Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Journalism

Why study this course with LJMU?

• LJMU ranked 14th in the UK for Journalism (The Guardian University Guide 2025)
• 95% of students surveyed said academic support was good or very good (National Student Survey 2024)
• One of a handful of courses in the UK accredited by both the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, providing you with the opportunity to leave with an NCTJ Diploma in addition to your degree
• Practical training in research and writing, digital journalism techniques, social media, broadcast, print and online production
• Opportunities to broadcast via our Student Union’s award-winning radio station
• Opportunities for industry placements with media organisations: recent student experiences include reviewing Taylor Swift’s Anfield gig, reporting for Sky and the BBC during the General Election and creating multimedia promotional content for Eurovision in Liverpool

About your course

A highly practical programme, the BA (Hons) Journalism is taught using industry-standard facilities so you gain the hands-on experience you will need in your day-to-day work as a journalist.

From the first year onwards, you will learn to use our in-house facilities including edit suites, newsrooms and radio studios supported by specialist technicians and expert tutors.

Alongside hands-on training you will learn the basics of media law and how public bodies work, as well as considering the role of journalism in today’s world. We’ll also look at the challenges and opportunities AI brings to the industry. Digital journalism is embedded into our course and you will learn to write and produce content for online platforms, podcasts and social media.

You will also develop skills in analysis and interpretation, initiative and research, which are vital in any career, not just journalism. Whether you want to be a feature writer or photojournalist, in your third year you can specialise in an area related to your future career aspirations.

Our strong links with local news publishers, television companies and radio stations mean that there will be opportunities for invaluable work experience during the course, and you will be encouraged to get involved with various student media outlets in Liverpool, including our own website.

If you would like to see some of the work published by our students, take a look Mersey News Live and Mersey Sports Live.

You can also check out the student radio station, Moore Student Radio, which you can sign up to be part of during your time with us. Some of our student radio society members recently interviewed Miley Cyrus during Radio One Big Weekend in Liverpool.

Course modules

Year 1

• Understanding Journalism (20 credits)
• Introduction to Reporting (20 credits)
• Reporting Skills (20 credits)
• Essential Law and Ethics (20 credits)
• Introduction to Newswriting (20 credits)
• Introduction to Broadcast (20 credits)

Year 2

• Developing Broadcast Skills (20 credits)
• Reporting UK Politics (20 credits)
• Journalism for a Digital Audience (20 credits)
• Multimedia News Production (20 credits)
• Journalism Issues (20 credits)
• Magazine Journalism (20 credits)

Year 3

• Advanced Journalism Practice (40 credits)
• Journalism Careers (20 credits)
• Dissertation (40 credits)
• Sports Journalism (20 credits)
• Final Project (40 credits)
• Features Journalism (20 credits)
• Photojournalism (20 credits)
• Public Interest Journalism (20 credits)
• Public Relations for Journalists (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the The National Council for the Training of Journalists and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council. Both industry accreditations means that the course focuses closely on UK employer requirements.

All LJMU journalism students will have the first attempt of their NCTJ assessments paid for by the university (subject to attendance).

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

• Teaching is delivered face-to-face via a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, in addition to around 22 hours of weekly production work and independent research.
• In your final year you will be expected to do more independent research on a topic of your choosing, and scheduled classes will reduce in order to give you time to focus on this major project.

Work-related Learning

This vocational course offers many opportunities for practical, hands-on experience and work placements, thanks to our connections in the local, national and international media. Recent LJMU Journalism student placements have included the BBC, Sky Sports, the Daily Mirror, the Liverpool Echo and Bauer Radio as well as leading PR companies. LJMU and Index on Censorship, a leading publication on free speech and human rights, offer a 12-month paid internship for a journalism student at the IOC headquarters in London. This is a great way to meet industry experts and learn about free speech around the world, as well as building skills in public relations, lobbying and campaigning.

You will be required to undertake 10 days of work experience at a media organisation of your choice. Work experience is an invaluable opportunity to practise your skills in a professional media environment and will put you at a distinct advantage over other applicants once you enter the competitive job market. In fact, many students are offered permanent jobs at institutions like the BBC, Reach Plc and Lime Pictures following a successful work placement.

Liverpool has a thriving journalism industry, with many multimedia publications based in the city.

Career paths

Once you graduate with a BA (Hons) Journalism degree, your practical skills in broadcasting, online and print journalism will qualify you to work in a variety of roles within this industry, from TV researchers to podcast producers

Our graduates have successful careers as reporters, writers, editors, specialist correspondents, freelance journalists and television presenters. As well as working in television and news publishing, they can be found in broadcasting and news agencies, public relations departments and consultancies, web-based media and local authority press departments.

Tuition fees and funding

Home International

• Full-time per year: £9,535
• Fees: The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.
• Financial Support: The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies.
• Additional Costs: In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of accommodation, travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU, stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire.

Entry requirements

• GCSEs and equivalents: Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy.
• A levels: BBC-ABB
• BTECs: Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
• Access awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical: Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
• Irish awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• T levels: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications.

International requirements

• IELTS: 7.5 overall with no component below 7.5, taken within two years of the course start date.

How to apply

• UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses.
• Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here

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• BA (Hons) Media, Culture, Communication with Foundation Year
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