A university is expanding its journalism portfolio by offering three new masters degree courses.

From September, the University of Sheffield will be running one-year MA courses in global journalism, journalism and history and international political communication.

They are designed to expand the centre’s range of undergraduate and post-graduate courses which already include print, magazine, web and broadcast journalism courses.

Journalism lecturer Dr John Steel said: “The three courses stem from a perceived gap in our departmental MA provision in relation to the study of journalism as opposed to its practice.

“As a department, we are well recognised as delivering a number of very high quality and accredited practice orientated journalism MAs.

“However, we felt the need to offer courses that also engaged more critically with journalism.

“The MAs reflect the particular research strengths of the department and will provide students with a sound scholarly understanding of journalism within each context.

“The MAs also have a number of core practical modules. As such the courses would also be useful to those wishing to move into public communication; political consultancy, or for existing journalists wishing to specialise in a particular area.”

Global journalism course looks at issues such as journalism in developing countries and global ethics while the journalism and history MA is being run between two departments and will cover journalism’s historical development.

Finally, students on the international political communication will study issues such as the media’s relationship with political and public institutions in regional, national and international contexts.

The three new courses are not accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists which said it had not yet been approached by Sheffield to begin the accreditation process.

Comments

Onlooker (04/12/2009 11:27:11)
Masters degrees in journalism studies ? And what use would those be exactly ? Oh yes, they’d provide more nice little earners for lecturers from the public purse. Trebles all round, chaps ! What recession ?

Steve (04/12/2009 11:32:51)
Sounds a bit like the hand loom weavers’ course I took in the 1840s.

oldbill (04/12/2009 16:46:42)
This boy could do with a few subbing lessons. Utter teacher-speak gibberish. No decent journalist on any paper I have worked on would have let this jargon-ridden rubbish into a newspaper.
Journalism lecturer Dr John Steel said: “The three courses stem from a perceived gap in our departmental MA provision in relation to the study of journalism as opposed to its practice.
“As a department, we are well recognised as delivering a number of very high quality and accredited practice orientated journalism MAs.
“However, we felt the need to offer courses that also engaged more critically with journalism.
“The MAs reflect the particular research strengths of the department and will provide students with a sound scholarly understanding of journalism within each context.
“The MAs also have a number of core practical modules. As such the courses would also be useful to those wishing to move into public communication; political consultancy, or for existing journalists wishing to specialise in a particular area.”

Johnny Boy (04/12/2009 17:33:13)
This is pitiful. It’s preying on vulnerable (but wealthy) young people who haven’t a clue what’s going on. The day you need a journalism degree to become a journalist is the day I eat my own hoop.

Chris Youett (07/12/2009 10:05:48)
The more degree courses in journalism there are, the more elitist it makes the profession. How do the bright working class kids, the minorities, etc, get their break? It takes at least three generations to get your kids into Uni. Even Lower Middle Class oinks will have difficulty finding the fees for MAs.