Course overview
Our three-year Journalism, Media and Culture degree focuses on developing your writing, production and communication skills across a range of platforms. You’ll be well prepared for a career in a fast-changing media environment as a proactive journalist or media professional.
This hands-on degree programme ensures you develop the practical skills critical in multimedia journalism, as well as an in-depth academic knowledge across all aspects of journalism and media theory.
You’ll master the ability to write, produce, and edit both audio and video content for a variety of media.
Your knowledge of the issues and debates in media and cultural studies will be supplemented with a thorough grounding in cultural studies, journalism history, media law and political communications.
You’ll become a highly skilled media professional with an in-depth and critical understanding of the roles media and culture play in our society, ready for an exciting career working in journalism and media.
Your course and study experience – disclaimers and terms and conditions
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
Quality and ranking
- 7th in the UK – The Complete University Guide 2025 (Communication and Media Studies category)
- 15th in the UK – The Guardian University Guide 2025 (Journalism category)
- Global Top 130 University – QS World University Rankings 2025
- Top 200 for Communication and Media Studies – QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
- 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
- 5th in the UK – Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 (Communications and Media Studies category)
- Top 25 in the UK and Top 100 in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024
- Top 125 for Social Sciences – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025
- Global Top 170 University – Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
Modules and learning
Modules
The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you’ll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Stage 1
Modules
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Media Studies | 20 |
| Critical Skills | 20 |
| Social and Cultural Studies | 20 |
| Introduction to Journalism Practice | 20 |
| Journalism: Pasts, present and future | 20 |
| Introduction to Multimedia Journalism | 20 |
Stage 2
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Media Law and Ethics | 20 |
| Multimedia Journalism I | 20 |
| Journalism Practice for Digital Audiences | 20 |
| Research Design and Practice | 20 |
| Optional Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Media Fusions: Creative & Collaborative Projects | 20 |
| Student Exchange: Semester 1 | 60 |
| Introduction to Public Relations | 20 |
| Race, Culture and Identity | 20 |
| Sex, Sexuality and Desire | 20 |
| Popular Culture & Speculative Futures | 20 |
| Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio) | 20 |
| Conflict and Crisis Reporting | 20 |
Stage 3
Modules
Compulsory modules
You take the following compulsory module:
Journalism and Media Research Dissertation (40 credits)
You also take one of the following modules – but you may take the other as one of your optional modules:
Social Media Data Journalism (20 credits)
JesmondLocal: Advanced Newsroom Practice (20 credits)
Modules
| Optional Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Public Relations | 20 |
| Advertising and Consumption | 20 |
| Race, Culture and Identity | 20 |
| Sex, Sexuality and Desire | 20 |
| Popular Culture & Speculative Futures | 20 |
| Broadcast Journalism 1 (Radio) | 20 |
| Conflict and Crisis Reporting | 20 |
| Magazine Publishing | 20 |
| Youth, Identity and Contemporary Media | 20 |
| Fashion, Communication and Culture | 20 |
| Global Public Relations | 20 |
| Storytelling and Collective Psychology | 20 |
| JesmondLocal: Advanced Newsroom Practice | 20 |
| Power, Politics and Communication | 20 |
| Social Media Data Journalism | 20 |
| Broadcast Journalism 2 – TV News and Advanced Video | 20 |
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods
Teaching is through lectures, seminars, practical workshops and regular one-to-one tutorials.
In Stage 3 you undertake a research project that accounts for one-third of your time.
Skills and experience
Practical skills
You will have opportunities to develop your practical skills through opportunities to work for The Courier, Newcastle University’s award-winning weekly student newspaper, our student radio and television stations or local media projects like Jesmond Local: Advanced Newsroom Practice module, a digital news hub where you can develop and explore new models of journalism.
You’ll have the opportunity to take part in international pop-up Newsroom events, where – along with students from across the world – you’ll take part in a 24-hour rolling global reporting project, focused on current issues.
Business skills
You will develop a comprehensive portfolio of work, produced to industry standards, including works of written news, features, reviews and a multimedia package that features text, audio and/or video as well as social media.
You’ll also have the opportunity to add broadcasting and radio packages to your portfolio.
Research skills
You’ll undertake a Journalism and Media dissertation in the final year of your degree. This gives you the chance to demonstrate your learned knowledge and develop your techniques and understanding around independent, in-depth research.
Your dissertation will build on a range of compulsory and optional theoretical modules that you will be able to study throughout your course on pertinent topics such as media and power, gender studies, race, culture and identity, celebrity culture, PR, advertising and consumption, digital discourses or conflict and crisis reporting.
Opportunities
Study abroad
Experience life in another country by choosing to study abroad as part of your degree. You’ll be encouraged to embrace fun and challenging experiences, make connections with new communities and graduate as a globally aware professional, ready for your future.
You can choose the student exchange module in your second year. This will allow you to spend the first semester of second year on a student exchange.
Find out more about study abroad
Work placement
Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.
You’ll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.
If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Your degree title will show you have achieved the placement year. Placements are subject to availability.
Find out more about work placements.
Facilities and environment
Facilities
As a student of Media, Journalism and Film Practice at Newcastle University, you will join a vibrant community in the School of Arts and Cultures’ Media, Culture, Heritage department.
You will be based in the Armstrong Building and Film@CultureLab, right at the heart of our city-centre campus. You’ll be close to all of Newcastle University’s amenities, as well as being just a five-minute walk to Newcastle’s main street, Northumberland Street.
You’ll have access to:
- professional-standard video and audio equipment, studio space and AV-editing facilities
- specialist computing facilities, including industry-standard software, such as Adobe Creative Suite
- a mobile studio suite
Support
You’ll have the support of an academic member of staff as a personal tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues.
You will also benefit from the expert knowledge and skills of our dedicated team of technicians based in Culture Lab.
Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have when starting university.
Your future
You will develop the skills needed to be a successful multimedia journalist. You will also be exposed to a broad commercial and cultural awareness of the media and creative industries, both from academic staff and media practitioners.
Students from our Journalism, Media and Culture degree have followed a variety of career paths in the industry, such as:
- print, online, broadcast and multimedia journalism
- broadcast production
- social media editing and planning
- script-writing
- public relations, communications and market research
Careers in public relations, journalism, media planning, social media management and content creation, broadcasting and advertising are the most popular choices for graduates. Our courses focus on the communication of information across a broad range of subjects from the highly practical to the theoretical, so you’ll be beneficial to any organisation.
You will develop a variety of skills that are extremely useful for employment, such as critical analysis, research, teamwork, flexibility, a creative and independent approach to tasks and the ability to work to a brief and meet deadlines.
Careers support
A portfolio of work is crucial if you wish to work in the media industry, and we’ve plenty of opportunities for you to develop this. We have an award-winning student newspaper, university radio and television stations, as well as links with local media outlets.
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Visit our Careers Service website
Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Check the government’s website for more information.
Entry requirements
All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements and offers below apply to 2025 entry.
| A-Level | |
|---|---|
| AAB | |
| International Baccalaureate | |
|---|---|
| A minimum of 34 points. | |
