Course overview
Are you excited by the fast-paced world of radio, TV, social media and digital news? Do you want to be part of this fiercely competitive and constantly evolving industry?
Kick-start your career by studying Broadcast Journalism at our Centre for Journalism. Broadcast Journalism is a vocational degree that will develop your practical broadcast skills and expose you to the reality of delivering news to a range of audiences.
This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.
This route is for you if you do not have the necessary qualifications or don’t yet feel ready to begin degree-level study, or are returning to education and would like some support to get up to speed with learning in a university setting.
The Foundation Year in Journalism Studies will allow you to develop your academic skills and confidence as well as introduce you to key concepts, debates and skills that will support and inform your subsequent years of undergraduate study.
Following successful completion of your Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto Year 1 of our Broadcast Journalism BA (Hons) degree.
About this course
During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.
You’ll develop an understanding of the tools used by journalists and content creators, how to spot a story and how to produce content for various media platforms. You’ll be introduced to various types of media, both in theory and practice, and will learn about the skills and concepts required by the creative industries.
Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Broadcast Journalism BA (Hons) degree.
Throughout this course, you will gain detailed knowledge and understanding of the key historical, political, economic, social and cultural contexts of the news media, as well as developing the vital knowledge of media law required for broadcasting.
You’ll learn how to write for the broadcast media, as well as developing transferable multi-media skills relevant for broadcast journalism, content creation and other news-related communication fields.
Experience is crucial, so you’ll put your broadcast journalism skills into practice by completing professional work placements during your degree. You'll live broadcast for Bradford Community Radio as well as report for our TV news magazine show Yorkshire Voice. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain additional work experience in your final year, working with an employer on a live, long-term project.
Our course is highly valued by employers thanks to its Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) accreditation, which recognises its relevance and responsiveness to the operational demands of the broadcast industry.
Why study with us?
- Learn from the experts. Our lecturers are award-winning with extensive industry experience.
- Develop your practical skills. You’ll learn in our industry-standard broadcast studios on campus.
- Build your professional networks. Our excellent professional links across a wide range of newsrooms will give you the chance to make contacts and hear from experts.
- Impress employers. This course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.
Specialist facilities
You’ll have access to industry-standard spaces and equipment including production rooms, Mac and PC editing suites and TV, radio and photography studios. These specialist facilities will enable you to develop your practical and technical skills, produce a portfolio of professional work across different media platforms and prepare you for your graduate career in the industry.
Accreditation
The Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) has accredited our course since it began in 2013. This is an ongoing, rigorous process to ensure we continue to meet standards. Students who complete all requirements will graduate with a BJTC certificate.
Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Foundation Year
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence
We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations. You'll learn how to manage your time, how to prioritise and how to manage stress, and you’ll become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection. - Project
You’ll study an area of interest related to your chosen degree. You’ll work individually on your project, whether that's a written report, a presentation and oral examination, a film or a series of blog posts. You’ll undertake problem-solving learning, and formative feedback and support will be provided throughout, helping develop your self-confidence. - Introduction to Journalism
You will develop an understanding of tools used by journalists and content creators, learning how to spot interesting stories and gather information. You'll also learn the basics of producing attention-grabbing content for various media platforms such as websites, radio, television and radio. - Communication: Introduction to Modern Media
This module will introduce you to various types of media, both in theory and practice. You will explore the role of 'story' in film and television, radio and the web that engages with audiences. You will develop an understanding of narrative structure, character development and idea generation, as well as understanding the skills and concepts required by the creative industries through lectures, workshops and practical exercises.
Year 1
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Essential Journalism 1
- Essential Journalism 2
Year 2
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Radio and Online Newsdays
- Public Affairs
- Journalism in Context
Students are required to choose one option module from:
- Documentary: Concept to Practice
- Features and Magazines
- Pitchside
Year 3
Core modules (students are required to take):
- Final Project
- Media Law and Regulation
- TV and Social Media Newsdays
Students are required to choose one option module from:
- PR and Promotions
- Advanced Documentary Production
- Shorthand
- Advanced Audio Production
Professional work placements
Experience matters. That's why we include professional work placements with every undergraduate degree.
How does it work?
Careers and Placements will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you will have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
Students have completed their professional work placements in local radio stations, including the BBC and commercial radio, regional and local television and production companies.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Learning and Teaching
At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:
- high quality teaching
- an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
- a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.
We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:
- Student Involvement and Engagement
- Inclusion
- Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
- Digital Literacy and Skills
- Employability and Enterprise
To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.
We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:
- Personalised support
- Expert lecturers
- Strong connections with employers
- An international outlook
- Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development
Programme delivery
Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.
Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:
- Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
- Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
- Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.
For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Fees and finance
Funding
UK Home Students:
Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2023/2024.
Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.
Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.
Tuition fees for 2024/25 entry will be set in summer 2023.
Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.
Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.
Additional costs
We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees. These include:
- Books - recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
- Print costs - the University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.
How to apply
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.
You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.
Although the main UCAS deadline has passed for 2023 entry, you can still apply until 30 June if you haven’t applied yet or haven’t used all five choices on UCAS. After this date, all applications will go through Clearing.
Alternatively, if you’ve used all your five choices, but received no offers or declined your offers, you may be eligible to add another choice through UCAS Extra. UCAS will send you information on UCAS Extra if you’re eligible.
UCAS Extra opened on Thursday 23 February 2023 and closes on Tuesday 4 July 2023.
Applications are not yet open for courses starting in September 2024. You can register and start your application for 2024 from 16 May 2023, although you cannot submit it until later in the year. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2024 is 31 January 2024
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:
- call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
- email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Graduate opportunities
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Some of our graduates have gone on to work in local BBC Radio, BBC World Sports Service, local and regional television, and as multimedia journalists for regional newspapers.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Chat with our students
Do you want to find out more about studying at Leeds Trinity University?
Ask our Student Ambassadors about what it’s like to be part of the Leeds Trinity University community, chat to them about your course(s) of interest and hear more about their Leeds Trinity University student experience.
Chat with our students
What is Discover Uni?
Discover Uni is the official, authoritative source of information and guidance on higher education in the UK. The website allows you to search for and compare data and information on university and college programmes from across the UK.
It helps you make sense of all the information out there by linking to other quality resources and explaining what can be found where. It also allows you to search for and compare information and data for individual undergraduate courses across the UK.