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Original poster

Degree in Journalism - anyone have one and was it worth it?

43 replies

Nunnery · 05/04/2021 16:54

DS is set on doing this degree course at a non Russell group Uni. Of course it’s entirely his choice but I do privately think it may be a waste of time and money. He just really interested and I don’t want to put him right off, he’s so keen.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
qualitygirl · 05/04/2021 16:56

The only know 2 ppl with journalism degree s, one works in retail and the other is a sahm. But obvs that's not representative

toffeebutterpopcorn · 05/04/2021 17:00

When I was at school I wanted to be a journalist so considered doing a degree. I got a meeting with an editor of a regional newspaper and he told me that he preferred to take on someone who didnt have a journalism degree, but has sturdied something else and had demonstrated that they were keen by submitting freelance articles, writing for college publications etc. He also said that it was a bad idea in case you get halfway through and change your mind!

DH was a journalist - other degree, and he didn’t work with anyone else who has one either.

Of course the industry is a lot different now - so many blogger ‘journalists’ 🙄

toffeebutterpopcorn · 05/04/2021 17:01

Oh - I did ‘other’ and copywriting is part of my job.

PerspicaciousGreen · 05/04/2021 17:32

There are journalism degrees and journalism degrees. The big questions are:

  1. Do they do work placements?
  2. Are they expected to find them themselves or do the uni sort them for them? (Because if they have to sort them themselves, he could just do it without the degree!)
  3. How many graduates get a job in the area in the first six months?
  4. How many graduates are still working in the area in 5-10 years?
  5. What careers support do they offer while at uni and afterwards?
lastqueenofscotland · 05/04/2021 17:35

I have friends who are journalists and I have friends who did journalism at uni... there is no cross over between these friends

Of my friends who did journalism
One now works in customer service for a bookies
One works in admin for the NHS
One works in sales for a brewery.

The journalists I know without fail did Politics/economics or English at RG Uni’s

toffeebutterpopcorn · 05/04/2021 17:38

The journalists I know studied - English, accountancy, physics, law... and others worked their way up from cub reporters on locals.

hopeishere · 05/04/2021 17:39

I did a journalism course (NCTJ) and then politics at a RG uni. I now work in PR.

Awarsewolf · 05/04/2021 17:40

Agree with pp...The only two people I know in journalism did english lit and lang, and modern foreign languages and eng lit. Indeed one moved to be a photojournalist following a stint as a journalist and still didnt do a journalism or photography etc degree

BrumBoo · 05/04/2021 17:43

I thought the biggest advice for those who genuinely want to work in journalism is to do anything but a journalism course? So English, History, Philosophy, Sports, Politics, even Sociology I would imagine would be better. What about a joint degree option, half one 'serious' subject and the othet half journalism or media?

VladmirsPoutine · 05/04/2021 17:44

I think it can be useful in so far as the technical side i.e. broadcast journalism which teaches many skills applicable in the broader industry even if someone doesn't necessarily go on to be a journalist. That said if it has a sandwich part that can be useful and it could given them ample opportunity to work as e.g. a copywriter or do comms for an organisation whilst studying. It's not so much the degree itself but really what they can squeeze out of it by way of seizing opportunities along the way.

WhatTheFlap · 05/04/2021 17:48

I did a degree in journalism about 13 years ago. It was useful in many ways but taught me I definitely didn’t want to be a journalist!

I’m now a copywriter so can’t pretend I’ve not used it to some extent.

toffeebutterpopcorn · 05/04/2021 17:50

Do press journalists still get all the NUJ training? I also know 2 photojournalists - one studied chemistry and the other didn’t do any further studying after school.

missrabbitismyhero · 05/04/2021 17:51

I have a degree in journalism. I wouldn't recommend - but I didn't really have anyone to advise me so at the time. I echo the other posters who say to study something else - you can still get into journalism without the specific degree (in fact most people do).

Squeejit · 05/04/2021 18:00

I’m a journalist. My degree is English and I did a post grad NCTJ course. If he wants to work in news it’s really important his course includes the NCTJ qualification.
He needs to consider work experience opportunities and it wouldn’t hurt for him to set up a blog.
Which uni is he considering? There are some non-RG universities with really good journalism departments, eg.UCLan

Fairyfalls · 05/04/2021 18:09

My son has an offer to study this at Leicester I am glad he wants to do study a degree that he will enjoy. What the best uni then for this course he is predicted an A in English so could change his uni during clearing I think.

AngelicInnocent · 05/04/2021 18:10

Dds friend is first year journalism student at the minute. She is currently sorting out a new course for next year as it's really not what she thought it would be.

RG University isn't the be all and end all. There are plenty of brilliant courses at plenty of non RG universities.

Bunnybigears · 05/04/2021 18:13

I have a degree in journalism it was worth it as in I met my DH at uni it wasn't worth it as it has had absolutely no relevance to any job I have taken. Journalism is a declining industry as so much online content now is literally just copy and pasted. Very ittle local journalism xtually happens and the bit that does requires very few actual journalists.

WhatAreWordsWorth · 05/04/2021 18:14

I’m a copywriter and did a marketing degree. Throughout my career I’ve worked with a LOT of journalism grads and ex-journalists who now work in copywriting/content/PR.

I would suggest he’d be better off doing a degree in a more transferable subject that will give him more options after graduating. I’d also suggest that if he’s serious about journalism, it would be worth finding some part time work in a relevant role (or a couple of work placements during the holidays) alongside his degree.

Of the people I know who were journalists, they said that industry has crumbled in recent years and most of them left due to the constant threat of redundancies, sporadic hours and low pay.

Original poster
Nunnery · 05/04/2021 18:17

It’s a BJTC accredited course. Oh well, at least he’ll do something he enjoys (hopefully).

OP posts:
Pantheon · 05/04/2021 18:17

I think he'd be better off studying something else at degree level and then getting a Masters in journalism at somewhere like City or Cardiff. If he has any interest in politics, economics, or foreign languages they might be more useful.

Crimblecrumble1990 · 05/04/2021 18:19

I did an accredited journalism course, waste of time. I had a great time at uni though so glad I went. I now work in marketing, don't think I know anyone who works in journalism from my course. Apart from one guy who I think failed because he was never there, because he was actually working at a magazine at the time.

Crimblecrumble1990 · 05/04/2021 18:20

You could have told my 18 year old self that though and I would never have listened.

Pigtailsandall · 05/04/2021 18:20

I'm surrounded by journalists. Most did English, politics or history as an undergraduate degree, some have a PG qualification in journalism.

But this is a truly terrible time to get into journalism. Tbh, I wouldn't recommend it. Most of our friends have gone through several redundancies in the recent years or a terrible decline in freelance work. Vast majority now work in comms or writing commercial content for products/private companies. It's also badly paid.

Sorry, but that's what I'd say! Ask him to research employment opportunities in journalism. There's a ridiculous number of applicants for every job, however badly paid.

BuckysArm · 05/04/2021 18:22

NJCT also offer accreditation through online learning so he can do his degree in anything and then study online.

I think uni should partly be informed by what you love though, he’s likely to do better and have a better experience. Plus, he can always change if it isn’t right.

BlackKittyKat · 05/04/2021 18:29

I did a journalism degree. I worked as a journalist for seven years before moving into PR.
The biggest thing that helped me was work experience. I sorted my own out during the holidays which then led to job offers.
I would echo previous posters that it's better to get another degree. As a journalist, it's good to have a specialism. What is he interested in? What does he want to report on? Even if he wants to work on the nationals, they still have specialisms - health, science, environmental, politics. It would be better to study his specialism and then do a postgrad accredited course.