Postgraduate programmes in journalism at Kent offer you the opportunity to research and learn in an environment that combines excellence in the practice of convergent, multimedia journalism with intellectual leadership in the history, ethics and future of the news industry.
The MA International Multimedia Journalism teaches professional vocational skills to graduates of universities outside the UK who aspire to a career in the news industry in their home country. This course differs from our other taught MA programme in that it is not accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), as the standard NCTJ diploma focuses on UK media law and the British system of government.
In this programme you learn to report for newspapers, news websites, radio and television channels in state-of-the-art newsrooms, learning reporting skills which are applicable to, and recognised by, news organisations around the world. Study at the only UK university which is co-located with a professional TV station, KMTV. Your tutors are award-winning journalists with front-line experience in local, national and international newsrooms.
MA graduate Mina Sabet covered Cannes 2019 for the broadcaster IranTV.
The Centre for Journalism leads the way for employability in the news industry. You learn to report for newspapers, radio, television and digital platforms in a live newsroom environment and using industry standard equipment and software.
Your tutors are award-winning journalists with experience in local, national and international news, and leading academics in law and politics. They guide you to produce a portfolio of eye-catching stories and support you as you produce a dissertation based on original research.
Recent guest speakers at the Centre include Sophie Ridge, Senior Political Correspondent Sky News, Amol Rajan, Media Editor of the BBC and Ed Conway, Economics Editor Sky News; Gavin Esler, former presenter of Newsnight; Jon Snow, presenter of Channel 4 News, Mark Thompson, former Director General of the BBC, Alex Crawford three times RTS TV journalist of the year, Stephanie Flanders former Economics Editor BBC, Stuart Ramsay Sky News chief Correspondent, and Faisal Islam Political Editor Sky News.
The Centre's graduates work for the Daily Mail, The Sun, Sky News, Sky Sports, the Jeremy Vine Show, CNN, Euronews, BBC Persian, the Financial Times, This is Money, KMTV and a wide range of local and regional newsrooms.
A second class honours degree (2.2 or above) or equivalent in a relevant academic subject (eg, politics, history, English, international relations) and demonstrable interest in and aptitude for journalism. Suitably qualified applicants will be invited for interview. In certain circumstances, the Centre will consider candidates who have not followed a conventional education path. These cases are assessed individually by the Head of Centre and/or the Director of Learning and Teaching and the Director of Research. Applicants should also hold an IELTS qualification with an overall score of 7.0 with 6.5 in reading, 6.5 in listening, 6.5 in speaking and 7.0 in writing.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year.
Different forms of journalism and how they are structured. Distinguishing between comment, conjecture and fact. Investigative reporting. The reporter's sources: how to find them, keep them and protect them. Taking a news story and re-writing it for another medium, adding sound, pictures, links and interactive comments. Working with user-generated content. Following a crime story/court trial. Turning the contents of official reports into various forms of journalism. Textual analysis of the writing styles of ground-breaking journalists. Study of common journalism transgressions.
Culture, history and development of British journalism in print, broadcast and online media. Professional use of cameras, editing software and television studio production facilities. Professional use of audio recording equipment, editing software and radio studio production facilities. Team working in radio, television, print and online news production. Advanced use of multimedia authoring software, image manipulation software and print production facilities. The impact of online technologies on planning, reporting, producing and disseminating news.
The module will guide the student through the research process including identifying the original 'problem'; defining a suitable research ‘question’; choosing a method; designing the research; the use of research materials and resources; conducting research; drafting, writing and submitting the dissertation. The module will demonstrate how different concepts are used in different subject-specific contexts that represent the main fields of inquiry, including ethical analysis, legal analysis, political analysis, historical analysis, and economic analysis.
Theories relating to freedom of expression and its protection as a fundamental human right. Extent to which the protection of competing interests (e.g. rights to a fair trial, reputation, privacy, confidentiality, copyright, sensitive state material) should allow freedom of expression to be restrained. Ethical issues arising from the work of the media, including how, if at all, the media should be regulated or controlled by different bodies including the state. Subjects will be studied with reference to English law, and laws of other jurisdictions (where appropriate) to give a comparative perspective.
The module engages with aspects of the way conflict reporting has developed from the 1930s to the digital multimedia reporting of the 21st century. The key topics are covered in seminars and lectures. They include the following: Journalism, patriotism and propaganda: war as a severe test of journalistic integrity and independence; Embeds, independents and reporters' security. Reporting terrorism . The political impact of war reporting. A number of seminars cover the events of key conflicts, and the way they were reported. These include wars in Chechnya; Afghanistan; Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Northern Ireland. Lecture topics are up-to-date with current research.
Indicative topics are:
• Linear and non-linear narrative structures
• The use of online and open-source tool research and create journalism projects
• The power of interactivity. Putting the user in control of the story.
• Visualisation of data
• Borrowing from Hollywood: quick cuts, splits screens and non-traditional video packages
• Using crowdsourced material to develop and augment core reporting
• Techniques for adapting and creating journalism for mobile media
• How social media and reader interactivity is changing journalism and the legal, ethical, technical and editorial implications
This module will allow students to gain knowledge of television production from the planning stage through to its execution. During the Autumn term they will learn the language of television, camera work, scripting, organising a production, how to pitch a segment for a broadcaster, filming, editing, organising a crew and directing a live TV programme. They will then produce a TV segment in the genre of their choice (e.g. current affairs, music, arts, cooking etc) with support from their peers and academic staff.
This module will give students an introduction to the skills and habits specialist journalists need in a digital age, as well as encouraging them to develop their own specialism in journalism. It will include studying and critically analysing the key issues and debates in a specific subject area, communicating complex ideas in a simple and engaging way to a general audience, building contacts and expertise, and a critical look at the jobs market for specialists.
Duration: 1 year full-time
Compulsory modules in Reporting and Writing, Journalism and Free Expression and Practical Multimedia Journalism introduce you to the intellectual and professional challenges of reporting for newspapers, radio, television and the internet. You choose optional academic modules from a range including: Reporting Conflict; Political Reporting and Specialist Journalism.
You may choose to complete a dissertation.
The degree is taught by a combination of lectures, seminars, masterclasses, news days, tutorials and editorial conferences. Assessment is by coursework (including essays, reporting exercises and presentations) and examinations.
This programme aims to:
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
You develop intellectual skills in:
You gain subject-specific skills in:
You will gain the following transferable skills:
The Centre is based in state-of-the-art multimedia newsrooms equipped with the latest audio and video-editing technology, a radio studio and broadcast-quality television facilities. A dedicated postgraduate newsroom opened in September 2010. Newsroom computers offer a wide range of software for teaching and research support. Students have access to Press Association news wires, Sky News Radio and Reuters World Television News feeds. They use the Centre’s dedicated multimedia website, www.centreforjournalism.co.uk which offers live publishing facilities in text, audio and video. The site is a forum for debate about issues in journalism and the news industry involving students and practitioners in Britain and abroad.
The resources for journalism research at Kent are led by the Drill Hall Library at Medway. The journalism collection includes a comprehensive range of texts on the history, principles and practice of journalism. Specialist resources include a complete microfiche archive of popular newspapers of the Second World War. Students have access to online full-text journals plus extensive online newspaper resources. The Centre subscribes to all relevant UK journals. Research students have access to the SCONUL access scheme to visit and borrow from other UK libraries. The Drill Hall Library contains more than 250 study spaces, 370 computers and more than 150,000 items.
Staff regularly contribute to newspapers, magazines, journals and books. These have included: Assessing the Delivery of BBC Radio 5 Live's Public Service Commitments, This is Today – a Biography of the Today Programme, The Newspapers Handbook, Responsibility without Power - Lord Leveson's Constitutional Dilemma, Afghanistan: War and the Media, Face the Future: Tools for the Modern Media Age. Journalism Studies, Contemporary British History, Ethical Space, George Orwell Studies, Journal of Media Law, Communications Law, Travel Journalism, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times and British Journalism Review.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Political communication, history of journalism, environmental journalism, conflict reporting, journalism technology, democracy, media law and ethics, travel journalism, lifestyle journalism.
Our courses equip you with the necessary skills to work as a journalist. Several of our students have been offered jobs before they have finished their examinations, and editors regularly ask if our best students could apply for jobs with them.
Our students have obtained jobs at places such as Sky News, The Daily Mail, BBC News, the Huffington Post and South China Morning Post.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
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