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This course equips you to become a journalist with the news awareness, story-getting and story-telling skills to flourish in today’s multimedia journalism environment.
We live in a connected world with instant access to whatever news we want, whenever and wherever we want it. We don’t have to wait for the newspaper to hit the streets or for the evening news bulletin; anyone with a smartphone can be a reporter, able to record, edit and publish whatever they like.
The challenge for professional journalists in this digital age is to provide news and information that can be trusted, meeting the demands created by new technology and changing habits without sacrificing core professional values. Our degree has been designed with the future needs of this rapidly changing industry at its heart, informing our curriculum, programme design, facilities and staffing.
Led by former BBC News Online Managing Editor Tim Fenton, our course places a strong emphasis on good writing, independence, accuracy and ethical practice, the values that have always underpinned the best journalism. But at Essex we go further, applying those values to the new world of social networks and mobile technology.
You will gain a thorough training in the theory and practice of journalism:
Benefit from opportunities to work in the field, both independently and alongside practicing journalists across a range of media
Be mentored by a leading professional in a chosen specialist subject, such as business, arts, literary, political or sports journalism
Find, tell and publish your own ‘real’ stories across different media, building a substantial portfolio of work to show to future employers
Study topics including the art of storytelling, the history of journalism, and multimedia production
Work towards the industry-standard NCTJ Diploma in Journalism as part of your degree
Gain an essential understanding of media law and how the UK works
As a student at one of the UK’s leading social science institutions and a pioneer of literature and writing, you are uniquely placed to acquire a deep understanding of the world you report on as well as to develop your own powerful journalistic style.
Professional accreditation
Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).
The Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) works in partnership with all the main employers in the UK broadcast industry. Our primary responsibility is to accredit UK journalism courses within higher education. Our current partners are; ITV, BskyB, ITN, BBC, Reuters, AP, Channel 4, The Radio Centre, Skillset and the NUJ. Our accreditation standards are very much based on direct and practical experience and all accredited courses are very much valued by teachers and students, employers and employees, as they are relevant and responsive to the operational demands of the broadcast industry.
Why we're great.
Our journalism teaching staff have a broad range of up-to-date, hands-on industry experience.
You draw on expertise from across the University by specialising in your favourite subjects.
You create and broadcast your own online content, radio and TV programmes using our on campus facilities.
Study abroad
Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course.
Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.
If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university
Our expert staff
At Essex you learn from the best. Our course director Tim Fenton, is a former managing editor of the BBC News Online website and a journalist with more than 35 years' industry experience ranging from sports reporting for local radio to presenting and producing national current affairs programmes on TV and radio.
Other core staff include:
Penny Wrout, a former BBC correspondent and producer for TV, radio and online with more than 20 years in the journalism business, including seven years in charge of the BBC’s social affairs coverage of London. As well as teaching broadcast and online journalism at Essex, she continues to work as a freelance documentary film-maker and multimedia arts producer.
Paul Anderson, former editor of Tribune and deputy editor of the New Statesman, who has worked as a journalist since the early 1980s. He combines teaching print and online production at Essex with working as a print/online subeditor on the Guardian, running a small publishing company and freelance writing about politics and history.
Dr Fatima el Issawi, an international correspondent with more than 15 years’ experience covering conflict zones for a wide range of broadcast and online outlets including Agence France Press and the BBC, teaches journalism theory and international reporting. She is the author of Arab National Media and Political Change, published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Dr Alexandros Antoniou is lecturer in media law. His research interests lie principally in the fields of communications law, intellectual property asset management and cybercrime.
Throughout the course you will also hear regularly from visiting lecturers and teachers who are leading figures in different branches of journalism, and who provide an important link to an extended network of industry practitioners.
Specialist facilities
As a journalism student at Essex, your material will be published on a dedicated website, but you will also spend time gaining on-the-job experience with a range of professional news operations, creating and publishing ‘real’ stories and building up a portfolio of published and broadcast work.
You will work in a purpose-built newsroom with access to television, radio studios, and computer software that allows journalists to create and edit content across all media and platforms quickly and professionally. The university’s Media Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art studios, cameras, audio and lighting equipment, and an industry-standard editing suite.
You will have the opportunity to contribute to student journalism, which includes a magazine, a radio station and a television operation.
You can also benefit from our experience in film production and creative writing as well as our University’s wider expertise areas such as politics, sociology and human rights:
View classic films at weekly film screenings in our dedicated 120-seat film theatre
Hear writers talk about their craft and broaden your knowledge beyond your course at weekly research seminars
Our on-Campus, 200-seat Lakeside Theatre has been established as a major venue for good drama, staging both productions by professional touring companies and a wealth of new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students
The Lakeside Theatre also runs regular practical workshops, enabling drama enthusiasts to get involved in both front-of-house and behind the scenes
Your future
Essex journalism graduates are equipped to embark on any one of a number of career paths within the industry.
You graduate with all the core skills of a professional journalist, underpinned by the Diploma of Journalism from the National Council for the Training of Journalists, which you attain as part of our course. This is an industry standard and is recognised and valued by editors when recruiting staff.
You will compile an impressive portfolio of published work and complete a detailed multimedia project in your final year, allowing you to offer real evidence of your range and capabilities to future employers. You also develop knowledge of a specialist subject – such as business, politics, international affairs or sport – giving you a head start if you want to pursue a career in one of those areas.
You will be multi-skilled, familiar with production techniques in television, radio, online and newspaper journalism, and with the option to gain advanced skills in specific areas in your final year.
Digital technology encourages entrepreneurship, and allows young journalists to work outside traditional employment routes with established media organisations in favour of creating their own niche brand online. Our BA Multimedia Journalism course gives you the skills and confidence to succeed in whatever path you choose.
"The work placements programme encompasses the major employers in the local area and further afield in East Anglia, and the students are enjoying the experience of spending time in working newsrooms so early in their course."
The NCTJ accreditation panel
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
GCSE: Mathematics and English C/4
A-levels: BBB, including one essay-based subject
BTEC: DDD, depending on subject studied - advice on acceptability can be provided.
IB: 30 points or three Higher Level certificates with 555, including a Higher Level essay-based subject grade 5, plus Standard Level Mathematics/Maths Studies grade 4, if not taken at Higher Level.
We are also happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programmes at both Higher and Standard Level. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standard level, and the course applied for. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.
Please note that Maths in the IB is not required if you have already achieved GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above or 4 in IB Middle Years Maths.
From 2021, we will accept grade 4 in either Standard Level Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Standard Level Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation.
Access to HE Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
Flexible offers Eligible applicants that actively choose us as their firm choice will be able to take advantage of a flexible offer. This offer will specify alternative entry requirements than those published here so, if your final grades aren’t what you had hoped for, you could still secure a place with us. Visit our undergraduate application information page for more details.
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
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English language requirements
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels listed above. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications
If you are an international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Structure
Example structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of compulsory and optional modules chosen from lists. Below is just one example structure from the current academic year of a combination of modules you could take. Your course structure could differ based on the modules you choose.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore all modules listed are subject to change. To view the compulsory modules and full list of optional modules currently on offer, please view the programme specification via the link below.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently planned for 2021 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
Practical Reporting, Interviewing and Production (Single Honours)
This module introduces you to storytelling and narrative. You’ll discuss the nature of news and how to identify a story, obtaining and deciphering information, editing and considering wording and tone. You will begin to learn the basics of multimedia production, and start producing content for print, online, radio and television outlets.
This module provides a broad introduction to the law and how it affects all varieties of journalism. It covers the main legal issues encountered by journalists - knowledge you will need to apply in practice as you undertake all forms of reporting, in particular the proceedings of the courts. The module will enable you to sit the NCTJ Essential Media Law which is an element of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism.
This module provides an introduction to the workings of central and local government and social and political institutions at local, national and European levels, in the context of reporting the workings of government at all levels in an informed and engaging way. It also contributes to the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism and you will sit the NCTJ examination in Essential Public Affairs.
This is an optional module, which offers the opportunity to work collaboratively to conceive, create, design and publish a newspaper supplement which will be distributed with the Colchester Gazette. It is a great opportunity to put into practice the skills you have learned, to work in different parts of the newspaper production process, and to see your work – and your name – in print.
In this module, you will complete your studies – begun in Year 1 - of the principal areas of the law relating to journalism, and prepare for and sit the NCTJ examination in Media Law. You will also expand your exploration of the wider constraints affecting journalism, voluntary and otherwise. These include media regulation, the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, the Editors’ Code of Practice and other expressions of good, ethical practice.
This module helps you develop your skills in research and investigation with particular reference to the new areas emerging on the web, through the Freedom of Information Act and through social media. It will also give you confidence in handling statistics-based stories, questioning methodology and assumptions.
This module builds on everything you have learned so far about writing, reporting and production, with a particular emphasis on the broadcast media of radio and television. You will already have had the opportunity to gain extensive experience of newspaper and online reporting, and this module will bring your broadcast skills up to the same high standard of knowledge and expertise. This module will also prepare you for the Specialist Option element of your NCTJ Diploma.
In your final year you will undertake a capstone project designed to demonstrate your understanding of the theory and practice of reporting, your ability to work across broadcast platforms, and your ability to identify, research and deliver an original story. You will carry out scoping and preparatory work necessary for you to proceed with the project. This might include exploring story possibilities, commissioning or conducting research, reading round the subject and seeking interviews and assistance from experts and protagonists.
This module represents your ‘capstone’ project. It is work that you have carried out on your own, on the basis of the groundwork carried out during the Multimedia Project Preparation module. It will demonstrate your command of much that you have learned and practised during your first two years in terms of defining a story, gathering information, conducting research, handling data, newsgathering by means of interviews, reading, and presentation across media platforms. This work will be published on the course website.
During your final year, you will be encouraged to think about a branch of journalism or of knowledge which you would like to build up as a special subject. This could be a subject area – such as politics, business or sport – or a genre – such as television, radio, web design, feature writing or long-form film-making. Your tutors will help you to pursue this interest, either in the autumn or spring term.
On a placement year you gain relevant work experience within an external business or organisation, giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market and providing you with key contacts within the industry. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Teaching
Teaching will mainly take the form of lectures and classes of about 20 students
Opportunities for placements
Mentoring from professionals in your specialist subject
A typical timetable involves a one-hour lecture and a one-hour class for each of your modules every week
Assessment
Your final mark for each module is determined half by coursework and half by examination
A mark for class participation is included in your coursework mark
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
£9,250
International fee
£16,850
EU students commencing their course in the 2021-22 academic year will be liable for the International fee.
Fees will increase for each academic year of study.
Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex. We run a number of Open Days throughout the year which enable you to discover what our campus has to offer.
You have the chance to:
tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff
Check out our Visit Us pages to find out more information about booking onto one of our events. And if the dates aren’t suitable for you, feel free to book a campus tour here.
Applying
Applications for our full-time undergraduate courses should be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Applications are online at: www.ucas.com. Full details on this process can be obtained from the UCAS website in the how to apply section.
Our UK students, and some of our EU and international students, who are still at school or college, can apply through their school. Your school will be able to check and then submit your completed application to UCAS. Our other international applicants (EU or worldwide) or independent applicants in the UK can also apply online through UCAS Apply.
The UCAS code for our University of Essex is ESSEX E70. The individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend Campuses are ‘L’ and ‘S’ respectively.
You can find further information on how to apply, including information on transferring from another university, applying if you are not currently at a school or college, and applying for readmission on our How to apply and entry requirements page.
Interview and tests
If you’re shortlisted for interview based on your application to this course, you will be invited onto campus. During your visit you’ll complete a 90 minute written test and a 30 minute interview. You’ll be asked to correct and improve a short news story, write a news story yourself and complete a brief general knowledge test. The interview allows our academics to find out more about you, and in turn you’ll be able to ask us any questions you might have.
Your interview and test will form part of a larger visit day where you’ll be able to tour our campus, meet our students and get a feel for life at Essex. All tests must be taken at our Colchester Campus and offers for the course will only be made after successful interview.
Visit Colchester Campus
Home to 15,000 students from more than 130 countries, our Colchester Campus is the largest of our three sites, making us one of the most internationally diverse campuses on the planet - we like to think of ourselves as the world in one place.
The Campus is set within 200 acres of beautiful parkland, located two miles from the historic town centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded town. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tours allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour and Southend virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.
Exhibitions
Our staff travel the world to speak to people about the courses on offer at Essex. Take a look at our list of exhibition dates to see if we’ll be near you in the future.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and
Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.
Ask us a question
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