MA Multimedia Journalism

Overview

Join a global effort to inform and connect people around the world through Scotland's leading journalism master's programme - GCU's MA Multimedia Journalism. GCU offers the only postgraduate journalism degree in Scotland that is accredited by both of the UK's primary professional training bodies: the National Council for the Training of Journalists and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.

The MA Multimedia Journalism boasts a more than 75% employment rate, placements in media organisations including the BBC, STV and the Herald and Times Group, and more Scottish Student Journalism Awards than any other master's course. Prepare to make a real impact in a rapidly changing media landscape.

You'll study in Glasgow, Scotland's 'media city', and get hands-on experience with all of the in-demand skills of today, from interviewing and reporting to writing and editing - across print, broadcast and digital platforms. We'll train you in shorthand, photography, video production and web content management, and give you in-depth instruction in government and law.

You'll learn in modern, industry-standard and purpose-built facilities, including a multimedia newsroom, editorial and radio production suites, digital radio studios, and a TV studio and gallery. In addition, you'll benefit from GCU's close relationship with industry through work placement agreements with major news organisations across Scotland. Our graduates complete their MA Multimedia Journalism programme with the skills they need to compete in a constantly transforming industry and contribute to the common good - whether they choose employment in the UK or abroad.

Communication, cultural and media studies research

Communications, culture and media research is joint first in Scotland for its outstanding impact (Times Higher Education). Communications, culture and media research is ranked fourth in Scotland (Times Higher Education). One hundred per cent of our communications, culture and media research impact is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021). Seventy-three per cent of communications-related research is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021). Find out more.

Your career

Our alumni have gone on to roles with a variety of media organisations, including the BBC, STV, Sky and Sky Sports, France 24, the Herald and Times Group, Deadline News and many more. They have secured employment in TV news, online and multimedia news, newspapers, magazines, radio, online marketing and public relations.

Accreditations

National Council for the Training of Journalists

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Broadcast Journalism Training Council

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What you
will study

Course
Information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location
MA	Full Time	1 Year	Sep 25	Glasgow	Enquire Apply

All entry requirements listed here should be used as a guide. Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place may be asked to achieve more than is stated.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Minimum academic requirement

UK honours degree 2:2 (or equivalent) in any subject area, plus interview and tests.

English language requirement

Academic IELTS score of 7.0 (or equivalent) with no element below 6.5.

Test format

NCTJ entrance test sat on computer, comprising:

Correction of errors in the use of English
Writing a short news story from supplied material
Twenty current affairs questions

Additional information

English language

If you are from a majority English speaking country, you may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Full details of the English language tests we accept are available on this page.

Relevant experience (RPL)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning scheme.

Assessment methods

Each module is assessed separately: using means such as continuous coursework; exams or tests. Shorthand and Newsdays are in effect a group exam lasting a whole day. Some are assessed by a combination of coursework and NCTJ examinations, such as Law and Government.

All practical journalism assignments each week will be marked to appropriate professional standards of accuracy in fact and use of English. While the briefs you are given for your practical assignments are specific, your chosen story or subject can be up to you much of the time. Shorthand is assessed by three attempts each semester at the relevant speed, with your single best performance being taken. You must achieve an absolute minimum of 60 words per minute (wpm), and we encourage you to go on to achieve 80, 90 and 100 wpm: 100wpm is the recommended minimum speed for working on a newspaper and preparing for the next professional qualification after your Masters, the NCTJ's Qualification in Journalism (NQJ)

Designed with industry input

Industry advisers are regularly in contact with the teaching team, and senior professional journalists deliver specialist classes.

Guest lectures and networking events

Students on this course will get the opportunity to hear from guest lecturers.

Industry-standard facilities

You will have access to modern digital equipment in industry-standard facilities including our new, purpose-built multimedia newsroom to produce television and radio news packages, HD TV studio, and two digital radio presentation studios.

Technical facilities for practical journalism:

Newsroom

Twenty-two Dell PCs with Adobe InDesign page production software, MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, MS Internet Explorer, Dreamweaver web creation software, WordPress blog/WCMS, Photoshop Elements, Burli radio news network editing system, PA newswire feed, Newslink feed, Sky News radio feed, two Avid HD networked digital video edit suites, digital TV and radio monitors with playout link from adjacent TV and radio studios, DVD player, Freeview box, phone books, reference directories, daily newspapers and weekly magazines; one Nikon digital still cameras, ten Canon digital stills cameras, four phones

Extra editorial/radio production suites

Two additional computer/production labs - one room with ten PCs, plus one room with 20 PCs - all 30 machines with Adobe InDesign page production software, MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, MS Internet Explorer, Dreamweaver web creation software, WordPress blog/WCMS, Photoshop Elements, Burli radio news network editing system

Radio presentation and production

Two Clyde Broadcast Synergy Bronze digital radio studios with hard-disk playout system in audio soundproof studios each accommodating four, plus separate control booths and Audition v2 control/edit system. Twenty Adobe Audition digital audio edit suites. Twenty Marantz PMD661 memory card reporter-recorders.

TV production

Two Clyde Broadcast Synergy Bronze digital radio studio and hard-disk playout system, in two audio soundproof studios (accommodates four), plus control booth and Audition v2 control/edit system. Fifty Adobe Audition digital audio edit suites, with 20 in the newsroom, eight Marantz PMD661 memory card reporter-recorders. Twenty-three Tascam audio recorder kits. Ten iPhone recorder kits.

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by:

GCU’s is the only postgraduate journalism degree in Scotland accredited by both the BJTC and the NCTJ – and one of only two in the UK.

Research-led teaching

Communication, cultural and media studies research

* Communications, culture and media research is joint first in Scotland for its outstanding impact (Times Higher Education)
* Communications, culture and media research is ranked fourth in Scotland (Times Higher Education)
* 100% of our communications, culture and media research IMPACT is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021)
* 73% of Communications-related research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent (REF2021)

Teaching methods

The MA Multimedia Journalism at GCU includes all the key skills and knowledge you will need to begin a career in journalism.

Shorthand, Government, Law, and News and Online Writing are all compulsory subjects, with classes in these subjects and skills running every week for the entire length of the diploma programme.

In the first trimester, each week you will have practical classes in news reporting and feature writing; sub-editing and print production; and radio/TV/online journalism and production skills; as well as a weekly class studying and reflecting on Journalism in Context.

In the second trimester, the practical balance moves towards more demanding specialist reporting skills - such as court, council, and financial - and live multimedia Newsday team productions, plus a specialist option.

The course, therefore, is quite intense and the timetable busy, but nevertheless in each trimester almost one-third of the 39 hours in the week's timetable is left free, to enable you to do the reporting work off-campus and self-directed production practice your subjects will require you to put in.

Work placements

20 days of work experience is a key part of the course. You are guided by a journalist lecturer advisor in seeking and obtaining not less than ten days' work experience in a journalism organisation by the end of the diploma, and not less than a further ten days by the end of the master's.

Mostly this will be undertaken during vacation and assessment weeks, but there are possibilities of individual day shifts and up to one week only during teaching weeks, by negotiation with the course leader.

Agreements are in place for placements with all major news and journalism organisations in Scotland, across TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and online.

Professional engagement

Professional engagements included in this course include employer events on campus.

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Transformative education

Overview

Communication, cultural and media studies research

Your career

Accreditations

What youwill study

Course Information

Find out more

What you
will study

Course
Information