Will I actually pitch magazines on the Certificate in Magazine Journalism?

Yes — the pitch-craft module is built around real submissions. You will draft, refine and send pitch letters during the course. Several students secure first commissions during the Certificate; many do so shortly after.

How is the Certificate in Magazine Journalism different from the Certificate in Print Journalism?

Print Journalism covers news, features and sub-editing across newspaper craft. Magazine Journalism specialises in long-form magazine work — pitching, profile writing, longer pieces. The two complement each other for writers wanting full print craft.

Does the Certificate in Magazine Journalism cover digital and audio magazines?

Yes — the contemporary publishing module includes digital-native magazines and audio-magazine adjacent formats (longform podcast). The feature-writing craft transfers across these formats.

Can I take the Certificate in Magazine Journalism fully online?

Yes. The online route runs all modules over live tutored sessions, with pitch-craft workshops particularly suited to remote delivery.

Is the UK magazine market still viable to enter?

Yes — though it is smaller than it was. Consumer titles, trade titles, specialist B2B and digital-native magazines all continue to commission. The Certificate is realistic about market conditions while teaching the craft that gets writers commissioned.

Certificate in Magazine Journalism in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Magazine Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-to-six-month UK qualification in the craft and business of magazine writing. The course covers feature pitching, long-form writing, magazine editorial workflow, and the contemporary economics of consumer, trade and digital-native magazines.

UK magazine publishing has contracted but the craft remains distinctive — the long-form feature, the carefully reported profile, the scene-led essay. This Certificate trains those forms and equips you to pitch them to working UK magazines.

Key Features

Pitch craft module — angle selection, magazine targeting, pitch-letter discipline.
Long-form feature writing — 2,000-to-3,000 word features with sustained tutor feedback.
Profile writing module — interview craft, scene construction, ethical handling.
Magazine editorial workflow — commissioning, editing, sub-editing, fact-checking.
Portfolio — three magazine-quality pieces by course end, pitch-ready.
Three study modes — on-campus, fully online, or distance learning.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Magazine Journalism is built around the working life of a magazine feature writer — finding the angle, pitching it, reporting it, writing it long, holding the structure for the reader who reads to the end.

Feature angle selection — what makes a magazine piece magazine-worthy.
Pitch-letter craft — what UK commissioning editors actually respond to.
Long-form structure — opening scene, structural arc, the working of subheads.
Profile writing — interview preparation, sustained close attention, scene construction.
The reporting-to-writing ratio in long-form work.
Magazine sub-editing — house style, structural editing, cutting to fit.
The UK magazine market — consumer titles, trade titles, digital-native magazines.
Magazine ethics — accuracy, contributor care, fact-checking discipline.

Who This Course Is For

Reporters wanting to add magazine-style feature writing to their portfolio.
Bloggers and freelance writers pitching to UK magazines for the first time.
Magazine editorial assistants developing reporter craft.
Career-changers from corporate or NGO writing into magazine work.

Career Pathways

UK magazine work is competitive but accessible to writers who can pitch and deliver. Typical applications include:

Magazine Editorial Assistant (consumer or trade title)
Junior Features Writer (online magazine, digital-native title)
Freelance Feature Writer (multiple UK magazines)
Online Editorial Producer (magazine digital arm)
Junior Commissioning Editor (specialist magazine)
Continued Study (Diploma in Magazine Journalism, Diploma in Journalism)

The Certificate articulates into the Diploma in Magazine Journalism at LSJHML for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior journalism experience required, but a short writing sample is recommended.

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.