About this course
A vocational programme taught using industry-standard facilities so you gain the hands-on experience you will need in your day-to-day work as a journalist.
- Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
- Practical training in research and writing as well as multi-media production
- Teaching from journalists with many years' experience and links to local newspapers, TV companies and radio stations
- Opportunities for industrial placements with media organisations
- Taught in the £38 million Redmonds Building with industry-standard facilities including newsrooms, studios, editing booths
- Opportunity to sit professional National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) exams and acquire their full diploma
- Publish work on LJMU Journalism's Mersey Live website
This highly vocational Master's programme provides practical training in multi-media journalism and will further your understanding of the law and how public bodies work. You will also develop skills in analysis and interpretation, initiative and research, which are useful in any career.
Professional body recognition
Students will have an opportunity to sit professional National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) exams and acquire their full diploma during their studies.
Students studying on NCTJ accredited courses are more appealing to employers looking for multi-skilled recruits who know the fundamentals of journalism and can operate to professional standards.
Find out more about the NCTJ Journalism Diversity Fund to help cover some costs of training.
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
You will be given an in-depth understanding of journalism as a profession and, throughout the course, we strive to highlight to you the full range of career options available to you when you leave.
Your career and academic development are at the heart of our course design. In particular, you can expect to enjoy career opportunities in areas such as: journalism, public relations, information management, press offices in local and central government and international organisations.
In addition, you may wish to continue to PhD study, for a career in academia. As well as gaining these highly valuable research skills, you will be equipped with a number of transferable skills that will be highly valued in related industries such as marketing, PR, new media, broadcasting and writing.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the University’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
Core modules
Journalism in Context
20 credits
This module provides a critical understanding of journalism theory and concepts.
Subject areas will include the impact of the digital revolution, patterns of media ownership, the implications of the demise of local journalism and the emergence of the democratic deficit.
It will also incorporate principles of communication practices in the digital age, for example PR, embedded journalism, churnalism and clickbait.
You will explore and critically analyse journalism regulation and media freedom and will be able to examine key ethical issues in practical journalism including representation of disadvantaged group and reporting trauma.
Journalism in Context will provide a challenging insight into journalism practice and will equip you with a theoretical knowledge base which you can then develop further into a dissertation or personal study project in your final semester.
This module complements Media Law, Regulations and Court Reporting by enabling you to reflect on the theory of legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks within the context of practical journalism issues.
Media Law, Regulation and Court Reporting
20 credits
This module covers basic knowledge of the English legal system, including of court processes the hierarchy of the courts; contempt of court and related matters; the rules of the court protecting anonymity in the reporting of children and sexual offences; reporting the courts – court procedure and reporting restrictions; open justice and challenging court orders; defamation and related matters; copyright; privacy and confidentiality; regulation – the role of the Editors’ Code and the Broadcast Code; ethics in newsgathering – including reporting children and vulnerable people; protecting journalists’ sources and the right to report.
The module will prepare you for the NCTJ professional diploma examinations in Essential Media Law and Court Reporting.
Research Skills for Journalists
10 credits
This module teaches skills required for Masters dissertation or Masters practical project, including providing an understanding of research methods and the production of research papers and dissertations. It should develop the students' research skills and allow them to plan and develop the early part of the dissertation or practical project.
Public Affairs for Journalists
10 credits
This module equips students with a good working knowledge of the operation of local and central government. It prepares students with the skills required to report the affairs of government in a compelling way. Finally, the module develop student’s ability to critically evaluate the impact of political institutions on journalists and citizens.
Essential Journalism and Professional Practice
20 credits
This module provides foundational journalism skills, covering content gathering, digital tools, and writing styles. Students will learn to identify newsworthy stories, gather information, and conduct effective interviews, including shorthand use. They will also develop proficiency in producing content for various media platforms and enhance their journalistic writing styles, including SEO skills for digital content. Additionally, students will acquire technical skills for video, audio, and image-based content creation in the modern journalism industry.
Multi-Platform Journalism
20 credits
This module provides students with hands-on journalism experience, focusing on core skills like live reporting, social media management, and multi-platform content creation. It fosters teamwork, leadership, and communication abilities and helps students develop ethical and legal awareness. They engage in real-world news reporting, including live on-scene reporting using tools like Facebook Live, as well as content creation and social media management. The module enhances core storytelling skills across various platforms.
Portfolio and Professional Practice
20 credits
This module prepares students for employment within the journalism sector; enables students to produce professional portfolios of work. and enhances students’ experience and knowledge of the journalism industry.
Optional Modules
Journalism Dissertation
60 credits
This module will assist you to produce a written dissertation that researches a key issue relating to News or Sports Journalism and which demonstrates mastery in its analysis and evaluation. It will cover research aims and objectives, research questions and hypothesis; literature review and underpinning theories; paradigms: positivism and interpretivism; research methodologies: quantitative and qualitative approaches; research methods; data collection and analysis; validity and reliability in research; ethical issues and writing up academic research.
Major Journalism Practical Project
60 credits
The major research project is an extended piece of research giving the student an opportunity to study in depth a topic or issue of their choosing, with clear boundaries achievable, and to produce a professional piece of independent journalism in a suitable format as negotiated with the supervisor.
You will be expected to integrate newly acquired production skills and knowledge together with advanced research skills at Masters level.
All knowledge and skills gained on the course should be applied to produce a highly professional piece of written and/or broadcast journalism, which is adaptable for a targeted outlet and therefore highly applicable and relevant in displaying an ability to multi-skill and produce and present across different media platforms. Examples include a series of online/multi-media features, a long-form radio documentary, a TV documentary, a series of print features for newspapers or magazines.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
Full-time students can expect 16-18 contact hours per week, usually over three full days (subject to timetabling). The remainder of the week will be spent with a combination of self-directed study and practical work.
Teaching methods
You will receive taught elements through a mixture of seminars, workshops and tutorials. One to one tutorials will be combined with group seminars/workshops, with some bespoke workshops for smaller groups.
You will have access to the Liverpool Screen School's industry-standard facilities in Redmonds Building, helping you secure the hands-on experience you will need in your day-to-day work as a journalist. These facilities include edit suites, newsrooms, radio sound studios and a TV studio.
Applied learning
Our strong links with local newspapers, television companies and radio stations mean that there will be opportunities for invaluable work experience during the course, and you will be encouraged to get involved with various student media outlets in Liverpool, including our own website.
The modules and assessments for the programme will reflect the NCTJ syllabus and will include essential journalism, news writing, multi-platform journalism, media law, public affairs and shorthand.
Students will hear from a range of guest speakers, such as:
- Liam Thorp Politics Editor, Liverpool Echo (Reach Plc)
- Vidar Hardeng Law and Ethics diversity consultant ITV News
- Jenny Kirkham News reporter, Liverpool Echo
- Graham Beecroft Talksport, BBC Merseyside, football correspondent
- Connor Dunn Sports reporter, Liverpool Echo
- John Pickford Editor-in-Chief, Bauer Radio News
- Michael McCann Freelance sports broadcaster (Cricket World Cup)
- Mark Nicholls War/conflict reporter freelance regional and national journalist
- Anna Kessel Womens Sports Editor, Telegraph Media
- Steve Sutcliffe Online reporter, BBC Sport
- Emma Jones BBC 5 Live sports journalist + LUTV presenter
- Alice McKeegan Head of Football, Manchester Evening News
- Abigail Edge - Google News Lab - teaching fellow
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
Assessment will be mostly portfolio-based, with some exams in law, shorthand, media regulation and court reporting. Your Major Project/Dissertation will be 15,000 words or equivalent.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Polly Sharpe
Programme leader
Polly joined LJMU in 2018 following a twenty-year career working in broadcast at both the BBC and commercial sectors. She started as a reporter, newsreader, producer and journalist on a commercial radio station, before then moving to work at a senior level for BBC TV news in the regions, as a local radio news editor - and latterly as an output editor at BBC Breakfast News. Her specialism at LJMU is broadcast, video and audio; she is passionate about improving access to the industry for people from all backgrounds and her research interest is in diversity within journalism.
We have strong links and industry endorsements from Sky News/Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, Reach Plc, and we have an excellent range of industry speakers who will come in and give guest lectures.
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Programme Leader
School facilities
What you can expect from your School
The School is based in the Redmonds Building, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool's growing Knowledge Quarter. Redmonds is shared by the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies and Liverpool Business School, making for a rich blend of student learning experiences. The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, social spaces, and a café. It is only a short walk from LJMU's Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies and is open seven days a week.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
- a minimum 2.2 honours degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. English Language, English Literature, Politics, History, Law, Sociology) is preferable, although degrees in non-relevant subjects will also be considered
Additional requirements
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Interview required
- All short-listed applicants will be invited to attend an informal interview (via Skype/telephone/Zoom if not possible in person and for international students)
International requirements
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Other international requirements
- International students should have recognised qualifications equivalent to a British Bachelors degree preferably in a relevant subject (e.g. Journalism, Media Studies, English Language, English Literature, Politics, History, Law, Sociology) with a pass of at least 2:2 plus an IELTS score of 7.5 (minimum 7 in each component) or an equivalent English language test accepted by UKVI
Further information
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Extra Requirements
non-standard applications from those without a degree will also be considered
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
All applicants undergo an informal interview (Skype or telephone if living abroad or cannot attend in person), a few basic writing activities, general knowledge and use of English to ensure the degree is right for you as well as your ability to cope with the rigours of an accredited programme.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.