BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism (with Foundation Year option)

Core units

• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practice them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be the opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Collaborative Communication Project: The unit focuses on the centrality of communicaiton, both as a process and as a project. Through the collaborative development of a communication solution to a specific communication problem, the unit aims to promote the principles and practices of team-based iterative project work. 
• Media & Current Debates: You will be introduced to a) the important role and responsibilities of the news media within democratic societies and b) the varied nature of reporting of key events, issues and debates within the contemporary 24/7 news cycle. You will gain an essential level of understanding of what constitues news and what the work of journalists entails. You will also develop an awareness and appreciation of differing coverage of particular stories by a range of news organisations. 
• Media Work: You will become familiar with a range of profiles and career paths in the communication and media industries and be inspired to reflect on and develop your own professional identity. Through case studies of seminal campaigns, programmes and artefacts, profiles of ground-breaking personalities, masterclasses from industry professionals, and guest talks from BU staff who have worled or currently work in marketing, PR, media production, journalism and communications, you will encounter and interact with diverse role models, career trajectories, and types of profressional practice. 

Core units

• News and Storytelling: You'll learn the key principles and practices of journalism, being introduced to news gathering and production techniques. 
• Broadcast Journalism: An introduction to radio and television journalism, covering the concepts and techniques of newsgathering, video and audio storytelling, interviewing, writing for your audience and video production.
• Journalism and Society: You'll learn about the workings of central and local governmentas well as political and economic processes as they relate to journalism in society.
• Research for Journalism: You'll be equiped with the theoretical underpinnings and practical skills needed to practise journalism as research.
• Media Law: You'll learn all about confidentiality, copyright, defamation and contempt and the laws governing reporting for print and broadcast.
• Digital Storytelling: You'll be introduced to online, interactive, non-linear, and mobile journalism, exploring innovative storytelling practices.
• Shorthand 1: This unit aims to improve your employability skills by developing and demonstrating an ability to write and transcribe Teeline shorthand.

You will be required to complete a 4-week placement by the end of final year.

Core units

• Broadcast Journalism 2:  You'll extend your knowledge of the core concepts and skills associated with video and audio journalism.
• News and Storytelling 2: This practice-based unit covers the key principles and practices of journalism. There will be a particular focus on ensuring you can produce fair, accurate and balanced journalism under deadline pressure.
• Long-form Storytelling: Explore principles and practices of long-form writing skills, encompassing features, comment writing and reviews whilst applying a range of production techniques to produce short documentaries or features.
• Journalism research methods: You'll learn both the conceptual tools and practical approaches needed in researching the production and content of media texts, alongside consumption by audiences.
• Global Current Affairs: Provides an understanding of developments in news, technology and geo-cultural systems. Students evaluate different interpretations of the concept of ‘globalisation’.
• 21st Century Journalist (optional): You'll evaluating the sustainability and value of existing media products whilst developing awareness of the technical, legal, creative and business principles and practices of the publishing agency and how they apply to different sectors.
• Sports World (optional): You'll consider different stories required at each stage of the sports news cycle and explore sports poltiics, sports public affairs and key sporting issues. 
• Photojournalism (optional): You'll learn about how narrative and images interact, through various forms of photojournalism including sports, anthropological and smartphone photography, linking these to understanding cultural influences and technological advances.  
• Shorthand 2 (optional): This unit aims to enhance your employability by developing and demonstrating an ability to write and transcribe Teeline shorthand.

You will be required to complete a 4-week placement by the end of final year.

You’ll complete either a 4-week placement (on the three-year version of the course), or a minimum 30-week work placement (on the four-year version), which can be carried out anywhere in the world. Your placement offers you a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.

Core units

• Major Multimedia Project: You'll produce a substantial multi-media project demonstrating the ability to source and package original content with journalistic rigor and technically professional expertise.
• Converged Journalism: Here you'll hone your skills by working in a professional converged news production including the production of news in converged news rooms imitating industry practice to realistic deadlines.
• Professional Perspectives and Global Voices: This unit will provide an opportunity for you to debate key challenges and issues in journalism, to engage with visiting professionals and to reflect on your own professional development.
• Dissertation: This will provide you with the opportunity to explore a topic in the field of journalism.
• Shorthand 3 (optional): This unit aims to enhance your employability by developing and demonstrating an ability to write and transcribe Teeline shorthand.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

With practical learning being integral to your degree, we provide industry standard specialist facilities. 
 
We continue to invest in our campuses so all our students can maximise their talents today and into the future. 
 
Visit our virtual tour to find out more and get a feel for where you’ll be studying while you’re based on our Talbot Campus. 

The benefits to you as a placement student are many. You will have the chance to:

• Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
• Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
• Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem-solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
• Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
• Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider.

Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Coordinator.

Through timetabled sessions and one-to-one appointments, they’ll help support you in your placement search including advice on finding a placement, information and advice on all aspects of job searching and job applications, as well as ensuring your proposed placement meets the requirements of your course.

Our CareersBU service is also available throughout your time at BU, offering services like CV checking and careers fairs to meet employers.

Placement Development Advisors will support you once you have started your sandwich placement – so you will be able to maintain contact with the university throughout.

• Sky Sports News
• BBC
• Wave 105
• Bournemouth Daily Echo
• AFC Bournemouth

Many BU courses have partner universities around the world, offering opportunities for you to apply to study abroad for between one month and a year of your degree. There are usually no additional tuition fees, and the Turing Scheme at BU can often provide grants to support with travel and living expenses*.

As a student studying BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism you can apply to study abroad at these international partners:

• United States: Montclair University, Montclair, New Jersey
• Czech Republic: Charles University, Prague

Further information can be found here.

*Funding is subject to an annual successful bid and information will be shared with students in the Autumn

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

We are looking for applicants that have a sound grasp of the English language, creative writing ability and a good presentational style. Students must be aware of world affairs and be able to express their own opinions and thoughts. We also like applicants to have undertaken some work experience within a media environment.

Students must have basic computer literacy, including knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

This course has compulsory elements involving practical production activities. When required, students must complete a health and safety risk assessment to take part in these activities, for their safety and that of others. As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely. 

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible. You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application. We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need. Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans.

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety. If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

The course will prepare you for a wide variety of positions, depending on the area in which you want to specialise. Our graduates have gone on to roles such as: 

• Journalist
• Editor
• Production Assistant
• Digital Media Manager
• Football Presenter, Reporter and Commentator
• Freelance Broadcast Journalist
• Digital Journalist
• Subtitler.

The range of skills you’ll learn will stand you in good stead for your continuing professional development too – giving you more control over your career direction.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Our fees commitment means your tuition fees are fixed and your fee will be the same for each year of your course
• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Costs incurred from retakes of professional exams. The first attempt is included in the tuition fee, however, should a student fail or wish to retake these would need to be self-funded.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) professional exams. The first attempt is included in the tuition fee but you will need to cover the cost of any retakes. The exact cost will vary per NCTJ module and assessment.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Dr Andy Bissell joined Bournemouth University following a journalism career spanning 30 years. He has worked as a newspaper, online and freelance journalist and held a number of editorships. In addition, Andy is a social history author who has written evocative accounts of wartime London and Southampton.

A graduate of the University of Birmingham and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Andy teaches journalism practice to Level 4 and 5 students on the BAMMJ course; he also supervises final year multimedia projects. Andy is a Doctor of Education with research interests in professional development and student wellbeing.

David Brine, Lecturer in Journalism, is an experienced journalist having spent more than 25 years working in local and regional newspapers as a reporter, deputy news editor and features editor. He has launched and run an in-house National Council for the Training of Journalists accredited course at the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton and is an NCTJ marker for Essential Journalism, Public Affairs and Essential Media Law.

David Mascord is a part-time lecturer in journalism. He is unit leader on BAMMJ Media Law and MAMMJ Legal & Ethical context units. He is an examiner in Court Reporting and Essential Media Law & Regulation for the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

David has around 30 years’ experience in journalism, training and development, and PR writing. During his career he has been a journalist working in staff or freelance roles for print and online consumer and business titles. He spent four years as editorial training manager at major web and magazine and web publisher Reed Business Information. He has also been a director of two limited companies: Journalism Training Centre, which won a National Training Award in 1994; and PMA Training. In addition, David spent time as consultant to specialist PR agency Simons Communications, working on press release writing and staff development.

Dr Jaron Murphy holds a DPhil in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford. He has extensive international experience in journalism encompassing both print and digital news, mostly in senior editorial/production and management roles (with leadership often extending to staff and student training, and driving inclusive newsrooms). His journalism achievements include national awards for hard news and investigative journalism; and in the UK, he appeared on the NCTJ list of most respected journalists following research by Cardiff University which asked journalists working in the UK "which living journalist they felt most embodies the values of journalism that they respect and adhere to".

Dr Karen Fowler-Watt is a Senior Principal Academic and formerly Head of the School of Journalism, English and Communication (2007-2018). She is research theme lead for journalism education in the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP). As a BBC journalist, she worked in Radio 4 News and Current Affairs as an output editor on The World at One and PM and The World this Weekend, Karen made documentaries for File on 4 and she was a field producer in the Middle East, covering the Gulf Crisis and War in 1990/1 and producing news output from Moscow, Europe, Northern Ireland and the United States, with a stint as Washington bureau producer.

Mike Sunderland is a lecturer in video, television and documentary journalism at Bournemouth University. He was a producer and reporter at Sky News, where he specialised in foreign news. He was later a freelance video journalist and filmmaker covering East Africa. He has spent much of his career in Africa, both as a journalist and during two stints managing media relations for Save the Children. He has covered wars in Somalia, Nigeria, DRC and Ivory Coast, as well as humanitarian crises across the continent. His video content has been used by the likes of Sky News, ITV News, Associated Press, Voice of America, Reuters, Al Jazeera and France 24. His research interests focus on the media framing of humanitarian crises.