Media and communication
Journalism
BA
Overview
Journalism degrees teach reporting, verification, law and ethics, and production for print, audio or digital. Accreditation by a training body exists on some courses and is worth checking. Many journalists studied something else and trained afterwards. A degree does not give you a job on a paper. Students who enjoy it like asking questions, writing quickly and accurately, and being corrected.
You want reporting skills as the degree, knowing other degrees also lead into journalism.
English literature, media studies and creative writing are not reporting courses.
People who like news, accuracy and short deadlines.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- News writing
- Media law introduction
- Production skills
Later years
- Specialist reporting
- Ethics
- A publication or placement
Skills
Useful before you start
- Writing
- Curiosity
- Accuracy
Developed during the degree
- Reporting
- Verification
- Editing
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Newsroom workshops, Seminars, Practical production.
Assessment often includes Published stories, Portfolios, Law tests.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. News days can be longer.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC–ABB. English is useful. No subject is universal. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
English is useful. No subject is universal.
Often recommended: English Language, English Literature, Politics.
Useful preparation: History.
GCSE and IGCSE
English at GCSE or IGCSE is commonly expected. Other subject grades vary. No single national threshold is stored.
Indicative only.
Other ways in
- A postgraduate journalism course after another degree is a common route.
- Apprenticeships exist in some newsrooms.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Newspaper or magazine journalist
Common route
A relevant degree. Other degrees plus a journalism qualification or newsroom training also lead in.
Writer
Alternative route
Journalism is one kind of writing. It is not a creative-writing qualification.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.