February 19, 2024 (Updated )
If you’re toying with the idea of postgraduate education and a Master’s in Journalism is striking a chord, it’s vital to get your head around the different courses available. While we’ve written previously about the logistics of how to apply for an MA Journalism programme, we’ve also been investigating particular courses that might pique your interest.
The choice can feel overwhelming and it’s important to get it right. At City St George’s, University of London, for example, there are a huge number of bespoke journalism options, from podcasting to investigations, broadcast to finance. And, of course, the MA International Journalism. So, just what does the international journalism course cover? Why should you consider studying it? And what do you need to get in?
To put it simply, an MA in International Journalism helps students who want to become foreign correspondents or hope to work on an international news desk. Dr Zahera Harb, course leader at City St George’s, explains: “If you choose to do MA International Journalism, then you’re basically choosing to get all the learning and education you need to work in an international news organisation, work on international news, or as a foreign correspondent.”
The aim is to give you a solid foundation of multimedia journalism skills, from writing to video to audio, all set within an international journalism context. This means you’ll be taught how storytelling is approached around the globe, how news is produced, and how to translate complex events abroad to audiences at home, wherever that is.
Generally, you can expect to complete the course within 12 months if studying full-time, or 24 months if studying part-time.
To find out what it’s really like, we spoke to a range of academics who teach on City St George’s MA International Journalism, as well as a number of students who’ve studied it.
Lecturers Yuen Chan (L) and Dr Zahera Herb (R) both teach on the course.
Starting in mid-September (with a two-week orientation), City St George’s MA International Journalism is a 12-month programme if studied full-time. The final project deadline is at the end of July and, following this submission, students are required to also write a reflective essay on their project that is due at the start of September. While the content of other courses in international journalism varies, the syllabus at City gives a good indication of what you’re expected to learn.
“First and foremost, this course is for people who want to be journalists,” says senior lecturer in Journalism, Yuen Chan. “It suits people with an international perspective and mindset — those who are curious about other parts of the world and who already have an interest in another country or culture — and want to expand their skills in order to report on those regions. It is a hands-on, practice-based course.”
The course has a number of core modules, including two centred on international storytelling, with a focus on journalism, digital media, and socials, something Yuen calls a “Journalism 101”. Other core modules include international news production, international correspondent, and journalism ethics. Elective modules include ‘humanitarian reporting’, ‘reporting the Middle East’, ‘reporting North America’, and ‘reporting on identity and under-represented communities’.
In practice, students are given an assignment each week that centres around a theme or topic. Working with a partner, and in rotations of three weeks, you are asked to produce stories in text, audio and video formats. “It’s only after you have had this hands-on experience that we ask you to choose whether you wish to take a text-print pathway or a broadcast-audio-video pathway,” adds Yuen. Depending on your choice, students produce their own magazine and website or a full news programme in their term three ‘production’ module.
The course also includes a mandatory module on career development, which aims to help you find work, be it freelance or in-house. While Dr Zahera stresses this isn’t them finding a placement for you, she explains it’s about guiding and preparing students in their search. “We have so many successes in many very prestigious trainee schemes,” she adds, with speakers from The Financial Times, The Telegraph, and The Washington Post often coming to speak to students directly.
For Pranay Maniar, it was this mix of academic rigour, employability, and an engaged lecturing team that convinced him to apply. “It wasn’t [just] about the learning; it was more about the people and the professors,” he tells Journo Resources. “The amount of passion the people had around me, the amount of effort our professors put in for us to get things right, for us to become flawless in our field, was quite beautiful.”
“One main thing that my classroom had, which probably no classroom anywhere else I could have found [had], was the passion. This just motivated me to do better, become better, learn new things and just fall in love with something I already loved so much.”
So, if you are looking at an MA International Journalism, it’s worth looking at the whole course holistically; attend an open day, speak to lecturers, and see what support they offer alongside the modules themselves.
British students, who make up more than half the International Journalism MA, should have an upper second-class undergraduate degree or higher in any field, while international students must meet the equivalent undergraduate requirements in their country of study and pass an English language test before submitting their application.
Both home and foreign students are asked to demonstrate a ‘commitment to journalism’ in their personal statements. “This could mean showcasing any kind of related experience — like student journalism or something you’ve written for your local paper, work experience at a newspaper, or even a blog,” suggests Yuen.
• British students applying to MA International Journalism should have a 2:1 Undergraduate degree or higher in any field.
• International students must meet the equivalent undergraduate requirements in their country of study and pass an English language test before submitting their application.
• Both home and international students should demonstrate a ‘commitment to journalism’ in their personal statements — this could be related to experience like student journalism, writing for a local newspaper, work experience, or a blog.
• Remember, your undergraduate degree can be in any field — recent students have undergraduate degrees in English literature, history, and biochemistry.
While this might seem daunting, remember that a little advanced planning can help. If you know you would like to submit your application for the next intake, spend time gaining that experience beforehand — after all, this is a field you would like to work in.
Praney, for example, was always clear about his motivations. “A lot of India’s narratives are drawn by foreign media,” he explains of his home country. “So, learning, how does the global media work? How information flows globally, and the general ecosystem, would help me [change that]. A little vision I have is bringing India’s narrative to the world. We are the fourth-largest economy in the world, one of the strongest militaries in the world. But we’re just known for a few things: chicken tikka masala, yoga, and poverty.” Prospective students should ask themselves what they hope to achieve through their studies, which can help guide a strong application.
A frequent misunderstanding is that postgraduate studies are only for students who have an undergraduate qualification in the same field; however, Yuen reassures us that this isn’t the case. “We have students from English literature, history, and biochemistry backgrounds. I encourage people who have backgrounds in different professions or disciplines who want to pursue journalism to apply,” she explains.
If you were to apply to City St George’s, there’s no doubt you’d be in good hands. “Our tutors bring their own extensive experience and perspectives to these modules,” comments Yuen. “Dr Zahera Harb, for example, is an expert in reporting in the Middle East and Dr James Rodgers was a BBC correspondent, based in Moscow, for many years.”
Shafie Aguad Rodriguez moved from her home in Peru to enrol. Her dream, she says, is to become a foreign correspondent or to work in production for companies such as France24, CNN, or the BBC. “Such roles often require journalists who can speak more than one language. I already speak Spanish and I am learning the skills to report in English — so this course is very beneficial for me,” she explains.
Amber Lennox (L) and Shafie Aguad Rodriguez (R) both study MA International Journalism at City University.
Meanwhile, it is the interactive and inclusive nature of MA International Journalism at City that 22-year-old Amber Lennox enjoys most — particularly having studied law as an undergraduate degree. “My cohort are from all different walks of life. It’s really cool to be discussing a specific news subject in a lecture, only to realise you’re sitting next to someone from that country who can add even more insight into the news coverage.”
“This year, just over a third of our students are international,” concurs Yuan. “London truly is an international city, with so many international media. Our students get the chance to meet journalists through guest speaker events — and our international students bring their own attributes and experiences to the course.”
With at least 10 hours in class every week and out-of-hours study on top of that, keep in mind that you need to be committed to take on an MA in International Journalism. Days off-campus are generally spent gathering interviews and producing stories — which means working full-time isn’t recommended.
“Working part-time, however, is achievable,” advises Amber. “I work at the university, and my course colleagues have other jobs — from working at the Odeon Leicester Square to working as a researcher at a hospital. It just comes down to time management.”
There are so many reasons why students embark on a Master’s in International Journalism programme – and they’re not all to do with further education. “I love getting to know people from all over the world, so I chose this course because of the diversity in London.” Shafie laughs.
“Then, the second reason is because of City’s prestige. It’s one of the best universities for postgraduate journalism. As a result, City has great employability rates, which is obviously important to me.”
Amber agrees: “I understand that the world we live in today isn’t a local one, which is why I want to study journalism on an international scale. I applied for the MA in International Journalism because it allowed me to try both print and broadcast extensively before deciding what I wanted to specialise in.”
If an MA in International Journalism could be for you, find out more about the City University’s programme here, or check out the other postgraduate Journalism offerings.
