Journalism MA

University of Leicester

We have designed a curriculum that prioritises creativity and critical thinking over convention. At the heart of this Master’s programme is a dynamic combination of practical skill development and intellectual exploration.

Core modules such as Journalism Across Borders invite you to examine the global dynamics of journalism-its power, its storytelling, and how journalists operate across cultures and within contested political spaces. AI Tools and Technologies for Journalists offers hands-on insight into the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in newsrooms, from automated reporting to the ethical challenges of bias and misinformation.

Modules including Digital and Social Media Journalism and PR, Journalism and Networked Media equip you with the tools and strategies shaping today’s digital-first media landscape. If you wish to tailor your degree, a range of optional modules allows you to specialise and experiment. You might explore Space Journalism-a pioneering module at the frontier of science communication-or Environmental Journalism, both of which challenge you to rethink the journalist’s role in shaping public debate.

The Industry Placement module provides real-world experience, while Data Journalism enables you to apply analytical and storytelling skills within a specialist field. The degree culminates in a final project that reflects your personal ambitions, as you undertake an original research dissertation in your chosen area of focus.

What sets this MA apart is its freedom: the freedom to think differently, to experiment with new technologies, and to explore new forms of storytelling. You will be taught by experienced journalists, media innovators and academic researchers working across media practice and theory.

This is a course for curious, globally minded communicators ready to question how journalism works-and to shape what comes next. With specialist pathways in AI-driven journalism, international reporting, environmental storytelling and emerging fields such as space journalism, this programme equips you to navigate and influence an ever-changing information ecosystem. Join a new generation of journalists who will not only report on the future, but help define it.