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NCTJ Diploma in Journalism

Making sure you leave Brunel with the skills, experience and confidence you need to be successful in the media industry is one of the hallmarks of our department. 

This is why we have partnered with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) to offer students on our undergraduate journalism course the opportunity to undertake the accredited one-year Diploma alongside the degree.

As the number one industry-recognised training body in the UK for Journalism, the knowledge and skills you will pick up as part of the Diploma will help you to stand out from the graduate crowd. The NCTJ Diploma doesn’t just prepare you for local media – BBC, Sky and The Guardian are on the board. As a recognised gateway into journalism, it can be considered a springboard into a career in journalism as many media companies will only employ trainees with a Gold Standard NCTJ qualification.

If you are accepted onto the NCTJ scheme, the course will normally run in your first and second years and will be timetabled alongside your journalism degree. The prestigious qualification will help you develop the essential journalistic skills employers are looking for, honing your skills in subjects including: Essential Media Law and Regulation; Court Reporting; Public Affairs; Shorthand; Ethics; advanced news writing, as well as elective subjects such as Data Journalism, Public Relations and more. Better yet, the cost of taking this Diploma is included in the basic undergraduate fee for Journalism students, meaning you’ll receive the nationally-recognised qualification from the media industry’s number one training body in the UK at no additional cost, significantly increasing your employment prospects.

Whether you’d like to pursue a career in journalism or are not quite sure where your future lies; the NCTJ Diploma offers a solid foundation in key skills sought after in graduates and can be a fast-track in the world of media. 

NCTJ accredited logo_Maya Collins

Preparing your for your future in journalism