Journalism with Education
Journalism is part of the combined campus subject programme at Ulster, Coleraine. It is the only university degree programme in the subject in Northern Ireland and offers you the opportunity to study the theory and practice of journalism in context with determining factors such as law, economics, politics and technology. It provides you with a range of relevant practical and professional skills.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
Attendance
200 hours per module per semester as follows:
36 contact hours per module per semester.
164 independent study hours per module per semester.
FAQ: How many hours per week will I attend as journalism student at Ulster?
All full-time degree programmes in the Faculty of Arts require a minimum three hours contact time (e.g. lectures and seminars) per module. However, programmes with a practice component, such as Journalism, will demand, by their very nature, additional contact hours for attendance on practical workshops and may require occasional assignments off campus, e.g. to local court or council. In addition to attendance at teaching sessions, the programme will require up to 20 hours per module per semester of independent learning and study (e.g. library research and coursework preparation). In that light, the attendance requirement in part-time mode depends on how many modules taken per semester (one or two).
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
104 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher Level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
• Media Outlets
• Media Researcher
• Newspapers
• Public Relations
• Radio
• Social Media Co-ordinator
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
• Content Assistant
• Copywriting
• Edit
• Freelance journalist
• Journalist
• Page Design
• Public Relations
Career options
While a degree in Journalism at Ulster does not lead directly to a professional qualification in journalism, it will prepare you for application to higher degree and professional courses.
In common with all other undergraduate Arts degree programmes, journalism offers you very real opportunities for personal growth and self-development.
Where these opportunities are taken with enthusiasm and determination, you will undoubtedly enhance your long-term employability and the skills developed while studying journalism will be valued by a wide range of employers.
The BA Hons Journalism programme is not accredited by the journalism industries (Ulster’s accredited programme is at Masters level, MA Journalism).
For information on postgraduate research opportunities see: www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/rgs
The study of education in combination with other degree subjects at Ulster will provide you with the first insight into a future career in the education sector.
Whilst studying education as a minor does not in itself provide Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), it is an ideal starting point to focus your future career ambitions. Graduates can take advantage of the postgraduate opportunities available at Ulster to fulfil their ambitions in the teaching profession.
Those graduates who are interested in a teaching career in secondary education may apply for the appropriate Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (Secondary). You should be aware, though, that the University of Ulster does not offer PGCE programmes in all the major subjects with which Education as a minor can be combined.
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Journalism theory and practice: news-gathering, reporting, writing and editing for television, radio, print and online, in a changing media landscape.
Summary
Journalism is part of the combined campus subject programme at Ulster, Coleraine. It is the only university degree programme in the subject in Northern Ireland and offers you the opportunity to study the theory and practice of journalism in context with determining factors such as law, economics, politics and technology. It provides you with a range of relevant practical and professional skills.
As a major subject programme (four modules per full-time year), Journalism at Ulster is combined with another, minor subject in the Arts (two modules per full-time year) to make up a full degree programme. There is a range of subjects to choose from as your minor: Education, English and History.
We find that students who are interested in teaching as a career may decide to add Education to their degree ‘mix’ at undergraduate level before applying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education after they have completed their degree. Each Education module usually involves a two hour lecture plus a one hour seminar each week.
About
In Year 1, you will take modules that give you a good basic grounding in the academic study of the media and in practical journalism skills that you will need to underpin your more advanced modules in years two and three. At this level you will take modules that introduce you to critical issues in journalism (history, sociology, economics and technology), journalism law and regulation, and journalism practice (newsgathering, report writing, sub-editing, newspaper design and production and broadcast journalism techniques).
Your commitment in time and effort will be intensive and demanding, much more so than those subjects that have no practice component. As well as on-campus activities, you will also learn about reporting from the local court and council offices. At the end of your second year, you will be encouraged to seek a placement with a local newspaper or other news based outlet.
The programme uses a range of teaching methods including lectures, small group seminars and practical workshops. These are delivered and supervised by experienced teaching staff, including former journalists.
You will have access to a wide range of learning resources, including professional standard newspaper production and design software such as Adobe InDesign, and digital sound and video software. You will also work in a simulated newsroom environment.
The programme assesses your work using a variety of different assessment methods including traditional academic essays, critical book reviews, examinations, class-tests and practical journalism assignments in reporting and writing.
Studying Education as a minor in combination with another subject offered at Ulster is an excellent introduction to a future career path in the education sector. It will provide you with an introduction to the main concepts and concerns of contemporary educational theory and practice in both Northern Ireland, the UK and internationally.
Dr Colm Murphy has extensive research experience in Journalism and the Digital Economy and his teaching centres on legal and digital isuses in journalism. Colm is a former journalist and editor working at a variety of publications including the Irish Times. He is also a Director of the industry recognised accreditation body, the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Ms Maggie Swarbrick is Course Director of Ulster's prestigious MA Journalism programme and also teaches at undergraduate level, specialising in radio and television reporting. Maggie is a former trainer and journalist at BBC and is an examiner with the NCTJ.
Mr Milne Rowntree is Subject Director for the BA Hons Journalism programme. Milne is a former print and online journalist and teaches in the areas of media law and public affairs, as well as newspaper and online reporting. He is also an examiner with the NCTJ.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year 1
Contemporary Educational Issues
Facilitating An Effective Learning Environment
Media, Culture, Politics
Public Affairs for Journalists
Introduction to Journalism
Introduction to Multi-platform Journalism
Year 2
Industrial Educational Placement
Media Law and Regulation
Innovation and Work Based Learning
Learning and Teaching with Technology - Optional
Physical Health and Wellbeing - Optional
Media: Study Internationally (2nd yr) - Optional
Advanced Multi-platform Journalism - Optional
Year 3
Inclusive Educational Practices
Multicultural education and language learning
Media: Study Abroad (DIAS) - Optional
Year 4
Journalism Major Project (MAJOR ONLY)
Journalism Dissertation (MAJOR ONLY)
Investigative Journalism
Journalism Research in a Global Context
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Award: Bachelor of Arts with Honours
Work placement / study abroad
There is a smal work placement and optional study abroad within the course structure.
Students may consider taking part in the Erasmus Exchange programme, to European universities, usually for one semester in second year.
Students may take part in the exchange programme with universities in the USA. This would be a year long exchange and attracts an additional university academic award on graduation.
Exchanges with universities in other countries may also be possible, arranged through the International Office at the university.
Ulster University,
Cromore Rd,
Coleraine
BT52 1SA
T: 02870 123 456