Where can I do the foreign reporting assignment for the MA International Journalism?

You propose a country and an angle in your first term. The course supports assignments across the EU, the wider Council of Europe region, and selected destinations elsewhere. Hostile-environment destinations require additional risk review and a safety briefing before deployment is approved.

Do I need a second language to do the MA International Journalism?

Strongly recommended but not required. Many students rely on fixers and bilingual sources for their reporting assignment. If you do have a working language other than English, your dissertation and reporting work can build on it directly.

How does the MA International Journalism handle safety training?

All students complete a hostile-environment briefing aligned to industry standards (Rory Peck Trust, ACOS Alliance). Students reporting from higher-risk destinations complete additional pre-deployment training. Safety is treated as a non-negotiable part of the curriculum, not an optional extra.

Can I take the MA International Journalism part-time?

Yes. The MA can be taken over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are available. The reporting assignment is the only module that requires a defined block of time — usually two consecutive weeks.

Is the MA International Journalism recognised by international newsrooms?

The MA is a UK-recognised master's degree taught in London, the European base of most international wire services. Graduates have moved into roles at Reuters, the BBC World Service, AFP and AP-affiliated newsrooms. Your portfolio, languages and reporting clips matter as much as the qualification itself.

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

Course Overview

The MA International Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for journalists who want to work across borders — as foreign correspondents, international reporters at UK or wire-service titles, or cross-border investigators at non-profit newsrooms. You will report from a country other than your own as part of the course, learn the legal and safety frameworks foreign journalists work under, and write a 12,000-to-15,000-word dissertation on a topic of international significance.

This MA assumes you are already a journalist. It exists to take you from a national reporter to a journalist whose beat is the world — and who knows what that responsibility actually entails.

Key Features

Foreign reporting module — a structured short reporting assignment outside your country of origin (typically two weeks), with safety, fixer-management and editorial planning support.
Cross-border investigation lab — collaborate with students from international partner institutions on a single story across jurisdictions.
Hostile-environment briefing aligned to standards from the Rory Peck Trust and ACOS Alliance — pre-deployment risk assessment, digital security, contributor protection.
International media law module — press freedom frameworks across the EU, the US, the Council of Europe, and emerging restrictions in major reporting destinations.
Industry-led masterclasses from foreign correspondents working at the BBC World Service, Reuters, the Financial Times, AFP and independent international outlets.
12,000–15,000 word dissertation on an international topic supervised by an active foreign correspondent or international affairs academic.

What You Will Learn

The MA International Journalism is structured around the working practice of a foreign correspondent — language and cultural literacy, fixer relationships, safety, source diversification, and the editorial demands of an international audience. You graduate able to plan and execute a foreign assignment, manage risk, and write for a global readership without falling into the traps a London-centric perspective creates.

International news production — wire services, syndication, the foreign desk economy.
Foreign reporting craft — fixer relationships, language access, cultural competence, on-the-ground sourcing.
Hostile-environment safety — pre-deployment planning, digital security, post-incident protocols.
Cross-border investigations — collaboration models, data sharing, legal coordination across jurisdictions.
Reporting on diaspora communities, migration and refugee issues with accuracy and dignity.
International media law — comparative press freedom, libel tourism, contempt across jurisdictions.
Conflict reporting ethics — sourcing, image use, witness re-traumatisation, when not to publish.
Dissertation research methods — qualitative and quantitative, archival sources, interview-based research.

Who This MA Is For

Working journalists with two-plus years' newsroom experience moving into international reporting.
Bachelor's graduates in journalism or international relations seeking a foreign-correspondence specialism.
NGO communications staff and international affairs analysts shifting into reporting.
Diaspora journalists wanting a UK postgraduate credential to broaden their UK and international employability.

Career Pathways

Foreign correspondence is a competitive and increasingly freelance market, but MA International Journalism graduates compete strongly for entry into UK international news desks and non-profit international investigations. Typical post-MA destinations include:

International News Reporter (Reuters, AFP, AP — entry assignments)
BBC World Service Reporter / Producer (entry and bilingual roles)
Foreign Desk Producer (national newspaper, broadcast newsroom)
Cross-border Investigator (OCCRP, ICIJ-affiliated newsroom)
International Affairs Researcher (think tank, NGO communications)
Freelance Foreign Correspondent (specialist region or beat)

The MA also serves as a launchpad for doctoral research in international journalism or for a senior in-house international communications role.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant professional experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your motivation, relevant experience and intended specialism.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant industry experience and a written sample.

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.