MA in Journalism
Course Overview
The MA in Journalism at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a one-year (or two-year part-time) postgraduate degree for graduates moving into the UK newsroom from 2026. It is taught on-campus in central London, fully online with live weekly newsdays and through distance learning with structured deadlines, and the syllabus is mapped onto NCTJ standards.
You will report, write, film and publish from your first week. By graduation you will have covered live court hearings and council meetings, completed a placement with a UK newsroom or production company, produced a long-form dissertation project, and built the contact book that gets first-job applications read.
Industry Context for the MA in Journalism
UK newsrooms in 2026 hire from a tighter pool than they did a decade ago, but they hire for evidence: published copy, a clean shorthand record, a media-law qualification and the ability to cover a council meeting or magistrates' hearing without being talked into something inaccurate. NCTJ remains the shorthand recruiters use for that bar, and IPSO Editors' Code and the Editors' Codebook drive day-to-day editorial conversation more than ever as platform reach contracts. The MA in Journalism is sequenced against this reality, with course content revised each year against current UK case law, regulator guidance and current professional-body practice from the NCTJ and NUJ.
Key Features
- NCTJ-aligned syllabus covering shorthand, media law, public affairs and ethics — the standard UK recruiters expect.
- Three study modes — on-campus in central London, fully online with live newsdays, or distance learning with structured deadlines.
- Live newsroom from week one — your work is published on a real LSCT-run digital title.
- Court and council reporting at central London magistrates' courts and a London borough council.
- Industry placement at a UK newsroom, magazine, broadcaster or podcast house.
- Long-form dissertation — a publication-quality investigative or longform piece.
What You Will Learn
The MA is structured around three pillars — craft, context and conscience — and assessed by published portfolio rather than essay alone. You will graduate able to write a clean 400-word news story to deadline, sit through a magistrates' hearing and report it accurately, interrogate a politician's claim with data, and defend your editorial choices against a hostile complainant.
- News reporting and feature writing across print and digital formats.
- Media law for journalists — defamation, contempt, privacy and the Editors' Code.
- Public affairs — Westminster, Whitehall, the courts, councils and devolved governments.
- Broadcast and podcast production for working journalists.
- Data and computational journalism — FOI, spreadsheets and basic Python.
- Editorial ethics and the role of the press in a democratic society.
- Shorthand to 100 words per minute (NCTJ standard) for on-campus students.
- Long-form dissertation project.
Who This Course Is For
- Graduates from any discipline aiming at a graduate trainee scheme at a national or regional title.
- Working communications staff moving from PR into newsrooms.
- Bloggers, creators and freelance writers formalising their craft at postgraduate level.
- International students seeking a UK-recognised journalism MA taught in English.
Career Pathways
LSCT MA Journalism graduates work across the UK and international media landscape. Recent destinations include reporting roles at regional dailies, production roles at the BBC and ITN, and editorial positions at digital-native outlets and trade titles.
- News Reporter (regional, national, online)
- Multimedia Journalist
- Broadcast Journalist / Podcast Producer
- Sub-Editor and Digital Production Journalist
- Press Officer and Communications Adviser
- Freelance Feature Writer
The MA also serves as a strong foundation for postgraduate research in international journalism, political communication or media law.
Entry Requirements
- A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in any subject.
- Applicants from non-cognate fields may apply with five years' senior professional experience in writing-heavy or media-adjacent roles.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- A personal statement, two references and a sample piece of written work; a 500-800 word dissertation outline is requested.
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. Our MA Journalism cohort runs a Monday-morning news conference that mirrors the morning meeting at a national newsroom — pitches survive only if a colleague can read them in twelve seconds.
Apply for MA in Journalism
Specialise at postgraduate level with the MA in Journalism. Click Enrol Now to apply; admissions teams reply within one working day with scholarship and funding guidance.
