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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
This course combines an understanding of practical journalism with an insight into public relations. The public relations part of the curriculum covers theoretical and practical aspects. It encompasses the full range of PR activities, as well as stressing the importance of an integrated approach. From the journalism curriculum you will gain experience of a range of journalistic work, including news gathering, news writing and feature writing. To enable you to develop cross-industry editorial and production skills,
you will also study magazine, newsletter and newspaper publishing in print and online. This will have the added benefit of enhancing your communications skills.
Key features
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
Throughout your course, as students you will be encouraged to integrate assessment and the feedback from that assessment, be it tutor, peer or self-assessed work to progress and develop your approaches and value of your work. Professional practice in presentation of your work, meeting deadlines and fulfilling word counts is part of what you do from the very start of your course.
Assessment methods vary across the course, enabling you to develop strategies for a range of tasks, methods of evaluation and presentation giving you valuable employability experience. At all stages you will receive detailed feedback on your work. The importance of relevant, constructive feedback in a written, clearly understood, format which is delivered rapidly, enables you to incorporate the elements of feedback in your rolling programme of progressive work throughout your course. This is crucial to your academic and professional progression.
Individual tutors all offer the opportunity to discuss any feedback in more detail at each level of study. As your skills and subject knowledge develop over the duration of your course, it is expected that you will develop increasingly sophisticated responses to assessment and employ increasingly effective methods of peer and self-review.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Produce publishable, accurate, legally sound, grammatically secure, creative and readable copy from a variety of sources for a variety of platforms to given briefs and to deadline.
2. Demonstrate a critical and evaluative understanding of the tools of public relations, such as press releases, press conferences, interviews with the media, marketing and building strong media relations. Students will have a strong understanding of the media and current and future developments, which will underpin the application of these tools.
3. Collate, analyse and employ a variety of news and feature gathering techniques with regard and understanding of the theory and practice of material gathering and writing together with the demonstration of confident familiarity, at a basic level, with the nature and scope of public relations theory and practice in its context as a supporting function to marketing.
4. Demonstrate a professional and self disciplined approach to your work. Produce work in accordance with professional standards and conventions.
5. Display a broad and critical understanding of corporate management and decision making in a variety of organisational types and sizes, including commercial organisations in manufacturing and services, not for profit organisations and government.
6. Demonstrate the ability and skills to produce a reflective valuation of your own work. Apply appropriate academic and business research skills effectively for analysis, synthesis and problem solving.
7. Understand the ways in which differing demands affect journalists of changing platforms and audiences. Show a broad understanding of communications theory and the impact of current and future technological changes on its application through corporate and marketing communications.
8. Use professional print and online production software and technology to industry entry standards.
9. Demonstrate a good understanding of and engage in critical debate upon a range of technology and applications to support businesses in general and the communications industry in particular in the provision of information.
10. Demonstrate effective team working and inter personal and business communication skills as well as critical personal reflection.
To integrate informed and progressive teaching and learning throughout the degree course for every student, developing professional and academic practice.
Journalism and Public Relations BA (Hons) at the University of Bedfordshire is structured to enable graduates to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, personal advancement, self-motivation, direction and approach to facilitate their entry onto satisfying and stimulating career paths.
At institutional level, the University already has in place a range of easily accessible support structures for new and existing students. These include Student Services, which offers confidential advice on all aspects of academic study. Other areas of University-wide student support include: Housing, Health, Counselling, Study Support, Special Needs / Disability Advice and a highly successful Careers Service.
During your journalism and public relations course specific support will also be in place for you:
First Year students will receive a comprehensive generic induction in the week prior to the commencement of term. In addition to this, each level of your studies will be introduced by individual unit leaders in the first session of that unit. This introduction will give you an outline of the structure of the unit, an introduction to the ways you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge and skills, and signpost resources and materials to assist the process of your learning and success.
All students are allocated a Personal Tutor who will be one of your core academic team. This Personal Tutor will work with you where possible throughout your degree, monitoring your academic progression and forming a consistent point of contact for academic support and guidance. This support may extend to providing advice on careers and further academic study.
Teams within journalism and PR form for collaborative work on many projects, with groups forming formally and informally to work particularly on production projects. This enables peer and self assessment practices and develops the communication and personal skills which are important in professional employment. Staff regularly work as part of student teams, and also involve students, particularly in the third year, whenever possible in professional work projects to increase practical and valid work experience.
The journalism team work closely with employers within the industry and the Centre for Personal and Career Development at the University of Bedfordshire. These links result in talks which students at all levels are able to attend, practical professional experience events in which students are encouraged to take part, and enable every student to build contacts and network within their area of interest. All journalists have access to a group BREO site established and maintained by the Course Leader which offers career advice, practical skills, opportunities for work experience and contacts.
In practical terms professional skills and values underpin this course and are an integral part of teaching and learning within all units. We assist every student to develop the ability to evaluate effectively and reflect on their own and work of others, and understand the demands and requirements of employers. Former graduates in the industry in different fields regularly return to outline their experiences, and discuss opportunities with current undergraduates which is very valuable. Links have also been established for alumni unable to visit in person to communicate via email and social networking sites with current students.
Many companies employ journalism and PR graduates as an essential part of their business. Former students now work in magazine publishing, sports journalism, media research, press offices and PR companies.
There are multiple opportunities open to journalism and public relations graduates. The obvious openings are as news and/or features journalists within print, or online environments. Each of these media platforms is structured into local, regional, national and international layers, all of which require journalists. Behind the scenes in regional, national and international media companies are teams of researchers, sub-editors, production staff, editors, new media producers, columnists and subject specialists.
Subject specialisms often demand journalists with particular knowledge in a specific field, and those fields may form part of a larger organisation such as the BBC or Reuters, or have their own newspapers, trade press and/or websites. News, sport and features journalists are employed permanently within a wide variety of agencies, including news and specialist agencies, and an increasing number of freelancers operate at all levels and within all sectors of the media.
The transferable and relevant skills which graduates acquire on the course remain in demand in the fields of publishing; copywriting, public relations work; in-house press office positions; teaching; media research; digital media production and academia.
Further study:
Postgraduate courses at the University of Bedfordshire currently include a wide range of Media-orientated Masters degree opportunities.
Opportunities are being increased within the Postgraduate portfolio for Sport Journalism MAs and Journalism related PGDips and MAs.
Standard:
Standard entry requirements for UK students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/ukugentryreqs
Students from the European Union - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/eu/guides
International students - http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/international/apply
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The focus of the course is to enable you, as an individual and a team member, to develop specialist professional subject skills, a detailed knowledge of professional practice and process, an academic understanding of the subject area and to apply professional, informed evaluation to your work.
The teaching and learning strategy within journalism is in line with the Universitys underpinning Cre8 curriculum review and framework which encompasses best practice within teaching and learning. Your journalism course has been carefully structured to ensure individual development, learning, valid assessment as part of the learning process, and relevance to the employability of all students.
Close integration of theory and practice, the progressive nature of learning, assessment, feedback and progression, is at the heart of the teaching and learning strategy of Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire. Units are delivered through a range of teaching and learning modes including: practical classes, seminars, workshops and tutorials.
The University of Bedfordshire is committed to ensuring that curricula across all courses are inclusive to all students. The Disability Advice Team is available to discuss any issues students may have and can provide services such as sign language interpreters, note takers, dyslexia screening/tuition and support with mobility on campus. They offer confidential advice and information about academic and personal issues, adjustments in examinations, applying for the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) and buying suitable equipment.
All students concerned that their studies may be affected by disability are encouraged to contact either their Field Chair, Course Leader or Personal Tutor for advice at whatever point in their course the need to do so becomes apparent.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
Professional skills and values are an integral part of this course at every level. The progressive nature of the integrated teaching, learning, assessment, feedback and implementation of feedback is designed to enable you to maximise your knowledge and skills, and their application in your work.
Students have constant access to the transcript of their results and progression through the SITS e:vision system, and in addition to this formal statistical outline of your individual progress you are encouraged to have regular meetings with your Personal Tutor to assist the reflective process in monitoring your progress. Many students find it helpful to maintain a personal blog of their progress monitoring academic and skill development which can be developed within the University platforms of either the BREO or the MAD Wiki.
The importance of professional standards of behaviour in terms of attitude, approach to your work, the basics of meeting deadlines and the brief, are an integral part of this course at every level.
They are not only what is expected of you by employers but something which is important for you to develop as individuals for your own professionalism and employability.
Professional standards of work, presentation and approach are introduced throughout your course in every unit to enable you to develop an awareness and automatic implementation of such standards at all times.
The content and structure of the course is built around what the industry expects its journalists to know, to understand, and to do. These essentials are delivered within units at all level by course tutors and visitors from the industry, through making work experience opportunities both in-house and with external employers available to students, and by encouraging networking and contact between undergraduates and industry professionals. The move towards industry accreditation is part of the journalism team and University determination to ensure professional standards and practices underpin and form an integral part of the course at every level and within every unit.
