Introduction
The Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism started in September 2008. The course teaches generic skills vital to journalists of all kinds: shorthand, reporting, feature writing, interviewing, investigative reporting and magazine journalism. The application of these skills to print, new media and broadcast journalism will be a major part of the course. The course will also examine the role of journalism in society as well as Media Law. In developing their journalism skills, students are expected to draw on the knowledge, research and writing skills they have developed during their undergraduate degree. Students who finish this course will have developed excellent oral and written communication skills; they will have good research and editing skills and will be able to manage their time efficiently to meet deadlines. They will also have developed a critical awareness of the role of the journalist and the media in society and be critical consumers of the media. Graduates of this course will be trained to work as researchers and reporters in a wide range of media, both print and broadcast. The Graduate Diploma can be undertaken full time (over one academic year) or part-time (over two academic years). On completing the Graduate Diploma, students with a 2.1 award may be permitted to continue to the Masters programme which involves additional independent work to be completed by the September of the same year.
Objectives
The course aims to equip graduates with the high-level research skills essential to all kinds of journalism, a solid appreciation of the ethical and legal issues in the profession, a critical understanding of the ways in which media, language and culture interact, and the capacity to build on knowledge and skills drawn from their primary degree for a career as a journalist. They will also gain practical experience of what it feels like to work as a journalist through assignments to deadline while on the course.
Programme Content
At Graduate Diploma level Full-Time students will take the following modules:
Semester 1
Professional Skills for Journalism, Journalistic writing for news, Journalistic writing for features,
Media Ethics and the Law, Journalism Team Project.
Semester 2
Investigative Journalism, Advanced Journalistic Writing, Local Government,
Current Issues in Irish Media
Plus one of the following:
Sociolinguistics of Irish Media, Researching Media Audiences
The Graduate Diploma will also be available Part-Time over two years.
Students on the Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism wil be strongly encouraged to complete a minimum of four weeks work experience during the course.
Master of Arts in Journalism
To progress from the Graduate Diploma to the Masters course, students must achieve a second class honours grade one overall and complete a preparatory module for the MA project.
Having satisfactorily completed all modules on the Graduate Diploma, students on the Masters Programme will undertake an individual journalism project (4,500 words), critical analysis of the project (2000 words) as well as an extended reflective essay (6000 words).
Careers
- Reporting in print and broadcast media
- Writing for web-based media production
- Feature writing and investigative reporting in a variety of media
Entrance Requirements
Applicants for the Graduate Diploma should normally possess a primary degree in any discipline with at least Second Class Honours Grade 2 (Primary degree: level 8 NQAI). Applicants should have a high standard of written English. Applicants will also need to be able to demonstrate a prior commitment to Journalism. Non-native speakers of English should have achieved an IELTS score of 6.5 by the time of application.
Application Fee
An application fee will apply from January 2011 to all postgraduate programmes. Please see Frequently Asked Questions for more information on the application fee.
Tuition Fee
The University recognises that many students are experiencing serious financial constraints in the present economic climate. Accordingly the Fees Office will endeavour to accommodate, where possible, the payment of fees via an agreed instalment payment plan. For further details please contact the Fees Office at feesoffice@ul.ie. Click here for details on the fee schedule.
Contact Details
Emer Connolly
School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication
University of Limerick,
Limerick,
Ireland.
Tel: +353 61 234679
web: www.ul.ie/llcc
e-mail: emer.connolly@ul.ie
