Assessments mainly consist of coursework portfolios where you will be producing journalism of your own for different platforms including online, TV and radio studio output. Some modules are assessed through exams – for example, Law, Ethics and Regulation, Public Affairs and News Skills.
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About this course
Our MA Journalism programme provides you with all the skills you will need to work across different platforms – online, TV and radio. You will learn how to find and write news stories, interview and establish contacts. Hands-on camera, studio, editing and mobile journalism skills are taught so that our trainees are confident and competent on their industry work placements.
We also cover the increasingly important areas of social media skills, verification techniques, data journalism, AI and analytics. Shorthand is embedded in the course and you will sit your NCTJ diploma alongside your Masters.
Awareness of professional roles, law, public affairs and the regulatory responsibilities of journalists is taught, along with a critical understanding of the political and commercial structures within which the media operate. All the skills you learn come together for your Journalism Project when you can do more in-depth research on a topic of your choice to produce a multi-media project, a short video documentary or a podcast.
Our annual Journalism and Media Week runs every November consistently attracting big names from the industry. You will report the events live across multimedia platforms, interview guests and develop longer features. Above all else, it’s a great chance to make key contacts. To view some of our MA student reports throughout Journalism and Media Week, visit Journalism and Media Week - Yorkshire Voice
Specialist Facilities
You’ll have access to industry-leading spaces and equipment including production rooms, Mac and PC editing suites, and TV, radio and photography studios. These specialist facilities are designed to help you produce high-quality professional work across platforms including web, newspapers, magazines, television and radio.
Scott Trust Bursary
Join Us By Applying For The Scott Trust Bursary
The Guardian Foundation’s bursary scheme for a place on Leeds Trinity University’s MA Journalism programme has now opened.
The primary aim of the bursary award is to assist students who face financial difficulty in attaining the qualifications needed to pursue a career in journalism, and who come from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the media. In particular those from a lower socio-economic background; Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds; LGBTQ+ and people with a disability.
Those who are awarded a bursary get tuition fees; living expenses; mentoring and paid work placements at the Guardian. Following graduation, bursary recipients are supported to take their next steps into journalism. Bursary recipients are offered the opportunity to take part in a 9-month fixed term traineeship, with the goal of developing their skills in journalism, newsroom immersion and supervised professional practice.
Check out the Guardian Foundation’s website for more information.
Accreditation
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Our MA has rare dual accreditation by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).
These are the accreditations that editors look for because they mean that the trainee has successfully completed a course that meets the 'gold standard' of journalism training. The accreditation recognises the quality of the course in developing journalists for the demands of a fast-changing multimedia industry. Students sit the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism alongside their MA at no additional cost for their first attempts.
Why study with us
- Meet the ‘gold standard’ of journalism training on our MA Journalism programme. The rare dual accreditation by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) are the accreditations which recognise the quality of the course and are what editors look for when recruiting trainee journalists.
- Receive financial support through a PG loan or bursary. Postgraduate degrees are an investment. For eligibility criteria and for more information, visit our Student finance pages.
- Learn from experienced journalists with an in-depth knowledge of the industry, coming from a variety of backgrounds, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and digital media.
- Make valuable industry connections from:
- Your lecturers, many of whom still work as journalists and who have worked for national broadcasters such as BBC Radio 1 and 4, ITV, Channel 5 and Sky News, as well as international publications like Seventeen magazine in New York.
- Industry placements which form part of your degree
- Journalism and Media Week – our annual week of talks, gives you the opportunity to hear from industry experts representing the UK’s leading broadcasters, newspapers, magazines and digital media outlets. Past guests have included journalist and broadcaster Piers Morgan and Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman.
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Course modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Year 1
These are the core modules you'll study on this degree.
News Skills – Core
The module covers the core skills needed to be a successful and effective journalist in the digital age. You will learn how to source, verify and write content and learn the most effective ways to tell those stories making best use of online platforms. We also cover interviewing; video; photography; smartphone journalism; using data; understanding analytics and social media skills. This module also includes shorthand.
Many employers in the journalism industry insist on shorthand qualifications and all employers consider it a valuable skill. The ability to write accurate notes when interviewing or covering meetings and court cases is vital – both ethically and legally.
Shorthand – Core
Many employers in the journalism industry insist on shorthand qualifications and all employers consider it a valuable skill. The ability to write accurate notes when interviewing or covering meetings and court cases is vital – both ethically and legally.
Law, Ethics and Regulation – Core
This module gives you the knowledge required to operate as legally safe journalists and be confident in what you can and cannot report. It will cover relevant law including defamation; contempt of court; reporting restrictions; defences; copyright; juvenile crime; sex offences; hate crime; trolling and privacy. It also includes media ethics, Ofcom and the Editors’ Code of Practice. You will also attend court hearings. An innovative and exhilarating module.
Live Production – Core
In this module you’ll be learning all the skills needed to broadcast in radio, TV, online and on social media including voice training. You’ll learn how to film, edit, record audio, make podcasts and present live news programmes.
Public Affairs – Core
You’ll develop your knowledge and understanding of how government works at a national and local level, how they are linked, where news stories come from and how to develop them. You’ll learn how to hold public bodies to account by using freedom of information requests.
Professional Placement – Core
There’s no better way to learn than to spend time in a professional working environment and you’ll fulfil a minimum of two weeks on a journalism-related placement. It’s a chance to get a sense of real-world roles and responsibilities while those offering the placements get the opportunity to identify potential talent. You will also learn how to use the latest digital tools to create your own professional network and develop skills to prepare you for a career in the media industry.
Journalism Project – Core
You will showcase all the skills developed over the year with us to create your own journalism related ‘showstopper’. It could be a tv or radio documentary or a multimedia portfolio. This tests your ability to research and create the content of your choice with a compelling story at its heart.
Course structures
September - Full-time
| Year | Term | Module | Credits | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Public Affairs | 15 | 2 hours per week for 12 weeks |
| 1 and 2 | News Skills | 30 | 14 hours per week for eight weeks and 60 hours newsdays across two weeks | |
| Law, Ethics and Regulation | 30 | 2 hours per week for 10 weeks | ||
| 1, 2 and Summer | Professional Placement | 15 | Total of 3 hours | |
| 2 | Live Production | 30 | TBC | |
| 2 and Summer | Journalism Project | 60 | Total of 12 hours |
Charley BergmanI loved every aspect of the course, but the news days were the best part for me – especially the TV news days because my goal was to work in TV journalism. Now that I work for ITV, I realise even more how helpful those news days were. The facilities, equipment and training we received on TV news days were of the same standard as what I now use every day at ITV.
Production Journalist, ITV Calendar and Student of the Year, NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2022 MA Journalism graduate
Katie Haseldine“The experience I gained learning about mobile journalism, TV and radio, and creating content for a range of different platforms and audiences has been important in my career. Being asked to knock on people’s doors in week one of the course, helps build your confidence and ability to interview people in real life. Being taught in a small group means you know your tutors as actual people, which really makes a difference to how you learn.”
Reporter/Producer for BBC Radio Merseyside and winner of the Grassroots category at the ARIAS Awards 2023, MA Journalism graduate
Top University in the UK for Journalism, The Guardian University Guide 2026
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