them achieve their employment goals.
You’ll be taught by experts still working in the industry – people who won’t tell you what they did several years ago, but what they’re doing this week. And we make the most of our contacts to bring in more expertise from across industry. Some of our recent guest speakers have included TikTok expert Sophia Smith Galer and Sunday Times health editor Shaun Lintern. Our students have also benefitted from workshops on multimedia journalism delivered by the Google News Lab project.
“There’s a real sense of community within the journalism course and the lecturers offer the best practical teaching which puts you in the shoes of a working journalist. I wouldn’t be where I am now without this course or the lecturers.”
Jack Shute, Journalism Coordinator, BBC Radio Gloucestershire
Our studios are the envy of the professionals, and you’ll have access to equipment from 360 cameras to the latest in virtual reality. Our newsroom computers give you access to the full Adobe Creative suite, and our technical team is always looking for new ways to support your storytelling.
Our students often get offered jobs before they even finish their course. And you can now find our graduates in every corner of the BBC, on Sky News, on commercial radio, working for regional news websites, and in jobs in public relations and social media. Our journalism degree is a bunch of keys that can unlock all kinds of fascinating doors.
Get creative in our state-of-the-art Media Centre, using the same facilities as professionals around the world. We can offer you the perfect space to practice your craft and prepare for careers in the creative industries.
Our journalism, publishing & public relations courses are ranked in the top 20 in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2023.
Our journalism, publishing & public relations courses are ranked 8th in the UK for teaching satisfaction by the Guardian University Guide 2023.
Our journalism, publishing & public relations courses are ranked 4th in the UK for career prospects by the Guardian University Guide 2023.
Our journalism, publishing & public relations courses are ranked 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction by the Guardian University Guide 2023.
Students have the opportunity to travel internationally to meet journalists at the top of their game. Recently students traveled to Milan, visiting the Conde Nast empire and other media outlets.
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.
We have organised placement partnerships with BBC Radio Gloucestershire, ITV Westcountry, Bauer, Heart, brands firm SLG, and what’s on website SoGlos. And the news team from the biggest local news provider, Gloucestershire Live, will have a base on campus where our students will be able to work alongside its journalists.
“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
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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