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Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
If you are applying for this course from within the UK click Apply Now
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
If you are applying for this course from outside of the UK click Apply Now
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Become the kind of journalist who can turn their hand to anything. Develop skills across the board – you’ll have news and magazine journalism at the core of your studies but you’ll be able to branch out into specialist areas from the whole of the journalism and communications spectrum. Graduate ready to meet the challenges of the industry head-on.
On BA (Hons) Journalism you will learn all the essential skills of journalism, producing content for a wide range of print and online platforms. We will teach you how to write and research news stories and feature articles; you will create video and interactive content; design newspaper, web and magazine pages; and become adept in using all the latest digital storytelling tools for websites and social media. You will also study the development of journalism and its principles and ethics.
A key element of this course is the range of optional subjects you can take, among them modules in sports writing, fashion journalism, broadcasting, public relations, podcasting, scriptwriting and investigative journalism.
Graduate with both an honours degree and the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, the industry-recognised qualification, significantly boosting your employability.
Get to know Spark, Fashion North, Northern Lights, SR News, and Sportsbyte, our students' award-winning websites for local news, local sport, fashion and arts and entertainment.
Teaching methods include lectures, news days, seminars, workshops and group projects. 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.
In the first year, we will introduce you to different types of journalism and give you an understanding of Media Law and the latest digital storytelling techniques – it’s a great chance to see what kind of journalism suits you best.
During the second and third years, you’ll study topics in more depth. You’ll experience our Newsroom in action, learn how to do newspaper, web and magazine design, develop your online skills in Multi-Platform News, and consider some of biggest global challenges facing journalism in Media Ethics. You’ll also undertake a shorthand course free of charge. Throughout your study you can add to your skillset with optional modules.
In your final year, you will go on a placement at any kind of journalism or communications organisation and you’ll undertake a project – a large-scale piece of journalism which will add significantly to the portfolio of work you can present to prospective employers.
Part-time study
If you study this course on a part-time basis, you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day time and you will be studying alongside full-time students.
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, we also offer this course with an Integrated Foundation Year.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
If you are studying a HND or Foundation Degree you may be able to enter onto the final year of our degree courses. For more information, please contact studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk
As part of our NCTJ accreditation we will also invite you to an informal interview. We’d like to hear about you, why you’re interested in journalism, and tell you a bit more about our course and what makes us special.
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
Tuition fees for part-time students are £6,935 per 120 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants 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.
This degree prepares you for a wide range of careers in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, public relations and new media industries. It is also highly relevant to many positions in industry, commerce and the Civil Service, as well as to jobs in the arts and voluntary sectors.
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 at Made in Tyne & Wear, a professional TV station run from our Media Centre.
You have the opportunity to be actively involved in Spark Sunderland, the 24/7 community radio station. Spark is award-winning and consistently recognised at the Student Radio Awards, Community Radio Awards and the prestigious New York Festival Radio Awards for many years. Students are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising.
Superb industry links
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 ITV News Correspondent Alastair Stewart. Both regularly visit the University along with a host of experienced journalists to give insight into the industry via masterclasses and lectures.
Broaden your horizons with inspiring trips – recently, students have enjoyed visits to Dusseldorf and to MediaCityUK.
Work placements
You will undertake a work placement module in your final year, though many of our students arrange placements across three years. Recent BA (Hons) Journalism student placements include the Guardian, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail. These placements are often the first step to a dream job in journalism.
Join award winners
Our students and graduates have been making a splash, winning awards and prizes across the board:
I love my job and the variation working in the creative industries brings.
I chose Sunderland because the facilities were superior to other universities I looked at
I liked the idea of working with lecturers who had real-life knowledge of the industry
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