Master in journalism

Professional opportunities in the field of journalism range from daily news production in national and regional media companies to independent journalistic projects. The critical perspective and the specialized skills offered by the Master helps the students in designing their professional career with a distinct individual profile. It also prepares students for the creation and management of innovative news products. An exciting academic career in information sciences is also open to students who have a vocation for research.

close

The core curriculum of the Master (90 ECTS) covers theories and trends in communication, an introduction to the major issues of society and a thorough practice of English in connection with the themes of the master. On top of this common base, students can choose from three specializations (30 ECTS) that allow them to acquire specific skills and knowledge:

· The specialization Narrative Journalism and Investigative Journalism focuses on long form storytelling that immerse the journalist in social situations, and in investigative journalism techniques with a strong component of data analysis and visualization. It will allow you to express rich narratives in multiple formats (text, video, audio), perfect your data analysis skills and develop strategies for the presentation of information. Courses include ethnographic methods, analysis of political discourse or history of documentary film. Students work in groups to design and produce a journalistic project as the central activity of the Master.

· The specialization Journalism, Politics and Society in Belgium is aimed at training bilingual journalists (French/Dutch). It offers two options: the first one concerns the Belgian public space and emphasizes improving Dutch language skills and the knowledge of the Belgian political and administrative system. The second option is offered in partnership with the VUB to allow students already fluent in Dutch to practice it for news production.

· The specialization Research in Journalism is aimed at students that want to follow an academic career researching and teaching media trends. Courses in sociology, discourse analysis, statistics, and research seminars allow to develop analytical skills in the field of journalism studies, and prepare for a Ph.D.

• competence framework

close

The Master in Journalism, also known as Brussels University School of Journalism, offers academic analysis and professional training on the profession of journalism. The program carefully balances the study of the theoretical foundations of journalism, a critical assessment of media trends and hands-on development of current professional practices. Students will be able to train for all media (press, radio, television and online journalism) and apply their skills in two internships in media companies. The Master also fosters students to reflect on and design strategies about innovations and changes in the profession.

Professional work of students can be found on this page: http://journalisme.ulb.ac.be

close

Practical courses are supervised by teachers and assistants who are professional journalists at the highest level in their field. The television and radio studios, as well as the technical tools and software for news production meet professional standards and are recurrently updated. The curriculum of the Brussels University School of Journalism is enriched by various collaborations, notably with Radio Campus (for radio journalism) and HELB INRACI (for television journalism). Many partnerships with foreign universities allow students to spend a semester abroad, in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

Students of the specialisation Narrative Journalism and Investigative Journalism follow thorough courses that enable them to acquire the techniques for in-depth reporting. Trained in the methods of data and discourse analysis and ethnography, they also learn the principles of literary journalism and the history of documentary film. These skills are put into practice in a collective news product that includes investigative reporting pieces (based on data gathering and visualization, thorough interviews and document analysis) and long form narratives (mook, web documentary, journalistic travel journals, etc).

Students of the specialisation Journalism, Politics and Society in Belgium get in-depth insight about the complexity of Belgian plural cultures. Improving or prefecting Dutch language skills is complemented with a thorough study of current events at the different levels the public sphere. During the Master, students conceptualize and produce a bilingual collective news projet.

The students of the specialization Research in Journalism are introduced to social sciences and humanities research methods and current debates in journalism studies. The curriculum is designed to train experienced researchers to all methods and all objects of study in information and communication sciences. The aim is to prepare students to the production of a doctoral thesis. A one-month internship in a research project is a major asset for the development of a research profile meeting the highest standards.

close