2026-27 entry

Journalism MA

School of Information, Journalism and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences

Learn how to find, publish and execute your own stories across a multitude of platforms, including print, web and social media, ensuring you gain the essential skills and knowledge to become a top-class multimedia reporter.
  • Start date
    September 2026
  • Duration
    1 year
  • Attendance
    Full-time
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Explore this course:

    Apply now for 2026 entry or register your interest to find out about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.

    A boy with bleached hair and a red jumper and a woman with curly blonde hair laughing. they are in a newsroom surrounded by computers and TV screens.

    Course description

    News reporting requires expertise in creating and publishing digital content, alongside a solid grasp of traditional skills and knowledge - take this degree and you’ll develop both. You will harness your knowledge in our newsrooms and out in the city during our production newsdays. You'll also work with a team to publish your stories on Sheffield Wire – a real, public-facing news website with its own social media channels.

    You'll apply your learning in a huge variety of ways: news writing, web publishing, shorthand, social media management, video production and media law and ethics - all in the process of hunting down and writing up stories to meet real-time deadlines with your team.

    As well as the core reporting skills required by employers, you’ll also be exposed to innovative journalism techniques, which will put you a step ahead when it comes to landing your first job.

    Our course is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists and is renowned within the industry as one of the best in the UK. We'll give you access to international, national and regional news providers on a myriad of platforms during both teaching time and exciting work placements. 

    Our alumni are intelligent and successful journalists who are excellent at both traditional newswriting and digital mobile journalism.

    Accreditation

    Accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists

    National Council for the Training of Journalists logo
    National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)

    Modules

    We're revising the curriculum of this course for this year of entry and are in the process of confirming the modules. The information on this page gives you an idea of the areas we expect the course to cover. There may be changes before you start. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

    The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we will inform students and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

    Open days

    Interested in postgraduate taught study? Register your interest in studying at Sheffield or attend an event throughout the year to find out what makes studying at here special.

    Duration

    1 year full-time

    Teaching

    There are lectures, seminars, group workshops, individual and team assignments.

    Assessment

    You’re assessed on essays, examinations and practical journalism work – producing news stories, newspaper pages, web pages and portfolios.

    You’ll also have the chance to sit external examinations set by the NCTJ.

    Your career

    Within 15 months of graduation, our students launch straight into roles such as:

    • Journalist - specialising in lifestyle, sports, news and more
    • Head of news
    • Local democracy reporter
    • Marketing, communications and PR officer
    • Trust fundraiser
    • PR account executive
    • Paralegal

    Many of them find work in impressive news organisations, as well as local government and the third sector. Workplace destinations include:

    • Reach PLC
    • BBC Radio
    • National World
    • Newsquest
    • Barnsley College

    Thanks to our industry connections, we offer a huge range of work experience opportunities to students on our practical journalism courses. To see what our students get up to during these placements, check out the #JUSPlacement Blog.

    You can also find out more about our graduates and where they go on to work.

    School

    School of Information, Journalism and Communication

    Here at the School of Information, Journalism and Communication, we've been training extraordinary journalists and conducting pioneering research since 1994, when our department was launched by Observer Editor Donald Trelford at our first home in Minalloy House.

    After 30 years in the industry, we've learnt a thing or two about networking. Study with us, and you'll have exclusive access to our unrivalled contacts and alumni network, situated in newsrooms across the world.

    We’ll also provide you with award-winning employability support in the form of one-to-one support sessions, weekly masterclasses and an array of placement opportunities to help you get your foot in the door. 

    You’ll learn to ace the basics on our practical courses, including how to spot big stories and make them shine; edit engaging audio, video and podcasts in our state-of-the-art facilities; become an expert in social media; and even ace those shorthand exams. We’re the only Russell Group University to be accredited by the NCTJ, BJTC and PPA, so you know you’re learning from the best of the best.

    For those with an eye for Journalism’s bigger picture, our research-led programmes will help you piece together the epic social narratives of global journalism, mass media and political communication. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with experts in media law, mis/disinformation, propaganda and freedom of the media - taking full advantage of the research excellence we have to offer as a Russell Group institution.

    Our graduates go on to achieve great things and remain part of our legacy forever. They change the world through the power of storytelling - be they journalists, documentarians, PR experts, novelists, or teachers.

    Student profiles

    Portrait of Jessica Murray

    My confidence in building contacts and my understanding of a good news story are grounded in my time at Sheffield

    Jessica Murray Journalism MA

    Rising star Jessica Murray received a Scott Trust bursary enabling her to study for our MA Journalism degree. After graduating in 2019 she joined The Guardian, where her stories have already led the front page.

    Entry requirements

    Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any subject.

    We may also consider your application if you do not meet the standard academic requirements but you have considerable work experience in a media-related role.

    Interview task

    Interview someone you know and write a news story based on that discussion. The story should be between 300 and 400 words and should have a news angle that a reader would find interesting and engaging.

    You should use the style and structure you would find in the local newspaper or website from where you live. Please include this story with your application.

    Please note, if your task is not submitted within four weeks of your application submission, we may reject your application.

    We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

    Entry requirements for international students

    We assess each application on the basis of the applicant’s preparation and achievement as a whole. We may accept applicants whose qualifications don’t meet the published entry criteria but have other experience relevant to the course.

    The lists of required degree subjects and modules are indicative only.  Sometimes we may accept subjects or modules that aren’t listed, and sometimes we may not accept subjects or modules that are listed, depending on the content studied.

    English language requirements

    IELTS 7.5 (with 7 in each component) or University equivalent

    Other English language qualifications we accept

    Other requirements

    We will not ask you to provide references or referee details as part of your application.

    We do not require a supporting statement for this programme.

    Pathway programme for international students

    If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

    If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school.

    Fees and funding

    There are a number of bursaries and scholarships available, including the Dan Walker scholarship, the Scott Trust (owner of The Guardian), Journalism Diversity Fund, The Aziz Foundation Scholarship and others.

    Funding opportunities for MA degrees in journalism

    Funding for postgraduate taught courses

    Alumni discount

    Save up to £2,500 on your course fees

    Are you a Sheffield graduate? You could save up to £2,500 on your postgraduate taught course fees, subject to eligibility.

    Apply

    You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.

    Apply now

    Contact

    Start a conversation with us – you can get in touch by email, telephone or online chat.

    Contacts for prospective students

    Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

    Our student protection plan

    Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.