BA in Digital Journalism
Course Overview
The BA in Digital Journalism at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want to report and publish across the digital channels modern UK newsrooms now run on. It sits within our Media, Journalism & Communication department and is delivered on-campus in central London, fully online with live newsdays, and by distance learning.
You will report, write, film, record and publish from your first term, and study UK media law, public affairs, data journalism and audience strategy as serious subjects. By graduation you will have a published portfolio, an industry placement and the skills to walk into a digital newsroom and contribute.
Key Features of the BA in Digital Journalism
- NCTJ-aligned syllabus with NUJ ethical guidance.
- Three study modes — on-campus, fully online with live newsdays, or distance learning.
- Live newsroom modules from week one publishing to an LSCT digital title.
- Year-two industry placement with a UK newsroom or digital publisher.
- Data journalism stream across the three years.
- Final-year specialism — investigative, audio and podcast, video, or international.
- Verification and OSINT toolkit taught and assessed alongside reporting craft.
UK Newsroom Context
UK journalism continues to consolidate into a smaller number of larger digital publishers while podcast, newsletter and short-video formats grow. Newsroom employers now want graduates who can verify a TikTok claim, read a Companies House filing, file a clean Section 14A-aware story and update it across platforms inside an hour. The BA in Digital Journalism is sequenced against that brief.
What You Will Learn on the BA in Digital Journalism
The degree treats digital journalism as a craft, a profession and a public good — and trains you in all three.
- News reporting and feature writing for digital.
- UK media law — defamation, contempt, privacy and the Editors' Code.
- Public affairs — Westminster, Whitehall, courts and councils.
- Multimedia journalism — short video, audio and image-led reporting.
- Data journalism, FOI requests and basic Python for reporters.
- Audience and platform strategy in modern newsrooms.
- SEO, newsletter and social distribution.
- Editorial ethics and the role of the press.
- Research methods and the journalism capstone.
- Verification, OSINT and dealing with manipulated media.
Assessment is portfolio-led. Each module produces published work — short reports, multimedia pieces, data stories — alongside a written reflective piece and a media-law paper. Students leave the BA in Digital Journalism with a documented showreel of published work for trainee-scheme application, plus an NCTJ-aware exam record.
Assessment and Placement Support
Tutors include working digital reporters, data journalists and senior editors drawn from UK national and digital-native newsrooms. The careers strand supports applications to BBC, ITN, Reach plc, the Guardian and digital-native trainee schemes; the placement officer coordinates accredited placements across UK newsrooms. Cohorts run a Friday afternoon newsroom shift across the three years, with a senior tutor running back-bench duty and the class publishing live to LSCT digital titles. Mock interview panels are run by working newsroom editors in the final year, and CV and showreel review is built into the careers timetable from year one onward.
Who This Course Is For
- A-level leavers aiming for a graduate trainee scheme at a UK news organisation.
- International students seeking a UK-recognised journalism degree taught in English.
- Career changers moving into journalism from teaching, law or comms.
- Bloggers and creators ready to formalise their craft.
Career Pathways
LSCT BA in Digital Journalism graduates progress into roles across UK and international digital newsrooms, broadcasters, magazines and digital-native outlets. Typical first roles include:
- Digital Reporter
- Multimedia Journalist
- Sub-editor / Production Journalist
- Newsletter Editor (junior)
- Podcast Producer
- Social Media Editor
The degree also serves as a strong foundation for postgraduate study in investigative journalism, data journalism or political communication.
Entry Requirements
- Three A-levels at grades BBC or above, or an equivalent UK / international qualification (IB 28+, BTEC DMM, Foundation Year pass).
- GCSE English Language at grade 5/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent).
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- A personal statement and a short writing sample submitted with the application.
Why Study at LSCT
The London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies so qualifications carry weight with employers. London puts Whitehall, the City, Silicon Roundabout, the Royal Courts of Justice, the West End and the NHS estate within a short tube ride of every classroom — and our students use that proximity in their projects, placements and graduate job hunts. Journalism students cover the news capital of Europe, with field access to Westminster lobby briefings and the major UK broadcaster cluster.
Apply for BA in Digital Journalism
The BA in Digital Journalism is built to launch your career in the Media, Journalism & Communication sector. Click Enrol Now to submit your application; admissions reply within one working day with intake dates and placement guidance.
