Course in brief

Based in Eastbourne, this accredited course is taught by industry professionals and highly respected academics in the field, preparing you for your career in journalism.

On this course you will develop the skills you need for a career in journalism, including reporting, multimedia, feature writing and shorthand using our industry-standard facilities, which include a 40-station newsroom, a multimedia suite, and live satellite news and sports feeds. You will also be able to participate in the running of our journalism website Overtime and undertake a work placement to gain professional experience.

This course is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). NCTJ accreditation is recognised throughout the industry as the best indication that new recruits have the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to become multimedia journalists and operate effectively in a busy newsroom.

In addition to your degree, you will have the opportunity to take the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, a widely recognised entry-level qualification for professional practice.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne 2017 entry

UCAS code P502

Full-time 3 years

Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists

Clearing 2017

Places are available on this course for UK, other EU and international students.

01273 644000

Call us now for advice.

Applying for 2018: read our guide

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBC–CCC (112–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range. 

We will generally make you an offer if your predicted grades are at the top of this range. If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still make you an offer if you have a good GCSE (or equivalent) profile or relevant non-academic achievements.

International Baccalaureate
28 points, including English at Standard level 5 or Higher level 4, and maths at Standard level 4.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Level 3 units in media, history or journalism preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 18 credits at merit or above.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least five GCSEs, including English language and maths (or equivalent). We do not accept Functional Skills or Key Skills as a GCSE equivalent. Applicants must have already passed, or be in the process of taking the required GCSEs.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 7.0 overall, 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country
 
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Course structure

All of our journalism courses have three main strands – two shared and one distinctive.

  • Core journalism study (newswriting, law, shorthand, public administration, digital journalism, multimedia).

  • A work placement, research methods module and dissertation.

  • Option modules and applied subject modules, which allow you to specialise in an area of particular interest.

On top of these core elements, you learn skills in digital and multimedia journalism, which are becoming increasingly central to industry practice. You also take a work placement in the final year so you can experience a professional journalistic environment.

Journalism student

Course news

Find out all the latest news on our courses, students, staff and research.

Year 1 

You will be introduced to journalism and the news industry, and develop practical skills for written and audio-visual journalism. You are expected to reach a shorthand speed of 60 words per minute, and study the workings of local and central government. You develop a critical understanding of key debates about media in society.

Modules

  • Introduction to Journalism
  • News, Ethics and Shorthand
  • Public Administration for Journalists
  • Multimedia Journalism
  • Media and Communications: A Critical Introduction
  • Power and the Public Sphere
Shorthand

Year 2 

You'll be encouraged to follow your own interests as you develop a portfolio of work for publication online. You are expected to reach a shorthand speed of 100wpm, write and research local news stories, learn to design printed pages, and become familiar with media law. In addition, you study social sciences research methods, and can choose from a range of options available at the Eastbourne campus.

Modules

  • Journalism in Practice
  • Advanced News Journalism and Shorthand
  • Media Law
  • Digital Journalism
  • Research Methods for Journalists
  • Analysing Media
Multimedia journalism classroom

Final year 

The climax of the course is the Critical Investigation: a lengthy piece of investigative journalism, developed in one-on-one tutorials over the whole year, with an accompanying essay. You'll be supported to complete a two-week placement in industry, and pursue your own interests and talents with specialist options including broadcast, magazine and sport journalism.

Modules 

  • Critical Investigation
  • Journalism Work Placement

Options*

  • Cross-platform Journalism
  • Magazine Journalism
  • Advanced Sport journalism
  • Entrepreneurship for Journalists
  • Public Relations

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Journalism class

Overtime: Online student magazine

Overtime is an online magazine run by our journalism students. Originally developed with a focus on sports, Overtime now includes student generated content about a range of topics including the arts and current affairs.

What can I do on Overtime?
You can get involved in subediting, choosing pictures, writing headlines and uploading material. You can also learn to produce video and audio for the site, and develop your multimedia skills.

How will Overtime help me?
The work you produce acts as an excellent showcase for potential employers. Plus, practice makes perfect – the more you write, the better you get, and Overtime gives you the chance to hone your skills throughout your degree.

For more information, see the Overtime website.

Overtime

Careers and employability

We have a successful history in journalism subjects and this degree will open up career opportunities in newspaper, magazine, radio, television and online journalism as well as in public relations, copywriting and media management.

Previous journalism students include:

  • Alex Smith, news reporter for the Stoke Sentinel
  • Chad Nugent, news reporter for the Harwich and Manningtree Standard
  • Gareth Burton, press officer for Essex County Council
  • Giuseppe Muro, Evening Standard correspondent
  • Jon Vale, news reporter for Cambridge Evening News
  • Jon Walton, a broadcast assistant at Radio5Live
  • Matt White, news editor at Isle of Wight Radio
  • Michael Ruffles, content and social media manager at Virgin StartUp
  • Sunni Upal, sports writer at Daily Mail Online
  • Jack De Menezes, rugby and motor racing writer at The Independent
  • James Pugh, reporter at The Racing Post

Multimedia journalism interview

Journalism student interviewing footballer Dee Okojie

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 13,920 GBP

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2017–18. Tuition fees are payable for each year that you study with us.

Where UK/EU students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Eastbourne

Sunny, friendly and relaxed, there’s lots to do and enjoy in Eastbourne – music and arts festivals, theatre, galleries and sports – and all against the backdrop of the beach and the beautiful South Downs.

Eastbourne hosts some major sporting events, from Eastbourne Extreme – one of the biggest extreme sports festivals in the UK – to Eastbourne International, an annual tennis tournament where some of the world’s finest players prepare for Wimbledon.

Eastbourne has a close-knit community feel. From where ever you are on campus every place you need to go is around 15 minutes away on foot – the beach, the town centre and the South Downs. There is a great selection of clubs, pubs, restaurants and shops and always plenty of student-friendly deals on offer.

Eastbourne pier   Eastbourne Festival

Where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Located in one of the sunniest towns in the UK, our Eastbourne campus sits between the hills of the South Downs National Park and the south coast.

The campus has extensive sporting facilities, including a sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, swimming pool, three gyms, a dance studio and an artificial training pitch. For sport and exercise students, there are also exercise physiology labs, a human movement laboratory and an environmental chamber.

Podiatry students gain real-life experience in the Leaf Hospital clinic, with its comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, while physiotherapy students are taught in specialist practical skills rooms. The Culinary Arts Studio allows hospitality students to engage in workplace simulations and consumer research.

Accommodation

Eastbourne

Our Eastbourne hall of residence, Welkin Halls, is in the residential Meads area, next to the Hillbrow and Welkin site and within walking distance of Darley Road. The train station is about 20 minutes away on foot.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. 

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Eastbourne accommodation webpages, and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accomeastbourne@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 643810.

Welkin Halls

Welkin bedroom


  

Maps

Map of the Eastbourne campus

Unistats

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats is an organisation that collects specific data about university courses in the UK which enables you to compare information that is important in your decision-making when choosing a university. All universities publish Unistats data on their online course pages.

Wherever we can we have provided extra information here to help put the data into context so that it is as useful as possible when you are making decisions.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the official university document for each course. They are updated each year, and give a very detailed breakdown of what your course might look like.

Programme specification

Find out more

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