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Introduction
Why choose this course?
Key features
Develop your practical skills in the Leicester Centre for Journalism and our multi-million-pound Creative Technology Studios, which feature broadcast-standard radio production studios, and film studios equipped with multi-cameras and green screen facilities.
You will learn to write from respected and award-winning former journalists and academic experts who are active in newspaper, radio, magazine and digital journalism. Our students were recently inspired by a guest lecture from successful freelance writer and former DMU Journalism alumna, Rachel Toal.
Select a route through this degree in Creative Writing, Drama, English Language, English Literature, Film Studies, History or Media. These carefully chosen routes will complement and enrich your understanding of your main subject, alongside broadening your skillset to give you a wider range of career paths upon graduation.
Gain valuable hands-on experience by joining a range of student societies such as the award-winning Demon Media group, and put what you’ve learned into practice by contributing to its magazine, radio, Youtube channel and website.
You will have opportunities to strengthen your career prospects with placements in industry. Places students have previously worked at include The Times, Sky Sports, the NME, Leicester City Football Club, ITN, the BBC, CNN, Leicestershire Live and the Observer.
Graduates have progressed to careers and internships with some of the UK’s biggest media companies, including Sky News, The Sun, the BBC, CNN, ITV, plus Mixmag and Clash magazines as well as PR companies and the wider communications and digital media industries.
Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.
Overview
Journalists play a vital role in a democracy, and this course offers the opportunity to pursue a career that is not only exciting, but also crucial for informing debate and discussion on a wide range of questions affecting our lives.
The course is designed to enable flexibility to allow you to focus on specialist areas of your choice, which include music journalism, lifestyle and sports while also preparing you to challenge the status quo. Throughout the degree, you will be encouraged to focus on core issues of social equality, social justice, protest and marginalised communities in the UK.
You will learn the traditional core skills of researching, interviewing, writing and web-publishing, and gain multimedia skills within video and audio production. The journalism sector requires graduates who possess a broad digital multi-platform skillset, knowledge of media law and political structures, and have the ability to question structures in society.
Modules
Year 1
Block 1: News Reporting and Media Law
Block 2: Video and Audio Journalism
Block 3: Understanding Journalism OR you can select to study one route from the list below:
Film Studies: Disney, Warner Bros and the Film Studio
Media and Communication: Media, Culture and Society
English Language: Evolving Language
Creative Writing: Writers Salon
English Literature: Introduction to Drama: Shakespeare
History: Global Cities
Drama: Shifting Stages
Block 4: Digital News Production
Year 2
Block 1: Feature Writing and Lifestyle Journalism
Block 2: TV and Radio Journalism
Block 3: Beyond News OR continue with the route selected in the first year:
Film Studies: Screen Archives
Media and Communication: Public Relations
English Language: Sociolinguistics
Creative Writing: Story Craft
English Literature: Digital Humanities
History: Humans and the Natural World
Drama: Theatre Revolutions
Block 4: Professional Practice
Year 3
Block 1: Journalism Projects
Block 2: Freelance Journalism and Enhanced Digital Reporting
OR
Podcasting, Photojournalism and Visual Culture
Block 3: Sports Journalism OR Music, Film and Entertainment Journalism OR continue with the study route selected in the first and second year:
Film Studies: British Cinema
Media and Communication: Gender & TV Fictions
English Language: Language, Gender and Sexuality
Creative Writing: Creative Misbehaviour
English Literature: World Englishes
History: The World on Display
Drama: Performance, Identity and Society
Block 4: Journalism Dissertation
OR
Negotiated Journalism Project
Teaching
This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. Outside of your normal timetabled hours you will be expected to conduct independent study each week to complete preparation tasks, assessments and research.
Course delivery is in block mode, which means each 30 credit module consists of a seven week teaching block.
Learning takes place in a variety of formats including workshops, lectures, seminars, tutorials, and independent study.
Assessment
The assessment strategies are designed to measure the extent students are able to demonstrate their ability to achieve the learning outcomes for each module and ultimately to ensure academic and professional journalism skills have been met by the end of the three years.
The type of assessment varies according to the module. They range from traditional essays, presentations, reflective essays to portfolios of practical journalism work. Summative assessments are designed to provide evidence students have gained knowledge and understanding of supporting theory and research; and that they have developed professional competencies in the work produced.
Anonymous Marking: Portfolios and long form projects are undertaken under the guidance of tutors are therefore not appropriate for anonymous marking. However, essays within most of the modules are marked anonymously.
Industry links
DMU Journalism staff have close links with all forms of Leicestershire news media. Journalism staff have worked for — and continue to work for — most local newspapers and radio stations. This means our Journalism courses have unrivalled industry links with newspapers and radio stations in Leicestershire and the courses have an excellent reputation both regionally and nationally, allowing our students to win prestigious work experience placements for themselves.
Students also have the chance to contribute to Demon Media’s multimedia platforms, including The Demon Magazine, Demon FM community radio station, Demon TV and the Demon website.
Entry Criteria
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry criteria
A typical offer is normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels, or
BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM
Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English or equivalent.
Alternative qualifications include:
Pass Access in the QAA accredited Access to HE course. English and Maths GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification.
We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.
International Baccalaureate: 24+ points
T Levels Merit
Portfolio Required : No
Interview Required: No.
We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.
English language
If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.
English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.
Contextual offer
To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Career Opportunities
Graduate Careers
Former graduates have gone on to work for some of the UK’s biggest media companies, including major newspaper groups, magazines, PR companies and the wider communications and digital media industries.
Previous students have secured roles such as trainee journalists and news editors for the regional and national press and radio stations, as well as positions on the ITV News graduate scheme.
Students increasingly find employment in the digital sector, where the ability to communicate effectively on a variety of platforms is a significant advantage.
Graduates are also well positioned to continue their academic careers by embarking on postgraduate study, in either research or taught areas, which offers the opportunity for further specialisation, including the Investigative Journalism MA course offered at DMU.
DMU Global
Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.
Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.
Journalism students have been on trips to gain insight into the rapidly changing world of newspapers at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, as well as completed an internship at the prestigious Charles University in Prague, where they wrote articles for the university’s English-language news website.
Placements
Work placements are offered as part of this course through DMU Careers Team, and can boost your skills and experience while studying, as well as improving your chances of gaining a graduate level job.
We have links with organisations both in the UK and internationally, and the placements team will help you find a placement to suit your interests and aspirations.
Journalism students have undertaken work experience within a variety of media outlets, including NME, the Observer, Sky Sports News and the Leicester Mercury.
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