Overview
In the first year – the foundation year – you will study 4 modules; a subject-related module, a numeracy skills module, a study skills-related module called 'Succeeding at University and Beyond' and a foundation project module. After completion of this foundation year, you will then move onto the Fashion Journalism honours degree course.
Develop the core skills of fashion journalism. Learn specialist skills such as catwalk reporting, styling, red carpet verdicts, street style photography, style icons and subcultures, social media, beauty and video journalism
Access industry experts, placements, publishing opportunities and field trips within the fashion industry – recent trips include our London Fashion Masterclasses. Graduate with both an honours degree in Fashion Journalism and the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, the nationally recognised industry entry qualification significantly boosting your employability as a Fashion journalist.
During the first year, we’ll set you up with Journalism essentials – writing styles, research, Media Law and online skills. You’ll look at style icons and sub cultures and be introduced to the fascinating world of Fashion Journalism. In the second and third years, you’ll study topics in more depth. You’ll experience our Newsroom in action, consider Styling for Fashion Editorial, Design and Production Journalism, and undertake a shorthand course free of charge.
Increase your practical experience by taking on reporting, editing and/or managerial roles on Fashion North; our student-run website covering fashion across the North-East. Get involved in award winning Spark Radio or Spark magazine, all based in our innovative mediaHUB, BBC Newcastle’s home in Sunderland and host to visiting Journalists from organisations such as Trinity Mirror (Newcastle Chronicle, Journal) and Johnston Press (Sunderland Echo).
In your final year, you’ll go on placement on a fashion publication at the likes of Grazia, Elle, Asos and Glamour - putting what you’ve learnt into practice. You’ll undertake a project to produce your own fashion magazine or website which will add significantly to the portfolio of work you can present to prospective employers.
Why us?
- UK’s only Fashion Journalism course to be accredited by the National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ). Also accredited by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), the trade body for magazine companies
- 100% pass rate for Fashion Journalism students taking NCTJ Reporting in 2015 – 72% achieved the gold standard
- All of our teaching staff have worked as senior journalists such as Programme leader Carole Watson, ex-Grazia deputy editor
- Guaranteed work placements, including at the likes of Grazia, Elle, Asos and Glamour
- We are a University that is nationally recognised for supporting learners particularly from non-traditional backgrounds and many students come to us with no formal qualifications but with valuable work experience
- 90% of our BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2015/16 (based on UK students)
- Get experience on Fashion North, our student-run fashion website in the mediaHUB
- Cutting edge kit and facilities such as 360 degree cameras, the bustling Media Hub, TV studios, radio studios and our 204-seater cinema
- Rub shoulders with BBC Newcastle Journalists, based in our innovative mediaHUB
- Superb industry contacts with regular master classes and news days run by Sky News, Sky Sports News, BBC, ITV and Guardian journalists
Course structure
Teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations, seminars, workshops, group projects and practical skills work. All our teaching staff have worked as journalists and have strong links with regional employers and industry organisations. We also invite experienced industry professionals to carry out regular guest lectures and classes.
Assessment is split between portfolios of practical work, essays, examinations, reports and presentations.
Foundation Year
The Media, Humanities and Creative Industries Integrated Foundation Year includes four modules:
- Foundations of Media, Humanities and Creative Industries (40 credits)
- Practical Numeracy Skills (20 credits)
- Foundation Project (20 credits)
- Succeeding at University and Beyond (40 credits)
Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.
Year 1 (national level 4):
- Essential Journalism (20 credits) - Essential journalism toolkit – learn what a journalist does and how you can get started.
- Media Histories (20 credits) - Understand the development of the mass media from inception to present day.
- Style Icons and Subcultures (20 credits) -Learn about the most influential fashion designers throughout history and their influence on today’s styles.
- Essential Media Law and Regulation (20 credits) - What you can say and when can you say it. Essential for media professionals.
- Digital Storytelling (20 credits) - Develop skills in non-traditional storytelling techniques for an online audience.
- Introduction to Fashion Journalism (20 credits) - Acquire core fashion skills including catwalk reporting, red carpet verdicts, street style photography and trend forecasting.
Optional modules are also available (across all three stages) such as Editorial Fashion Styling, Media Photography, Social Media Practice, Public Relations Magazine Writing, Arts and Entertainment Journalism.
Year 2 (national level 5):
- Journalism and PR Studies (20 credits) - Examine various approaches to studying journalism and PR. Shorthand Learn the system of rapid handwriting, a skill used by journalists to quickly transcribe the spoken word.
- Video Journalism (20 credits) - Find interesting stories, and shoot and edit them into compelling video content.
- Fashion Journalism 1 (20 credits) -Learn advanced fashion journalism skills including memoirs, fashion news and styling location shoots.
- Newsroom (20 credits) -Experience the thrill of working in a live newsroom in our state-of-the-art Media Hub.
- Design and Production Journalism (20 credits) - use professional tools and software, experiment with design for print and digital platforms.
- Styling for Fashion Editorial (20 credits) - explore the techniques and processes of creative imagery for fashion media.
Shorthand (additional module) - Learn the system of rapid handwriting, a skill used by journalists to quickly transcribe the spoken word.
The David Puttnam Media Centre,
Sir Tom Cowie Campus,
St Peter's Way,
Sunderland,
SR6 0DD
Entry requirements
The Integrated Foundation Year is specially designed to support you where you have just missed the grades required for direct entry onto a three-year degree, or if you have relevant work experience and are now looking to broaden your subject knowledge but want more time to develop study skills before starting your degree.
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you are perhaps a mature student who has been out of education for a period of time, or you have gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.
Eligible entry qualifications:
1. Normally a minimum of three Level 2 qualifications (NVQ, GCSE or equivalent ), including Maths and English at grade C or above** and a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A or AS Levels, BTEC certificates/diplomas, access courses or equivalent)
OR
2. Demonstrable evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from at least three years of post-school work experience.
If you are unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us!
** If you have studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade then you will need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number. If you have not achieved a grade C in Maths and English we may be able to work with you to ensure that you are able to gain these in the first year of the course, depending on your experience.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
For more information about Integrated Foundation Year programmes, including more detailed module information, please see our Help and Advice articles.
Fees and finance
The Foundation Year will be £4,000. For the following three years, the annual fee will be £9,250, but you will receive £1,250 cash-back in the first and final year of the three years.
In addition, you will receive free travel across the Tyne and Wear region, and you may be eligible for means-tested scholarships if you are from a low-income household.
Register with StudyPLUS and enjoy up to £200 worth of books and university study essentials.
If you are a full-time UK student you will be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fee and maintenance loan for the full four years.
Please note, this course is not available to international students.
If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Employment
This degree prepares you for writing and talking about fashion in magazines, radio, TV and online media, as well as for retailers or brands. The industry qualifications also equip you to work as a general magazine or newspaper journalist.
The degree is also highly relevant to many positions in industry, commerce and the Civil Service, as well as to jobs in PR and the arts and voluntary sectors.
Recent journalism graduates from Sunderland have gained jobs with employers such as Sky, MTV, The Guardian, Grazia, Elle, regional newspapers and PR companies.
Real-world Experience – right on campus
Rub shoulders with BBC Newcastle Journalists, get advice from former Sky News Journalists and see a Newsroom in action in our innovative mediaHUB.
You’ll be actively involved in the Fashion North website and have the opportunity to get involved in Spark Sunderland, the 24/7 Community Radio station based in the Media Centre. Spark has won many awards including four golds at the Student Radio Awards 2012, and holds the Nations and Regions Award for Best Radio Station in the North East. Students are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising.
Sunderland’s daily newspaper, The Sunderland Echo, has a weekly page called 'On Campus' that is written entirely by students at the University. It’s an opportunity to find and research your own stories, take photographs, meet deadlines and see your name in print.
Other opportunities for real-world experience include Spark online magazine, SR-News website, Northern Lights website and SportsByte, which are all linked to our Journalism and Media courses.
Superb industry links
Our academics are industry experts and have excellent relationships across the fashion industry including Vogue, Grazia, ITV and BBC.
Broaden your horizons with inspiring trips – recently students have enjoyed visits to the Clothes Show in Birmingham and Fashion Masterclasses in London with speakers from across the industry. The Student Style challenge with John Lewis Retail, inspired students with an industry talk with stylist Josta Wood, followed by a styling challenge in-store.
Work Placements
You will undertake a work placement module in your final year, though many of our students arrange placements for all three years. Recent student placements at fashion publications include Elle, Grazia, Asos, More! and Fabulous - the Sun on Sunday’s magazine.
In the past, our students have commissioned and styled fashion shoots for magazines and newspapers, worked on catwalk shows and fashion weeks and provided fashion reports for the websites of major retailers in the North East.
All students studying on-campus undergraduate Fashion Journalism courses can take up a CV-enhancing work placement, a University-led industry initiative, or a professional and business development boot camp. By the term placement, we mean we are offering you a taste of the industry which might last anything from two days to four weeks on a part-time basis.
Join Award Winners
Our students and graduates have been making a splash, winning awards and prizes across the board.
- Ben Holden won the NCTJ Sports Journalism award 2016, winning a space in the NFL press box at Wembley match to see the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals
- Eve Conlon, took Bronze at The Charles Parker Prize 2016 for her piece Student Gamblers. and featured in a special programme on BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Alice Winney, won the Royal Television Society North East Student Award for News 2017 for her story about flooding in Corbridge
- Bethany Elsey, shortlisted for Royal Television Society North East Student Award for Best Documentary
- Amy Stark, won NCTJ Best Student Project 2016 for her project Weird and Wonderful Subcultures
- Luke Bidwell, highly commended NCTJ Student Sports Journalism Award 2016
- Sophie Dishman, highly commended for Best Reporter in the National Student Publication Association (SPA) Awards 2017
- Ryan Lim, shortlisted for Best Photographer in the National Student Publication Association (SPA) Awards 2017