Programme specification: MA International Journalism. University of the Arts London (UAL)

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1 Programme specification: MA International Journalism Awarding body University of the Arts London (UAL) Teaching institution London College of Communication (LCC) Final award MA International Journalism Relevant QAA benchmark QAA M benchmarks: Communications, Media statement Date of production/revision July 2015 Introduction The rationale of the course is to prepare you for a future professional practice within global and digital journalism and the publishing industries in a time of significant transformational change; this means you will meet new challenges and opportunities as journalistic products and services become more widely available on a range of different platforms, and become more interactive. Highly-qualified staff are in demand in this new landscape to produce and manage the growing range of journalistic output which can be read internationally, and which meets the demands of a globalised audience. Journalists and editorial professionals must also be able to understand and interpret the implications of the new globalised media platforms for developing and presenting high quality journalism, and the impact this has on the choice of media, delivery mechanisms and business models, as well as ensuring it meets the highest journalistic and ethical standards. The course also sets out to challenge you to think critically and strategically about the challenges journalism faces in this new media landscape and about how you will operate so that you can create effective narratives and storytelling using the most relevant methods and platforms, to meet the developing and diverse demands of an international audience. The curriculum (see below) builds across five units to equip you to take a thoughtful and systematic approach to research with the aid of relevant methodologies and an interdisciplinary knowledge and practice base. Through short and extended research studies and a mix of teaching, learning, practice and assessment strategies, you will be capable of critically developing, planning, researching and delivering journalistic outputs in line with your future professional practice and employment; the course also aims to prepare you for the possibility of further postgraduate research. While MA International Journalism is a new course, it builds on a long heritage of postgraduate teaching in journalism at LCC, which emerged from the thriving teaching expertise and specialist resources within the College and the School of Media, which included postgraduate diplomas whose origins date back to the 1970s. Alumni regularly support the course by providing guest lectures and support for students in researching their dissertations, providing insights based on their own positions in industry either in journalism or related areas of media and communications practice.

2 Journalism courses are at the centre of industry engagement and have operated a number of innovative and collaborative research and practice projects, including digital content management systems for newsgathering and research, under the UK government s Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme. Course aims MA International Journalism aims to: Prepare you for the realities of the current marketplace by equipping you with advanced practical, creative and professional skills of multimedia journalism underpinned by research, ethics and an appropriate knowledge of a range of contextual theoretical subjects; Facilitate your understanding of the theoretical, cultural and historical frameworks appropriate to the study of journalism in an international context through analysis of global media and discussions of related geo-political, ethical, legal and professional issues; Facilitate substantial development of critical self-reflection and problem-solving in complex and unpredictable situations, analysis and evaluation through both critical engagement and practical application both individually and in collaborative projects with other practitioners; Provide you with a range of industry-focused communication and enterprise skills necessary for the effective exchange of ideas, information and collaborative working, preparing you to work effectively in international journalism and associated media; Equip you with a range of knowledge and frameworks to conduct an independent self-directed major journalistic or research project that reflects academic and editorial rigour, preparing you to undertake further postgraduate research within the field of Journalism. Course outcomes The outcomes that you will have demonstrated upon completion of the course are (the applicable university marking criteria are in brackets at the end of each course outcome): Demonstrate your journalistic, creative, visual, intellectual and technical skills to produce a body of original work, applying a range of research, media and storytelling styles to deliver effective and engaging narratives appropriate to an international audience (Technical competence, experimentation, communication and presentation); Demonstrate a comprehensive and systematic understanding and critical awareness of the key theoretical issues and the legal, geo-political, cultural, economic and social contexts in which they exist, from a trans-national and global

3 perspective (Research, subject knowledge, communication and presentation); Develop conceptual understanding that enables you to research and critically evaluate methodologies involved in the practice and theories of international journalism and, where appropriate, propose and develop new hypotheses and approaches (Research, analysis, experimentation); Work independently and collaboratively on a range of course-related and practical journalistic projects, demonstrating direction and originality in solving problems, developing plans and implementing tasks to a highly professional standard (Collaborative and/or independent professional working); Engage in critical self-reflection and formative peer review, analysing and examining your developed skills in evaluation and communication within an interactive online environment (Analysis, communication and presentation, personal and professional development); Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the techniques applicable to your own research, evaluating complex ideas and concepts and critically examining current research and advanced scholarship in the field of international journalism (Research, analysis). Learning and teaching methods Online lectures and workshops, visiting practitioner webinars, tutorials and self-directed study. Assessment methods Research papers, proposals, essays, reports, portfolios of multimedia artefacts, online engagement and critiques. Reference points The following reference points were used in designing the course: The learning and teaching policies of the University of the Arts London; The College policies and initiatives; Level descriptors; Benchmark statements; Current and best practice in industry. Programme Summary Induction: In the first week of the course there will be an induction programme in which you will, through online activities and web-conferencing: Be introduced to the teaching staff and your fellow students; Become familiar with the course structure and the main communication tools used by the course team;

4 Access information about the Student Union, Student Services and Learning Resources available to you online; This will also be an opportunity to assess the best communication methods for your location (time-zone) and connection speed, as well as to discuss tutorial arrangements, time management and approaches to self-directed study. Unit 1: Multimedia Journalism Practice 1 (40 credits) In this unit you will examine and develop the methodological and practical frameworks necessary for the research, development and production of successful multimedia news and feature stories. You will explore the technical, practical and journalistic aspects of interactive, multimedia narratives, including the generation of ideas, research, sourcing, news-gathering, editing and writing with particular emphasis on what makes a compelling story and the application of appropriate multimedia techniques. Unit 2: Critical Perspectives on International Journalism (20 credits) This unit examines the development and historical context of journalism internationally, identifying the significant practitioners and movements, analysing and discussing the main theoretical principles within an historical framework which takes account of social, political, cultural, ethical and economic factors. The aim is to provide you with a thorough appreciation of the significant issues and analytical approaches relating to journalism in a globalised society, allowing you to situate contemporary practice with a wider critical context and appreciate the crucial role of the media and journalism in relation to society, including issues of representation, the law, ethics and the commercial environment in different countries. You will examine and question the accepted norms of journalism in a global environment, especially in the context of the dominance of Western cultural ideals, and, using your own location and experience as a starting point, you will research, compare and evaluate the diversity of journalistic models around the world. Unit 3: Multimedia Journalism Practice 2 (40 credits) In this unit you will examine and develop the methodological and practical frameworks necessary for the research, development and production of successful long-form multimedia features, often described as multimedia documentaries. You will build on your development of the technical, practical and journalistic aspects of interactive, multimedia narratives, including the generation of ideas, research, sourcing, newsgathering, editing and writing that you carried out in Unit 1. In this unit the emphasis will be on what makes a compelling long-form story and the application of appropriate multimedia techniques within a documentary style production. Unit 4: Collaborative Project (20 credits) This unit is designed to enable you to identify, form and develop collaborative working relationships with a range of potential partners. These could be: postgraduate student colleagues at the college or university level; postgraduate students at other Higher Education Institutions; external parties (e.g. companies, cultural organisations, community-based groups, NGOs, charities etc.) The nature of the collaboration will involve working on a project whose objectives are agreed by your tutors and will take the form of group work that can happen within the college or digitally / remotely. The

5 focus of the unit is student-driven collaboration with projects being developed to meet the specific requirements of student groups within and across disciplinary boundaries. Unit 5: Final Major Project (60 credits) This unit aims to consolidate your learning experience over the previous units through the completion of a major project, based on self-directed research, which will either culminate in an academic dissertation examining an issue of importance to journalism or a long-form documentary-style piece of journalism which covers a significant story of interest to an international audience. The final unit aims to bring together all the experience and learning that you have gained in the first four terms, and allow you to apply them to a major project which, along with a critical reflection of your work, will form the basis of your final assessment for your degree. Option 1: Multimedia long-form story You should be aiming to find, investigate and research a story using the full range of journalistic tools and techniques developed on the course, which can be presented as a long-form, multimedia story which is fair, accurate, contemporaneous, legally safe and which embraces ethical codes of conduct. The story must be based on people s experiences but illustrate issues of importance and relevance to an international audience. Option 2: Dissertation This requires an academic investigation of a topic of significant importance to international journalism, and should manifest rigour, critical enquiry, reflection, analysis and original research. The dissertation can be presented as a traditional 10,000 word document, or a mix of written and multimedia content which will be agreed with your tutor as a suitable equivalent to a 10,000-word dissertation. In both options, details of your individual project will require a written proposal of 1,000 words at the start of this unit, for discussion and agreement with your tutors. Once approved a supervisor/mentor will be appointed to support you through the final process of planning, organising and delivering your final project. Distinctive features of the course These features represent the identity of the course, and help us to ensure that we are offering a rewarding and exciting experience for you: An online learning format which allows students from all over the world to work together virtually, reflecting international diversity and emerging journalistic working practices; A focus on the international context and delivery of journalism, taking into account the impact of globalisation, networking, social media and rapidly changing communication technologies; Development of advanced multimedia skills and techniques, aligned to and reflecting current and developing multi-platform practices in newspapers, broadcast, mobile and emerging new media businesses; Emphasis on a mixture of practice and theory, especially in a global context,

6 while allowing specialisation and application of all aspects of international, multimedia journalism, supported by relevant contextual studies; Delivered online in an extended part-time framework in which you study parttime; Teaching staff who are long-standing practitioners of journalism with extensive international experience; Input from relevant and experienced teaching staff in partner universities and practitioners from around the world, each bringing a unique critical perspective to the course; The opportunity to develop an advanced critical awareness of issues in contemporary journalism, including ethics, history and its relationship to society; Participation in a developing form of online education and collaboration which is sustainable and encourages plurality and diversity, which builds on existing successful online part-time courses already provided at the college in other subject disciplines; The London College of Communication is an established and highly-regarded institution for journalism teaching with long-standing links to media and creative industries around the world. Recruitment & Admissions Admission policy/selection criteria The selection procedures for the course adhere to the Equal Opportunities policy of the University of the Arts London. Students are admitted to the course having gained the necessary entry qualifications and on the basis of their potential to benefit from the programme. In order to be considered, you would have achieved an Honours degree or equivalent professional qualifications with a minimum of three years relevant professional experience. This MA International Journalism course requires you to achieve an IELTS score of 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four skills) if English is not your first language. Applicants who do not meet the standard entry requirements must provide evidence of experience which may be considered within the AP(E)L procedures. All applications are read by members of the course team. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate: Critical knowledge of and enthusiasm for journalism in an international context; A well-articulated rationale for applying for the course; A capacity for intellectual enquiry; An openness for new ideas; Initiative and willingness to experiment; A mature attitude to study A commitment to applying the subject to their future career in Journalism.

7 Entry requirements These can be found on the University of the Arts London website at: admissions/ Language Requirements (International/EU) If your first language is not English you should check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English. Further information is available on the Language Requirements page: International Applicants visit the Support for International Students page for contact details for International Admissions Admissions procedures Applications are made through the LCC. All applicants with appropriate qualifications or evidence of prior experiential learning will be considered for admission.

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