Journalism MA



We are a top 10 UK university for Journalism.
The Daily Mail League Table 2027

Course overview

Edinburgh Napier University is home to the longest established Journalism degree in Scotland. Our MA Journalism is a dynamic course that's closely linked to the industry, combining the latest in 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.

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 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.

Programme Leader: Allan Boughey (A.Boughey@napier.ac.uk)

Students working in the Broadcast Newsroom at Merchiston Campus

Mode of Study:

Part-time (also available Full-time)

Duration:

2 years

About MA Journalism

Course details

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 Edinburgh Napier 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 drawn upon our 50 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 modules cover:

  • 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 two year course, taught part-time, starting in September. Teaching methods combine lectures with specialist workshops in our newsrooms and independent study.

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

    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.

    Our broadcast studios and multimedia newsrooms provide an industry setting for you to experience journalism first-hand.

Meet your Programme Leader and Teaching Team

Throughout your studies, you'll learn from experienced professionals and industry leaders who bring valuable expertise, insight and real-world perspectives to your learning experience. We also engage a range of professional practitioners as visiting lecturers throughout the year.

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 and more.

Programme Leader: Allan Boughey. Allan has worked as a newspaper and digital journalist for over 20 years, editing an array of magazines and even worked as a PR account manager. He is also a qualified Magistrate, having served on the Teesside bench from 2007 to 2012.

Read more about some of our MA Journalism teaching team

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.

Edinburgh Napier celebrates 50 years of Journalism

In 2025, Edinburgh Napier University celebrated 50 years of pioneering journalism training with a special event at the Scottish Parliament.

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.

The University does not sponsor students to study on part-time programmes in the UK under the Student Visa route. International Applicants must therefore have other valid immigration leave to study on this programme.

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.

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
  • MSc Nursing courses
  • 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

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 2026/27 2027/28
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland (per 20 credits) £1,450 tba
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland-Dissertation £1,175 tba
Overseas and EU (per 20 credits) £3,330 tba
Overseas and EU-Dissertation £3,920 tba

Fees for modules are calculated according to the number of credits (multiples of 20). The rate shown in the table is for 20 credits*.

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 our Fees and Funding links above.

The University offers a 20% discount on Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online degrees. The discount 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.

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 & employability

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