(MA) Master of Arts
International Journalism
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Masters
Part-time
MA P50024
29/06/2023
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A 2:2 honours degree, or international equivalent in any subject.
Applicants without a formal qualification but with significant appropriate work experience are encouraged to apply.
We encourage applicants from the arts, humanities, business, sciences and the social sciences.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 with minimum component scores of 5.5 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
Prof William Scott Lucas
Professor, Clinton Institute
University College Dublin
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
- To introduce students to the theory and practice of journalism in a global context, across different media, cultural and regulatory environments.
- To equip students with the writing, digital and visual storytelling skills necessary to produce newsworthy stories in a variety of media and professional contexts.
- To provide rigorous training in the editorial and production techniques that journalists need to operate effectively in today’s digital environment.
- To acquaint students with both traditional and new investigative research methods, including techniques for gathering, verifying, analysing and documenting data.
- To give students the legal, moral, ethical and values-based framework that will allow them to develop high ethical standards in the practice of journalism and behave in a professional manner.
- To develop students’ analytical skills, alongside their practical skills.
- To encourage students to work effectively on their own and in teams to produce videos and other journalistic content.
- To give students the option to tailor their studies by choosing a practice- or theory-led route depending on their interests and career ambitions.
- To enhance student career prospects in journalism and related fields.
- To prepare students for progression to doctoral research with a view to entering the academic profession.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Enhanced understanding of the theory and practice of international journalism, across different media, cultural and regulatory contexts.
A2: Understanding of the social significance of journalism and its relationship to democracy.
A3: Ability to analyse and report on issues of global significance such as war, climate change, poverty, trade and migration.
A4: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a specialist subject area or type of journalism.
A5: Command of digital production practices across different media.
A6: Familiarity with traditional and new journalistic research methods, including the ability to gather, analyse and interpret data from different sources.
A7: Understanding of the legal and ethical framework and professional codes of journalistic practice.
Learning methods
Students gain A1-A7 through lectures, practical workshops, seminars, drop-in sessions and one-to-one supervisory tutorials, supplemented by learning resources on Moodle and TALIS (including lecture slides, readings, detailed technical instruction and recommended viewing). Students receive further support in feedback on formative exercises and assessments.
Assessment methods
A1-A7 are assessed by a range of coursework (feature article, podcasts, photo essay, short documentary, written essay, presentation and investigative feature) and a final project or dissertation. Additionally, workshops include weekly exercises assessed in class with indicative grades to prepare students for summative assessments.
For the final project, students taking the practice track can choose between: a written submission (which may include a single work for long-form journalism or several shorter pieces on a single subject) of approx. 12,000 – 15,000 words OR a 20 minute documentary podcast OR a 15 minute video documentary. Students taking the theory track produce a written academic dissertation of 15,000 words (excluding bibliography and footnotes) on an issue of contemporary relevance in journalism studies.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Exercise critical judgment in analysing and reporting international affairs.
B2: Analyse and evaluate theories pertinent to journalism studies.
B3: Develop analytical skills to critically examine different forms of data and assess their authenticity, significance, and reliability.
B4: Use critical thinking in researching, planning, and delivering journalistic output.
B5: Produce sustained, coherent arguments in written or audio-visual form, involving a range of information from different sources.
Learning methods
B1-B5 are developed through instruction in lectures and practice in seminars, workshops and drop-in sessions, with the aid of resources on Moodle and TALIS. Additionally, B5 is supported by one-to-one supervisory tutorials.
Assessment methods
B1-B5 are assessed by coursework (feature article, podcasts, photo essay, short documentary, written essay, presentation and investigative feature) and the dissertation/project, with opportunities for formative feedback.
C: Practical skills
C1: Write with accuracy, brevity and clarity for different media across different genres.
C2: Use libraries and IT to access books, documents, and digital records.
C3: Plan and execute a substantial practical or research project.
C4: Conduct effective research for factual stories.
C5: Produce high quality audiovisual content for digital distribution.
C6: Master visual storytelling skills through photography and video.
C7: Work independently and in teams to produce digital media outputs on deadline.
C8: Analyse digital records, collect social media data, and use open-source investigative techniques to authenticate, verify and archive evidence.
C9: Work in a professional manner, observing ethical and legal constraints.
C10: Provide references according to accepted conventions
Learning methods
Students develop C1-C10 through instruction in lectures, seminars, practical workshops, independent research and lecturer feedback. Guidance for C8 can be found in the LiFTS PGT Handbook and support for C9 is offered in sessions run by library staff. For C10, students are further guided by their supervisor.
Assessment methods
A variety of coursework (feature article, podcasts, photo essay, short documentary, written essay, presentation and investigative feature) is assessed for skills C1-9; the dissertation or practical project assesses C10. In each instance there are opportunities for formative feedback.
D: Key skills
D1: The ability to communicate information, arguments and ideas cogently and effectively in a range of different contexts, both orally and in writing
D2: Ability to use appropriate software and hardware to produce and present high-quality journalistic content, and to use IT effectively for research and information-gathering purposes.
D3: Ability to understand and critically evaluate data, including statistical data.
D4: Ability to manage projects and timetables, and to apply knowledge and understanding to create solutions in a range of scholarly and practical contexts.
D5: Ability to work co-operatively in a variety of contexts, including practical production.
D6: Ability to take responsibility for own work and actions in individual and collective contexts, and to reflect on performance and make constructive use of written and oral feedback.
Learning methods
Students develop D1-D6 in lectures, seminars, workshops and independent study.
Assessment methods
Key skills are assessed through coursework (feature article, podcasts, photo essay, short documentary, written essay, presentation and investigative feature) and the dissertation/practical project, with opportunities for formative feedback.