MA Journalism And Media Communications

"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2021/2022. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details."

Why choose Herts?

• Employment Prospects: Graduates have gone onto work in a variety of media roles such as Press Officers, Social Media Analysts, and Journalists for organisations including BBC, Sharp, Subway and Euromonitor.
• Teaching Excellence: Learn from our industry experts, award-winning lecturers who are all experienced in print, web design, journalism, and PR (see key staff section).
• Work Placement Opportunities: Graduates have taken placements at organisations including the BBC and The Sunday Times. This year three-quarters of those who took a placement received a job offer within the media upon graduation.

About the course

Study our M.A. in Journalism and Media Communications and gain the skills you’ll need for a successful, dynamic career in today’s complex global media industries.

This Masters course aims to prepare you in both practice and analysis of global journalism and media. You’ll benefit from our extensive links with the media industry, including the BBC and the Sunday Times, and gain a grounding in all its aspects, from fast-changing multimedia to magazines, advertising and the excitements of sports journalism.

You may have studied humanities subjects and be looking to deepen your research interests. Or you may have been working in areas such as business or healthcare and need communications skills. Whatever your background, taking this MA will enhance your career by equipping you to operate effectively in a professional media environment. Our business-facing approach means you’ll be taught by lecturers with extensive professional experience in print, web design, journalism and PR, giving this MA its strong focus on your future employability.

During the course you’ll explore the synergies between social media, PR and journalism, focusing on current media practice and the technologies of convergence. You’ll consider how to make communication more effective in professional settings by looking at journalism and its associated business models; learn how to interview and report on events; gain expertise in internal and external corporate communications, and analyse the impact of technology on communications industries.

Modules may change from year to year but are likely to include Corporate Communication, PR and Advertising; International Journalism Trends; Writing for Magazines; Sports Journalism; and Media Production as well as modules on research methodology. You also have a range of options for your final project. This can be a dissertation on a media subject of your choice, a short work placement, a one-year sandwich placement or a larger media research project, depending on your chosen route.

For Media Production you’ll create multimedia – podcasts, video and advertising – for online magazines, pitch and measure a campaign and use social media to promote your work. A strong practical element in Writing for Magazines will equip you to write for social media and understand how to create content and engage audiences.

Our module International Journalism Trends explores news ownership and media production on a global scale and provides deeper insight into the theoretical and cultural framework of media and journalism. Sports Journalism will give you a grounding in the exciting practices of sports journalism, from interviewing top stars to reporting on breaking sports stories.

Two modules on research methods and critical and theoretical debates will equip you with advanced research skills and the transferable communications skills - including interviewing, identifying a story and building connections - that are vital for roles in PR and Corporate Communications.

On the one-year programme students can take up a short work placement as a final module, giving you the opportunity to put into practice your knowledge and skills developed over the year. Typically, you will be expected to have spent a minimum of 20-25 days on an internship or work experience placement, after which you’ll write a 3,500-word report and give a short presentation reflecting on your experience.

Previous students have taken short work placements on national newspapers, the BBC, Hertfordshire Life magazine, Three Counties radio, social media, marketing or internal communications roles in local businesses and PR agencies such as Bell Pottinger.

Alternatively, consider taking the M.A. with a placement year or with advanced research:

• M.A. Journalism and Media Communications (Sandwich)
• M.A. Journalism and Media Communications (with Advanced Research)

Why choose this course?

We give you:

• A broad range of media communications skills with a strong focus on digital media
• Expert lecturers widely experienced in the communications industry plus as a partner university with the prestigious Public Relations and Communications Association (P.R.C.A.)
• You'll gain valuable networking skills and contacts, listen to expert speakers and gain up to the minute knowledge of the PR industry. Find out more about our speaker series, Media Matters.
• You'll have the opportunity to take a short work placement in a media-based environment or write a dissertation to improve your theoretical knowledge
• Gain insights into emerging trends in the fast-changing digital media world giving you skills valued by a wide range of media and related industries.

Professional Accreditations

This course is partnered with the Public Relations and Communications Association (P.R.C.A.), giving you access to networking and tailored speaker sessions, as well accreditation upon graduation. The University is also an Academic Member of the British Society of Magazine Editors which provides expert speakers and information on the latest trends in this area.

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation, and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Additional information

• Sandwich placement or study abroad year: n/a
• Applications open to international and EU students: Yes