A Scottish university has launched what it claims is the first ever postgraduate course in financial journalism.

From September next year, the University of Stirling will be running both a masters and postgraduate diploma in the specialist subject as a joint venture between its journalism and finance departments.

Jairo Lugo, coordinator of the new masters, said: “These two departments are among the highest ranking departments in the United Kingdom in their respective fields and have world-class reputation for teaching and research.

“What we have done is to create a synergy between two departments, which are highly regarded by the media and financial industries as centres of excellence.”

The programme has both theoretical and practical elements, allowing students to develop an understanding of the financial world while also learning journalistic skills associated with news gathering and reporting.

Richard Hynes, the director of Stirling Media Research Institute, added: “It is surprising that, despite the fact that the United Kingdom has been for decades one of the world leading financial centres, there was no postgraduate provision in financial journalism in the country.”

The course’s advisory board includes Judith Czelusniak, head of communications at Bloomberg’s New York HQ, and Financial Times contributing editor John Lloyd.