Study mode and duration:
MLitt: 12 months full-time; 24 monts part-time
PgDip: 9 months full-time; 21 months part-time
work in the University's simulated news environment and reporter externally using mobile media
develop sound analytical, ethical and entrepreneurial skills in order to perform at a high level in the digital media world
The course offers a great amount of practical learning which is not only very useful for my career, but also an enjoyable way to study. The knowledge from taught modules is implemented in our real-life journalism project.
Bagus Saragih, MLitt Digital Journalism student from Indonesia
Why this course?
Traditional news outlets are moving towards online products at an accelerated pace.
Digital technology is profoundly changing journalism, with innovations like hyperlocal news and mobile media reporting becoming increasingly prevalent.
We aim to produce high-quality, fresh-thinking graduates who have a passion to communicate and can articulate their ideas through effective story-telling.
You'll work in the University's simulated news environment. You'll report externally using mobile media and digital recorders and cameras. You'll have access to industry standard audio and video editing software.
Interested in postgraduate study?
At the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, our friendly and knowledgeable team will be available to provide you with all the information you need to kick-start your postgraduate journey at the University of Strathclyde. Register for upcoming events below:
The course comprises core and optional classes. MLitt students also undertake an academic dissertation or a production dissertation.
You’ll work in the University’s simulated news environment and also report externally using mobile media. This will provide the opportunity to:
pursue real-life stories
produce your own journalism packages
experiment with entrepreneurial projects
report, write and edit using text, pictures, video and audio to tell multimedia stories effectively
In Semester 2, you devise, launch, produce and market your own online publication.
In the Entrepreneurial Journalism class, which is run in collaboration with the University’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, you’ll learn about developing a portfolio career, personal branding and creating new ventures.
Throughout the course, there are opportunities to work on various projects with organisations from journalism and the creative industries.
Work placement
You’ll gain professional work experience by undertaking a placement at a newspaper, news agency or broadcast organisation. This is normally for a period of up to four weeks during December/January or March/April. You’re expected to arrange your own placement.
Previous students have completed placements at
The Herald
and Times Group, the BBC, STV, the Independent, various local newspapers, company press offices and NGOs, such as the Scottish Refugee Council.
How to become a journalist
With digital technology transforming the media landscape, it's now harder than ever to define a traditional route into the journalism industry.
However, demand remains for skilled, passionate and creative journalists who seek out and craft stories that resonate with audiences. Discover five practical steps aspiring journalists can take to prepare for a career in the media.
How to become a journalist
Student competitions
Students on the course routinely win nominations and awards in various competitions. In 2015, students won several commendations and awards at the SSJA: commendations for Sports Story of the Year, Multimedia Publication of the Year (for AyeWitness), and News Story of the Year. They also won two awards: News Story of the Year and Scoop of the Year.
In 2016, Maze Magazine won Student Publication of the Year and Multimedia Publication of the Year at the SSJAs.
In 2017, students won two commendations for Feature Story of the Year and the Calum Macdonald Memorial Award and one award for Arts & Entertainment Story of the Year.
In 2018, students were shortlisted for Student of the Year, Feature of the Year, and Mobile Journalism of the Year awards.
This class introduces you to the professional demands of multimedia journalism, equipping you with the techniques needed to create effective digital packages.
You'll learn about:
news values
generating ideas and sources
online research techniques
interviewing
mobile media
creating news
features
live blogs
interactivity
digital story-telling techniques
audio/video recording and editing
This class enables you to develop a critical understanding of digital journalism production processes by working in a simulated news room over several weeks.
As a team you devise, launch and produce your own online publication and create a social media strategy to market it.
You'll gain direct experience of multimedia news operation through generating ideas, undertaking editorial planning, preparing content, and designing and editing pages.
Most journalists are expected to demonstrate a detailed awareness of the journalist’s rights and responsibilities in their reporting.
You'll learn about:
the Scottish legal system
court structures and procedures
defamation
contempt of court
legal restrictions on reporting courts, parliament and government
copyright
confidence and privacy including human rights legislation and media regulatory systems
This class gives you an understanding of key ethical issues in professional journalism, developing skills in recognising and solving ethical problems.
You'll learn about a journalist’s ethical responsibilities to their employer, target audience and the wider community.
It'll enable you to analyse and critique key debates, apply appropriate ethical concepts, and develop an awareness of the professional choices that journalists face.
This class is a collaboration with the prestigious Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, part of the globally renowned Strathclyde Business School.
It aims to increase your employability by allowing you to develop your entrepreneurial ideas in a risk free environment and learn about generating ideas, business planning, funding, developing a portfolio career and personal branding.
You'll also participate in an intensive week of workshops on creating new ventures.
This class explores the implications and futures of digital technology in communication. The class incorporates the range of digital communication, from mediated conversation, through social media, to blogging and the production and distribution of video content. The importance of the digital environment for politics and the labour market will also be explored. The class will also look at the transformative implications of digital communication for the culture industries, including music, television and cinema, along with the legal and regulatory implications of digital content in an international setting.
This class offers advanced study of the dominant media and communication theories, and their application across a number of international contexts and media platforms. As well as discussing a number of traditions in communication research, the class will reflect critically on trends and texts across a number of media contexts and genres, including popular cultural platforms and the coverage of politics. The class will also look to the implications of international media on the mediation and public understanding of international coverage of conflict and terrorism.
This class will acquaint you with the field of strategic communication and the major theories of persuasion. It will explore the process of communicating purposefully from its different stages and thus help you form a well-rounded theoretical understanding of its many facets and complexities. The class will also combine theory and practice by asking you to apply the acquired theoretical perspectives onto professional scenarios.
If you progress to the MLitt, you'll choose to undertake either an academic dissertation or a production dissertation.
This allows you to explore a journalism studies topic at length through robust research methods and analysis.
Suitable subjects include:
journalism ethics
the media’s institutional and financial frameworks
the practice of journalism including textual usage, social media and media effects
journalism’s social context
The production dissertation enables you to investigate and produce a piece, or a series of pieces, of original digital journalism at length. You will create a substantial multimedia artefact/project of your own work that demonstrates high quality journalism skills and technical proficiency. You will utilise a range of appropriate story-telling platforms e.g. online, audio, video, photography, interactivity, captions and graphics in order to effectively interpret your chosen subject.
Learning & teaching
The course is delivered by lectures and seminars, during which a range of teaching and learning strategies are used. These include formal talks, discussions, presentations, role-playing exercises and discussion of recorded material.
You'll also pursue real-life stories, produce your own journalism packages and experiment with entrepreneurial projects in extended workshops. You'll devise, launch and produce your own online publications predominantly through independent learning.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary according to the nature of the class.
Academic subjects are generally assessed by written essays, case studies and presentations.
In the Media Ethics class, students complete an innovative assessment, which requires them to work together in groups to research, create and produce a short video that explores a journalism ethics topic.
In practical journalism classes, students produce individual multimedia journalism packages, portfolios of their own work and a group online news site.
Peer assessment is also used in some of these classes.
Abheet Raghav, India
MLitt Digital Journalism
My experience so far at the University of Strathclyde has been beyond satisfactory in the challenging circumstances due to COVID-19. Despite so many restrictions, the university left no page unturned when it comes to providing an efficient learning experience along with inviting a range of guest lecturers. This certainly has been the highlight for me.
More about Abheet's Strathlife
Chat to a student ambassador
If you want to know more about what it’s like to be a Humanities & Social Sciences student at the University of Strathclyde, a selection of our current students are here to help!
Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you might have about courses and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.
Chat to a student ambassador
Academic requirements
Honours degree, or overseas equivalent, or professional experience demonstrating ability to study at Masters level.
Experience of student journalism, a media work placement, freelance work or professional journalism is desirable.
The
Pre-Masters Programme
is a preparation course held at the
University of Strathclyde International Study Centre
, for international students (non EU/UK) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for a Masters degree at University of Strathclyde. The Pre-Masters programme provides progression to a number of degree options.
Upon successful completion, you'll be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 100 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Visit our international students' section
Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Scholarships
EU Engagement Scholarships
are available to EU applicants who would have previously been eligible for Home (Scottish/EU) fee status
All fees quoted are for full-time courses and per academic year unless stated otherwise. Please note second year will be subject to increases.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.
International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see
student visa guidance
for more information.
Scottish postgraduate students
Scottish postgraduate students may be able to apply for support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The support is in the form of a tuition fee loan and for eligible students, a living cost loan.
Find out more about the support and how to apply
.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students ordinarily resident in England may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance England. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs.
Find out more about the support and how to apply
.
Students ordinarily resident in Wales may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance Wales. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs.
Find out more about the support and how to apply
.
Postgraduate students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland may be able to apply for support from Student Finance Northern Ireland. The support is a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500.
Find out more about the support and how to apply
.
as well as running their own entrepreneurial ventures such as JournoWave.
Job roles include:
magazine journalist
magazine features editor
newspaper journalist
newspaper digital editor
freelance journalist
online journalist
digital copywriter
digital content creator
digital content editor
social media manager
communications officer
public relations officer
researcher for a broadcast organisation
Glasgow is Scotland's biggest & most cosmopolitan city
Our campus is based right in the very heart of Glasgow. We're in the city centre, next to the Merchant City, both of which are great locations for sightseeing, shopping and socialising alongside your studies.
Life in Glasgow
Prospective student enquiries
Contact a member of our team on LiveChat between 10am and 4pm (GMT)
