Journalism BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
Two students standing in front of a filming camera emulating a tv studio

Journalism is a superb career for anyone with natural curiosity about people and the world around them.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

PP53

Start date

September 2025

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
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Course overview

Our course has been designed to offer professional insight and hands-on experience in industry standard TV and radio studios4 as we aim to provide you with top-level writing and social media skills.

  • You will get extensive time in our TV and radio studios as well as learning from our team of industry practitioners4. This is designed with the aim of you developing a wealth of transferable skills including self-confidence, excellent written and verbal communications and technical skills that can be applied in all areas of the communications industry.
  • As well as our team of industry practitioners, you can benefit from opportunities to hear from our Industry guest speakers, recent examples include a Channel 4 documentary producer/director, a BBC6 Music DJ, the diplomatic correspondent of The Times, a producer for Sky Sports, the head of Instagram and Snapchat for LADbible and a literary agent (subject to availability).
  • While you are with us, we will support you to find industry placements2, previous students have secured work experience and employment at Sky, the BBC, ITV, Coventry City football club, heat magazine and the New York Times among many others.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023
Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings
City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

If you have a passion for writing, producing or presenting and a nose for a story, this course will prepare you for a career in journalism and related areas. We aim to provide opportunities and benefits for you along the way: 

  • As this course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC)1, we consider it to be a forward-looking degree offering a multi-platform approach to journalism to prepare you for this dynamic industry. It is supported by outstanding TV and radio studios, a wireless newsroom, camera hire, podcasting booths and video editing suites.
  • We also encourage you to get outside the classroom - we’ve previously taken past students to Amsterdam and New York, where we’ve produced live content and visited world-famous media companies, as well as carrying out projects in Spain, London, Cardiff and Bristol2 (trips in the UK and abroad are subject to availability, meeting applicable visa requirements and additional fees apply).
  • The course is designed to prepare you for an exciting and evolving environment that increasingly expects workers to display entrepreneurial innovation and respond to the emerging needs of both audiences and industry - while still offering traditional journalism opportunities. You will have opportunities to learn and work on projects with students from other courses in the School of Media and Performing Arts. These collaborative opportunities are a defining feature of your learning experience and have the potential to place you in an advantageous position in developing your skills and employability on graduating.
  • Between your second and final years, you have the opportunity to either take a work placement for a year, or study abroad2.
  • Our graduates can be found working for Sky, the BBC, ITV and a range of websites and magazines, as well as careers beyond traditional journalism in digital fields such as social media management and content creation.
3rd

Coventry University ranked No.3 for Journalism

Guardian University Guide 2025

Accreditation and professional recognition

BJTC logo

Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC)

This course is currently accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council for the 2025/26 intake.

The Broadcast Journalism Training Council ensure all of their accredited courses provide the knowledge and skills sought after by some of the UK's biggest media employers. You should also have the opportunity to work towards a Journalism Skills Certificate.

If there are any changes to the accreditation of this course, we would notify applicants and students as soon as possible1.

Why study Journalism BA (Hons) at Coventry University?

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements). 

Common first year courses

  • Journalism BA (Hons)
  • Media and Communication BA (Hons)

In your first year, you will learn foundational topics to provide a solid knowledge base for subsequent years. This will include learning subjects like creating media content, using different media platforms, and understanding how narratives are constructed, amongst others. 

Modules

In second year, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your: 

  • technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge
  • study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner
  • professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career
  • global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final years of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

Your final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from your first and second years. You could also work on a large final project in an area of your interest, with the support of a mentor.

You will have the opportunity to choose an optional module out of ‘Sports Journalism’ and ‘Campaigning and Activism’ to total 120 credits in your final year.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

Coventry University has given me the skillset to competently enter the world of work in broadcasting. I chose Coventry due to the industry standard equipment and the experience the lecturers had in the industry. I enjoy the practical aspect of this course. It replicates a working news room in a realistic way and prepares you for this.

Trystan Finocchiaro, Journalism BA (Hons) student, 2022
A student stood in front of a film camera with a green screen behind

How you'll learn

Based on a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, practical classes and one-to-one tutorials with teaching staff, we provide a focused approach to journalism which is underpinned by in-depth exploration of core traditional news-gathering, continuous production and experimentation in new and emerging forms of journalism.

We provide a real experience of working as a journalist and try to incorporate this into our teaching activities through our collaborations with organisations in Coventry and beyond. Previous opportunities have included collaborating with local news organisations, for instance covering the local elections for ITV2.

Our excellent industry links enable us to host an exciting programme of guest speakers who have previously covered topics such as documentary film-making, TV news production, reporting from war zones, branding and magazine journalism2.

Teaching contact hours

We understand that everyone learns differently, so each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which can include:

  • on-campus lectures, seminars and workshops
  • group work
  • self-directed learning
  • work placement opportunities2.

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

  • coursework
  • tests 
  • essays 
  • practical or project work
  • group work
  • presentations
  • exams
  • individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

Our course is designed to reflect the increasingly international context of journalism.

We aim to provide you with opportunities to engage with international students from at home and abroad. Coventry University is one of only two UK universities to have previously participated in the Global Pop-Up Newsroom, a global cooperative project which brings together students from the UK, Netherlands, Bulgaria, India, the United States and Lebanon in a virtual newsroom to report on issues of global significance at a local level. Our past first and second year students have previously taken part in news days focusing on the refugee crisis and an international women’s day.

Previous second-year students also collaborated with students from 13 universities in seven different countries as part of the Global News Relay initiative, an international collaboration of college journalism, multimedia and public relations students which broadcasts news live across the world2.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed2.

The best thing about Coventry University from my point of view was that all the lecturers come from within industry, they have that inside know-how that really helps you. The facilities are also amazing and having access to all that gives students the freedom to pursue their interests in whatever direction they want to, it gives you that flexibility.

Lilian Darteh, Journalism BA (Hons), quoted September 2022, graduated in 2022
Lilian Darteh

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement What we're looking for
UCAS points 112
A level BBC
GCSE GCSE English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards.
BTEC DMM
IB Diploma 29 points
Access to HE The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

Portfolio

You may be required to attend a portfolio showcase, activity session or audition or submit a portfolio via email (as is appropriate to your course), either virtually or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites for these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Africa

Americas

Central Asia

East Asia

Europe

Middle East

South Asia

South East Asia


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Portfolio

You may be required to submit a portfolio via email or alternatively attend a showcase activity session or audition (as is appropriate for your course) which can be virtual or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites to send in your portfolio or attend these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall (with no component lower than 5.5)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,535 per year Not available
EU £9,535 per year with EU Support Bursary**
£19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary**		 Not available
International £19,850 per year Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

Facilities

Our facilities4 help develop your practical talent so you feel prepared to enter the workplace and inspire your passion for journalism.

Our extensive specialist resources include a wireless suite of newsrooms, TV studio, video editing suite and radio studio.

Students using the filming facilities in The Tank.

The Tank

Is the latest addition to Coventry University, with modern specialist TV Studio equipment, including large cameras, mixing facilities and fibre optic wiring throughout.

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Phoenix Radio booth

Have you ever wanted to get into a radio booth, or learn how to work a mixing desk? The Students’ Union Phoenix Radio offers you the opportunity to hone your skills.

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Delia Derbyshire Building

The Delia Derbyshire complex includes a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects and immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies for students across all disciplines to collaborate on projects together, a gallery space and an events atrium.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

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Portrait photo of Matt Purslow

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of this course, you should know how to:

  • make great journalism, whether that’s for digital, broadcast, print or social media
  • understand how global journalism works and how it impacts society
  • feel prepared when applying for potential future job roles within the media industry and you should have improved networks in order to do so.

You should be able to:

  • apply a breadth of journalism and communication skills and knowledge to professional situations
  • work creatively, sustainably and independently within professional situations, employing a range of journalism strategies and techniques
  • critically evaluate and analyse the broad range of factors that impinge upon professional and creative activities within journalism and the broader communications industry
  • demonstrate the ability to engage with diverse communities across a range of media platforms
  • identify and evaluate developing/emerging forms of journalism and communication.

We put employability at the centre of the course from the outset by preparing you for a potential future career in the media. The learning environment will recreate a working rolling news environment, with practical assignments and deadlines; it is purposefully designed to try and equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in a professional multi-platform environment.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates of the course have gone on to work for a range of broadcasters, newspapers, magazines and online outlets, including the BBC, Sky Sports, ITV, the Telegraph website and Heat magazine.

Further study

You can choose to continue your studies at Coventry University with the Global Journalism and Public Relations MA or one of our other courses:

You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

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Phoenix+ brings you together with other students to learn, experience and develop essential knowledge and skills. Whatever destination you choose, it's about preparing you for life after university.

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How to apply

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