Postgraduate Diploma - runs for one year from January to December on a full-time basis.

MA - runs for one year on a part-time basis after completion of the Diploma.

Modules

The following five modules make up the diploma:

• Professional Journalism Practices & Responsibilities - the core skills of journalism, including shorthand training.
  Assessment - a practical scenario-based examination and a practical examination of proficiency at shorthand. 
• Law, Ethics and Regulation - the knowledge required to be legally safe journalists.
  Assessment- Law is assessed by a three-hour unseen paper a 3000 word essay and a 500 word reflective report. 
• Journalism Skills for Radio and Television - Broadcast-specific technical, production and narrative skills.
  Assessment - production and submission of four news artefacts to given specifications.
• Public Affairs - where public affairs embraces British Central and Local Government.
• Assessment - this module is assessed by means of a public affairs three-hour unseen paper. 
• Professional Placement - all trainees must complete at least four weeks of placement in a professional newsroom  environment.
  Assessment- trainees must achieve a satisfactory grade from their host newsroom(s).

The MA in Journalism consists of one module which trainees may register for up to two years after completion of the Diploma.

• Research Methodologies and Journalism Research Project - culminates in the production of a supervised research dissertation.
  Assessment - trainees must attend a four-day introduction session in January and submit their research proposal by Easter. Trainees have 12 months to complete their thesis.

Facilities

Radio - trainees work in a dedicated newsroom and studio complex which is exclusive to postgraduate students.

The newsroom contains seven workstations that have specialist broadcast news management software and are equipped with incoming raw news feeds from Independent Radio News (IRN), Sky and the Press Association.

Our two dedicated radio studios are linked to this digital network, enabling paperless news operation.

Studio 1 is used for live broadcast and is usually configured for self operation. It has ISDN technology, allowing connection at studio-to-studio quality with any similarly-equipped studio anywhere in the world.

Studio 2 is a recording studio where our trainees conduct telephone interviews, record voice pieces and construct creative packages. A link to Studio 1 enables journalists to practice down-the-line operation prior to the live broadcast period.

Each trainee has access to a Flashmic portable audio recorder during our on-air and artefact production periods.

Television - the TV studio is available exclusively for postgraduate use outside undergraduate term time it has three cameras and is equipped with full rostrum, chromakey and autocue facilities.

Programme material can originate from digital tape, video server, or wireless OB link and scriptwriting software (ENPS) links computer stations in the television newsroom to the director and the autocue system.

In addition, there are 14 digital camcorders and 11 AVID editing systems for package/feature production.

Trainees also have full access to the Library and IT resources in the Andrew Kean Learning Centre.