MA Journalism (Science and Environment)
University of Lincoln
Key Information
Campus location
Lincoln, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 Year
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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Introduction
There is a growing demand for science journalists who can report on health and environmental issues accurately and succinctly. This Master’s program is designed to offer the practical and theoretical training needed for those wishing to communicate science and environmental issues to the public.
Students at Lincoln can learn how to take scientific news and turn it into engaging stories, without resorting to sensationalism or technical jargon. To develop their practical skills, students can gain experience working on the University-based community radio station, a multiplatform website, and student newspapers and magazines.
Students also have the opportunity to hear from leading names in the journalism industry. Previous speakers on the program have included naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham, ITV News science editor Tom Clarke, broadcaster and rural affairs correspondent Tom Heap, and former government chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport.
Those undertaking the program are expected to complete an assessed work placement. Past students have worked at BBC Focus magazine, New Scientist, and the Vegan Society. Students are responsible for their travel, accommodation, and general living costs while undertaking work placements.
Prioritising Face-to-Face Teaching
At the University of Lincoln, we strive to ensure our students’ experience is engaging, supportive, and academically challenging. Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, we have adapted to Government guidance to keep our students, staff, and community safe. All remaining Covid-19 legal restrictions in England were lifted in February 2022 under the Government’s Plan for Living with Covid-19, and we have embraced a safe return to in-person teaching on campus. Where appropriate, face-to-face teaching is enhanced by the use of digital tools and technology and may be complemented by online opportunities where these support learning outcomes.
We are fully prepared to adapt our plans if changes in Government guidance make this necessary, and we will endeavor to keep current and prospective students informed. For more information about how we are working to keep our community safe, please visit our coronavirus web pages.
Research Areas, Projects, and Topics
Key research areas in the department include:
- Science and Communication
- Law and Institutions
- Specialist Science Reporting and Production
- Research and Professional Placement
- Ethics in Science and Environmental Journalism
Days Taught
Where possible, core sessions are scheduled on Thursday and Friday, although students may be required to attend on other days of the week depending on module options. Full-time students should expect approximately 12 hours of contact time per week and should be prepared to undertake at least two hours of self-study for every taught hour.
"This information was correct at the time of publishing (July 2023)"
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the University of Lincoln website for more information.
Curriculum
Advanced Research Methods (Core)
This module provides the opportunity to develop a methodological understanding and to receive support and advice on the final project. You will then be expected to prepare a written proposal for a dissertation, a documentary project, or a portfolio of articles.
Essential Reporting (Core)
This module introduces students to the processes of newsgathering and writing news and features for a range of platforms. It aims to develop a critical understanding of editorial processes in news organizations and a working knowledge of how news and feature ideas are generated and packaged for different markets and readerships.
Ethics in Science and Environmental Journalism (Core)
This module aims to provide an in-depth reflection on philosophical issues and an opportunity for students to consider more fully the kind of dilemmas that they are likely to encounter as working journalists in the field of science and environmental reporting.
Journalism Production (Core)
This module introduces students to the editorial and production skills required for multiplatform and digital news production. The module focuses on newsgathering and preparing news content for broadcast and online. Students can work in a newsroom environment under appropriate time constraints, experiencing the pressures of operating as a multimedia journalist across a range of broadcast and web-based platforms, including social media.
MA Journalism - Final Project or Dissertation (Core)
The Final Project or Dissertation module consists of either a dissertation, portfolio of articles, radio or television documentary, or chapters for a book or webpages. You are expected to spend the final term during the summer on self-directed learning, having already decided on the form of project that you will produce. You will be allocated your own tutor for support and guidance. This final project provides an opportunity to research and make an in-depth study of your chosen study area.
Media Law (Core)
This module introduces students to the areas of the law most likely to be encountered in the practice of journalism and the practice of PR and related communications activities. Students will investigate the interaction between journalism, PR, communications, and the law, and gain a clear insight into the relationships between journalists and officials, PR/communications practitioners, and their clients/employers, and how information is communicated to an increasingly diverse public.
Science Communication (Core)
The module aims to explore the different ways in which scientific knowledge and information about scientific research and discovery are communicated to different audiences. You will have the chance to focus on and engage with some of the contemporary debates surrounding science and its role in society.
Specialist Journalism Production (Core)
From a digital-first perspective and focusing, in particular, on news and feature content in your specialist field(s) of interest, this module aims to develop the key skills of journalism through regular practice, including newsgathering, writing and interviewing, and live output production with text and audio and video output as required. Online skills will be used throughout, including social media to drive consumers to the content. The journalism and features produced will be outward-facing, using techniques of electronic newsgathering, digital and non-linear editing, production/journalism for online and print, and an appropriate range of live news broadcasting techniques. In this module, you are expected to take up a work placement in one or several different media organizations of your choice. The module provides prior guidance, together with career advice. Tutors will help with research of the employment market, as you arrange international, national, or local work placements, and will support you as you build an individual career profile, CV, and work experience portfolio.
How You Study
Students can learn in lectures, seminars, and practical workshops. This will incorporate ‘news days’ which replicate industry newsrooms.
Teaching usually takes place on two full days per week. Where possible, core sessions are scheduled on Thursday and Friday, although students may be required to attend on other days of the week depending on module options.
How You Are Assessed
Assessments are a mixture of essays, presentations, portfolios of journalism, broadcast media packages, and timed examinations.
The University of Lincoln's policy on assessment feedback aims to ensure that academics will return in-course assessments to students promptly – usually within 15 working days of the submission date.
Students in this program are expected to complete an assessed work placement as part of the course.
Tutors can help with the research of the employment market, help to arrange international, national, or local work placements, and support students as they build their individual career profiles, CV, and work experience.
Please note that students are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation, and general living expenses during their placement.
Accreditations
The School of English and Journalism is one of the first institutions in Europe to be awarded a 'Recognised for Excellence' accolade by the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA).
Program Outcome
How You Study
Students can learn in lectures, seminars, and practical workshops. This will incorporate 'newsdays' which replicate industry newsrooms.
Teaching usually takes place on two full days per week. Where possible, core sessions are scheduled on Thursday and Friday, although students may be required to attend on other days of the week depending on module options.
Journalism at Lincoln has a close working relationship with BBC Radio Lincolnshire and a partnership with local news provider Lincolnshire Live and its sister publication the Lincolnshire Echo. The Lincs Live team is based on campus and students have opportunities to work alongside its professional journalists during the course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This course aims to prepare students for a career in science or environmental journalism or the related communications industries.
The School of English and Journalism maintains close working relationships with the BBC and Lincolnshire Echo newspaper. On campus, there are opportunities to gain experience in community radio, multiplatform websites, student newspapers, television, and magazines.
Recent graduates have gone on to work as a Science and Technology Reporter for Daily Mail Online and Chief Editor for an Indian Science Media Centre, while others have taken up positions in medical writing and health communications.