BA (Hons) Journalism at Brunel University becomes latest NCTJ-accredited course

Brunel University’s degree in Journalism has become the NCTJ’s newest accredited course. The course, based at Uxbridge and headed by Keith Somerville, is one of only 18 NCTJ-accredited degree courses across the UK, and was launched less than three years ago.

Students study for a series of tough professional exams alongside their degree assignments, which test their reporting skills, legal knowledge and political savvy. They also learn cutting edge techniques in multi-platform journalism and entrepreneurialism alongside modules in the history and theory of journalism. All staff are leading industry names from print, broadcasting and online, and are both journalism practitioners and research-active academics.

NCTJ chief executive Joanne Butcher said: “It’s great to see the journalism provision at Brunel going from strength-to-strength.  We know how challenging it is for undergraduate journalism degree courses to meet the NCTJ standard for accreditation but the team at Brunel were more than able to demonstrate the commitment, resources and quality we require.”

Head of Journalism Sarah Niblock said: “We are delighted as we want to provide the best possible launch-pad for our students’ careers in this competitive climate.

“But at the same time they are taking a demanding academic programme, equipping them with the critical and contextual knowledge they really need to navigate a fast-moving media world.”

Brunel’s journalism department was established from scratch just four years ago by Sarah, herself NCTJ trained. It also has a NCTJ-accredited postgraduate programme – MA Journalism.