MA Multimedia Journalism

Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

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In the ever-changing media landscape, core journalistic skills are more at a premium than ever. The mix of broadcasting and online writing in this intensely practical course sharpens the defining elements of cutting-edge journalism. Using professional-standard studios and newsrooms, you’ll be encouraged to take key roles as editors, news editors, convergence editors, and reporters on all of our media outlets.

Accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), the UK’s largest industry-backed higher education training body for multiplatform, broadcast and mobile journalism, this course will provide you with the necessary skills to undertake a successful career in this fast-paced industry.

Develop your skills in news writing, TV production, radio production, digital production, photography and web content management
Gain an in-depth understanding of media regulation, issues with press and broadcasting freedoms and approaches to the role of journalism and journalists, along with ethical dilemmas and professional codes of conduct
Build specialist knowledge through your choice of optional units
Attend weekly seminars structured in a news day format where you’ll learn how to produce your own radio and TV bulletins and packages
Produce a portfolio of eye-catching, strikingly original stories to present to potential employers
Publish your work on The Breaker, the news and features site run by BU’s MA Journalism students
Benefit from BU’s close industry links through a three-week work placement with a major news organisation
Learn from award-winning journalists with experience in local, national and international news
Our graduates have gone on to work with a variety of organisations including the BCC, Sky, Sky Sports, CNN and many more.

Learn more about our journalism courses from Dr Karen Fowler-Watt, Senior Principle Academic.

See Course details for more information, including how this course will be delivered safely in autumn 2020 in response to Covid-19.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2020, January 2021, September 2021

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time with compulsory 3-week placement (September start), 16 months full-time with compulsory 3-week placement (January start)

Accreditations:

Broadcast Journalism Training Council

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in each component of speaking, listening and reading. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

Accredited by:

What our students say

Sian Morris (United Kingdom)

"This course put me out of my comfort zone and enabled me to really develop my skills as a journalist as no other course could. If there was anything I was struggling with or confused by there was always an excellent team of experienced teachers able to answer my questions and get me back on the right track. I was able to combine what I'd learned as an undergrad with my new rapidly developing skillset to produce a portfolio of work that I'm proud to show employers. I'm so glad I chose BU."

Kerrie Hall (United States)

Juliana Nicolini (Brazil)

Roxanne McKenzie (United Kingdom)

Emmanuel Ereyi (Nigeria)

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

Download the programme specification (pdf 419kb)

September 2020 – course information

During your first semester (September to January), you’ll be taught on campus for one day a week; structured in a news day format, you’ll learn how to produce your own radio and TV bulletins and packages. You’ll also be expected to go outside in the community and film your stories during the first semester.

The rest of your course will be delivered online, using interactive platforms that will replicate the experience of being in a lecture theatre or seminar room. You’ll have opportunities to interact with your lecturer and fellow students just as you would have done in any other year.

We hope to have a full programme of face-to-face sessions on campus for all courses from January if government guidelines permit.

You will be able to use the Library, the Student Centre, Open Access Centre and social learning spaces, subject to physical distancing measures to undertake group and other work.

There will be no other changes to the content of your course as a result of Covid-19; we will deliver all of the units we have previously promised we would, and we are not making any changes to the individual learning outcomes on your course.    

It’s important that you know these changes are temporary and that we will be back to our usual on-campus experience as soon as national guidance makes it possible.

See our Coronavirus FAQs for the latest information from BU.  

This is the latest information, updated on 20 July. We will update this page when more information is available, and we can confirm any additional on-campus activity. 

Core units

Digital Journalism: Insights and practices of multi-media journalism, using a mix of text, radio and TV. You'll become familiar with multiplatform publishing, collaborating in multimedia teams, and develop competence in producing and analysing evolving styles of journalism in many digital forms.
Journalism in Global Contexts: This unit explores journalism in global contexts, offering insights into the issues relating to gathering and distributing news in - and for - varied news cultures. You'll be challenged to debate the ethical, political, social and cultural dimensions involved in journalism products for national and transnational audiences, which will prepare you to assess journalism in today’s predominantly digital media environment.
Legal & Ethical Context: Gain an understanding of media regulation, issues with press and broadcasting freedoms and approaches to the role of journalism and journalists, along with their ethical dilemmas and professional codes of conduct. You'll learn what you're legally allowed to report in the UK in situations including court proceedings and council meetings and how to avoid being sued, and consider what might be justified for publication in the public interest. This unit continues in Semester 2.
Multimedia Reporting Skills: Develop your skills in researching and reporting news and current affairs in radio, TV and online formats. The unit will nurture your ability to write fluently, concisely and coherently to deadline, develop contacts and sources using traditional and emerging social media techniques, consider intellectual, ethical and professional issues associated with news reporting and execute depth of research and imaginative presentation. Tasks include researching, interviewing and editing, in professional standard newsrooms and studios.
Journalism Project: You'll complete a self-conceived piece of independent research and produce an extended journalistic production under the guidance of a nominated supervisor. You’ll critically explore key issues and debates in journalism studies and develop a more specialised understanding in an area of your choice. There will be an opportunity to consider the relationship between journalistic practice and digital technologies. You’ll produce a reflective submission linked to your practical project. You’ll also be integrating, synthesising and extending the skills and knowledge you’ve gained so far and be able to prove you've met the intellectual, technical and personal skills demanded of a Master’s graduate. You can take this unit as distance learning, subject to your supervisor’s approval.

Option units

Choose two of the following option units:

Documentary Journalism: Examine documentary forms and practices in radio and television. Technical workshops in recording and production techniques are also included, and you'll produce an audio or video documentary.
Media & Global Challenges: This unit explores the function and role of the media in the context of shared global challenges, and specifically those defined by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda. It will also examine the role of media and journalism to empower communities to respond to and reduce the risks posed by the challenges defined in the SDGs.
Immersive & Interactive Storytelling: The unit aims to explore existing and emerging digital technologies which put the audience experience of a story at the heart of storytelling.
Investigative Journalism: The history and practice of investigative journalism, and how it's applied to traditional and online media. You'll gain skills for reporting this way, be exposed to a variety of writings and approaches to the genre and gain insights into the key issues and debates around such journalism.
New Media Innovation: Explore areas where journalism and new media overlap. There's a focus on how new media innovation helps different forms and practices for news production, distribution, consumption and interaction. You'll engage with key issues and debates facing a networked media landscape, where audiences as passive consumers make way for collaborative reporting and crowdsourcing. Ways new media can complement and improve existing journalistic processes will be at the forefront, including data journalism, increased transparency and accountability, mobile news applications and augmented reality. You'll gain an understanding of how to undertake developing online civic media projects for journalistic purposes.

*Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university’s taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placement opportunities

An exciting and valuable part of your studies with us is the opportunity to spend at least three weeks on a placement at one or more professional news organisations, where you'll develop your understanding of journalistic practices. The organisation you work at will be approved by a supervisor, and you'll produce a reflective account of your experience.

The Faculty of Media & Communication has a range of established, high-profile contacts which offer excellent placement opportunities. Organisations our students have previously worked with on placements include the BBC, the Press Association, Sky News, Associated Press and The Independent.

Your application

The ways in which we select our students are socially inclusive, and we have a broad mix of international and UK students studying with us. The course suits new entrants to the profession and those wishing to extend their skills across different media, at home and abroad.

As part of your application, we want to know about you and why you think journalism is valuable and distinctive in the evolving globalised world, and how you adapt to stress and creative pressures. We are also very interested to know how you think technology links to the work of the modern journalist.

Of course we need to know of any journalism experience you have had or any experience that shows your suitable skills in communication and sharing ideas. A special interest or passionate commitment to international issues or sports can be useful to inspire your journalism.

What we’re looking for

Selections methods

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section

Supporting your study

This course has compulsory elements involving practical production activities. When required, students must complete a health and safety risk assessment to take part in these activities, for their safety and that of others. As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely.

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible. You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application. We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need. Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans.

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety. If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject
Applicants encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

China: 学士学位 (Bachelor degree) with a minimum of 65% overall
Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution in Nigeria
Thailand: Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution.
Vietnam: Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of at least 7.0, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.
Turkey: Bachelor’s Degree (Lisans Diplomasi -four years) to be considered for a postgraduate course at BU.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

For September 2020 and January 2021 entry: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

Careers

In this course you'll cover radio, television, print and online journalism, which will prepare you for a fast-changing industry where emphasis is placed on multi-media.

Given the range of skills they develop through this course, our graduates have gone on to work across various media and often make rapid progress into senior positions.

Potential job roles

Companies our graduates work for

Industries and areas worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement.
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dalia Elsheikh – Programme Leader

Dr Dalia Elsheikh is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She completed her doctorate in Political Communication at Bournemouth University in 2017.

Her research interest includes the study of campaign communication with emphasis on both the professionalisation and its impacts upon citizen engagement in nascent democracies. She is currently working on a research project studying the culture movements in the Egyptian public sphere assessing their impact on the demonstration of Egypt. She is also interested in journalism studies.

View Dalia Elsheikh's staff profile

Liisa Rohumaa - Senior Practice Fellow In News Journalism

Liisa Rohumaa is Senior Practice Fellow in News Journalism at Bournemouth University. She teaches on the BA and MA journalism programmes at the Faculty of Media and Communication. Research interests include online communication, news journalism, investigative reporting and historical memory narratives.

Liisa was formerly news editor of FT.com before joining the university as its first Online Journalist in Residence in 2006. She started her career in journalism on local newspapers and has also worked for The Daily Telegraph, BBC magazines and The Stage newspaper.

View Liisa Rohumaa's staff profile

David Brine - Lecturer In Journalism

David was a newspaper journalist for more than 25 years, the last 19 at the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton, and his aim is to pass on as many insights as he can to our students. He started as a trainee reporter on a weekly newspaper in south London and worked his way up to deputy news editor and, later, features editor at the Echo. He was also heavily involved in staff training for more than 10 years including running the Classroom in the Newsroom course at the Echo in partnership with Highbury College in Portsmouth, where he taught the NCTJ diploma course, which forms part of the BA Multimedia Journalism course at BU.

View David Brine's staff profile

Dr Graham Majin - Lecturer in Documentary

Dr Majin has more than 20 years’ experience working in TV news as a documentary and factual film maker, on-screen reporter, news editor and senior producer.

During a 14 year career at BBC News in addition to producing the main evening news on a regular basis, and running a multi-platform newsroom, Graham was responsible for training journalists to shoot and edit their own material.

Graham is also a professional film maker who produces video and animations for a wide range of public and private sector clients, NGOs and non-profits.

Dr Majin's research area is fake news, media literacy and how the concept of truth is understood differently by audiences, journalists and academics.

In summary, Graham fuses professional, real-world expertise with relevant, cutting-edge research and effective, engaging pedagogy.

View Dr Graham Majin's staff profile

Dr Ann Luce - Principal Academic in Journalism and Communication

Dr. Ann Luce is a Principal Academic in Journalism and Communication with nearly 10 years of investigative data journalism (covering health and science), business reporting (covering government and politics) and editorial writing experience in the United States. Ann has spent the last 15 years researching and writing about suicide and mental illness. One of her most notable pieces of journalism was investigating suicide rates in Florida, which eventually garnered support for the creation of the Office of Suicide Prevention and Drug Control in the State of Florida. Ann also won a "Responsible and Ethical Reporting of Suicide' award from then-Governor, Jeb Bush.

View Dr Ann Luce's staff profile

Dr An Nguyen - Associate Professor of Journalism and Associate Director of the Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community

An Nguyen is Associate Professor of Journalism and Associate Director of the Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community. A former Vietnamese journalist and Australian-educated scholar, An has taught in five British and Australian universities. Prior to BU, he headed journalism at University of Sussex. Before Sussex, he lectured at University of Stirling, where he co-founded and directed its successful Vietnam-based MSc in Media Management.

An serves as Editor of Anthem Studies in Emerging Media and Society Book Series and on the Editorial Boards of four journals (Journalism Education, Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, Media and Communication, and Journal of Southeast Asian Media Studies).

View Dr An Nguyen's staff profile

Professor Stephen Jukes - Professor of Journalism

Stephen Jukes is Professor of Journalism in the Faculty of Media & Communication. He had earlier spent two decades as a foreign correspondent and media executive covering news in Europe, the Middle East and the United States for Reuters. During a series of postings he covered or oversaw coverage of many top stories ranging from the ousting of Margaret Thatcher and disappearance of Robert Maxwell to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He reported extensively from the Middle East, interviewing King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and oversaw coverage of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. In his final position at Reuters he was global Head of News responsible for all editorial output including text, TV, news pictures and graphics. He also ran Reuters publishing programme overseeing a series of books on foreign and financial affairs in conjunction with Pearson and Prentice Hall.

View Professor Stephen Juke's staff profile

David Mascara - Lecturer in Journalism

David has around 30 years’ experience in journalism, training and development, and PR writing. During his career he has been a journalist working in staff or freelance roles for print and online consumer and business titles. He spent four years as editorial training manager at major web and magazine and web publisher Reed Business Information. He has also been a director of two limited companies: Journalism Training Centre, which won a National Training Award in 1994; and PMA Training. In addition, David spent time as consultant to specialist PR agency Simons Communications, working on press release writing and staff development. He is an examiner in Court Reporting and Essential Media Law & Regulation for the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

View David Mascord's staff profile

Course changes

Changes in 2019

Date	Changes to this course
25/03/2019	Where the change was made: International entry requirements Change: IELTS requirements for September 2020 entry Previous text: If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in each component of speaking, listening and reading.
12/06/2019	Where the change was made: Key facts and Course details Change: Added January start date and unit changes, new option units: Media & Global Challenges and Immersive & Interactive Storytelling Previous text: Removed units: Digital Magazines and Media & Crisis

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
20/11/2018	Where the change was made: Selection methods Change: Selection methods: The academic team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt that you want to study at Bournemouth University. Previous text: We’ll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at the information in your application form. You need to show us your tenacity, strong critical ability and understanding of the purposes of journalism. If selected as a potential candidate, we will wish to explore this further by inviting you for an informal interview which could be in person or by Skype or telephone (depending on your location).
29/01/2018	Where the change was made: Selection criteria Change: Selection methods: We'll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at the information in your application form. You need to show us your tenacity, strong critical ability and understanding of the purposes of journalism. If selected as a potential candidate, we will wish to explore this further by inviting you for an informal interview which could be in person or by Skype or telephone (depending on your location). Previous text: We'll be selecting the candidates for this course by looking at the information in your application form. You need to show us your tenacity, strong critical ability and understanding of the purposes of journalism. We may wish to explore this further by inviting you for an informal interview which could be in person or by Skype or telephone (depending on your location).
23/02/2018	Where the change was made: Semester 2 Option Units Change: Media & Crisis: This unit explores the function and role of the media during crises. It will consider how the effects of crises permeate beyond their local and national contexts and the role of news media in shaping public understanding and responses to these events. Previous text: Environment, Conflict & Crisis News: Investigate the ‘journalisms of crises’. This includes environmental disasters, war, terrorism and other conflict situations that are an integral part of media coverage. You'll gain insights into the ways journalists report such news, the constraints they work under, and the potential influence their reporting could have on the crisis concerned. The intention is to equip you with the theoretical knowledge and essential journalistic skills required to function in an informed, self-reflexive and safe manner in crisis situations.
23/02/2018	Where the change was made: Semester 3 Core Units Change: Journalism Project: You'll complete a self-conceived piece of independent research and produce an extended journalistic production under the guidance of a nominated supervisor. You'll critically explore key issues and debates in journalism studies and develop a more specialised understanding in an area of your choice. There will be an opportunity to consider the relationship between journalistic practice and digital technologies. You'll produce a reflective submission linked to your practical project. You'll also be integrating, synthesising and extending the skills and knowledge you've gained so far and be able to prove you've met the intellectual, technical and personal skills demanded of a Master’s graduate. You can take this unit as distance learning, subject to your supervisor's approval. Previous text: Dissertation or Journalism Project: You'll complete a self-conceived piece of independent research and produce an extended essay or journalistic production under the guidance of a nominated supervisor. You'll critically explore key issues and debates in journalism studies and develop a more specialised understanding in an area of your choice. There will be an opportunity to consider the relationship between journalistic practice and digital technologies. If you choose the Journalism Project, you'll produce a reflective submission linked to your practical project. You'll also be integrating, synthesising and extending the skills and knowledge you've gained so far and be able to prove you've met the intellectual, technical and personal skills demanded of a Master’s graduate. You can take this unit as distance learning, subject to your supervisor's approval.