Journalism Course in UK- Universities, Eligibility Criteria and more

The United Kingdom enjoys a solid reputation for high academic excellence and an up-to-date curriculum. With some of the highest-ranked universities and erudite faculty, journalism courses in the UK attract aspiring students from all parts of the world. 

Most top-ranked universities for journalism courses in the UK offer good internship and placement opportunities, such as working in a production company, for a newspaper, or for a broadcaster. Journalism courses in the UK are not a singular genre – students are free to explore areas such as fashion, media, political corruption, or serious crime. 

The courses are available at different levels of education, including a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate program. The duration for each program varies among universities or the mode of application (full-time or part-time). 

With widespread job opportunities in the field of Media and Communications, journalism students rarely run out of work in the UK. Nearly 23 universities in the country offer journalism courses at different study levels. Let’s delve deeper into them. 

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Top Universities across the UK Offering Journalism Courses 

The top journalism courses in UK universities are listed in the table below, along with their location and QS World Ranking 2023. 

Name of the University	Name of the Course	Course Duration	Course Fees	QS World Ranking 2023
University of Essex	Bachelor’s of Arts in Multimedia Journalism	Three years full-time	GBP 18,585 (Fees may increase with each academic year)	465
University of Leeds	Journalism BA    International Journalism MA	Three years full-time 12 months full-time 24 months part-time	GBP 24,250 per year	86
University of Sheffield	BA Journalism	Three years full-time	GBP 23,650 per year	96
Cardiff University	Journalism and Communications (BA)	Three years full-time	GBP 9,000 per year	166
University of London	PhD/MPhil Journalism	Two to four years full-time  Three to seven years part-time	GBP 12,730 per year (full-time) GBP 6,360 per year (part-time)	355

Eligibility Requirements for the Course 

To pursue journalism in the UK, an applicant must meet the course level-specific journalism courses in UK eligibility requirements. Students applying for a Bachelor’s or undergraduate program must have completed their Higher Secondary education from a recognized Board of study in Arts, Science, or Commerce. 

Students applying for a Master’s or postgraduate program must have completed their Bachelor’s or undergraduate coursework in journalism. And students applying for a Doctoral or Ph.D. program must have a UK-equivalent Master’s degree in journalism.  

The journalism courses in the UK requirement may extend to proof of English proficiency. This proof can be given by attending widely recognized English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, and Cambridge English Advanced. Some colleges may also require a certificate that proves the student completed their Higher Secondary education from an institution where English was the medium of instruction. 

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Buckinghamshire New University	Leeds Trinity University	Ulster University UK
Glasgow Caledonian University	University of Southampton	Brunel University London
Architecture colleges	Liberal Arts	University of Suffolk
Newman University	University College Birmingham	University of the Highlands and Islands

Levels of Education 

Students interested in pursuing journalism courses from UK universities can do so at varying levels of education. The journalism courses in UK admission requirements will depend upon the course level applied for. In general, the following levels of education are available – 

• Bachelor’s or undergraduate program – course duration usually extends from three to four years
• Master’s or postgraduate program – course duration usually extends from one to two years
• Doctoral or Ph.D. program – course duration may extend between two and four years 

The course duration and other requirements will vary among universities. 

Scope of Education 

Journalism and Mass Media is emerging as one of the most popular courses in the UK, especially among international students. Covering areas such as business and economics, media management, corporate communications, and public PR, journalism is a broad course leading to numerous career opportunities. 

Whether you take up a Bachelor’s course, Master’s program, or a PhD research degree, you can work as a broadcast journalist, newspaper journalist, press sub-editor, political risk analyst, or even a writer. 

You can even work independently, especially in case of postgraduate research programs. For this however, you need to build a solid portfolio and gain relevant work experience. Start by working for a student magazine or radio station and move on to creating your own blog. 

Specializations 

Journalism courses in UK subjects are usually divided into core and elective. Students can easily choose the specialization they wish to pursue. Some of the top research fields or specializations available in the field of journalism include –

• Radio and TV Journalism 
• Print Journalism 
• Online Journalism 
• Broadcast Journalism 
• Sports Journalism 
• Entertainment Journalism 
• Trade Journalism 
• Opinion Journalism 
• Watchdog Journalism 

Cost of Attendance at Every Educational Level 

The total journalism courses in the UK fees will vary, depending upon the area of residence, lifestyle preferences, university, and their fees, etc. In terms of college tuition fees, studying a Bachelor’s in Journalism may cost roughly GBP 22,250 per year. 

The course fee at the postgraduate level could amount to GBP 24,750 per year for international students. As for Doctoral courses, the full-time fees could be around GBP 12,730 per year, whereas the part-time course fee is about GBP 6,360 per year. 

Besides the college tuition fees, the cost of attendance would also include books and study materials, accommodation, food, travel costs, and entertainment. Though this will broadly vary depending upon a student’s lifestyle and spending habits, the same can roughly range between GBP 1290 and GBP 1840 per month. 

Job Prospects 

Since mass communication and journalism are one of the most creative career fields, they are in high demand in the modern job market. Interactive people can make lucrative careers in the USA, which is seeing a rising demand for journalists in every area. Some of the top career prospects that open up for journalism students at every level of education include –

• Photojournalist – Bachelor’s, Diploma 
• Media Researcher – Bachelor’s, Diploma 
• Content Creation – Bachelor’s, Diploma 
• Newspaper or Magazine Journalist – Bachelor’s, Master’s 
• Illustrator – Master’s 
• Entertainment Journalist – Master’s 
• Professor – Doctorate 
• Public Relations Executive – Doctorate 
• Reporter – Doctorate 

Expected Salary Remuneration 

Let’s take a look at the average salary packages one can expect when working as a professional in the field of journalism. 

Job Role	Average Salary Package
Photojournalist	GBP 22,500
Media Researcher	GBP 25,702
Content Creator	GBP 27,460
Illustrator	GBP 40,422
Entertainment Journalist	GBP 33,567
Newspaper or Magazine Journalist	GBP 25,656
Reporter	GBP 24,222
Public Relations Executive	GBP 29,313
Professor	GBP 46,966

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