Course Summary
On our increasingly well-regarded journalism course we develop enquiring minds so that you will be the ones to report tomorrow’s stories and find the answers to today’s questions.
If you want to become a journalist and explore what journalism is and where it’s heading, this is the perfect course for you.
Guided by staff with 100 years of combined journalistic expertise between them, you’ll be given a practical grounding in print, radio, photo and online journalism.
You’ll learn how to produce authoritative, incisive and imaginative work. As you search for the inside track on the vibrant, important living story that is east London, you’ll find no better place to practice your journalistic skills.
You’ll look at the problems, pitfalls and potential for today’s journalism, studying its past and debating its future.
We’re hosting a major annual conference that examines the future of journalism. Alongside papers from senior media figures, our students’ work will feature at the conference’s heart.
If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a BA, you can study this course as an ‘extended’ four-year course. You'll begin with a foundation year which prepares you for a successful transition to the BA degree.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Our three-year course offers the complete journalistic education, covering a broad spectrum of subjects.
Sometimes you may find yourself as the working journalist, maybe on one of our own student publications or perhaps on a work placement assignment at a national media organisation.
At other times, you’ll be the entrepreneur, devising original stories and formulating ideas with business potential before pitching them to commissioning editors.
Or you could be the academic, researching subjects such as the history of journalism, its new role in society, media law, ethics and regulation.
You can choose ‘portfolio’ modules from which you gain credits towards your degree by getting your journalistic work published.
For your major project work, you can work on the development of a new publication, from the idea stage all the way through to its production - and, of course, the launch party! Or, instead, you could originate and complete a major academic research project of your choice.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
Guided independent study
When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.Academic support
Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas – including learning and disability supportDedicated personal tutor
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.Workload
Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate workload hours per year for this course are:
Scheduled teaching – 318 hours;
Guided independent study – 882 hours.
Your timetable
Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.Class sizes
To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts 20-30 new students a year. Lecture sizes are normally 20 plus students.In the classroom you will be taught in groups of 18–20 students. However, this can vary by academic year.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
We're determined to prepare you in the best way possible for a career in journalism after your studies.
Journalism is, of course, a competitive world to enter. You have a head start at UEL, though, thanks to teachers with exceptional contacts who know exactly what newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets are looking for.
Indeed, the track record of our graduates demonstrates that anything is possible.
Sam Wostear, one of our first journalism graduates, went on to become Woman Editor of The Sun, Britain’s biggest-selling daily newspaper. Siobhan Breatnach, who earned an MA in Journalism at UEL in 2009, became the editor of the Irish Post within three years of leaving us. Ferdia Carr, who graduated in 2015, found work at ITN.
Some of our graduates have gone into local or online journalism, contract publishing or public relations. Others have chosen to continue their studies, taking an MA in Creative Writing or a PhD in Journalism.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal
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