Global Journalism and Public Relations MA

Postgraduate

Microphones being pointed at a person in a suit

In our increasingly digital world, journalists are frequently called upon to report on diverse global issues and this course prepares you for global journalism and public relations practice and analysis, covering all areas of journalism, from legal and ethical issues to interviewing, writing, broadcast and web skills.

Year of entry

2024-25

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time
16-24 months (with professional experience)

Course code

AHT016

Start date

September 2024
January 2025
May 2025

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Download a prospectus

Ask a question

Course overview

Covering key areas ranging from legal and ethical issues to interviewing, writing, broadcast and web skills, this course prepares you for global journalism and public relations practice and analysis in a digital and diverse world.

Benefit from our current links with the media industry, including ITV and the BBC, and previous links with Al Jazeera and Africa-based media and online outlets here in the UK and elsewhere including the USA².
The course is taught by experienced tutors with decades of practical journalism and public relations experience, and in addition, you will have opportunities²to attend guest lectures by top as well as upcoming journalists and public relations practitioners, including alumni (subject to availability).
Gaining hands-on experience², you will be expected to work as part of a team on group projects, such as a magazine (see our Magcloud site) and a global collaborative newscast themed around pressing contemporary issues.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects

Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 UK Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2024

Why you should study this course

You will be taught and mentored very well by a highly experienced teaching team, whose former roles have included contributing to Al Jazeera’s global media analysis show ‘The Listening Post’, managing communications and PR in Oxford, and editing commercial magazines.
We have links with the journalism-media industry, including BBC and ITV in the UK, so we host high-profile guest speakers (subject to availability), who in the past have included a BBC Director-General, Channel 4 founder, a highly respected Channel 4 News anchor and a famous BBC Newsnight presenter.
We help you to acquire the essential knowledge and practical skills needed for a successful career in global journalism or public relations as we get you used to working with multiple forms of media – generating traditional print, audio and video content, all the while embracing new technologies and creating parallel digital content, including social media, blogs and web-based content.
You get opportunities to work individually and as part of a team on live projects such as a magazine, a global collaborative newscast and student union publications-broadcasts, among others².
Facilities⁴ include newsrooms equipped with industry-standard hardware and software, a modern TV studio, radio studios and Media Loan Shop for professional equipment.

The Global Journalism and Public Relations MA course helped me build a portfolio that prepares me for job hunting as a professional journalist. I got the unique opportunity to gain an in-depth knowledge of journalism and communications, leading me to be named joint-winner in the broadcasting (television) category of the Midlands Media Student's Awards 2023.
Rima Ayoubi, Global Journalism and Public Relations MA, quoted 2023

What you'll study

If you’re interested in a career in the media industry worldwide, our course is a comprehensive interdisciplinary introduction as well as an advancement of global journalism and public relations knowledge, which is underpinned by a hands-on approach to professional practice from the outset.

In the final stage of your course, there is an opportunity² to explore issues in global journalism that interest you further through an extensive individual research project, with support and guidance from specialist tutors. Past students have considered anything from the use of diasporic media by British Bangladeshis in Birmingham to the coverage of Africa in Chinese media or fake news images in Digital Age.

Modules

Context: Global Politics and Relations - 20 credits

This module examines global communication(s) and media structures and practices related to them, especially in journalism and public relations. You'll analyse the changing political, economic, socio-cultural and technological systems, including media-communication systems, and their impacts on content and audiences in a globalised world.

Compulsory

Public Relations - 10 credits

This module covers the principles and practices of public relations (PR). It will provide you with the skills to construct, execute and apply public relations strategies to meet the objectives of an organisation. Acting as consultants on real-world or imaginary briefs, you will learn how to help clients or employers build and maintain their profiles and reputations. You will be introduced to the code of ethics for public relations and critically engage with debates around ethics and law as it is applied to PR.

Compulsory

Journalism Practice, Law and Ethics - 30 credits

This module focuses on the fundamentals of journalistic practice. It concentrates on the practical, creative and technical skills associated with these professional practices. Topics addressed include ideas, markets and sources, interviewing, notetaking and record keeping, news and feature writing, industry history and structure, conventions and techniques of specialist forms and genres. You acquire practical skills through the production of journalistic pieces, with the support of the module team.

Compulsory

Advanced Journalism: Digital, Social, Mobile - 20 credits

This module focuses on advancing key skills that are employed by journalists on all platforms for various target audiences. The module takes you through the research process, working to a deadline and finally delivering the required product to a professional standard. You work as a team to produce and resource a group project to the deadline, under the direction of module staff. This prepares you for the impact that convergence has had on newsrooms. You will be specifically trained on how to produce a single story/topic for two or more key platforms for specific target audiences. The key themes include the importance of a more advanced understanding of the need to tailor the product to a specific target audience, including specialist outlets: developing the story, analysing source material, applying conventions and understanding techniques of production. You will be asked to engage with the ethical debates about journalistic practice in digital contexts and apply their understanding of ethics to their practice. There is a strong emphasis on practical and technical skills required.

Compulsory

Specialist Professional Practice in Journalism and PR - 30 credits

This module provides you with the opportunity to acquire and develop specialist knowledge and skills necessary in your chosen area of global journalism. It builds on practical journalism skills and techniques modules and other modules and it will allow you to expand the depth of your content creation and also devise ways of routinely doing so in your future practice. You will work under the supervision of a mentoring team on live specialist journalism projects either with a host organisation² or at the university.

Compulsory

Specialist Research and Analysis - 10 credits

This module introduces a range of research tools and associated methods needed to undertake independent research on identified themes and issues in specialist journalism and PR – relating to texts, audiences and industry. It provides grounding in a range of analytical techniques and ways of interpreting materials and examines how these can be used to explore contemporary themes and issues which concern journalists, and journalism, as well as public relations in the UK and around the world. Concentrating mainly on textual analysis, the module helps to prepare you for research-led inquiry relating to journalism and PR, including your major research project and investigative journalism.

Compulsory

Major Project - 50 credits

The major project provides you with an opportunity to create an original and intellectually critical extended piece of writing and/or practical project portfolio. With an allocated specialist tutor you will aim to create a major piece of work on a theme, topic or issue which is relevant to your specialist journalism and/or public relations interest and worthy of a sustained in-depth inquiry.

Compulsory

Creative Futures and Social Change - 10 credits

This module explores the changing world of work which Arts and Humanities students enter after study. New technology and the changing global economy mean that jobs and skills are changing and evolving quickly and will continue to do so. This is an exciting and new world, and this module is designed to empower you to realise your potential in it.

This module provides tools for you to develop into changemakers, thrive in a changing world of work and participate in creating a better future for society. You’ll be guided through a process of reflection that explores four possible futures for the world of work and how to situate your own professional identity as the future of work changes through your careers. This module is designed in collaboration with The RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), and upon successful completion students will receive RSA digital badging.

Compulsory

With professional experience option

The professional experience opportunity² enables you the opportunity to apply for optional professional experience in semester 1, which, upon successfully securing an opportunity, will extend the duration of your master’s to either 16, 20 or 24 months. The professional experience provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability.

Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee, which for one semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for two semesters of professional experience is £2,666.67, and for three semesters of professional experience is £4,000.

Professional experience may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the professional experience option.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

The course covers journalism theory and practice, and specialist knowledge and techniques specific to global journalism and public relations.

Each module is taught over approximately 11 weeks with formal course teaching typically taking place over two to three full working days per week. The specialist staff include former news and features writers with wide experience in global news reporting and academic research. Other tutors include specialists in magazines, digital media and emerging platforms, as well as public relations.

Teaching methods include:

Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Presentations
Group projects
Workshops
Practical newsroom/news day sessions.

Teaching contact hours

The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 10 contact hours per week in the first two semesters. The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 27 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

Portfolio (of stories)
Reflective essays
Group work (only for formative/interim evaluation to inform final individual submission)
Presentations (live class presentations are only for formative/interim evaluation to inform your final submission)
Projects

Please note that final and summative assessments are predominantly individual submissions and assignments, even where elements are derived from group or collaborative work/projects.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

Our course is designed to reflect the increasingly international context of journalism - this is reflected strongly in the course curriculum. Content includes conflict/war situations, governments and inter-governmental organisations, markets and business, civil society and non-governmental actors. You may have opportunities² to undertake preparatory research before visiting a foreign country or covering an international event and areas include finding and relating with fixer/s, timelines/zones and deadlines, cultural contexts, technological and environmental factors, security considerations, ethical and legal dilemmas.

You will be given opportunities² to engage with international students at home and abroad, for example, through collaborative online international learning projects such as Pop-up Newsroom and Global News Relay. We also offer a range of short visits and field trips abroad², which are reviewed annually. Recent field trips have included Kenya and Tanzania to cover the urban environment and tourism, as well as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Gibraltar and Italy to write about landscape, culture and food.

The most exciting moments on this course are those in which students have glints in their eyes, like when their course magazine is just published online or ‘hot off the press’ prints arrive on campus, after they’ve watched the broadcast of their segment on Global Pop-up News and Global News Relay, or when they rub shoulders with prolific and distinguished guests during high-profile events such as the Global Peace Forum hosted by our Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations.

These challenging yet rewarding undertakings help students build their portfolios, confidence and networks useful for professional experience and employability.
Dr Fred Mudhai, Global Journalism and Public Relations MA Course Director, 2023

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold an honours degree of 2:2 or above in any subject. Applications from candidates with relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications; speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Chat with us

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country-specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

Applicants should hold an honours degree of 2:2 or above in any subject. Applications from candidates with relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis.

Each application will be considered on its merits and the final decision will be made by the course director.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall, with no component lower than 5.5

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Chat with us

Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£11,200 \| £15,200 (with prof. experience)	Not available
EU	£11,200 \| £15,200 (with prof. experience) per year with EU Support Bursary £18,600 \| £22,600 (with prof. experience) per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£18,600 \| £22,600 (with prof. experience)	Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees³ and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees³ cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Our facilities⁴ help develop your practical skills so you feel prepared to enter the workplace and inspire your passion for journalism.

You will have access to professional equipment via our dedicated Media Loan Shop and our newsrooms, TV studio, video editing suite and radio studios.

Two male students presenting in a TV studio to a camera in the foreground.

Television Studio

You’ll have access to our on-site television studio The Tank, offering specialist equipment such as large cameras, mixing facilities and fibre-optic wiring throughout.

Exterior front of the Ellen Terry building.

Media Loan Shop

Our media loan shop provides you with access to the equipment and support you need to excel in your studies – from basic audio recorders to professional cameras and expert advice from our technicians.

Radio Studios

Two radio studies, one digital and the other analogue, are available for radio-audio journalism classes as well as student bookings for independent work.

Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course, you should know how to:

create content that exhibits awareness of global events and issues to professional standards, for broadcast, print, online-digital and social media
understand how global journalism and PR work and how they relate to politics, international relations, business and society in general
apply a wide range of journalism and communication skills as well as knowledge, to the production of content that exhibit global awareness, to professional standards
work creatively, sustainably and independently within professional situations, employing a range of journalism and public relations strategies and techniques
critically evaluate and analyse the broad range of factors that impinge upon professional and creative activities within global journalism and the broader communications industry
demonstrate the ability to identify and successfully engage with a range of audiences, genres and media platforms within global journalism and public relations
confidently prepare to apply for job roles within journalism, media, communication and PR.

This course prepares you for a broad range of positions in regional, national or international journalism, media, communications and PR – as a researcher, reporter, writer, editor or presenter, for example.

Career prospects are vast and varied, from established national and international media outlets, broadcasting organisations, newspapers and magazines, to emerging broadcast contexts, such as web-based text journalism, web-TV and web-radio.

Our Talent Team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course-specific industries². The course equips students for work in a wider range of careers that require transferable knowledge and skills such as global awareness, research, writing and communication with specific or general audiences including via various media. Our dedicated enterprise officers also can offer valuable assistance on how to begin as a freelancer/entrepreneur.

Where our graduates work

Due to the focused and transferable skills that the course offers, our graduates have secured jobs in diverse areas that include TV reporter and presenter at Porto Canal channel in Portugal, radio reporter with German public broadcaster NDR in Hamburg, staff journalist at a Turkish news agency foreign desk, freelance journalist, managing editor for a specialist UK outlet on camping and caravanning, web publisher at global public relations and advertising agency Cheil, marketing for retail chain Sonae MC in Portugal, public relations and marketing communications with London-based Four Agency Worldwide, strategic relationships at associate director level with UK regulator Ofqual, digital workplace manager in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Canada-based international investment agency Colliers and senior administrator at Coventry City Council.

This course has helped me in jump-starting my career as a journalist. The many journalistic projects I got to participate in because of this course helped me in building a professional portfolio that I can be proud of.
Jana Buxbaumova, Global Journalism and Public Relations MA, 2022/23.

Graduate Immigration Route visa

Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.

How to apply

UK students

To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online.

Full-time applications

Part-time applications

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team

Complete our contact form.

International students

Full-time international students should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

applications.io@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team.

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2023/2024 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2024/25 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.