Is the Diploma in Journalism NCTJ-accredited?

The Diploma in Journalism is structured around the NCTJ syllabus. NCTJ accreditation and the NCTJ Diploma exams are administered separately; many of our graduates sit NCTJ modular exams alongside or shortly after completing the Diploma at LSJHML.

Do I need a degree to enrol in the Diploma in Journalism?

No. The Diploma in Journalism is open to A-Level leavers, mature applicants with work experience and career-changers. Many students join straight from school; many others use the Diploma as a deliberate career change in their twenties or thirties.

Can I take the Diploma in Journalism online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus syllabus with live tutor-led news days, recorded media-law lectures and structured filing deadlines. Distance learners visit campus for at least one intensive court-reporting week.

Will the Diploma in Journalism prepare me for the NUJ?

The course is structured around the working practice the NUJ promotes and many of our graduates become NUJ student or full members during or after the Diploma in Journalism. NUJ membership is administered by the union itself based on working journalism.

What kind of portfolio will I leave the Diploma in Journalism with?

A working portfolio of at least 20 published news pieces across print, online, audio and video — including court reporting, council reporting, feature writing and a longer investigative or feature piece. The portfolio publishes on the LSJHML student news site under your byline.

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

Course Overview

The Diploma in Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is the foundational nine-to-twelve-month UK qualification in core journalism — reporting, writing, interviewing, media law, public-affairs literacy and multi-platform news production. By the end of the course you have a publishable portfolio, working media-law literacy and the discipline to file copy that a regional or national desk would accept.

The course is aligned with the NCTJ syllabus and built around current National Union of Journalists and Society of Editors practice. London is the work — politics, courts, regional newsrooms a short train away, the national press in the same square mile. The Diploma in Journalism puts you inside it.

Key Features

NCTJ-aligned curriculum covering core news reporting, media law and public affairs.
Working student newsroom with weekly filing deadlines and editor feedback.
Media law module taught alongside a practising media lawyer.
Court reporting workshops at magistrates' and Crown courts in London.
Multi-platform production — print, online, audio, video, social-first.
Final journalism portfolio published on the LSJHML student news site.

What You Will Learn

The Diploma in Journalism is structured around the working week of a junior reporter — chasing the story, filing the copy, defending it to the desk. You graduate able to write a news story to length and deadline, sub your own copy to a credible standard, file media-law-aware reporting from court and council, and produce work across the major platforms.

News writing — the intro, the structure, the kicker, the rewrite.
Interviewing — preparation, on-the-record discipline, recording consent.
Court reporting — magistrates', Crown, civil listings, contempt risk.
Public affairs — local government, central government, devolved nations, the EU/UK relationship.
Media law — defamation, contempt, reporting restrictions, harassment, data protection.
The Editors' Code and IPSO — accuracy logs, complaints handling.
Digital and social production — the live blog, the social-first piece, video for the news desk.
Audio for news — short interviews, podcast inserts, basic field recording.

Who This Diploma Is For

School leavers and graduates wanting a credible UK journalism credential.
Career-changers from research, the civil service, teaching or NGO work moving into reporting.
Bloggers, podcasters and content writers who want the legal and editorial discipline a professional newsroom expects.
International applicants seeking a UK-recognised journalism qualification.

Career Pathways

The Diploma in Journalism is the entry credential UK newsrooms expect at junior level. Graduates move into entry-level reporting roles at regional dailies, online publishers, broadcast newsrooms and specialist titles, often after a short period as a trainee or junior reporter. Typical first or next roles include:

News Reporter (regional daily, online news title)
Staff Journalist (specialist or trade title)
Multimedia Journalist (digital publisher, broadcaster)
Press Officer (NHS trust, charity, local authority)
Editorial Assistant (national title, magazine)
Junior Producer (broadcast newsroom)

The Diploma is the natural prerequisite for the Advanced Diploma, the BA in Journalism, or specialism Diplomas in investigative, broadcast, sports or business journalism.

Entry Requirements

Completion of secondary school (A-Levels, BTEC, or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement.
Mature applicants (21+) may apply with two 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.