Journalism MA



We are a top 3 UK university for Journalism, Publishing and Public Relations.
(3rd of 49) - The Guardian University Guide 2023

Overview

Edinburgh Napier University is home to the longest established Journalism programme in Scotland. Voted No. 1 among UK universities by The Guardian for 2022.

Our MA journalism programme offers a dynamic course that’s closely linked to the industry, combining the latest digital journalism with traditional methods on multimedia platforms in our newsroom, TV and radio studios.

You will learn through practical experience in our  news rooms and we also support you in getting your work published and broadcast.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for media organisations such as the BBC, ITN, STV and across the newspaper and publishing industry as well as public relations, marketing and corporate communications.

Typical entry point to this course is in September. Please enquire for more information.

Any queries contact programme leader Allan Boughey - A.Boughey@napier.ac.uk

Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting applications from international applicants for this programme for September 2024. We're sorry that you won't be able to join us in September.

Mode of Study:

Full-time (available as Part-time)

Duration:

1 year

MA Journalism student stories

This course opened up new opportunities for me and gave a solid practical base to develop as a journalist.

About MA Journalism:

Course details

If you have a passion for news and an interest in media, along with an instinct to find and produce stories across different platforms: We will teach you to develop skills to make sense of the 24-7 online news schedules, while reporting a story accurately with honesty, integrity and creativity.

Our broadcast studios and multimedia newsrooms provide an industry setting for you to experience journalism first-hand. You’ll gain a firm understanding of media law, ethics and regulations. Furthermore, you will develop your analytical and critical skills to hone your writing, communication and research techniques.

You'll also benefit from studying in Edinburgh, the political, legal, cultural and economic capital of Scotland and recently celebrated as the UK’s leading tech hub. This gives ENU unlimited access to accommodate guest lectures and work placements to help you develop industry contacts and give you the opportunity to work in publishing/broadcasting before you graduate. 

We've used our 40 years’ experience of teaching journalism to shape this degree into one of the most modern courses available. Our curriculum is developed with employers, industry contacts and our teaching staff who have extensive experience as practitioners.

We have a record of close links with BBC Scotland and STV , Bauer media and The Scotsman publications.

Our Subjects include:

• TV & Multimedia News
• News Writing – Online & Long Form
• Radio News & Podcast commentary
• Media Law, Court & Crime reports & Commentary
• Magazine publishing: Digital – Investigative – Long Form 
• Global Current Affairs – critical analysis and theory
• Major Project – in-depth journalism



  • calendar

    How you’ll be taught

    • This is a one year (full-time) course, starting in September 2022 and split into three trimesters. Teaching methods combine lectures with specialist workshops in our newsrooms and independent study.

    • You will be taught to use software such as Burli (audio), Avid (video) Adobe InDesign (publishing) to edit and broadcast and have access to Radio ENRG and out TV studio.

    • The course is taught by a team of media professionals-academics with a background in newspapers/online and broadcasting both in the UK and abroad for such news organisations as BBC, STV, Channel 4, Sky News, Al Jazeera, Swiss TV, Talk Radio, RTE, Vanity Fair, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Scotsman, The Herald, Daily Record, The Conversation etc. Read more to learn more about their professional background.  
  • note and pen

    Assessments

    • You will be continuously assessed and given feedback on ‘live’ newsdays producing an online news website and TV and radio bulletins. 

    • You will draft news reports – court, crime, hard news and human interest.  You will produce long-form features, supply criticism and analysis in columns, Op Eds and blogs, podcast and pitch to commissioning editors. 

    • You will debate and analyse academic theory on the media and news values.

    • You will complete the programme by producing a Major Project, an in-depth piece of journalism either video or audio, text or online. 
  • study abroad

    Study abroad

    There are no formal opportunities to study abroad however students have completed major projects overseas, recently including India, Africa, the USA and across continental Europe.
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    Facilities

    Our Merchiston campus, situated in the heart of Edinburgh, is home to creative industries, engineering and computing students. We have excellent facilities including a recently upgraded newsroom, TV and radio studio.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Journalism?

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at a 2:1 or above in any discipline.

We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient relevant work experience.

Can I get admission into Journalism based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

 

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test.  The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS (Academic) with an overall score of 6.5 with no individual component score of less than 6.0.  For guidance on the acceptability of other English Language tests please contact pgadmissions@napier.ac.uk

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

Our entry requirements indicate the minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Our teaching staff offer a diverse range of world-class industry experience, equipping them with the necessary skills to make our Journalism course the best in the UK.

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2024/25 2025/26
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £8,715 £tba
Overseas and EU £20,395 £tba
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships
Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

Careers

  • Reporter
  • Commentator
  • News Editor
  • Digital Editor
  • Feature writer
  • Political correspondent
  • Producer for broadcast and online


Journalism students working in news room