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Gain experience, build up a valuable network of contacts, and graduate ready to work in the industry. Choose your specialism, with the option to graduate with MA Journalism (Sports). Kick-start your career with a postgraduate degree accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).
Learn to be a journalist in our real-world newsroom – the mediaHUB – where you will work alongside journalists from the BBC and national and regional media. Publish your work on our websites and develop a portfolio of content that will launch your career; graduates have gone on to work at BBC News and Sport, Sky Sports News, national newspapers and magazines, football clubs and PR Firms.
Whatever your previous study or experience, this MA will give you all the skills you need to become a journalist. Cover core reporting skills, media ethics and law, video and digital content, and investigative journalism techniques. Stay mainstream, or choose the sports pathway and learn a range of specialist sports journalism skills. In the final stage of the course you will produce your own series of in-depth articles on a subject of your choice. Those who specialise in Sports can graduate with MA Journalism (Sports).
Alongside the MA, you’ll have the opportunity to do the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Diploma in Journalism or Sports Journalism. NCTJ accreditation is widely recognised as a gold standard for courses that turn out highly-skilled, highly-motivated and highly-employable trainee journalists. Previous study of journalism is not a requirement.
Get to know Spark, Fashion North and Sportsbyte, our students' award-winning websites for local news, local sport, fashion and arts and entertainment.
From day one you will experience life as a journalist, working in a real-world newsroom in our mediaHUB. You'll publish on our range of websites working alongside, and with help from, experienced journalists from national and regional newspapers and broadcasters, such as the BBC.
The course is taught by respected academics and journalism professionals through a combination of newsroom workshops, seminars and tutorials. You'll work on projects both on your own and with others, developing skills in communication and teamwork.
Assessment methods include essays, projects, presentations, and a major project.
Part-time students can expect around eight hours per week of contact time in the first year and around 14 hours per week in the second year.
We require applicants to hold a good honours degree (2:1 or above) in a related discipline. We will consider applicants with a 2:2 honours degree and those with professional and vocational experience.
We may ask you to undertake a short course that covers essential skills and knowledge, before you join the main Masters course.
If English is not your first language, you should have an IELTS (or equivalent) score of at least 6.5 or above (a minimum of 6.0 in writing and no other element below 5.5).
After 6 April 2015 you must take your IELTS exams at one of the test centres listed on the UKVI website. If you took your IELTS exam before 6 April 2015 this does not apply, and your qualification is still valid regardless of which test centre you used.
2024/25 fees are:
Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 24/25 admission you will receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the home tuition fee rate for the duration of your studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course you will be equipped for a variety of roles throughout the journalism industry. This degree prepares you for writing in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and online media, and if you choose to specialise in sport you’ll also have the opportunity to write for sports clubs or brands.
You'll have also developed and demonstrated transferable skills that are highly relevant to many positions in industry, commerce and the Civil Service, as well as to jobs in the arts and voluntary sectors.
Recent Sunderland graduates have gone on to work for the BBC, Sky, The Essex Chronicle, The Huddersfield Gazette, Spark Magazine, See Tickets, The Socialist Worker, The Prague Post, What Culture, and BBC Relish Magazine. Sports specialists have been employed by Sky Sports News, JPI Media, Reach, a range of football clubs, the PGA Golf Tour and a variety of PR companies.
During the course we encourage you to gain industry experience which will enhance your skills, build up a valuable network of contacts and boost your employability. A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.
As a professionally accredited centre for journalism education, we provide you with an opportunity to influence the future teaching of journalism. You can become an NCTJ student representative and attend a national council meeting once a year.
Be inspired by our academics and their strong industry contacts. Our experienced academics have years of industry expertise at high levels in print, online and broadcasting, including the BBC, Daily Mirror, Grazia, Private Eye and Sky.
Meet regional and national high-profile journalists such as Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor at the Daily Mirror and Visiting Professor in Journalism at the University, and Alastair Stewart, presenter at GB News and formerly ITV News. Both regularly visit the University, along with a host of experienced journalists to give insight into the industry via masterclasses and lectures.
I graduated less than one year ago and now I have my dream job at Sunderland AFC.
If you want to do a journalism course I couldn't recommend a place with better facilities or staff
I enjoyed the pace of learning and the discipline it required, it made for a really engaging course.
