PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION KEY FACTS. Programme name Journalism AND Psychology. Department or equivalent Journalism. Total UK credits 360 Total ECTS 180

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1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION KEY FACTS Programme name Journalism AND Psychology Award BA (Hons) School School of Arts Department or equivalent Journalism UCAS Code CP85 Programme code UJJAPS Type of study Full Time Total UK credits 360 Total ECTS 180 PROGRAMME SUMMARY The BA in Journalism and a Social Science is one of the UKs best established journalism degrees, having been taught since It provides a unique opportunity to combine a practical education in journalism with instruction in one social science discipline. It offers an excellent preparation for a career in journalism and has over 300 alumni working in the media in the UK and abroad. The course is taught in City s prestigious Department of Journalism and Publishing, which has over 4,000 alumni working as journalists and media professionals in the UK and internationally. This programme is shaped to allow students to make steady progress in acquiring the skills required to become professional journalists at the same time as studying a social science to joint degree level. In journalism, the programme begins with a foundation year focusing on basic techniques, largely taught in classes and lectures, with assessment by means of a large number of small exercises, many of them in the classroom, and an end-of-year unseen written examination. The second year involves smaller groups, is largely taught in small classes and seminars, with some one-to-one tuition, and assessment is by means of a smaller number of larger and more advanced practical exercises, most of which are not classroom-based, again with an end-of-year unseen written examination. The focus in the final year is on major group and individual projects, all assessed, with all tuition in small seminars and one-to-one tutorials. There is also a final year unseen written examination. Students are encouraged to do workplace attachments in the first year; in the second year and final years these are compulsory and assessed as part of the practical journalism modules. Students also have the option of taking a year out between their second and final years to study journalism at a university abroad, on work attachments in the media industry or a mixture of both. 1

2 Aims Provide education in journalism and proficiency in journalism skills (B) Provide education in sociology to a joint degree level Develop students' written and verbal communication skills - including at least working knowledge of another language Meet the needs of the media industry and related fields by providing a distinctive programme which reflects the demand for highly motivated, responsible and reflective graduates (B) Introduce students to the three main strands in journalism (print, Internet and broadcasting) allowing specialisation in either print or broadcasting in the final year (B) Provide students with opportunities to take up work attachments in the media industry appropriate to their career aims and abilities (B) Provide students with opportunities to take up a range of journalism options to extend their journalistic knowledge and skills To provide students with an up-to-date curriculum reflecting both the rapid changes in the social world in which they live now and important conceptual changes in the discipline of sociology (B1 Sociology benchmarks) Enable students to develop their analytical capacities and the ability to examine and critically evaluate complex issues and debates in contemporary sociology and society (B1) Provide a wide-ranging sociological and cultural analysis of the ways in which different forms of media operate in the contemporary world (B1) WHAT WILL I BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE? On successful completion of this programme, you will be expected to be able to: Knowledge and understanding: The practice of journalism today, the structure of the industry and its historical and international context. News values and the ways they are shaped by audiences, proprietors, government and market-driven factors. The key production processes (print, radio and internet). Legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks which affect journalistic production, circulation and consumption. Key areas of the Social Science studied. Further key areas of the Social Science studied. 2

3 Skills: Use media equipment creatively at an advanced level appropriate to gain employment in the industry and related fields (B) Demonstrate motivation, self discipline and initiative (B) Communicate ideas, information, problems and solutions to a wide range of audiences Research and evaluate subject specific facts, concepts, underlying values and theories. Write at a professional level concisely constructed copy in a range of genres appropriate to the medium which uses a range of research techniques, which is accurate, legally and grammatically correct and which prioritises information appropriate to the target audience (B) Display the habits of critical enquiry and reflection (B) Identify complex problems in journalism and the Social Science studied and apply appropriate knowledge and skills to resolve them. (B) Master recording techniques (both manual and technical) appropriate for use in the media industry and related fields. Manage complex production processes Assess, analyse and synthesise complex information from a wide range of sources (interviews, lectures, texts, Internet, cuttings, media, academic journals, discussions with peers) (B) Apply social skills to developing contacts and interviewing sources from a range of backgrounds. Demonstrate interpersonal skills and participate effectively in team activities (B) Apply core economic theory and economic reasoning to applied topics (B1) Display in their economics work the ability to abstract the essential features of complex systems and provide a useable framework for evaluation and assessment of the effects of policy. Develop the ability to make decisions in complex and unpredictable contexts (B) Analyse government policy and assess the performance of the UK and other economies (B1) Communicate information, ideas problems and solutions to a range of audiences (both specialist and non-specialist) and in a variety of formats. Apply both deductive and inductive reasoning skills to economic issues. Make appropriate career choices based on the knowledge, skills and contacts gained. Apply quantitative research methods to journalistic data. Identify the parameters of economic problems and the range of solutions for resolving them. Values and attitudes: Have acquired awareness of the ethical/political issues facing journalists and Social Scientists (B). Have acquired awareness of the roles and responsibilities of the journalist and Social Scientists in society (B). Have acquired an awareness of the importance of accuracy and fairness and the right to personal privacy. 3

4 Demonstrate the habit of reflection and independent study. Respect the views of others. This programme has been developed in accordance with the QAA Subject Benchmark for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies. HOW WILL I LEARN? Journalism teaching has a practical emphasis. Students will spend much of their time in small workshops learning journalistic skills such as reporting a speech, presenting a radio news broadcast, interviewing and preparing page layouts on screen and will produce short articles regularly. Social sciences subjects, and theory and professional/ethical issues of journalism, are taught mainly in lectures and seminars. As professional work experience is the key to getting a job in journalism, all students are expected to arrange a variety of placements during their degree, and tutors help with setting this up. WHAT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK CAN I EXPECT? Assessment and Assessment Criteria For the practical journalism subjects, assessment is split equally between coursework and examinations, and coursework assignments are submitted weekly. For the remaining courses, examinations carry more weight towards the final mark than coursework which is usually submitted termly. Assessment Criteria are descriptions, based on the intended learning outcomes, of the skills, knowledge or attitudes that you need to demonstrate in order to complete an assessment successfully, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured. Grade- Related Criteria are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks. Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments. These may be provided in programme handbooks, module specifications, on the virtual learning environment or attached to a specific assessment task. Feedback on assessment Feedback will be provided in line with our Assessment and Feedback Policy. In particular, you will normally be provided with feedback within three weeks of the submission deadline or assessment date. This would normally include a provisional grade or mark. For end of module examinations or an equivalent significant task (e.g. an end of module project), feedback will normally be provided within four weeks. The timescale for feedback on final year projects or dissertations may be longer. The full policy can be found at: 4

5 data/assets/pdf_file/0008/68921/assessment_and_feedback_p olicy.pdf Assessment Regulations In order to pass your Programme, you should complete successfully or be exempted from the relevant modules and assessments and will therefore acquire the required number of credits. You also need to pass each Part of your Programme in order to progress to the following Part. The Pass mark for each module is 40%. If you fail an assessment component or a module, the following will apply: 1. Compensation: where you fail up to a total of 20 credits of a Part at first or resit attempt, you may be allowed compensation if: Compensation is permitted for the module involved (see the module specification), and It can be demonstrated that you have satisfied all the Learning Outcomes of the modules in the Part, and A minimum overall mark of no more than 10 percentage points below the module pass mark has been achieved in the module to be compensated, and An aggregate mark of 40% has been achieved for the Part. If you receive a compensated pass in a module you shall be awarded the credit for that module. The original component marks shall be retained in the record of marks and the greater of the original module mark and the minimum pass mark for the module shall be used for the purpose of calculation towards the Award. 2. Resit: you will normally be offered one resit attempt. However, if you did not participate in the first assessment and have no extenuating circumstances, you may not be offered a resit. If you are successful in the resit, you shall be awarded the credit for that module. The mark used for the purpose of calculation towards your Award shall be calculated from the original marks for the component(s) that you passed at first attempt and the minimum pass mark for the component(s) for which you took a resit. If you do not satisfy your resit by the date specified you will not progress to the next Part and the Assessment Board shall require that you withdraw from the Programme. If you fail to meet the requirements for a particular Part, but satisfy the requirements for the previous Part, then a lower qualification may be awarded as per the table below. If you fail to meet the requirements for a particular Part and are not eligible for the award of a lower level qualification, the Assessment Board shall require that you withdraw from the Programme. If you would like to know more about the way in which assessment works at City, please see the full version of the Assessment Regulations at: 5

6 data/assets/word_doc/0003/69249/s19.doc WHAT AWARD CAN I GET? Bachelor s Degree with Honours: Part HE Credits Weighting Class % required (%) I II upper division II lower division 50 III 40 Ordinary Degree: Part HE Credits Weighting Class % required (%) With Distinction With Merit With Pass 40 Diploma of Higher Education: Part HE Credits Weighting Class % required (%) With Distinction With Merit 60 With Pass 40 Certificate of Higher Education: Part HE Credits Weighting Class % required (%) With Distinction 70 With Merit 60 With Pass 40 WHAT WILL I STUDY? Part 1 To pass Part 1, the student must have acquired 120 (or greater if applicable) credits as specified in Part 1 of the Programme Scheme. To progress from Part 1 to Part 2, Part 1 requirements must have been satisfied. Students begin by concentrating on basic journalism skills (news reporting, feature writing, production/subbing and the using the Internet as a source and making Web pages) and learning about the historic context of contemporary practice in the 6

7 following modules: JO1105 Introduction to Journalism(30 credits) JO1122 History of Journalism (30 credits) Students taking the Journalism AND a Social Science programme (50/50 subject split) take 60 credits from the range of Social Sciences courses available. Students take the following modules: JO1105 / JO1122 / PS1007 Plus THREE from: PS1003 / PS1004 / PS1005 / PS1006 Module Title SITS Code Module Credits Core/ Elective Can be compensated? Introduction to Journalism JO C N 4 History of Journalism JO C N 4 Research Design and Analysis PS C N 4 (Quantitative Methods) Cognitive Approaches to mind PS E N 4 and behaviour History and Theory of PS E N 4 Psychology Biological approaches to mind PS E N 4 and behaviour Lifespan Psychology PS E N 4 Part 2 To pass Part 2, the student must have acquired 120 (or greater if applicable) credits as specified in Part 2 of the Programme Scheme. To progress from Part 2 to Part 3, Part 2 requirements must have been satisfied. Students take the following core modules: JO2105, Introduction to Journalism 2 (30 credits) JO2106, Production 2 (30 credits) Students taking the Journalism AND a Social Science programme (50/50 subject split) take 60 credits from the range of Social Sciences courses available. Module Title SITS Code 7 Module Credits Core/ Elective Can be compensated? Reporting and features 2 JO C N 5

8 Editorial production JO C N 5 Cognitive Psychology 1 PS E N 5 Cognitive Psychology 2 PS E N 5 Biological Psychology PS E N 5 Developmental Psychology PS E N 5 Social Psychology PS E N 5 Personality and Differential Psychology PS E N 5 Part 3 To pass Part 3, the student must have acquired 120 credits as specified in Part 3 of the Programme Scheme and have successfully completed the professional placement. Students specialise in their last year in either broadcast or print journalism. All students in their final year develop their journalism skills and knowledge by taking JO3101, Media Law and Ethics (15 credits). They then choose one of the following module groups: PRINT JO3109, Advanced Practical Journalism (Print/Online) (30 credits) JO3110, Print project (15 credits) BROADCAST JO3114, Advanced Practical Journalism (Broadcast) (30 credits), plus JO3115, Radio project (15 credits), or JO3116, Television Project (15 credits) Students taking the Journalism AND a Social Science programme (50/50 subject split) take 60 credits from the range of Social Sciences courses available. Students take the module - JO3101 Media law & Ethics Plus ONE from: JO3109 / JO3114 Plus ONE from: JO3110 / JO3115 Plus FOUR from: PS3002 / PS3003 / PS3004 / PS3005 / PS3006 / PS3007 / PS3012 / PS3013 / PS3015 / PS3016 / PS3017 / PS3018 / PS3019 / SL3006 Module Title SITS Code Module Credits Core/ Elective Can be compensated? Media law and ethics JO C N 6 Advanced practical journalism JO E N 6 8

9 (print/online) Print/online project and portfolio JO E N 6 Advanced Practical Journalism - JO E N 6 Broadcast Broadcast project and portfolio JO E N 6 Concepts and Categorisation PS E N 6 Judgment and Decision Making PS E N 6 Memory: Trends and Issues PS E N 6 Neuroscience: Brain, Mind and PS E N 6 Body Approaches to Autism PS E N 6 Health Psychology PS E N 6 Organisational Psychology PS E N 6 Psychology as Philosophy PS E N 6 Social and Emotional Development: The Early Years Abnormal and Clinical Psychology Normal and Disordered Word Processing PS E N 6 PS E N 6 SL E N 6 TO WHAT KIND OF CAREER MIGHT I GO ON? If you would like more information on the Careers support available at City, please go to: WHAT STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE? Students will have the option to receive 30 credits from a study abroad, making a total of 150 for the second year, and a total of 390 for the degree. WHAT PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE? - WILL I GET ANY PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION? Accrediting Body: None 9

10 HOW DO I ENTER THE PROGRAMME? A level: BBB excluding key skills and general studies (300 tariff points); Vocational Double Award: 200 points by any combination plus another A level at 80 pts. International Baccalaureate: 30 pts. In addition GCSE grade C or equivalent in English language and an A grade GCSE or equivalent mathematics or statistics. For foreign students an IELTS level 7 is required. Students are selected on the basis of academic performance, potential and interest in social science; commitment to journalism as a career and writing ability. Applications are welcomed from mature students who have attended access courses. Once offers are made, students and their parents are invited to an open day at which lecturers describe the content and philosophy of the programme and give a tour of the university's facilities. There are also opportunities for individual students and parents to ask lecturers questions. City University London is offering a Scholarship of up to 3,000 per year to UK and EU undergraduate students achieving grades AAB or above at A-level (or equivalent) starting an undergraduate course at City in September Further details can be found on the University s website at Version: 1.0 Version date: July 2012 For use from: