There are four main parts of the curriculum which is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and students are encouraged to take the organisation’s own exams.

Journalism - the backbone of the course. Students learn about news definitions and values, sources, interviewing, writing, production and online. They also cover specialist areas such as court and council reporting and become fully conversant with codes of conduct and ethics. There is a mix of in-house exercises and external reporting assignments and students produce their own newspapers.

Shorthand - Shorthand is still a requirement for employment among a significant number of newspaper editors. The course provides a comprehensive programme of shorthand tuition, necessary if students are to meet the industry standard of 100 words a minute.

Law - The focus is on the law as it affects the working journalist, most notably contempt and defamation. Students also study the courts and restrictions on reporting, breach of confidence, copyright and official secrets.

Public Administration - Subjects covered include local government and its changing role, central government and its departments, political parties and their structures and the European Union.

Extra and related information

Our print and broadcast courses are accredited by the The Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Our MA Magazine Journalism is accredited by the Periodicals Training Council.