Journalism BA
3-4 years
In a world of social media and ‘fake news’, an understanding of journalism is more important than ever. This course will teach you core journalistic techniques and help you develop skills to deliver effective content across multiple platforms. We’ll also explore how the modern global news industry functions.
Start date:
Course information
Typical offer BBB
UCAS code P500
International fee £19,700
Institute code L34
Taught by Media and Communication
Ranked in the top 20 for subjects aligned to Media and Communication for ‘overall positivity’ in the NSS 2024 (according to Times Higher Education NSS 2023 methodology applied to the NSS 2024 data).
Top 15 in the UK for Communication and Media Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
Course description
Course description
Our BA in Journalism focuses on the core skills which produce good journalism on all news platforms. This is for you if you are excited by the possibilities journalism offers in the digital world and you want to learn and practice core journalistic skills and techniques, as well as critically engage with recent developments in the global news industry.
Media and Communication at the University of Leicester, which includes Journalism, has been at the forefront of media research since 1966 and our teaching has always been informed by all the latest developments in the field. We are ranked as one of the top 15 places in the UK to study Communication and Media Studies*.
Journalism in the 21st century needs journalists who are comfortable operating across all platforms. This course will allow you to develop skills in broadcasting and digital/multi-media platforms as well as traditional print journalism so you can work in any and all media.
You will also receive a thorough grounding on key journalistic skills in core areas such as news-gathering and interviewing.
Our course emphasises four key areas:
- The development of your professional journalism skills across all platforms
- The study of the concepts and controversies backgrounding and surrounding 21st century journalism
- Work placements in professional journalism during your studies
- Entrepreneurial Journalism
You will be strongly encouraged to do industry placements with professional organisations, either as part of their degree or alongside it.
Alongside developing skills, you will also investigate the context and controversies which make journalism so interesting, relevant and crucial to society and democracy.
Our course is a strong blend of practical, academic and professional education, designed to produce students who can produce industry standard journalism, reflect on their practice and that of others and carry out useful and informative industrial placements. In short, you will learn to think like a journalist.
Through the great academic and practical support we offer you in group, as well as individual teaching situations, you will learn to work both collaboratively and independently. The way we will assess you will foster skills in critical analysis, communication, research methods, group work and of course, practical journalism. We also place great emphasis on helping you to build your skills for the world of work.
*The Complete University Guide 2021
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: BBB. All subjects accepted. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level
- EPQ with A-levels: BBC + EPQ at grade B
- GCSE: English Language Grade 4/C.
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass diploma with 45 credits at Level 3, including 24 credits at Distinction
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 28 points overall. Must include a minimum of grade 4 in English A or 5 in English B if minimum of grade 4/C not held at GCSE.
- BTEC Nationals: Full Diploma with DDM
- T-Levels: Merit or above, Humanities subjects preferred.
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the department.
English Language Requirements
A very high standard of written and spoken English is required for this programme because significant amounts of assessment are based on practical work. Students concerned about this should seek advice, but students without good English language skills would be at a disadvantage and should not apply for this course.
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
Tuition fees for 2025/26 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2024/25 were:
- £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,385 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £19,700 per year
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £4,925 for that year, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
We run employability and media production modules as part of our curriculum – e.g. Journalism Employability, Broadcast Journalism, Multi-platform and Entrepreneurial Journalism, Journalism Placement, Community Radio in Practice.
Our students are encouraged to get involved in the student-run media on campus, including Galaxy - our student magazine, LUST - our student TV station, and LUSH Radio - our student radio station.
We organise external speaker events, industry visit days, career development training and other initiatives in collaboration with local and national media organisations, giving you valuable insights into the professional media world.
In addition, our departmental Careers Tutor can support and advise you on careers matters throughout your time with us.
Graduate destinations
Recent graduates have gone on to work for companies such as:
- American Express
- Artavia Advertising
- BBC
- City Index
- E.ON Energy
- Gogglebox Entertainment
- HMRC
- Lloyds Bank
- Sky Media
- Transport for London
- Web Liquid Digital Marketing
Others have gone on to further study in the following fields:
- Broadcast Journalism
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Cinema and Television
- International Relations
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 4: Quality education
- Goal 5: Gender equality
- Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
- Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong institutions
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
First year modules are designed to enable you to develop key journalism skills and a sound understanding of the context of Journalism. The development of core journalistic skills in news-gathering, interviewing and features production are emphasised, alongside the development of understanding of the context, ethics and regulatory environment in which journalism operates.
Modules
- News Basics
- Introduction to Media and Communication (double module)
- Media Origins
- Features Journalism
- Key Concepts in Journalism (double module)
- Journalism Ethics and Regulation
- Journalism Employability
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
In your second year, you will apply the practical skills you developed in your first year across a range of different but connected journalism platforms, especially broadcasting and digital web-based journalism. You will also further develop your understanding of the context and background to journalism and learn how to do your own research into journalism. Option modules will allow you to start to pursue your own specialist interests through modules in Sport, Political Journalism, Magazines and Broadcast Journalism.
Core modules
- Digital and Social Media Journalism: Context and Practice
- Broadcast Journalism 1
- Professionalism and Employment in the Media
- Journalism Studies
- Media Research in Practice (double module)
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
Then choose one option module from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year Abroad (optional)
Year Abroad (optional)
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final year
Final year
The third year allows students to bring all previous study together to both produce a publication of your own consumer journalism, but also to investigate and area of journalism of your choice and produce an extended project in this area. In addition, optional modules allow students to continue to develop skills and knowledge in specialist areas of their choice, notably sport and political journalism.
Core modules
- Journalism Dissertation (double module)
- Publishing Project 1
- Publishing Project 2
Option modules
Choose two option modules from:
- Journalism Placement
- Reporting Panics
- Media, Rights and Responsibilities
- Sports Journalism
- Environmental Communication
Then choose two option modules from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
An optional placement module in your second year will give you real industry experience.
The University of Leicester has one of the longest established continually published student newspapers in the UK, as well as student radio and TV stations. All are a great way to gain valuable experience.
Teaching and learning
In each year there are six modules, each of which involves approximately 30 hours of contact time and around 120 hours of private study.
Teaching methods include practical workshops, lectures, seminars, various practical activities and assessments, and one-to-one supervision. All teaching is by subject specialists and teaching methods are adapted to suit the aims and objectives of each module.
In your first year you will have additional workshops around study skills, essay writing and preparing for exams. A variety of teaching approaches are employed in the second and third year depending on the modules you take. One-to-one teaching is an important feature of the programme. In your third year your investigation work will be supervised by a subject-specialist. You will be allocated a personal tutor whose job is to provide you with pastoral and academic support throughout the programme.
Modules are assessed by a combination of portfolios, essays, exams and presentations. You will complete a 6,000-word investigation project in your third year.
You will have regular meetings with your personal tutor to discuss progress in your studies. Your personal tutor will also provide a sympathetic ear for all matters of personal concern, whether they be academic, financial, housing, career or social issues.
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| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Journalism | Qualification BA | Duration 3 years, full-time | UCAS Code P500 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Journalism with Year Abroad | Qualification BA | Duration 4 years, full-time | UCAS Code P500 | Availability How to apply |
