Intro

On our accredited multi-platform Journalism course you will develop the skills for a career in journalism, including reporting, digital production, feature writing and shorthand.

National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) accreditation is recognised in the industry as the best indication that new recruits have the skills and knowledge to become effective multimedia journalists in a busy newsroom. In addition to your degree, you will take the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, a widely recognised entry-level qualification for professional practice.

The course is taught by media industry professionals and highly respected academics who will help you develop key journalism skills as well as critical understanding, academic research and writing methods. You’ll use our industry-standard facilities, which include a 40-station newsroom, multimedia suite, and live satellite news and sports feeds.

You will benefit from lectures and masterclasses given by visiting editors, journalists and campaigners. Recent guest speakers have come from Sky News, the BBC, Time Out, the Daily Telegraph, Johnston Press, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Full Fact and Reporters Without Borders.

Your placement will give you experience in a professional journalistic environment and help you make industry contacts. Our students have completed placements at organisations including The Daily Telegraph, Stylist, Harper’s Bazaar, Ricochet Productions and Lonely Planet.

You'll get out and about, finding and publishing your own stories. Students have interviewed MPs in the House of Commons, visited arts venues and reported from court trials and council hearings. Trips have included the Sky News newsroom, and an expedition to France to practise travel writing. You'll publish your work on our student run website www.overtimeonline.co.uk and, once a semester, collaborate with all year groups to plan and produce a magazine.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne

UCAS code P502

Full-time 3 years

Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists

Our next open day for this course will take place in the summer. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Register your interest

Apply now with UCAS for 2019 entry

Course content

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.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, we will inform you of any improvements or innovations to the curriculum through our admissions portal.

 

Journalism student

Course news

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

Year 1 

You will gain a thorough introduction to journalism, learning to write news and features, make podcasts and videos, and use shorthand. You will also study ethics, government, political theory and critical approaches to journalism.

Modules

  • Introduction to Journalism
  • News, Ethics and Shorthand
  • Public Administration for Journalists
  • Multimedia Journalism
  • Introduction to Journalism Studies
  • Power and the Public Sphere
Shorthand

Year 2 

You will file reports from your own local news patch, design newspaper and magazine pages, edit websites, master social media and develop shorthand to professional speeds. You will also study media law and investigative journalism.

Modules

  • Journalism in Practice
  • Advanced News Journalism and Shorthand
  • Media Law
  • Digital Journalism
  • Investigative Journalism and Critical Context
NEWSROOMSTUDENTS_018

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
  • Arts Journalism

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

 

NEWSROOM_010

 Facilities

Newsroom 
Our modern newsroom is equipped with 40 computers that retract into the desk to form a workspace for editorial meetings. All computers have the Adobe Suite installed including Premiere Pro, InDesign and Photoshop. The newsroom also has five wall-hung screens showing Sky News and BBC News 24.

Digital Hub 
Next door to the newsroom is the digital hub, with editing suites and mobile journalism facilities.

 

NEWSROOMSTUDENTS_019
Click to view a virtual tour of our journalism facilities. 

Overtime: Online student magazine

Overtime is run and produced by our journalism students. Originally developed with a focus on sports, Overtime now includes includes arts, current affairs and more. Check out the website, Overtime.

Students also produce a 24-page magazine each year as part of their course, which is offered in print and digitally.

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 is 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.

Overtime

Staff profiles 


Ben Parsons, Course Leader

Ben Parsons joined the University of Brighton after a decade working for daily regional newspapers. He started out as an online sub-editor at sportinglife.com, before joining the North-West Evening Mail in Cumbria, becoming health reporter and then assistant news editor.

As crime reporter for The Argus in Brighton, he covered serial killer investigations and Old Bailey trials. His work has also appeared in The Daily Telegraph and Racing Post.

Ben has a BA in English, NCTJ certificate (qualifying as a Senior Journalist), PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, and a Masters in Arts and Cultural Research. He lectures on modules in practical journalism, newswriting and law, teaches political philosophy for journalists, and supervises final-year projects. Ben also sits on the NCTJ Media Law examinations board. His research interests are in approaches to journalism training, and in public sphere theory.

 

BenParsons

Simon Mcennis, Principal Lecturer

Simon has a professional background in both news and sport journalism. He is a fully NCTJ-qualified senior journalist who started his career as a news reporter with a regional daily, the Colchester Gazette, before moving into national newspapers with The Sun. Simon also runs a 20-session advanced journalism programme for industry professionals at Sky.

Simon has worked in academia since 2009. His research focuses on journalism professionalism and he has had scholarly work published in Digital Journalism, Journalism and Journalism Practice. 

Simon has also written articles for The Conversation website.

 

 

Simon_Mcennis

Owen Evans, Senior Lecturer

Owen is the Sport Journalism BA(Hons) course leader, a sports business academic and ex-professional sports journalist. He was editor for SportBusiness International magazine, the oldest magazine covering the business of sport, and covered major events including the 2012 London Olympics and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Before that he was a news reporter for three years with Northcliffe Media, reporting mainly for the Surrey Mirror. He holds a MSc in Sport Management and the Business of Football from Birkbeck College, University of London, and also completed his NCTJ pre-entry certificate from News Associates. Previously he has been a returning guest speaker on postgraduate programmes such as CIES (Centre for International Sports Studies) Fifa Master, The MESGO (Master of European Sport Governance) and Vrije Universiteit’s Master in Sport, Economics and Communication.

owen_evans

Careers

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

Entry criteria

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.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

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 degree preparation courses.

Fees

Fees

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

International (full-time) 14,460 GBP

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

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-time 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

Location

Easy-going Eastbourne

The South Downs National Park, the bustling town centre and the beach with the pier, prom and bandstand are all within a 15-minute walk of our Eastbourne campus. Officially the sunniest place in the UK, Eastbourne has loads on offer: a year-round calendar of sporting events, the independent shops and cafes of Little Chelsea, music and arts festivals, theatres, galleries, great restaurants and high street shopping.

Every June, leading tennis players descend on Eastbourne for one of the main warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. One of the UK's biggest free extreme sports festivals, Beach Life, takes place on the seafront in July, bringing hi-octane action on land and sea. The international airshow Airbourne is another summer highlight.

Every autumn our students and staff participate in and support the Beachy Head Marathon, one of the UK's largest off-road marathons with challenging climbs and descents along the Seven Sisters.

The beach and the South Downs provide sports opportunities including horse riding, mountain biking, paragliding, sailing, canoeing, body boarding, kayaking, windsurfing and kite surfing.

The Towner Art Gallery has world-class exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and entry is free. Eastbourne also has four theatres, two cinemas and hosts a varied programme of arts and music events throughout the year.

Walking along Eastbourne seafront
Enjoying sport above Eastbourne

Campus where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Our campus is within 15 minutes' walk of the beach, South Downs National Park and the Eastbourne's busy town centre. There are excellent sport and exercise facilities, on-site halls of residence and social spaces include the Students' Union pub, the Starting Gate.

Sport and exercise, events, hospitality, journalism, nursing and midwifery, physical education, physiotherapy, podiatry and tourism students are all based here.

Specialist learning facilities include accredited exercise physiology laboratories, a newsroom, clinical simulation suites, human movement lab, culinary arts studio, the Leaf Hospital podiatric clinic and occupational health studios. Campus learning facilities include the Queenwood library, computer rooms, a media centre and a learning and technology suite.

Sports facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, sports hall and gym, artificial outdoor pitch, dance studio and climbing wall.

Eastbourne Student Centre provides services including careers, volunteering, counselling and wellbeing, student advice, disability and dyslexia support and chaplaincy.

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The Starting Gate, students' union pub in Eastbourne

Accommodation

Eastbourne

All eligible 2019-entry firm and insurance offer holders are guaranteed an offer of university-managed accommodation.

Welkin halls
Located in the Meads area of Eastbourne, right next to the Students' Union and Student Services, Welkin halls are a short walk or bike ride to other areas of the campus.

  • Ensuite halls with a choice of room and flat sizes.
  • Breakfast and an evening meal are provided from Monday to Friday during term-time, this is included in your rent. You have access to shared, fully equipped kitchen facilities.
  • Rent also includes all utilities, 24/7 staff cover, contents insurance, cleaning of communal areas and off-peak access to university fitness facilities including a 25m pool.

Find out more about our accommodation in Eastbourne.

Unihomes
A unihome is a student house which the university manages on behalf of a private landlord. This option can work particularly well when you’re balancing learning with placements and other life commitments.

  • Rent includes all utilities, broadband, contents insurance, cleaning of communal areas.
  • Generally shared bathroom with a variety of locations, room and house sizes. Some unihomes offer off-road parking.

Find out more about unihomes.

Private renting
Eastbourne offers good choice when it comes to student accommodation.

There’s a good supply of affordable, high quality private rented accommodation and plenty of support and advice from us if you choose this option. Your first stop should be our studenthomes database. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards.

Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.

Student accommodation in Eastbourne

Student accommodation in Eastbourne

Welkin bedroom

Student bedroom in Welkin halls

Modern kitchen in Welkin Halls

Modern kitchen in Welkin Halls

Maps

house Accommodation
campus University building

Eastbourne campus map

 Student views   

Lorenzo Ottone

"I chose the course as I wanted to learn the techniques of journalism and obtain a qualification that would enable me to work in such field; it will provide me with an asset of specific skills that can make a difference compared to self-taught bloggers.

"I enjoyed the intimacy of the course, the opportunity of having a close relationship with lecturers, quick feedback, the industry-level standards of teaching and having the opportunity to be taught by people who had previously worked in journalism. Staff were prepared, professional, inspiring and totally helpful - something I’m appreciating even more now that I’m on an MSc course in a bigger university.

"I had a one week placement at BBC Sussex Radio. It was a great experience in one of journalism’s top firms - not the closest to my dream job but a valuable experience to understand how a newsroom works from the inside.

"If you study on this course think of it as an opportunity not just to learn journalism but to practise it along the way. Set up your blog, develop your niche, and start contributing to as many publications as you can in order to have a portfolio of works that will demonstrate to future employers that you aren’t simply trained as a journalist but that you know how to do the job.

"Be creative and don’t simply do the tasks assigned. Use your free time to develop your journalism-related skills: review gigs, exhibitions, set up a fanzine, etc. It’ll be worth the effort."

Lorenzo_Ottone

Stay in touch

Stay up to date

Sign up for advice about open days, new courses and opportunities in this subject area.

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Our next open day for this course will take place in the summer. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Register your interest

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Statistics

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

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