How is MA Journalism different from BA Journalism?

BA Journalism is the three-year undergraduate foundation. MA Journalism is the postgraduate route — faster, more intensive, with advanced media law and a sustained dissertation or long-form project. Many MA students hold an unrelated undergraduate degree and use the MA as their formal journalism qualification.

Does MA Journalism include NCTJ examinations?

The degree is aligned with the NCTJ syllabus, particularly media law and public affairs. NCTJ examinations are sat alongside the MA (optional, additional fee) so graduates can leave with both a UK Master's and NCTJ certification — a strong combination for UK regional and national newsroom entry.

Can MA Journalism be done part-time?

Yes — over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are designed around working reporters, with evening tutorials and a dissertation or long-form project you can build around your current beat.

What does the dissertation or long-form project on MA Journalism look like?

Either a 12,000–15,000 word academic dissertation on a journalism question, or an equivalent published or publication-standard long-form journalism piece with critical reflection. Past finals have included a series investigating a regulator, a long-form profile of a public figure, and an analytical dissertation on local newsroom decline.

Is MA Journalism recognised by UK national newsrooms?

The MA is a UK Master's degree taught in London, structured around the editorial standards UK newsrooms recruit for. As with any journalism credential, your portfolio and published work will sit alongside it at recruitment — which is why every MA Journalism graduate leaves with publication-standard portfolio pieces.

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

Course Overview

The MA Journalism at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree designed to take working or trainee journalists to publishable, employer-ready standard. You will report and write across print, online, broadcast and podcast formats, build a substantial portfolio of published or publication-standard work, study advanced media law, and complete a dissertation or long-form journalism project.

This MA assumes either a relevant undergraduate degree or substantial professional or vocational journalism experience. It is the standard route into UK national and senior regional newsrooms for graduates entering the field, and a credible mid-career upgrade for working reporters specialising for the first time.

Key Features

NCTJ-aligned core in news writing, media law and public affairs at postgraduate depth.
Multi-platform reporting — print, online, broadcast and podcast formats with current professional kit.
Live newsday programme — file to fixed deadlines from Week 1 to a working publication standard.
Advanced media law module covering defamation, contempt, privacy, harassment and data-protection in journalism at senior level.
Industry-led masterclasses from senior reporters and editors at UK national titles, the BBC, ITN and online national publishers.
12,000–15,000 word dissertation or long-form journalism project on a chosen subject.

What You Will Learn

The MA Journalism is structured around the working life of a junior-to-mid staff journalist — find a story, verify it, write it accurately, file under deadline, and defend it when it lands a complaint. You graduate able to walk into a UK national newsroom, take a brief, and file copy that needs editing rather than rewriting.

News writing at postgraduate standard — intro, structure, attribution, the longer feature.
Reporting craft — finding stories, working contacts, doorstepping, vox-pops, on-the-record management.
Advanced media law — defamation defences, contempt risk, privacy, harassment, data-protection in journalism.
Public affairs — Westminster, local government, the courts at NCTJ standard.
Broadcast and podcast craft — scripting for the ear, voicing, package construction, interview craft.
Digital and social — SEO-aware writing, social distribution, audience metrics without chasing clicks.
Data journalism — spreadsheets, FOI-released datasets, basic SQL, visualisation tools.
Dissertation or long-form journalism project — a sustained piece of original research or reporting.

Who This MA Is For

Graduates of any discipline moving into journalism at postgraduate level.
Working reporters at regional or junior national level wanting a UK-recognised Master's to support progression.
International journalists relocating to the UK and needing a UK postgraduate credential.
Career-changers from related fields (policy, law, civil service) entering journalism formally.

Career Pathways

MA Journalism graduates move into reporting, production and editorial roles across the UK media — national newspapers, online national titles, broadcast news, magazine publishing, in-house communications and the third sector. Typical first or next roles include:

News Reporter (national newspaper, online national, BBC regional)
Staff Journalist (specialist title, national magazine)
Multimedia Journalist (broadcaster national team, online national)
Press Officer (national charity, government department — senior level)
Editorial Assistant (graduate scheme at a national title)
Podcast Producer (current-affairs production company, national podcast network)

The MA also supports progression to NCTJ Senior Examination standard alongside the first newsroom role and to doctoral or specialist Master's work for those leaving the field.

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.