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BA (Hons) Magazine Journalism and Feature Writing (Full Time)

Studying on one of the longest established and most respected courses in the country, you will gain all the skills you need to enter this growing industry.

Course overview

The BA (Hons) Magazine Journalism and Feature Writing at Southampton Solent University is designed in partnership with leading industry professionals and includes a highly successful work placement programme. You will gain at least 120 hours of valuable work experience and develop an impressive portfolio of articles.

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Accredited by the Periodical Training Council (PTC), the degree provides a combination of vocational training and academic study, which is designed to create the very best feature writers.

You will work in a magazine environment using the latest professional digital technology, and learn to produce good copy, written accurately and to deadline. During your three years you will have the chance to visit exciting locations such as Paris and New York to broaden your mind and your knowledge of the publishing industry.

By the end of the degree you will have written and designed pages for a glossy magazine contributed to numerous publications, interviewed industry experts to get the inside scoop on what it takes to make it in magazine journalism and produced your own major project to showcase your writing talent.  

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Industrial focus 

In addition to the work placement scheme, Solent offers an extensive programme of high profile guest lecturers. Recent speakers have included professionals from IPC media, Bauermedia, Dennis Publishing, Ink Publishing, the BBC, ITV news, Sky and NME. 

Course content

Year 1

Eight core units and one option:

• Magazine Journalism
• The Big Debate
• The Magazine Journalist’s Toolkit
•  Layout and Visualisation
• Law
• Culture of the Glossy
• The Multi Platform Approach
• Magazines and Cultural Theory. 

  

Year 2

Five core units and two options:

• The Editorial Hub
• Magazine Business
• Magazine Production
• Identity and Celebrity
• Essential Law for Journalists. 

Options:

• Shorthand
• Music Journalism
• Sports Journalism
• Fashion and Styling
• Photography
• Web Design
• Global Affairs
• Lifestyle Journalism.

Year 3

Four core modules and two options:

• Life as a Freelance
• Major project/dissertation
• Ethics and the Magazine Journalist
• Keeping it Legal.

Options:

• Shorthand
• Travel Writing
• Journalism in Film
• Investigative Journalism
• Fashion
• Reporting Politics
• Changing the World. 

Why choose this course?

• Opportunity to visit Paris, New York and Tokyo to broaden your mind and your knowledge of the publishing industry.
• Solent is an exam centre for the National Council for the Training of Journalists, allowing you to sit the NCTJ law exam and the teeline shorthand exam at the end of your degree.
• An industry-standard study environment with access to the latest technology.
• An industry panel of experts help to deliver 'live' briefs.

Assessment

News and feature articles, research projects, individual and group presentations essays, reflective journals live briefs and simulated industry practical production, online packages, magazine page design. There are no exams. 

Key career skills

Copywriting, design skills, presentation, sub-editing, teamwork, creative thinking and analytical skills.

Projects/work experience

This year students have gained work placements at consumer magazines such as Elle, Grazia, Heat, Zoo and Red, at special interest titles, including the Press Gazette and The Lawyer, and a range of local and national newspapers.