Journalism PgDip/MA
Subject and course type
- Language and Media
- Postgraduate
Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) for over a decade, this course will equip you for a career in journalism.
You are reading:
Find your voice in our fully equipped, dedicated newsroom
The only London university to offer an NCTJ diploma alongside a news journalism MA.
Kingston combines professional training and academic study with the skills you will need to succeed in this intensely competitive industry. We also offer Broadcast Journalism, and Shorthand as elective options alongside the NCTJ core modules. In the last reaccreditation report from the NCTJ, it was noted that "this course... plays a valuable role in producing industry-ready early career journalists".
The journalism department has a dedicated newsroom, fully equipped with:
- dual-booting iMacs
- professional newswires from Rex Images and the Press Association
- 24-hour news channels
- industry standard software, such as:
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere Pro
From Kingston, it's just a 30-minute train journey to central London. Here you will find the biggest concentration of press and publishing in the UK. This gives you the opportunity to undertake work experience in high-profile media environments.
You will also have access to a modern environment with the latest equipment, including the Learning Resource Centre. This offers:
- subject libraries, plus a free inter-library loan scheme to other libraries in the Greater London area – the large journalism section at Kingston features a range of specialist books, periodicals, journals, videos and DVDs
- online database subscriptions
- a growing selection of resource materials – including online archives of national newspapers going back 30 years and microfiche cuttings dating back a century
The masters course at Kingston University really prepared me for a career in journalism and allowed for a seamless transition into working for a national paper.
Student work
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Cover of Mindful: a River supplement
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MA Journalism students with local MP Ed Davey
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Spread from Mindful: a River supplement
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Kingston Courier student online newspaper
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Spread from Mindful: a River supplement
Why choose this course
This course offers professional skills, such as news and feature writing, the latest digital and social media techniques, and media law. Alongside your core modules, you will be able to choose from a range of specialisms. These could include sports journalism, foreign correspondence, arts and culture, social affairs, fashion journalism, visual journalism or broadcast, where you will cover everything from making TV and radio packages to podcasts.
You will be taught by practising journalists and have access to a newsroom with industry-standard software. Working for a live news website, the Kingston Courier, you will produce and edit multimedia content on everything from news to sports. You will also design and produce a newspaper supplement.
The Journalism Department hosts weekly guest lectures and other events led by industry experts. Recent speakers have included:
- Samira Ahmed – award-winning journalist with 20 years' experience in print and broadcast
- Anoosh Chakelian – Deputy Web Editor at the New Statesman
- Will Dean – Commissioning Editor for G2 (Guardian)
- David Jenkins – editor of Little White Lies, a bi-monthly movie magazine powered by illustration that has just reached its 60th issue
- Ben Machell – writer for The Times, columnist for ES Magazine
- Fatiman Manji – News Correspondent and Presenter at Channel 4 News
- Rachel Rodriguez – Social Pedia producer, CNN International
- Radhika Sanghani – Feature Writer, Daily Telegraph
- Samira Shackle – Deputy Editor of New Humanist and freelance journalist specialising in politics, terrorism and gender
- Alex Stedman – fashion blogger for The Frugality, former style editor at Red magazine
- Farrah Storr – Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, former editor of Women's Health
- Rossalyn Warren – award-winning foreign affairs journalist, formerly of BuzzFeed News. Her reporting has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, VICE, CNN, BBC, ELLE, Newsweek, and Teen Vogue
We also hold events on current affairs. For example, the recent panel discussion ‘Truth and Terror' examining the relationship between the Islamic State and the media and a live debate on the future of press regulation between Hacked Off and the Press Complaints Commission.
Every year, the department hosts the annual Journalism Oscars, to celebrate the brightest and best journalism students. Categories include news reporter, feature writer, digital journalist and postgraduate of the year.
Plus, on this course you will benefit from the full art school experience as part of Kingston School of Art. Students on this course will join a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged. Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Follow our Journalism Twitter to see some of the great work we and our graduates are doing.
100% of our Class of 2023 are now in journalism careers at employers that include the BBC, Daily Mail and LBC.
Accreditation
Kingston's links with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) open many doors for our students, including opportunities to attend networking events. Eligible students on our course have the option of applying for the NCTJ-run Journalism Diversity Fund, which provides bursaries for living and study costs to a wide range of students.
Tutors clearly go the extra mile with pastoral care, and supporting students with particular needs.
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Course content
You will develop a range of professional, practical skills and knowledge that will equip you for a job in journalism, including news and feature writing, public affairs, online journalism, media law and shorthand. You will have the opportunity to report and write for our news website, the Kingston Courier, which is run by our postgraduate students. Using your acquired design skills, you'll learn to produce a print supplement to our University newspaper, The River.
Once you have achieved the PgDip, which runs over two semesters from September to May, you can continue on to the MA degree by researching and writing a dissertation or carrying out an equivalent work-based practical project. This will develop your critical thinking and analytical skills, and give you the chance to carry out independent academic research.
The core module is worth 60 credits. You'll be expected to complete 180 credits altogether.
Please note: Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Modules: Full-time study
You can choose to study for either a PgDip or MA award. If you opt for the MA, you will have the opportunity to do a work-based final project, or a dissertation which allows you to focus on an area of interest and gain valuable research skills, as a potential gateway to a PhD.
Core modules
30.00 credits
This year-long module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory structure within which journalists operate. In recent decades, the industry has changed significantly as it adapts to the opportunities and challenges of the internet age. You will be invited to examine and debate the direction and future of journalism, thinking about everything from legal restrictions on reporting to fake news to the public's perception of journalists.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Law and Ethics exams.
60 credits
This module – which includes a two-week work placement outside the University – gives you the practical skills needed to work as a journalist. You'll get a chance to practise your core skills of researching, writing, interviewing and editing, as you join the team running multimedia news website the Kingston Courier. You'll learn a wide range of skills, including video, podcasting, mobile journalism, data journalism and newspaper design. You'll also learn how to harness the power of social media and editorial analytics. During the course of the module, you will build a wide-ranging portfolio to showcase all of the skills learned on the MA, and learn how to best prepare yourself to find work as a journalist.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ Essential Journalism exam and e-portfolio.
Non credit-bearing modules taken as part of the NCTJ diploma
0 credits
Working with digital platforms is a core part of a journalist's work. On this module will you will learn the knowledge and skills to operate as an audience-focused digital journalist in a multimedia newsroom including understanding and using website CMS systems to enhance the user experience, how to build and execute strategies based on audience data, interacting with the audience, making the most of illustrations/video and how to develop brands. The module, which is not-for-credit, is taken by all students studying for the MA Journalism. It culminates in the submission of coursework and the exam for the NCTJ Journalism for a Digital Audience module.
0.00 credits
Students on the MA Journalism course may study Teeline shorthand. Shorthand is an extremely useful skill for journalists, and one prized by employers: it generates trust with interviewees and increases the speed and efficiency of reporting. You will be taught Teeline, which uses written outlines derived from consonants, by a teacher of longstanding experience; the aim is to reach a speed of 100 words per minute (wpm) by the end of the course.
Shorthand exams at 60, 80 and 100 wpm, count towards the NCTJ diploma.
MA students also choose either the Journalism Dissertation or the Practical Project
60.00 credits
Students who wish to go straight into the workplace can opt to do a Practical Journalism Project module while they work, in lieu of a dissertation. This module includes a piece of academic research as well as a portfolio of journalism produced as a working journalist. You will also be asked to reflect on your practice, considering how you can learn from your experience and develop as a journalist. This module takes place between May and September, after core teaching has finished.
60.00 credits
Students wishing to undertake a substantial piece of academic work can opt to take the dissertation module, which is carried out between May and September, after core teaching has finished. Once you have narrowed down your area of interest, you will be given a supervisor who will work individually with you to help you develop your ideas, frame a hypothesis and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research. The MA dissertation is a good bridge for any students wishing to pursue further study, at PhD level or beyond.
Optional modules
30 credits
This module aims to teach students the principles and practice of broadcast journalism. You will learn to use a variety of industry-standard software and hardware, and acquire the technical skills necessary to produce quality radio and television packages and podcasts. You'll learn about broadcast regulation, find out how to pitch stories to potential employers, and develop your presentation skills, receiving voice coaching and taking part in radio and television news days. Alongside traditional methods of broadcast, you will consider what opportunities the internet offers for both storytelling and live reporting.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Broadcast Journalism exams.
30 credits
This highly practical module allows students to explore in depth, and actively engage with, a range of journalism specialisms which could include: sports journalism, fashion journalism, foreign correspondence, arts and culture journalism, social affairs or visual journalism.
Students will develop the researching, writing, reporting and digital skills they acquired through prior learning to produce professional copy and other outputs pertinent to each specialism, such as social media, video and visualisations. They will apply their newly-gained specialist knowledge and acquired skills to the production of a portfolio of cutting-edge specialist journalism.
The practices of each area of specialist journalism will be placed in a context throughout the module. Through a series of lectures and in-class discussions students will gain insight into each specialism and how it works. They will acquire an appreciation of the historical, cultural, global and economic issues which specialist journalists must understand. The module prepares students to pursue jobs within specialist beats upon graduation.
Modules: Part-time study
We offer a part-time study option to help you fit the course around other commitments.
Year 1 core module
60 credits
This module – which includes a two-week work placement outside the University – gives you the practical skills needed to work as a journalist. You'll get a chance to practise your core skills of researching, writing, interviewing and editing, as you join the team running multimedia news website the Kingston Courier. You'll learn a wide range of skills, including video, podcasting, mobile journalism, data journalism and newspaper design. You'll also learn how to harness the power of social media and editorial analytics. During the course of the module, you will build a wide-ranging portfolio to showcase all of the skills learned on the MA, and learn how to best prepare yourself to find work as a journalist.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ Essential Journalism exam and e-portfolio.
Year 2 core module
30.00 credits
This year-long module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the legal and regulatory structure within which journalists operate. In recent decades, the industry has changed significantly as it adapts to the opportunities and challenges of the internet age. You will be invited to examine and debate the direction and future of journalism, thinking about everything from legal restrictions on reporting to fake news to the public's perception of journalists.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Essential Law and Ethics exams.
MA students also choose either the Journalism Dissertation or the Practical Project
60.00 credits
Students wishing to undertake a substantial piece of academic work can opt to take the dissertation module, which is carried out between May and September, after core teaching has finished. Once you have narrowed down your area of interest, you will be given a supervisor who will work individually with you to help you develop your ideas, frame a hypothesis and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research. The MA dissertation is a good bridge for any students wishing to pursue further study, at PhD level or beyond.
60.00 credits
Students who wish to go straight into the workplace can opt to do a Practical Journalism Project module while they work, in lieu of a dissertation. This module includes a piece of academic research as well as a portfolio of journalism produced as a working journalist. You will also be asked to reflect on your practice, considering how you can learn from your experience and develop as a journalist. This module takes place between May and September, after core teaching has finished.
Optional modules
30 credits
This highly practical module allows students to explore in depth, and actively engage with, a range of journalism specialisms which could include: sports journalism, fashion journalism, foreign correspondence, arts and culture journalism, social affairs or visual journalism.
Students will develop the researching, writing, reporting and digital skills they acquired through prior learning to produce professional copy and other outputs pertinent to each specialism, such as social media, video and visualisations. They will apply their newly-gained specialist knowledge and acquired skills to the production of a portfolio of cutting-edge specialist journalism.
The practices of each area of specialist journalism will be placed in a context throughout the module. Through a series of lectures and in-class discussions students will gain insight into each specialism and how it works. They will acquire an appreciation of the historical, cultural, global and economic issues which specialist journalists must understand. The module prepares students to pursue jobs within specialist beats upon graduation.
30 credits
This module aims to teach students the principles and practice of broadcast journalism. You will learn to use a variety of industry-standard software and hardware, and acquire the technical skills necessary to produce quality radio and television packages and podcasts. You'll learn about broadcast regulation, find out how to pitch stories to potential employers, and develop your presentation skills, receiving voice coaching and taking part in radio and television news days. Alongside traditional methods of broadcast, you will consider what opportunities the internet offers for both storytelling and live reporting.
As well as counting towards your MA, this module leads to the NCTJ's Broadcast Journalism exams.
Part-time students can opt to do shorthand in either their first or second year
0.00 credits
Students on the MA Journalism course may study Teeline shorthand. Shorthand is an extremely useful skill for journalists, and one prized by employers: it generates trust with interviewees and increases the speed and efficiency of reporting. You will be taught Teeline, which uses written outlines derived from consonants, by a teacher of longstanding experience; the aim is to reach a speed of 100 words per minute (wpm) by the end of the course.
Shorthand exams at 60, 80 and 100 wpm, count towards the NCTJ diploma.
Optional placement year
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Core module
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates professional placement learning, following completion of 120 credits. It provides you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject-specific professional skills in your chosen subject. You may wish to use the placement experience as a platform for your subsequent major project module, and would be expected to use it to help inform your decisions about future careers.
Career opportunities
Every year the vast majority of our students go on to successful careers, mostly in journalism and the media, or related industries. Indeed, 100% of our Class of 2023 are now in journalism careers at employers that include the BBC, Daily Mail and LBC.
In the last few years, our graduates have also progressed to roles at CNN, the Daily Express, Wandsworth Guardian, Accountancy Age, Barcroft media, Container Management, Metro, Grazia, Richmond and Twickenham Times and Investors Chronicle.
Graduates who choose not to go on to a career in journalism may consider working in publishing, advertising and marketing, film, television, radio, arts management, new media, business and teaching.
The future of journalism is online. Yet only Kingston placed enough emphasis on the development of web training. Launching Kingston's University online newspaper River Online undoubtedly gave me a tremendous platform from which to develop as a journalist in the 21st century. It was brilliant for me and it taught me the skills I use day-to-day.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods include workshops, lectures, student-led seminars and guided research.
Assessment methods are often based on the production of news stories, features and essays. You will also be appraised on your performance on the postgraduate publications which you work on during the course. The NCTJ diploma is assessed by exams and coursework.
You will also benefit from weekly guest lectures – in past years guests have included senior journalists and editors at The Guardian, Glamour, Daily Express, FT, Vogue, Pink News and Full Fact.
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.
At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 20% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
The PgDip/MA is assessed through coursework, which includes essays, portfolios of journalism, presentations, and, for MA students, a dissertation or work-based research project. Your contribution to the student-run Kingston Courier website will also be evaluated.
The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows, though depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose:
Type of assessment
- Coursework: 100%
The NCTJ diploma is assessed through exams, and some portfolio work.
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. Depending on optional modules chosen, this breakdown may change.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols around 20 students and lecture sizes are normally 10-20. However this can vary by module and academic year.
The individual modules and courses were well designed to encapsulate the changing face of journalism, from working and producing content for online purposes to writing and designing pages for print. Learning shorthand has also been an invaluable skill. As part of the course, every student will learn the elements of law as it applies to journalists and also learn about local and central government.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| ELQ (Equivalent Lower Qualification) | |
| PGDip full time | £7,180 |
| Home (UK students) | |
| MA full time | £12,400 |
| MA part time | £6,820 |
| PGDip full time | £5,825 |
| PGDip part time | £3,204 |
| International | |
| MA full time | £20,700 |
| MA part time | £11,385 |
| PGDip full time | £20,700 |
| PGDip part time | £11,385 |
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| ELQ (Equivalent Lower Qualification) | |
| PGDip full time | £6,975 |
| Home (UK students) | |
| MA full time | £11,900 |
| MA part time | £6,545 |
| PGDip full time | £5,600 |
| PGDip part time | £3,080 |
| International | |
| MA full time | £19,900 |
| MA part time | £10,945 |
| PGDip full time | £19,900 |
| PGDip part time | £10,945 |
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Journalism PGDip/MA at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
The Inspire the Future Scholarship offers a 40% reduction in fees for taught masters or postgraduate diploma courses with September start dates. 20 scholarships are available for progressing Kingston University graduates.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Inspire the Future Scholarship page.
International postgraduate students could receive up to £5,000 towards tuition in their first year of study.
For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, visit the International Scholarship page.
If you are a Kingston University 2024/25 undergraduate progressing to a 2025/26 postgraduate degree (taught or research), you could get a 15% reduction in tuition fees.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Postgraduate Progression Scholarship page.
Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees to our alumni.
For more information on how to apply for this discount, visit our alumni discount page.
The National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) offers bursaries under its Journalism Diversity Fund to students applying for NCTJ-accredited courses.
For more information, visit the NCTJ Journalism Diversity Fund page.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Apply for this course
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
If the admission tutor wishes to see a portfolio from you, you will be sent an email within three weeks of the date of the email request. This will ask you to upload your zipped portfolio to the OSIS portal.
If the admissions tutor requires further information or wishes to invite you to an interview, they will contact you directly. You will then hear whether your application has been successful.
I am lucky to have worked shifts at a national newspaper thanks to the department's connections – something I would have struggled to do otherwise. This experience and the skills I have learnt this year have secured me a place on the Daily Mail’s trainee scheme, which starts in September. In the meantime I am working at the Daily Express.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students and graduates say
I can't stress to you enough how much the postgraduate course has helped thus far in my career and how much I learnt, so I am indebted to everyone at KU.
The course is set up to prepare you to enter the field of journalism and help will be provided to gain work experience and put you in touch with valuable contacts. Guest speakers visit every week and provide interesting insights into being a hack, both past and present. The tutors were acclaimed journalists and very approachable.
I would not have got this job without doing the Kingston MA Journalism course. I referred to the work I did on River Online in every answer during my BBC interview, because it's such a great way to show what you can achieve under pressure and when working as part of a team.
The Law and Government modules have also helped me, and I use what I learnt on them without even realising it most of the time, particularly when thinking of potential guests to bring on the show and knowing if we can legally cover stories without any risk of repercussions.
During my course I was fortunate enough to get work experience with several media organisations such as The Daily Telegraph. After finishing two successful spells of work experience there, I was offered a full-time position on the TV desk. I now regularly write about TV, sport, music and film.
Having grasped a good understanding of media law from my seminars at Kingston, I am also confident when subbing some of the Telegraph's more controversial writers.
What I really liked about Kingston compared to other journalism courses in London is the fact they take on a smaller number of postgraduates, which gives every student more attention as well as creating a tight-knit group. The lecturers got to know us – something that rarely happens at undergraduate level – and did everything to help us succeed.
