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Journalism BA (Hons)

Start your journey to becoming a multi-platform journalist with DMU's Journalism BA course. You will learn the essential skills needed to produce and distribute reports on the events, ideas and stories that define our age.

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Senior Lecturer Brian Dodds discusses the real-life skills that Journalism students will learn at DMU.

Journalists play a vital role in a democracy, and this course offers the opportunity to pursue a career that is not only exciting, but also crucial for informing debate and discussion on a wide range of questions affecting our lives. 

The course is designed to enable flexibility to allow you to focus on specialist areas of your choice, which include music journalism, lifestyle and sports while also preparing you to challenge the status quo. Throughout the degree, you will be encouraged to focus on core issues of social equality, social justice, protest and marginalised communities in the UK. 

You will learn the traditional core skills of researching, interviewing, writing and web-publishing, and gain multimedia skills within video and audio production. The journalism sector requires graduates who possess a broad digital multi-platform skillset, knowledge of media law and political structures, and have the ability to question structures in society.  

Key features

  • Develop your practical skills in the Leicester Centre for Journalism and our multi-million-pound Creative Technology Studios, which feature broadcast-standard radio production studios, and film studios equipped with multi-cameras and green screen facilities.
  • You will learn to write from respected and award-winning former journalists and academic experts who are active in newspaper, radio, magazine and digital journalism. Our students were recently inspired by a guest lecture from successful freelance writer and former DMU Journalism alumna, Rachel Toal.
  • Select a route through this degree in Creative Writing, Drama, English Literature, Film Studies, History or Media. These carefully chosen routes will complement and enrich your understanding of your main subject, alongside broadening your skillset to give you a wider range of career paths upon graduation.

  • Gain valuable hands-on experience by joining a range of student societies such as the award-winning Demon Media group, and put what you’ve learned into practice by contributing to its magazine, radio, Youtube channel and website. 

  • You will have opportunities to strengthen your career prospects with placements in industry. Places students have previously worked at include The Times, Sky Sports, the NME, Leicester City Football Club, ITN, the BBC, CNN,  Leicestershire Live and the Observer.

  • Graduates have progressed to careers and internships with some of the UK’s biggest media companies, including Sky News, The Sun, the BBC, CNN, ITV, plus Mixmag and Clash magazines as well as PR companies and the wider communications and digital media industries.

  • Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

 

There have been many highlights at DMU. Nothing compares, however, to the tutors' enthusiasm and passion! It is contagious - in the best way possible! They bring the course to life.

Morgana Ribeiro

 

News stories

DMU graduate named Student Journalist of the Year

DMU Journalism student Lara wins game-changing Football Writers' Association award 

New app by DMU grad rates how disabled-friendly businesses are

DMU journalism student only person in UK to be invited to put a question to the United Nations on World Press Freedom Day

DMU expert shares insight from new report into the role of the media in times of crisis

Sky News Editor shares key to success with DMU students

More courses like this

Film Studies BA (Hons)

Media and Communication BA (Hons)

Media Production BSc (Hons)

Media and Communication with Modern Languages BA (Hons)

 

Check out our Journalism students' work at https://leicestershirepress.com/

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: P500

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding: 

2025/26 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: P500

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Find out about  additional costs and optional extras.

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Find out more about available funding for international students.

 

How to apply: International students can apply to study at DMU directly using the DMU Online Portal.

 

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

  • A typical offer is normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels, or
  • BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM

Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English or equivalent.

Alternative qualifications include:

  • Pass Access in the QAA accredited Access to HE course. English and Maths GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • International Baccalaureate: 24+ points
  • T Levels Merit

Portfolio Required : No

Interview Required: No.

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language

If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer 

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Industry links

 

 

Year 1

Block 1: Introducing News Reporting

Block 2: Digital News Production

Block 3: Video and Audio Journalism

OR you can select to study one route from the list below:

  • Film Studies: Disney, Warner Bros and the Film Studio
  • Media and Communication: Media, Culture and Society
  • Creative Writing: Writers Salon
  • English Literature: Introduction to Drama: Shakespeare
  • History: Global Cities
  • Drama: Shifting Stages

Block 4: Understanding Journalism and Media Law

Year 2

Block 1: Feature Writing and Lifestyle Journalism

Block 2: Beyond News

Block 3: TV and Radio Journalism OR continue with the route selected in the first year:

  • Film Studies: Screen Archives
  • Media and Communication: Public Relations
  • Creative Writing: Story Craft
  • English Literature: Digital Humanities
  • History: Humans and the Natural World
  • Drama: Theatre Revolutions

Block 4: Magazine Journalism

Year 3

Block 1: Journalism Projects

Block 2: Specialism Journalism

OR

Podcasting, Photojournalism and Visual Culture

Block 3: Sports Journalism

OR Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism

OR continue with the study route selected in the first and second year:

  • Film Studies: British Cinema
  • Media and Communication: Gender & TV Fictions
  • Creative Writing: Creative Misbehaviour
  • English Literature: World Englishes
  • History: The World on Display
  • Drama: Performance, Identity and Society

Block 4: Journalism Dissertation 

OR

Negotiated Journalism Project

Routes: You can select to study a route in Block 3 during your first year. When selecting a module for Block 3 in your second year you can opt to remain on your chosen route or return to Journalism. If you choose to remain with the route, it must be continued in your third year.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.


See detailed module information

Teaching

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. Outside of your normal timetabled hours you will be expected to conduct independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.

Course delivery is in block mode, which means each 30 credit module consists of a seven week teaching block.

Learning takes place in a variety of formats including workshops, lectures, seminars, tutorials, and independent study.  

Assessment

The assessment strategies are designed to measure the extent students are able to demonstrate their ability to achieve the learning outcomes for each module and ultimately to ensure academic and professional journalism skills have been met by the end of the three years.

The type of assessment varies according to the module. They range from traditional essays, presentations, reflective essays to portfolios of practical journalism work. Summative assessments are designed to provide evidence students have gained knowledge and understanding of supporting theory and research; and that they have developed professional competencies in the work produced. 

Anonymous Marking: Portfolios and long form projects are undertaken under the guidance of tutors are therefore not appropriate for anonymous marking. However, essays within most of the modules are marked anonymously.

 

Industry links

DMU Journalism staff have close links with all forms of Leicestershire news media. Journalism staff have worked for — and continue to work for — most local newspapers and radio stations. This means our Journalism courses have unrivalled industry links with newspapers and radio stations in Leicestershire and the courses have an excellent reputation both regionally and nationally, allowing our students to win prestigious work experience placements for themselves.

Students also have the chance to contribute to Demon Media’s multimedia platforms, including The Demon Magazine, Demon FM community radio station, Demon TV and the Demon website.

Facilities and features

Placements

Leicester Centre of Journalism

Students have access to facilities such as the dedicated computer suites in the Leicester Centre of Journalism and a newsroom, so that they can enhance their practical and professional skills further.

We also boast multimillion-pound Creative Technology Studios, which include a suite of high-tech radio and TV studios. These facilities will be used for some practical workshops.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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Graduate Careers

Former graduates have gone on to work for some of the UK’s biggest media companies, including major newspaper groups, magazines, PR companies and the wider communications and digital media industries.

Previous students have secured roles such as trainee journalists and news editors for the regional and national press and radio stations, as well as positions on the ITV News graduate scheme.

Students increasingly find employment in the digital sector, where the ability to communicate effectively on a variety of platforms is a significant advantage.

Graduates are also well positioned to continue their academic careers by embarking on postgraduate study, in either research or taught areas, which offers the opportunity for further specialisation, including the Investigative Journalism MA course offered at DMU.

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DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers. 

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Journalism students have been on trips to gain insight into the rapidly changing world of newspapers at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, as well as completed an internship at the prestigious Charles University in Prague, where they wrote articles for the university’s English-language news website.

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Placements

Work placements are offered as part of this course through DMU Careers Team, and can boost your skills and experience while studying, as well as improving your chances of gaining a graduate level job.

We have links with organisations both in the UK and internationally, and the placements team will help you find a placement to suit your interests and aspirations.

 

Journalism students have undertaken work experience within a variety of media outlets, including NME, the Observer, Sky Sports News and the Leicester Mercury.

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