What sort of investigation do students publish on the MA Investigative Journalism?

MA-level investigations have covered cross-border financial flows, NHS procurement patterns, charity-sector governance failures, environmental enforcement gaps and data-driven local-government accountability work. Subject matter is your choice, agreed with your supervising editor and legally reviewed.

Do I need to be a working journalist to enrol in the MA Investigative Journalism?

No, but it helps. The MA accepts BA-level graduates in journalism and related fields, working journalists with two-plus years' experience, and career-changers from research, law, civil service or NGO investigations entering journalism. Each route is supported by an assessment of prior experience at interview.

How much data journalism does the MA Investigative Journalism cover?

Substantial. The advanced data module covers SQL, basic Python for journalists, scraping, statistical reasoning, mapping and visualisation. Several graduates each year move into specialist data journalism roles at national titles and non-profit investigative outlets.

Can I do the MA Investigative Journalism part-time?

Yes. The MA can be taken over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are available — investigative work adapts well to either, though you may need to travel for source meetings and final-piece legal sign-off where in-person is preferred.

Is the MA Investigative Journalism recognised by UK national newsrooms?

Yes. It is a UK-recognised master's degree taught in London with senior industry supervision, and the published graduating investigation gives graduates exactly the kind of evidence UK national investigations-track hiring asks to see.

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

Course Overview

The MA Investigative Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for working journalists, BA graduates and career-changers committed to accountability work. You will produce a published graduating investigation under the supervision of a working investigative reporter, train in advanced data journalism, FOI campaigning and source craft, and complete a 12,000-to-15,000 word reflective dissertation on the investigative methods and ethics behind your published piece.

This MA assumes you already understand the basics of journalism and want to commit to the form that takes the longest, costs the most and matters the most. By the end of the MA Investigative Journalism you can plan and execute a multi-month investigation, run an FOI campaign that survives appeal, defend your work to a lawyer and a regulator, and publish under your byline at national standard.

Key Features

Published graduating investigation with editor supervision, full legal review and a real audience.
Advanced data journalism core — SQL, Python basics for journalism, scraping, statistical reasoning, mapping, visualisation.
FOI mastery module — multi-jurisdiction campaigning, ICO and devolved-government appeals, Decision Notices.
Source craft module — recruitment, protection, whistleblower handling, secure communications at investigator standard.
Media law module taught alongside an in-house legal adviser — defamation, contempt, privacy, harassment, data protection.
12,000–15,000 word reflective dissertation on the methods and ethics of your published investigation.

What You Will Learn

The MA Investigative Journalism is structured around the working life of an investigative reporter at national-newsroom standard. You graduate having published an investigation under legal sign-off and able to take the next one further on your own.

Investigation planning — hypothesis, sources, document trail, timeline, ethical assessment, legal pre-mortem.
Advanced FOI — multi-jurisdiction strategy, ICO appeals, Decision Notice reading and writing.
Data journalism — SQL, Python for journalists, scraping, statistical reasoning, mapping, visualisation.
Document analysis at investigator standard — Companies House, Land Registry, charity, insolvency, court records.
Source work — recruitment, protection, whistleblower handling, secure communications.
Media law at advanced level — defamation defences, privacy injunctions, contempt, data protection.
Long-form construction and editor management — narrative, attribution, right-of-reply, legal sign-off.
Investigative ethics and post-publication duty of care.

Who This MA Is For

Working journalists with two-plus years' experience specialising in investigations.
BA graduates in journalism or related fields committed to accountability work.
Career-changers from law, research, civil service or NGO investigations entering journalism.
Non-profit investigators wanting to publish under journalism standards.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the MA Investigative Journalism move into staff investigations roles at UK national and international newsrooms, non-profit investigative outlets and broadcaster current-affairs units. Typical post-MA destinations include:

Investigative Reporter (national title, specialist publisher)
Long-form Feature Writer (national newspaper, longform digital)
Data Journalist (specialist desk, non-profit investigative outlet)
Open-Source Intelligence Analyst (newsroom, NGO, monitoring agency)
Documentary Researcher (BBC, ITN, current-affairs production)
Cross-border Investigator (OCCRP, ICIJ-affiliated newsroom)

The MA also serves as a launchpad for doctoral research in investigative journalism and for senior editorial roles in accountability journalism.

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.