Does the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism cover digital as well as print?

Yes. Both are core. The Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism treats digital long-form, newsletters and platform-native publishing as part of the same craft as print features. Year-end portfolios typically include both digital and print pieces.

How much writing will I do on the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism?

A weekly pitch, at least one feature per month, two long-form features per term, and a final portfolio piece. By year end you will have written a body of work substantial enough to support a freelance pitch or staff application.

Can I study the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus syllabus with live commissioning workshops, recorded craft seminars and one-to-one tutor feedback on every feature. Distance learners follow the same outcomes with milestone-based deadlines.

Do I need a journalism background to enrol in the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism?

A Diploma-level credential or equivalent newsroom experience is the standard entry point. Bloggers, newsletter writers and adjacent professionals with a strong writing sample are considered alongside Diploma graduates.

Is the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism recognised by UK publishers?

The course is structured around current PPA and Society of Editors practice, and graduates compete strongly for entry into UK magazine and digital long-form roles. Your portfolio carries equal weight with the credential — which is why a publishable portfolio is built into the year.

Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for writers and editors stepping up from a Diploma into senior-track magazine work. You will pitch and write to a fixed brief, commission and edit other writers, work with art directors on print and digital layouts, and produce a year-end magazine portfolio a section editor would commission from on first read.

The course is built around current Professional Publishers Association practice and Society of Editors standards. Magazine journalism in 2026 spans print monthlies, digital long-form, newsletter franchises and platform-native publishing — and this Advanced Diploma teaches you to write and commission across all of them.

Key Features

Weekly feature pitches — write a working pitch every week, with tutor feedback inside two days.
Commissioning module — brief writers, set budgets and word counts, manage to deadline.
Art-direction collaboration with design students on cover concepts, image-led features and layout craft.
Long-form and short-form discipline — the 400-word front-of-book, the 4,000-word feature, the digital long-read.
Industry-led masterclasses from commissioning editors at UK consumer titles, B2B magazines and indie publications.
Year-end magazine portfolio presented to section editors and freelance commissioners.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism is structured around the working life of a section editor or senior features writer. You graduate able to pitch a feature an editor will buy, commission and edit another writer's piece, work with a designer on a coherent visual treatment, and run a small section or franchise.

Feature writing — the angle, the lead, the structure, the kicker.
Pitching — what an editor actually wants in an inbox at 9am on a Tuesday.
Commissioning — briefing writers, setting word counts and budgets, managing copy through to publication.
Sub-editing and house style — Hart's Rules, the in-house style guide, fact-checking discipline.
Art direction — working with photographers, illustrators and designers on a coherent feature package.
Long-form interviewing — the access negotiation, the preparation, the writing-up.
Digital long-form — the difference between print prose and screen prose, scrollytelling, embeds.
Magazine business models — newsletters, subscription, supplements, branded content boundaries.

Who This Advanced Diploma Is For

Diploma-level journalism graduates moving into a magazine specialism.
Working news reporters wanting a deliberate move into features and long-form.
Bloggers and newsletter writers with audience but no editorial training looking for a credential.
Junior staff at consumer or B2B titles looking to support a step up to section editor.

Career Pathways

Magazine journalism in 2026 is a portfolio profession across print, digital, newsletters and platform publishing. Graduates of the Advanced Diploma in Magazine Journalism move into staff and freelance roles at consumer, B2B and independent titles. Typical roles include:

Magazine Features Writer (consumer monthly, weekly)
Section Editor (specialist title, supplement)
Long-form Journalist (digital long-read franchise, magazine)
Commissioning Editor (B2B, trade press, indie)
Freelance Feature Writer (multiple titles)
Newsletter Editor (subscription newsletter, brand-owned title)

Graduates progress to a Bachelor's degree top-up at LSJHML or a partner university, or into an MA in Magazine, Feature or Long-form Journalism.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in a related subject, OR completion of secondary school plus one year of relevant work experience.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement, CV and a short writing sample (a feature pitch or published piece).
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.