UNIVERSITY OF KENT

Programme Specification

Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she passes the programme. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found either by following the links provided or in the programme handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this specification is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
BA (Hons) Journalism and the News Industry
1.  Awarding Institution/Body / University of Kent
2.  Teaching Institution / University of Kent at Medway
3.  Teaching Site / Medway
4.  Programme accredited by: / fully accredited by the NCTJ
accreditation pending status with BJTC
5.  Final Award / BA (Hons)
6.  Programme / FT/PT
7.  UCAS Code (or other code) / P500:K
8.  Relevant QAA subject benchmarking group(s) / Communication, media, film and cultural studies
9.  Date of production/revision / July 2007
10.  Applicable cohort(s) / 2008 entry
11.  Educational Aims of the Programme
The programme aims to:
1.  Produce graduates with a courageous and principled vision of the purpose of journalism and who have an informed, critical and creative approach to its role in contemporary society.
2.  Enable students to acquire the skills and aptitudes to practise the convergent skills of print, broadcast and internet journalism in a supportive and responsive learning environment.
3.  Develop a detailed and systematic understanding of particular forms of journalism and their historic and contemporary role in the shaping of culture and society.
4.  Encourage students to think critically about the ethics and responsibilities of journalism and to relate academic study of the subject to questions of public concern.
5.  Describe and comment upon aspects of current research in the impact of new technologies on journalism.
6.  Provide a curriculum supported by scholarship and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual debate and enquiry.
12.  Programme Outcomes
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas. The programme outcomes have references to the subject benchmarking statement for communication, media, film and cultural studies (SB).
Knowledge and Understanding / Teaching/learning and assessment methods and strategies used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated
A. Knowledge and Understanding of:
1.  key concepts, practices and methods used in the production of multimedia journalism / Teaching and Learning: At stage 1 (credit and diploma level modules) acquisition of skills under 12.A is through a combination of lectures, seminars, newsroom workshops, work placements and personal tuition.
The skills are subsequently developed through compulsory I and H-Level modules and elective H-Level modules which provide an opportunity to develop a critical engagement with the theory and practice of journalism through seminars, workshops and tutorials based on lecture topics.
2.  the economic forces which frame the news industry and the role it plays in specific areas of contemporary political and cultural life. / Assessment: Assessed through a combination of unseen written examinations, assessed coursework timed and assessed newsroom exercises, assessed presentations and individual project work.
3.  the political, social and cultural histories from which modern journalism and its practices and structures emerged.
4.  the possible future development of journalism in a national and international context.
5.  the legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks which affect journalism
6.  the ways in which specific technologies make possible different kinds of journalism
7.  the processes linking the production, circulation and consumption of news.
8.  how news operations operate and are managed.
Skills and Other Attributes
B. Intellectual Skills:
1.  Ability to gather, organise and deploy information, images and data from a variety of primary and secondary sources. / Teaching and Learning: Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme outlined below. Principles of progression within individual modules will be clearly outlined to students who will benefit from exploring a wide range of techniques, materials and sources drawn from a range of academic and vocational contexts. Each module involves critical reflection on themes, group discussion and written analysis of key material.
2.  Develop substantive and detailed knowledge and understanding of printed and broadcast journalism and an appreciation of how it has developed. / Assessment: Intellectual skills are assessed through essays, examinations, individual portfolios, external-placement reports, role analyses and research exercises.
3.  Engage critically with major practitioners, debates and paradigms within the subject area and put them to productive use.
4.  Carry out various forms of research for essays, presentations, documentaries and dissertations involving sustained independent inquiry.
5.  Reflect upon the relevance of their own cultural commitment and positioning to the practice of journalism
C. Subject-specific Skills:
1.  understand the significance of journalism to political democracy, its powers, duties and responsibilities / Teaching and Learning: Is through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshop tutorials and individual tutorials. Reading lists are provided for each module as are guidelines for the production of essays, portfolios and presentations
2.  analyse closely, interpret and show the exercise of critical judgment in the understanding and evaluation of various forms of journalism / Assessment: Reporting and writing exercises in class and self-directed. Essays, presentations and portfolios. Marks for essays, exercises and exams.
3.  to consider and evaluate their own work with reference to professional issues, debates and conventions
4.  Describe, evaluate and apply different approaches to presenting and analysing factual information as news
5.  Produce work of publishable quality for regional, national and international newspaper, websites and broadcasters
D. Transferable Skills:
1.  Gather, organise and deploy information in order to formulate arguments cogently and communicate them fluently in speech and writing. / Teaching/learning: Transferable/key skills are incorporated within modules and related to relevant assessments. Strategies include: tutor-led, student-led and visiting speaker-led seminars and workshops and self-directed newsgathering and research. All modules require written or recorded work and regular feedback on this is offered to enable students to improve their powers of presentation, debate and analysis. Time management is learned through the requirement to meet strict newsroom deadlines. Team working and leadership is learned through the need to organise and cooperate to deliver projects to deadline. IT and audio and visual journalism skills are developed through the compulsory modules in convergent journalism. Shorthand is acquired through the compulsory modules in reporting and writing.
2.  Work to deadlines in flexible and innovative ways showing self-direction and self-discipline / Assessment: Effective organisation of information, communication of ideas and self-direction are continually monitored in assessing all areas of a students work. Regular feedback emphasises this as does the final mark.
3.  Work productively in a group or team showing abilities to contribute and to lead; collaborate with others in the pursuit of common goals
4.  Use information technology to perform a range of tasks ranging from basic word-processing to deployment of complex web-based multimedia technology
5.  Identify and define problems; assess possible solutions and discriminate between them
6.  Take accurate shorthand notes at a speed of at least 100 words per minute
For more information on which modules provide which skills, see the module mapping
13.  Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules, Credits and Awards
The programme is divided into three stages each comprising of 120 credits. Students must achieve specified requirements before being permitted to proceed to the next stage. A credit represents approximately 10 hours of study. For full-time students each stage represents an academic year of study. Thus, for a full-time student, each stage involves approximately 1200 hours of learning time. Generally speaking you have to pass all of the required credits from one stage before progressing to the next (though under certain circumstances a failure of 15 credits may be condoned)
You will study journalism in coherent modules, each investigating a certain professional aptitude, body of thought or skill. The modules are self-contained, but they will often relate to each other, and often build on academic understanding or vocational methodology acquired in a previous module. Each module is designated at one of three ascending levels of sophistication; Certificate, Intermediate or Honours. Each level requires a particular level of knowledge and aptitude. These are fully defined in the Qualification Descriptors document (http://kent.ac.uk/registry/quality/credit/creditinfoannex2.html)
This programme is mostly taught through compulsory modules some of which encapsulate the requirements of the National council for the Training of Journalists preliminary certificates in news writing, public affairs, media law, shorthand and a portfolio. Students’ knowledge and competence in these subjects is assessed separately from degree modules in exams set by the NCTJ which are graded at five levels of achievement, A, B, C, D, E and Fail. Many employers of journalists require applicants to have A to C grade passes in relevant NCTJ exams.
Of the 120 credits taken during stage 3, at least 90 must be in approved Journalism modules. The remaining 30 may be chosen from other modules in the Faculty of Social Sciences. You must consult with the director of undergraduate studies before taking any such modules.”
Across the required modules students will encounter a full range of skills, theories and ethical principles. A number of additional lecture and seminar classes parallel the course, offering knowledge, skills and perspectives pertinent but not essential to the modules. The programme ends with a required piece of extended, independent work prepared and presented as a recognised form of journalism. The subject and the form in which it will be presented must be agreed in advance in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.
A degree without honours will be awarded where students achieve 300 credits with at least 150 credits at level I or above including at least 60 credits at level H or above. Students may not progress to the non-honours degree programme; the non-honours degree programme will be awarded as a fallback award only. Students successfully completing Stage 1 of the programme and meeting credit framework requirements who do not successfully complete Stage 2 will be eligible for the award of the Certificate. Students successfully completing Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the programme and meeting credit framework requirements who do not successfully complete Stage 3 will be eligible for the award of the Diploma.
Code / Title / Level / Credits / Term(s)
Year 1
Required Modules
JN300 / History of Journalism / Certificate / 15 / Autumn
JN301 / Reporting and Writing I / Certificate / 45 / Autumn and Spring
Recommended Modules
JN302 / British Government and Politics / Certificate / 15 / Spring
JN303 / Principles and Practice of Convergent Journalism I / Certificate / 45 / Autumn and Spring
Optional Modules
JNXXX
JNXXX
Year 2
Required Modules
LW579 / The Law and the Media / Honours / 30 / Autumn and Spring
JN502 / Reporting and Writing II / Intermediate / 30 / Autumn and Spring
Recommended Modules
JN500 / Power without Responsibility / Intermediate / 15 / Autumn and spring
JN501 / Principles and Practice of Convergent Journalism II / Intermediate / 45 / Autumn and Spring
Year 3
Required Modules
NEW / Principles and Practice of Convergent Journalism III / Honours / 45 / Autumn and spring
NEW / Journalism Project / Honours / 45 / Autumn and Spring
Optional Modules
NEW / The Reporter in Fiction / H / 15 / Autumn
NEW / Reporting the Environment / H / 15 / Spring
NEW / Communication and Humanitarianism / H / 15 / Spring
NEW / Reporting Conflict / H / 15 / Autumn
NEW / Advanced multimedia storytelling / H / 15 / Spring
NEW / Database journalism / H / 15 / Autumn
14.  Work-Based Learning
Where relevant to the programme of study, provide details of any work-based learning element, inclusive of employer details, delivery, assessment and support for students.
·  At end of first and second year students spend a minimum of two weeks at a newspaper, magazine, broadcaster or multimedia newsroom and put to use in the workplace the professional and academic competencies acquired on the course.
·  Through contacts with relevant local and national employers the Centre for Journalism advises students on placement opportunities and seeks feedback from employers.
15.  Support for Students and their Learning
·  The Centre for Journalism operates a Personal Academic Support System (PASS)
·  On arrival at the University you will be allocated to a personal tutor within the Centre for Journalism who will offer guidance and support or direct you to another source of support within the Centre, the Faculty of Social Sciences or the University.
·  All staff at the Centre for Journalism have regular published office hours and are contactable by e-mail.
·  Students are encouraged to seek advice on matters of academic or non-academic concern.
·  You will be given full outlines for all modules explaining what is expected of you.
·  All tutors are responsible for monitoring student progress. They will identify and contact students who are experiencing difficulties, offering them support or referring them to other agencies in the university. Students concerned with their progress may elect to see their tutor.
·  A subject concessions committee considers the cases of students who have been unable to study to ill health or other unforeseen circumstance.
·  The annual Student Handbook offers clear advice on who to approach regarding problems as well as details on facilities, programme structure, assessment, student guidance and support.
·  Stage 1 modules are designed to introduce you to study methods and professional practice.
·  There are campus and library tours at the beginning of the academic year.
·  Individual support is available from Drill Hall Library staff and IT Help Desks.
·  Generic library skills training is provided by library staff
·  All new students receive the Essential Information Services Guide
·  All new students receive training in the use of online resources and data bases.