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Journalism, Media and Culture BA Honours

  • UCAS code: P500
  • Full time
  • 3 years

This Journalism, Media and Culture degree will prepare you for a fast-paced and varied career at the cutting edge of journalism, media and creative industries.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year: 2024-25


Next start date:

  • September 2024

Fees (per year)

  • Home: £9250
  • International: £21600

Entry requirements and offers

  • A-Level: AAB
  • IB: 34 points

UCAS Institution name and code:

  • NEWC / N21

Course overview

Our three-year Journalism, Media and Culture degree focuses on developing your writing, production and communication skills across a range of platforms. You'll be well prepared for a career in a fast-changing media environment as a proactive journalist or media professional. 

This hands-on degree programme ensures you develop the practical skills critical in multimedia journalism, as well as an in-depth academic knowledge across all aspects of journalism and media theory. 

You'll master the ability to write, produce, and edit both audio and video content for a variety of media.

Your knowledge of the issues and debates in media and cultural studies will be supplemented with a thorough grounding in cultural studies, journalism history, media law and political communications. 

You'll become a highly skilled media professional with an in-depth and critical understanding of the roles media and culture play in our society, ready for an exciting career working in journalism and media. 

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Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions  
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation and recognition

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

You will be introduced to the principles and practices of multi-platform journalism, focusing on the skills needed to master multimedia technology. You develop your writing skills and explore the role of media and culture in contemporary society from a historical and theoretical perspective.

Modules

Compulsory Modules Credits
Media Studies 20
Critical Skills in Media, Communication & Cultural Studies 20
Social and Cultural Studies 20
Introduction to Journalism Practice 20
Journalism: Pasts, present and future 20
Introduction to Multimedia Journalism 20

You will expand your skills across print, magazine, online and broadcast journalism, and learn about regulations, legislation and ethics relevant to the media industries.

You will tailor the degree to your interests by choosing from a wide range of optional modules, such as broadcast journalism, magazine publishing, conflict and crisis reporting, race, culture and identity, media, democracy and the public sphere, feminist approaches to media analysis, documentary film-making, public relations, advertising and marketing.

Modules

Compulsory Modules Credits
Work Experience: Find, Apply & Succeed 0
Media Law and Ethics 20
Multimedia Journalism I 20
Journalism Practice for Digital Audiences 20
Research Methods 20
Optional Modules Credits
Student Exchange: Semester 1 60
Introduction to Public Relations 20
Race, Culture and Identity 20
Sex, Sexuality and Desire 20
Popular Culture, Media & Identity 20
Visual Culture 20
Celebrity Culture 20
Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio) 20
Conflict and Crisis Reporting 20
You only take the following module if you are studying abroad:
Student Exchange: Semester 1

You will expand your skills across print, magazine, online and broadcast journalism, and learn about regulations, legislation and ethics relevant to the media industries.

You will tailor the degree to your interests by choosing from a wide range of optional modules, such as broadcast journalism, magazine publishing, conflict and crisis reporting, race, culture and identity, media, democracy and the public sphere, feminist approaches to media analysis, public relations, advertising and consumption.

Modules

Compulsory modules

You take the following compulsory module:

Journalism and Media Research Dissertation (40 credits)

You also take one of the following modules – but you may take the other as one of your optional modules:

Multimedia Journalism II (20 credits)
JesmondLocal: Advanced Newsroom Practice (20 credits)

Modules

Optional Modules Credits
Race, Culture and Identity 20
Sex, Sexuality and Desire 20
Popular Culture, Media & Identity 20
Visual Culture 20
Celebrity Culture 20
Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio) 20
Conflict and Crisis Reporting 20
Magazine Publishing 20
Youth, Identity and Contemporary Media 20
Fashion, Communication and Culture 20
Global Public Relations 20
JesmondLocal: Advanced Newsroom Practice 20
Religion and Recent US Film 20
Advertising and Consumption 20
Power, Politics and Communication 20
Social Media Data Journalism 20
Feminist Approaches to Media Analysis 20
Digital Discourses and Identity 20
Broadcast Journalism 2 - TV News and Advanced Video 20

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

Teaching is through lectures, seminars, practical workshops and regular one-to-one tutorials.

In Stage 3 you undertake a research project that accounts for one-third of your time.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

  • Assessments

  • Assignments – written or fieldwork

  • Coursework

  • Dissertation or research project

  • Essays

  • Examinations – practical or online

  • Portfolio submission

  • Practical sessions

  • Presentations

  • Projects

Skills and experience

Practical skills

You will have opportunities to develop your practical skills through opportunities to work for The Courier, Newcastle University's award-winning weekly student newspaper, our student radio and television stations or local media projects like Jesmond Local: Advanced Newsroom Practice module, a digital news hub where you can develop and explore new models of journalism. 

You'll have the opportunity to take part in international pop-up Newsroom events, where – along with students from across the world – you'll take part in a 24-hour rolling global reporting project, focused on current issues. 

Business skills

You will develop a comprehensive portfolio of work, produced to industry standards, including works of written news, features, reviews and a multimedia package that features text, audio and/or video as well as social media. 

You'll also have the opportunity to add broadcasting and radio packages to your portfolio.

Research skills

You'll undertake a Journalism and Media dissertation in the final year of your degree. This gives you the chance to demonstrate your learned knowledge and develop your techniques and understanding around independent, in-depth research. 

Your dissertation will build on a range of compulsory and optional theoretical modules that you will be able to study throughout your course on pertinent topics such as media and power, gender studies, race, culture and identity, celebrity culture, PR, advertising and consumption, digital discourses or conflict and crisis reporting.

 

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Opportunities

Study abroad

Experience life in another country by choosing to study abroad as part of your degree. You’ll be encouraged to embrace fun and challenging experiences, make connections with new communities and graduate as a globally aware professional, ready for your future.

You can choose the student exchange module in your second year. This will allow you to spend the first semester of second year on a student exchange.

Find out more about study abroad

Work placement

Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Your degree title will show you have achieved the placement year.  Placements are subject to availability.

Find out more about work placements.

Facilities and environment

Facilities

As a student of Media, Journalism and Film Practice at Newcastle University, you will join a vibrant community in the School of Arts and Cultures' Media, Culture, Heritage department. 

You will be based in the Armstrong Building and Film@CultureLab, right at the heart of our city-centre campus. You'll be close to all of Newcastle University's amenities, as well as being just a five-minute walk to Newcastle's main street, Northumberland Street. 

You'll have access to:

  • professional-standard video and audio equipment, studio space and AV-editing facilities
  • specialist computing facilities, including industry-standard software, such as Adobe Creative Suite
  • a mobile studio suite

Support

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a personal tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues.

You will also benefit from the expert knowledge and skills of our dedicated team of technicians based in Culture Lab.

Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have when starting university.

Your future

You will develop the skills needed to be a successful multimedia journalist. You will also be exposed to a broad commercial and cultural awareness of the media and creative industries, both from academic staff and media practitioners.

Students from our Journalism, Media and Culture degree have followed a variety of career paths in the industry, such as: 

  • print, online, broadcast and multimedia journalism
  • broadcast production
  • social media editing and planning
  • script-writing
  • public relations, communications and market research 

Careers in public relations, journalism, media planning, broadcasting and advertising are the most popular choices for graduates. Our courses focus on the communication of information across a broad range of subjects from the highly practical to the theoretical, so you'll be beneficial to any organisation.

You will develop a variety of skills that are extremely useful for employment, such as critical analysis, research, teamwork, flexibility, a creative and independent approach to tasks and the ability to work to a brief and meet deadlines.

Make a difference

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Careers support

A portfolio of work is crucial if you wish to work in the media industry, and we've plenty of opportunities for you to develop this. We have an award-winning student newspaper, university radio and television stations, as well as links with local media outlets.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements and offers below apply to 2024 entry.

A-Level
International Baccalaureate

Other UK and the Republic of Ireland qualifications

Contextual Offers

Through one of our contextual routes, you could receive an offer of up to three grades lower than the typical requirements.

What is a contextual offer? Find out more and if you’re eligible for this or our PARTNERS Programme supported entry route.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Entrance courses (INTO)

International Pathway Courses are specialist programmes designed for international students who want to study in the UK. We provide a range of study options for international students in partnership with INTO. 

Find out more about International Pathway Courses

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)

Qualification: BA Honours

Home students

full time 3 years

Tuition fees (per year)

9250

International students

full time 3 years

Tuition fees (per year)

21600

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Find out more about:

Scholarships

Find out more about:

Open days and events

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

  • the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
  • the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
  • the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages

Get in touch

By phone

Call us on +44 (0) 191 208 3333 and press option 1. Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am until 4pm.

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