Journalism with Creative WritingBA Hons

If you love writing and reporting, our Journalism with Creative Writing degree course can help you turn your abilities with the written word into a fulfilling career.

You'll study, experience, and combine the complementary disciplines of factual journalism and creative writing. One day you might write a news report about a local charity or review a concert, and the next author a short story, a poem, or a play script.

You'll also develop research skills and learn about the structure and mechanisms of the industries you could end up working in – from getting a script approved to legal issues surrounding publishing news stories.

You’ll graduate ready to dive into a career in professional writing, with the skills and knowledge you need to get started in whichever writing field you choose.

As traditional communication and literature move towards web and digital, the demand for journalists and writers is growing. Print newspapers and magazines may be declining, but digital versions are replacing them. In addition, social media, blogging, TV and film production, and other platforms contribute to the demand for journalists and writers. Graduates with strong transferable skills are also sought in related industries such as public relations or communications.

As a graduate, you'll have diverse writing skills that will help you in most sectors.

You can also freelance or pursue postgraduate studies.

Ongoing careers support

Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience. You can also venture into freelancing, or set up and run your own business with help from the University Startup Team.

Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.

Placements (optional)

Our Journalism courses offer two placement opportunities during your studies: a placement year, and a 10-day work placement. Both placements are optional on our combined Journalism courses.

• The placement year takes place between your second and third year, and you can work in any area you choose. You can work for an agency, company or organisation, or join forces with fellow students to set up and run your own business.
• The 10-day work placement happens during your final year, and is strictly journalism-based. You'll work with a company or agency.

Both placements will give you longer-term industry skills, knowledge and experience, as well as boost your CV and employability after graduation.

To make sure you get the most out of your time in the workplace, you'll get support from specialist staff before and throughout your placement – including our Creative Careers team.

Creative Careers

Our in-faculty Creative Careers team has extensive recruitment experience and knows the creative sector well, making it easier for students to find placements within the creative industries.

They can guide you through every step of the application process, including:

• Searching for the ideal job through their database of vacanciesl
• Giving tips on how to write an interesting CV that will catch employers' attention, no matter the role
• Organising mock interviews, so you can hone your technique and familiarise yourself with the recruitment environment
• Writing your startup business proposal – if you're going down the self-employment route

The team will continue to give you support throughout your placement year.

Placement destinations

We have links with many well-known media organisations. Previous students have done placements at locations such as:

• The Daily Telegraph
• The Daily Mirror
• The Sun
• The Daily Mail
• Cosmopolitan
• Vogue
• Heat
• Reveal
• BBC
• Sky Sports

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year (apart from your optional placement year), you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, 4 modules worth 20 credits and 1 module worth 40 credits.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed.  This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.

How you're assessed

You'll be assessed through:

• essays
• presentations
• in-class tests
• media artefacts (e.g. producing a video or magazine)
• practical and written exams
• short stories
• screenplays
• a collection of poems
• a public relations campaign
• final-year dissertation

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

Teaching

Teaching methods on this course include:

• lectures
• seminars
• practical workshops in the newsroom
• group-based activities, such as magazine and web-page production
• one-to-one tutorials

You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a Web connection.

One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.

We're planning for most of your learning to be supported by timetabled face-to-face teaching with some elements of online provision. Please be aware, the balance between face-to-face teaching and online provision may change depending on Government restrictions. You'll also do lots of independent study with support from staff and our virtual learning environment, Moodle. Find out more about how our teaching has transformed to best support your learning.

A typical week

We recommend you spend at least 35 hours a week studying for your Journalism with Creative Writing degree. In your first year, you’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes, workshops for about 12 hours a week. The rest of the time you’ll do independent study such as research, reading, coursework and project work, alone or in a group with others from your course. You'll probably do more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3, but this depends on which modules you choose.

Most timetabled teaching takes place during the day, Monday to Friday. You may occasionally need to go to University and course events in the evenings and at weekends. There’s usually no teaching on Wednesday afternoons.

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Tuition fees

2023 start

• UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship – may be subject to annual increase)
• International students – £17,200 per year (subject to annual increase)

2024 start

• UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship – may be subject to annual increase)
• International students – £18,100 per year (subject to annual increase)

Funding your studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.