Journalism BA(Hons)

Why study BA(Hons) Journalism at University College Falmouth?

BA(Hons) Journalism course leaflet (1.45 MB)

Journalism at Falmouth specialises in newspapers, online and magazine journalism. Accredited by the Periodical Training Council, a benchmark for quality and innovation in magazine publishing, this course examines journalism and the media in a digital age and the role of the journalist in a global marketplace. It will also provide you with professional training in broadcast television, radio, and photojournalism in a BBC-standard Media Suite.

You will gain the skills you need for a successful career in journalism, including shorthand, media law, news writing and feature writing. Experienced journalists and active researchers in the field will support you as you gain a portfolio of specialist skills. From your second year on, you can build your journalistic expertise by selecting specialist courses of study in online journalism and content management, environmental and ethical journalism or public relations.

University College Falmouth is part of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy network - a UK-wide group of institutions identified as centres of excellence in creative media education and training.

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) Journalism course

"The tutors are very approachable and because it's a small course, it's much more personal and you get to know your classmates really quickly. The fact that the different units cater for so many areas of the media industry is fantastic because you can choose your own path throughout the three years and study what you find interesting, while also picking up essential skills in the core units." BA(Hons) Journalism graduate, Kezia Clarke, who is now employed by YCN in London.

By choosing to study for a degree in Journalism at Falmouth you will:

• Benefit from being taught by friendly and approachable staff who are experts in their respective fields.
• Develop a range of writing, research and production skills that will equip you for your career in journalism.
• Be part of a group of people who produce live publications, be it our news website Navigator, the new student newspaper Flex or your own publication.
• Be based at the stunning Tremough Campus, which boasts industry standard media, photography and broadcasting facilities and two fully equipped newsrooms.
• Gain the chance of gaining a work placement with one of our network of contacts, including BBC Magazines; Giorgio Armani Press Office; Mail on Sunday and the Telegraph sports desk
• Have opportunities to work creatively with students from other subject areas such as PR, Digital Media and Graphic Design.
• Have the opportunity to go on study trips and to spend time at our partner universities in places such as Sweden and Spain, through the Erasmus scheme.

"Many Falmouth journalism students work at, or with, The Evening Herald during their studies, and it’s always obvious that they arrive well prepared, well briefed, and eager to embrace the world of modern-day newspapers." Bill Martin, Editor, The Evening Herald

Projects

Raising development awareness among media students

UCF has been selected as a participant in a new Government funded (DFID) project aimed at "Strengthening overseas reporting and filmmaking among tomorrow's journalists and filmmakers".

The project is being run by the charity One World Media and will involve a two day workshop at our Tremough campus in 2010. Students participating in the workshop will have the chance to apply for a bursary from One World Media, enabling them to travel and make a film abroad.

More information about the project can be found here

Work placements

This year, our students have undertaken work placements with the following:

Rocksound Magazine
Frank public relations
BBC Radio Cornwall
You Magazine (Mail on Sunday)
Food magazine
MPAD communications Truro
PitPilot magazine
Amateur Photographer
Ford UK
Wyvern FM
Motorcycle News
Plymouth Herald
Western Morning News
Mojo magazine
Top Gear magazine (India)
Friflyt magazine (Norway)
Henry's House public relations
CNBC European Business
FourFourTwo
Plymouth Herald
Western Morning News
Talk Back Thames TV
Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
Borkowski public relations
Tate St Ives press office
Falmouth Packet
Red Shoe Communications (Singapore)
Eden Project press office
Giorgio Armani press office

Facilities

Our Media Centre and Learning Resourse Centre include:

• Dedicated print and radio newsrooms with professional script-writing and editing software and live news feed
• Video editing suites with AVID Media Composer for video editing and surround sound capability
• Audio post production suites with pro tools for sound design and editing
• Digital production suite with software including adobe creative
• Equipment store with a range of cameras, tripods, monitors, microphones, DVD players, PA systems, lights, film dollies and tracks
• 106-seat cinema
• 17,000-title TV and film library
• Newspaper archive Newsbank and Newsquest print news feed

Course outline

Level 1

• Writing for the Media
• Media and Popular Culture
• Media Law
• Genres and Audiences
• Shorthand

Level 2

• News & Magazine Production
• Media Ethics and Human Rights
• Case Study (Methodologies and Planning)
• Case Study (Placement and Write-up)

Autumn term options

• MultiMedia News
• Photography
• Radio Journalism and Podcasting
• Journalism and Film

Spring term options

• Radical and Participatory Media
• Photo Journalism in the Newsroom
• TV Reporting

Level 3

• Dissertation
• Negotiated Portfolio

Semester 1 options

• The Magazine Journalist
• The Newspaper Journalist
• The Broadcast Journalist

Semester 2 options

• Health and Environmental Journalism
• Crime and the Media
• Publishing

Student newspaper

Flex is the new student newspaper for University College Falmouth and Exeter University

"Journalism students are as important to Flex as Flex is to the students. We offer a practical way into all types of writing and showcase a variety of student work. This is a perfect opportunity for development outside of the normal core content. We were especially delighted at how supportive the school of Media was in our endeavour, it is refreshing to meet a group of people who are so positive and confident in the ability of their students." Asher Simpson, Editor, Flex

Guest lectures

Details of some of our upcoming lectures are available on this poster

Journalism Lectures 2010 Poster (1.09 MB)

Guest lecturers during 2008-9 included:

Nicholas Brett, Deputy Managing Director, Group Editorial Director, BBC Magazines
Jim Douglas, Editorial Director, Future Publishing
Sara Adhikari, sub-editor, The Sun newspaper
Paul Lashmar, Investigative journalist, TV Producer
Alan Qualtrough, Regional Editorial Director, Western Morning News
Terry Kirby, former Crime/ Home Affairs correspondent The Independent, Freelance reporter and editor Evening Standard, The Guardian
Oliver Poole, former Iraq correspondent The Daily Telegraph, author of The Red Zone
Andy Cooper, Editor-in-Chief, The West Briton
Professor Robert Pinker, The Press Complaints Commission
Joe Barnes, Editor, Front magazine
Alley Einstein, freelance magazine writer and broadcaster
Leo Hickman, Environment editor and feature writer, The Guardian
Louise Midgley, Reporter, West Country News, ITV
Jilly Easterby, Head of Communications, University College Falmouth
Kirsty Newton, Editor, Cornwall Today magazine
Tim Nunn, Editor, Wavelength magazine

Our list of regular speakers includes Leo Hickman (The Guardian), Nicholas Brett (BBC Magazines) and Oliver Poole (The Daily Telegraph), among others.

Professorial lecture series

Falmouth's Professorial lecture series aims to produce an engaging and challenging public programme that stimulates the intellectual curiosity of our staff, students and alumni, our research collaborators, our industry partners, our local communities and other supporters.

Jason Whittaker

What Blake did next: 200 years under the influence of William Blake

Thursday 15 October 2009

Despite dying in relative obscurity in 1827, William Blake has emerged as one of the most important artists and writers ever to have worked in Britain, one who has influenced a wide range of figures since the late nineteenth century. In this lecture, Jason Whittaker, Resident Professor of English and Media Arts at Falmouth, will concentrate on two of Blake's most popular texts, the poem "The Tyger" and the hymn "Jerusalem". The lecture will explore some of the ways in which that influence has been used and abused to provide a fertile ground for new creative developments, as well as arguing that a study of such poetic and artistic reception is the way forward for Blake studies.

A video of Jason Whittaker's lecture can be viewed online here

Emily Bell

Back To the News Future: Journalism 10 Years from Now

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Director of Digital Content for Guardian News and Media, Emily set up www.mediaguardian.co.uk in 2001. www.guardian.co.uk has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Webby for Best Newspaper on the web in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Oxford graduate, Bell is one of the rising stars coming through from a younger, more web-focused generation of senior media figures.

A video of Emily Bell's lecture can be viewed online here

Answers and advice about the course

If you have any queries about the course please visit our HelpMe Forum

HelpMe Forum

Career opportunities

Our graduates have successful careers in journalism, with former students achieving their ambitions as international reporters, presenters, researchers, editors, staff writers and producers at The Daily Telegraph, BBC, Daily Express, NHM, ITV, The Botswana Gazette, Front Magazine, Yours Magazine and Shebang Magazine among numerous other media employers.

In the wider world of communications our graduates work in organisations including Big Brother, Sony, Lexis Nexis, Midas, Black Cat Public Relations, The Environment Agency (PR) and BMW Marketing and PR and The National Union of Journalists.

Course entry requirements

UCAS Tariff 220 points, mainly from the A2 level, or the equivalent in appropriate 14-19 Specialist Diploma, National Diploma or Access to HE Awards, or experience

For further information about BA(Hons) Journalism at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 214370.

Interview dates and selection process

Interviews will commence in January.

The interview will include a workshop and guest lecture, followed by an individual interview. Please allow a full day. Applicants will be asked to bring a written piece with them to use in workshops on the interview day.

Location: Tremough Campus

Related courses

• Digital Media BA(Hons)
• English with Media Studies BA(Hons)
• English with Creative Writing BA(Hons)
• Public Relations BA(Hons)