BA in Journalism and Culture

at Brunel University London

Journalism and Culture BA at Brunel is an opportunity to acquire not only an understanding of journalism’s relationship to culture and society, but also the practical skills of journalism and the technical knowhow to deliver the news stories in variety of media.
This course can be studied 3 years full-time, starting in September.
Year 1
Compulsory

• JR1700 - News and Feature Writing
• This module aims to introduce students to the different structures and styles of crafting stories for both news and feature journalism, to write clear and balanced reports in a form that will attract and interest the reader, and to identify and explore relevant sources and contacts for stories and interviews.
• JR1701 - Cross-Platform Journalism
• Students will develop fundamental technical skills in researching for media design and layout, photography, audio and video, as well as develop the skills of script-writing for photography, audio and video journalism delivery. The module also explores the institutional and regulatory context for photography, audio and video journalism and will introduce digital data gathering and editing techniques. A key part of this module will be the live production days - during which time students will be uploading to deadline on a bespoke website - that will put the skills and theories into practice on a regular basis.
• JR1604 - Introduction to Journalism and Media
• This module aims to place journalism within the development of the media. It teaches students to define concepts of journalism and its role in media, society, and culture as well as to identify key concepts used to interpret journalism. The course begins by looking at significant developments in the history of journalism and media to discuss contemporary media phenomena in relation to journalism theory and practice. The course will encourage students to find academic literature related to researching key issues in journalism.
• JR1606 - Foundations of Researching Journalism
• This module introduces students to some of the main approaches, tools and ways of thinking about researching journalism as a practice, representations about an event or public debates about journalism. It also provides them with an opportunity to unpacking research and identifying some of the flaws in it.
• JR1605 - Digital Media and Society
• The main aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the key developments associated with digital media and their influences on society. The module will link technological innovation with changes in communication and society. By the end of this module, students will know the key concepts and theories about digital media and society and identify the key characteristics of the digital media environment and their implications for journalism.
  Year 2
  Compulsory
• JR2700 - Journalism, Politics and Power
• This module aims to introduce students to an understanding of government structures at local, national, European and global levels as they relate to the work of a journalist, to familiarise students with appropriate sources of information when researching political stories and to introduce students to the importance of the role of journalists in monitoring power structures.
• JR2701 - Journalism Practice
• This module aims to build on skills from Level 1 and advance learning techniques for students in video, written, audio and photojournalism as well as advanced techniques in layout and design and using equipment and software to competently produce a variety of publications.
  Optional
• CO2604 - Media Genres
• This module will introduce you to the workings of various media genres and how these relate to themes of power, identify and culture and wider societal contexts.
• CO2030 - Global Communication
• Examine the ways in which the globalisation of communication has transformed social, political and economic relations as you consider contributing themes of economy, power, globalisation, nationalism, identity, digitalisation, culture and consumerism.
• CO2602 - Social Media and Networked Cultures
• Explore social media in relation to broader changes in the media and cultural landscape, and how it impacts on identity, power and everyday life.
• C05520 - Creative Industries
• The aim of this module is to provide students with an informed and practical understanding of the significance of creative industries and how they operate in various spheres of social life. The module focuses on how the notion of ‘creativity’ has emerged in the economy and society.
  Year 3
  Compulsory
• JR3608 - Data Journalism
• The main aim of this module is to provide students with an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of data journalism. This module will cover the nature of the data environment and the implications for journalism as well as skills of data collection, cleaning, analysis and visualisation. By the end of this module, students will have a well-developed understanding of the concept of data and the principles of ethical story-telling using data.
• JR3606 - Dissertation
• The dissertation aims to enable students to conduct independent research within their field. This will teach students to choose a feasible research project, locate it within relevant academic literature, and devise an appropriate analytical framework to construct arguments that can justify the research question has been answered. Individual supervision will support students in developing and executing the research project.
• JR3607 - Journalism Practice Project
• The practice project aims to extend students’ understanding of journalism practice and principles through the planning and execution of a mini-portfolio that aims to enable students to begin to develop specialisms. It enables students to apply editorial judgement in the selection of stories, the target audience, and the approach taken and the preferred medium, and to recognise and employ ethical and legal knowledge in researching and reporting.
  Optional
• CO3605 – Fake News, Images and Websites
• In this module you will critically engage with historical and contemporary debates about political hoaxes, fake news, images, videos and websites. The academic literature is interdisciplinary, and you will examine how different approaches draw attention to different understandings of how fake content is produced, circulated and received in diverse national and international contexts.
• CO3606 – International Media Ethics
• Through this module you will gain advanced knowledge and critical understanding of how media, journalism and political communication ethics are viewed in diverse contexts around the world. You will cultivate the ability to critically appraise how a context shapes ethical sensitivities and debates about a range of issues, for instance debates about trolling, the circulation of graphic images, and the implications of data mining and behavioural microtargeting.
• CO3608 – Reporting Social Justice
• This module aims to offer a critical alternative to dominant approaches to journalism as an objective or impartial recounting of events by enabling you to develop advanced skills used by journalists to expose and draw attention to issues of social injustice nationally or internationally. As part of your studies you will use case studies to critically evaluate what techniques leading journalists adopt.
• JR3609 - Journalism, Storytelling and Social Media
• The module provides an advanced critical consideration of how contemporary journalism, society and culture are being reshaped by and in response to social media. It will explore the changing relationships between technologies, platforms and practices as well as how old forms of storytelling are being adapted as new ones emerge.
• JR3605 - Media, Campaigning and Social Change
• This module provides an advanced critical consideration of how media are used to campaign for social change, the circumstances in which change is possible and what hinders effective campaigns. It aims to examine the interactions between media, campaigns and social change, to consider how different media platforms facilitate diverse types of campaigns, and to explore new forms of innovation and creativity using social media platforms.
• JR3610 - Public Relations
• This module will explore the processes and ethical considerations involved in obtaining approval for press releases, comments and social media posts, and also the ethical considerations of supplying accurate and trustworthy information that sells the product or customer to the very best effect. Students will learn how to build communication strategies and plans, and how to obtain, maintain and retain clients, as well as working in partnership with different organisations.
• PP3612 Elections, Parties and Voters in the UK
• This module examines and evaluates the major issues and controversies in the study of elections, voting behaviour and political parties in Britain, and provides a basis for comparative analysis. It focusses upon explaining election outcomes, understanding and explaining electoral behaviour, the impact of election campaigning, party ideologies, party organisation, how parties are financed, party activism and party systems.

English language requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

2021/22 entry
UK
£9,250 full-time
International
£16,825 full-time
Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.
Fees for EU applicants – For entry in 2022/23 academic year, eligible EU applicants will have the same tuition fees as UK students to continue our support during this transition period. These fees will be applied for the duration of the course.

Many graduates of Journalism and Culture BA go on to seek their first jobs in journalism, primarily in the local and regional sector for print, web or broadcasting, but also in the burgeoning periodical sector that includes magazines and industry journals.
You will also be well equipped to create blogs and vlogs either for yourself or for others or to transfer your skills to related fields such as media production, public relations, marketing and advertising. 
Brunel graduates can be found in top newsrooms across the globe with companies such as the BBC and The Guardian.