University of Limerick - Journalism

Course Overview/Contact:

The Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism is a one year full-time, or a two year part-time programme. The course teaches professional skills vital to all journalists entering the ever changing multimedia work place. These skills include: news and feature writing; broadcasting; multimedia journalism; interviewing; investigative reporting and research methods. The application of these professional skills to print, broadcasting and multimedia journalism, will be a major part of the course. The students will also examine the role of journalism in society and study media law. They will get an opportunity to hear leading Irish and international media commentators discuss current affairs. Students who complete this course will have developed excellent oral and written communication skills; they will have good research and editing skills and will be able to manage their time efficiently to meet deadlines. These students will also have developed a great awareness of the role of the journalist and the media in society and be critical consumers of the media. Graduates of this course will be trained to work as journalists and researchers in the multimedia world

The course aims to

• equip graduates with the high-level research skills essential to all kinds of journalism,
• provide students with a solid appreciation of the ethical and legal issues in the profession and a critical understanding of how the media operates.
• provide students with practical experience of what it feels like to work as a journalist by completing assignments to deadline while on the course.

Contact Details
Dr Fergal Quinn
School of Culture and Communication
University of Limerick,
Limerick,
Ireland.

Tel:  353-61-233670
Web:  www.ul.ie/llcc
Email: fergal.quinn@ul.ie

Graduate Profile:

Journalism Student
Kerrie Kennedy

Course Director
Mary Dundon

• Reporting in print, broadcasting and multimedia
• Writing for web-based media organisations
• Feature writing and investigative reporting in a variety of media
• Public Relations

 

Programme Content:

At Graduate Diploma level, full-time students will take the following modules
Semester 1	Semester 2
Journalistic Writing for News Professional Skills for Journalism and Team Project Introduction to Broadcasting and Media Law	Advanced Journalistic Writing (News and Features) Investigating Current Issues in Irish Journalism Researching Media Broadcasting and Multimedia Journalism

The Graduate Diploma will also be available Part-Time over two years.  Students on the Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism wil be strongly encouraged to complete a minimum of four weeks work experience during the course.

Master of Arts in Journalism

To progress from the Graduate Diploma to the Masters course, students must achieve a second class honours grade two overall and complete a preparatory module for the MA project.

Having satisfactorily completed all modules on the Graduate Diploma, students on the Masters Programme will undertake an individual journalism project (6,000 words), critical analysis of the project (2,000 words) as well as an extended reflective essay (7,000 words).

Content of modules can be found by using the search option on the book of modules.

Entry Requirements:

Applicants for the Graduate Diploma should normally possess a primary degree in any discipline with at least Second Class Honours Grade 2 (Primary degree: Level 8 - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland). Applicants should have a high standard of written English. No previous experience in journalism is necessary. However, applicants who have had articles published, or experience in broadcasting should include this in the application. Non-native speakers of English should have achieved an IELTS score of 6.5 by the time of application.

What to Upload with your Application

• Qualification transcripts and certificates
• English language qualification if English is not your first language
• Certified English translations of your transcripts/certificates where the originals are in a language other than English.
• A copy of your birth certificate or passport

 

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of either prior successful completion of a degree qualification taught through the medium of English or meet one of the criteria below (no longer than two years prior to application):

Acceptable English Language qualifications include the following:

• Matriculation examinations from European countries where English is presented as a subject and an acceptable level is achieved
• Irish Leaving Certificate English –Ordinary Level Grade D or above
• TOEFL – 580 (paper based) or 90 (internet based)
• IELTS – Minimum score of 6.5 with no less than 6 in any one component.
• English Test for English and Academic Purposes (ETAPP) – Grade C1
• GCE ‘O’ level English Language/GCSE English Language – Grade C or above
• University of Cambridge ESOL –Certificate of Proficiency in English - Grade C / Certificate in Advanced English Grade A
• GCE Examination Boards – Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations – Grade C / Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate – School Certificate Pass 1-6 / University of London Entrance and School Examinations Council – School Certificate Pass 1-6

Results in examinations other than those listed above may also be accepted as meeting our English language requirements. Contact the International Education Division for advice.