University of Westminster

Course Details

MA(Multimedia Journalism - Print and Online)

Course Description

We are offering a new version of our very successful and popular MA in Journalism. The new title reflects better the changes that have been sweeping across the media industry all over the world in the past few years. Although we have been continually updating the course to reflect the fact that so many journalists these days have to be proficient in more than one form of journalism, we feel we could do even more to enable them to become truly ‘multi-platform’ journalists. These are the kind of journalists who are likely to be successful in years to come, and we want to make sure that those from Westminster are in the vanguard. The course now titled Multimedia Journalism (Broadcast, or Print and Online) MA, will offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Multimedia Journalism, (Broadcast, or Print and Online), which will run over eight months. There will be an option to take either the Masters or the Postgraduate Diploma as a part-time course, which will run over two successive academic years. If you are planning to start a career in journalism, or already work in the field, this course will equip you with the practical and intellectual skills necessary to succeed in today’s media world; whether in print, online media, multi-platform or broadcast journalism. You will still be able to specialise in a particular medium on the course, but you will also develop a wider range of skills and be better familiarised with the way that journalists work across different platforms. This is vital for people starting out in the profession. The course has a strong practical focus, and you are expected to develop story ideas and contacts, and gather your own material for journalistic course work, finding stories which could be local, national or international. You will be given full training in using our up-to-date media resources, newsrooms and studios, ensuring that you graduate from the course as a multi-skilled, multi-platform journalist.Our teaching staff are highly experienced journalism professionals. The broadcast pathway of the course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council. We have twice been acknowledged with the BJTC award for excellence in teaching and many of our students have won journalism awards.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
1year

Career outcomes

Students on this suite of courses are expected to undertake a short placement during their time at Westminster. They are helped to develop contacts with industry by their tutors, all journalism professionals, and Westminster careers advisors, leading to a meaningful experience. For MA Journalism- Broadcast, a BJTC accredited course, we also have support from the Broadcast Journalism Training Council through its relationship with employers, either the BBC or independent broadcasters. Employers think highly of Westminster postgraduate journalism students who, if they are broadcasters, find opportunities with BBC Radio news and local radio, TV news and current affairs, BBC World Service, Sky News, ITN and ITV, CNN’s London bureau, Al-Jazeera in London, and many other broadcasters, where they have the chance to experience at first hand the pressures of live broadcasting, or more considered documentary making. Others pursue placements with websites or newspapers such as the Guardian, The Independent, Financial Times, BBC News online, and other less well known websites. CNN Online. Sports specialists have been to Talksport, Sports Tonight, CNN Sports and Hayter’s Sports agency. Often students keep in touch with the organisation where they interned, leading to more work after graduation. Some students prefer to gain their experience once they have finished their final project; one recently spent a three month internship with Russia Today, the English language broadcaster in Moscow. Postgraduate journalism students also have access to a placement scheme which is unique to Westminster: they are able to gain experience as’ embedded journalists’ on NATO military ‘war-game’ exercises – a fast moving and challenging way to gain ‘live’ news experience.

MA(Multimedia Journalism - Print and Online) University of Westminster