BA (Hons) History & Journalism

For 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the Programme Changes page

Year 1

You will take the Reading and Writing History module and the Historical Perspectives module, both of which run for 10 weeks in the autumn term. You also choose to take EITHER the Global Connections module OR the Historical Controversies module (both of which run for 20 weeks across the autumn and spring terms) OR you choose two 15-credit option modules (both of which run in the spring term) from a list approved annually by the Department of History. You also take the Introduction to Multimedia Journalism module, and both the Media, History and Politics module and the Introduction to Power, Politics and Public Affairs module (which run for 10 weeks in the spring term).

See the full list of year 1 option modules.

Year 1 Modules	Module title	Credits
	Reading and Writing History Reading and Writing History 15 Credits This module provides guidance on how to develop and perfect the skills students need to write an undergraduate-level history essay. An emphasis is put on the centrality of problem solving and critical thinking, demonstrating how essays should be used as vehicles to explore academic debates.  Students learn skills specific to the discipline of history, such as identifying primary and secondary sources, evaluating their suitability and analyzing them to answer historical questions, as well as those necessary for academic work in other disciplines and for employment, including relevant referencing techniques, planning to meet deadlines, analyzing data, making a clear argument, using relevant technologies in research and presentation of data, working in groups and making oral presentations. For deep learning to take place, students practice the skills they have learnt by completing a series of structured tasks that contribute to a summative essay engaging with a specific historical problem. They will receive feedback on each stage of the process, enabling them to develop and improve their skills. The module is taught with a narrow focus on the lived experience of a defined group of people during a specified historical period (for example the working life of South and East Londoners in the mid-Nineteenth Century) depending on the expertise of the member of staff running the module. Some sessions concentrate on the knowledge required, others on how to apply this knowledge to solve a given historical question. The module also provides specific guidance on the preparation for history examinations.	15 Credits
	Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives 15 credits Historical Perspectives introduces and explores ‘historiography’, this being the history of the study of the past and the writing of history. Spanning a period from the Renaissance to the present day, the module examines key methods, theories, approaches, and writers so as to provide an introduction and orientation to the development and evolution of academic history. As academic history continues to develop, topics on the module will be updated in line with new perspectives. Core topics will be from a selection of the following: Antiquarian and Humanist approaches to history Leopold Ranke and ‘Rankean’ ideas about history Historical Materialism and Marxist interpretations of history Annales school techniques such as ‘Total History’ and ‘Microhistory’ Gender as a category of historical analysis Sexualities as an area of historical research Post-colonial and non-colonial histories Global History and challenges to Eurocentricity Postmodernism and ‘truth’ in history The History of Medicine and Medical Humanities The History of Emotions Black British History	15 credits
	Global Connections: the violence and exchanges that shaped the modern world Global Connections: the violence and exchanges that shaped the modern world 30 credits This module explores the multiplicity of contacts which have shaped the last half millennium of global history. Empire and religion, commerce and colonialism, race and space, and disease and healing all drove and moulded the encounters between distant cultures that created our modern world. This module explores some of these global connections, from trade and the exchange of goods and ideas, to practices of violence and resistance. The module will introduce students to core and emerging debates and approaches within the field of global history. The module will contain five four-week blocks on various topics within modern global history. The History department will publish a list of five blocks each year, from at least the following: Germany’s African Road to the Holocaust Global Sports and the African Diaspora The Ottoman Empire in European History (De)Colonising Enlightenment Political Thought Mosquitos, Microbes and Empire Latin America and the World Market Travellers, Stories, Materials and Knowledges across Eurasia Colonialism, Anti-colonialism and Resistance in the Middle East and North Africa	30 credits
	Historical Controversies Historical Controversies 30 credits This module introduces students to a range of historical controversies in order to engage them in a critical manner with competing perspectives on a range of different issues and events. The module will contain six three-week blocks on various sub-disciplines within history, including, social, cultural and political history, across different periods and geographic areas. Throughout, it will focus on work on historiography, considering issues such as: the influence of issues contemporary to authors on their writing; the impact of authors’ politics and/or wider values system on their work; the evolution of controversies over time; and theoretical explanations of controversies. In addition, it will take a comparative approach to controversies, with student assessment including an option to compare two historical controversies or to analyse one controversy in more depth. Lectures and seminars at the beginning and end of the module, and at the point of handover from one block to another, will discuss comparative themes. The History Department will publish a list of six blocks each year, from at least the following: Acts, Identities and the Origins of Homosexuality The Causes of the Russian Revolution The Greatest Whodunit in History: Who Caused the First World War? The Decline of the Liberal Party in the UK and the Rise of Labour Guilty Men? British Appeasement Policy and the Causes of the Second World War in Europe. The Ballot or the Bullet? Civil Disobedience in 1960s Protest Movements Revolutionary Movements in Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s Fire in Babylon: The New Cross Fire and the Black People’s Day of Action The Unnatural Disaster of Hurricane Katrina	30 credits
	Media History and Politics Media History and Politics 15 credits Much attention is focused on today’s technologies, programmes, websites, innovations and media uses. Although this is understandable, it contributes to a neglect of other issues that are essential in understanding contemporary media dynamics – in particular the historical evolution of the media and the political frameworks and consequences that accompanied this evolution. This module provides you with ways of thinking about media history and media politics and is designed to contextualise more contemporary debates about media industries, practices and texts. While the module focuses largely on the UK media system, you are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of these models to international media systems with which you may be more familiar.	15 credits
	Introduction to Power, Politics and Public Affairs Introduction to Power, Politics and Public Affairs 15 credits A practical introduction for journalism students to the British political system and key aspects of the private sector, during this course you will learn how Government and corporations operate in the public realm, how public relations and press offices work and where journalists can find information.	15 credits
	Introduction to Multimedia Journalism Introduction to Multimedia Journalism 30 credits The course will introduce you to the practical aspects of researching, reporting, writing and editing for online platforms using a multi-media approach. There are no lectures. Students will learn by doing, and by the end of the course will have produced three pieces of journalism.	30 credits

Year 2

You have a free choice of modules to the value of 60 credits from a list approved annually by the Department of History and at least 30 of those 60 credits must come from History and Journalism designated modules. Some modules, worth 30 credits, run for 20 weeks across the autumn and spring terms and other modules, worth 15 credits, run for 10 weeks, some running in the autumn term and others in the spring term.

You also take the Media Law and Ethics module and the Feature Writing module (both of which run for 10 weeks in the autumn term), the Extended Feature Research and Writing module (which runs for 10 weeks in the spring term) and you choose one other 15-credit module offered by the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies (which could run in either term).

See the full list of year 2 History option modules

Year 2 Compulsory modules	Module title	Credits
	Media Law and Ethics Media Law and Ethics 15 credits The module is designed to give students a practical knowledge of applied media law in the UK, relevant to journalists working across print, broadcasting, multimedia and online platforms. The course consists of a one-hour lecture, followed by a seminar, on a weekly basis over the course of ten weeks. Over the term, the module will cover the essentials of law in relation to contempt of court/crime reporting, privacy, libel, investigative journalism methods, copyright and intellectual property, issues of regulation and ethical dilemmas, reporting abroad, social media and online journalism, as well as broader issues such as comparison with other jurisdictions, media regulation and ethical dilemmas and complexities. The purpose of the module is to develop students’ understanding of the principles of media law, as well as how they can be applied in practice, as a solid grounding for working within a professional, contemporary newsroom. The lectures will provide an overview of the relevant legislation and regulation for each topic area, with consideration of potential defences, key ethical issues and example ‘case studies’ of the law in action. The seminars will involve testing the application of this knowledge, through discussion of fictional scenarios that may be legally and ethically problematic. This reflects the reality of journalists’ need for critical thinking and analytical skills to interpret and apply legal and ethical principles in practice. The overall purpose of the module is that students can use the learning outcomes of the module to be able to produce media content that does not breach UK media law and regulation	15 credits
	Extended Feature Research and Writing Extended Feature Research and Writing 15 credits This module will provide the pedagogic bridge between the MC52019A Feature Writing module taken in the Autumn term of level 5 and the Interdisciplinary Final Project module to be taken in the final year. All three are compulsory modules. In Feature Writing, students learn the basic skills, conventions and requirements of feature writing for journalistic purposes. In this module, students will learn how to use and enhance those skills for more in-depth research and long-form writing with a historical focus. They will learn how to use a blend of historical sources such as public and private archives and online historical databases as well as more contemporary sources to investigate and analyse subjects, themes and ideas from both the past and present for journalistic purposes. This might include researching recently released PRO files for ideas for journalistic work, which could then be explained, analysed and amplified using both alternative historical as well as contemporary sources. Students would be encouraged to use images and other digital material as primary sources as well as for illustration and added value. The module will be delivered through a series of weekly presentations and workshops that will demonstrate different sources of information and their use in a variety of different journalistic work with a historical theme and published in different formats. Special personal skills for extended research work such as in-depth interviewing of sources and recording and the organisation of research material will also be addressed. Students will be set assignments to test their knowledge of historical themes, subjects and sources and their ability to use that information to create journalistic work. Feedback will be given in class, in writing and in person. Students will be encouraged to examine and critique each other’s work. Individual tutorial support will be given as required. Assessment will be by a portfolio of work aimed at journalistic platforms, which will include one substantial piece of writing. The techniques, skills and methods that students acquire during this module will prepare them for the Interdisciplinary Final Project, which will focus on a major piece of research and the creation of a journalistic product with a historical theme.	15 credits
	Feature Writing Feature Writing 15 credits You will learn how to produce longer pieces of in-depth journalism – known as features – on this module. Skills taught include interviewing, colour writing and how to structure longer pieces.	15 credits

Year 3

You complete a 60-credit interdisciplinary final project that is jointly supervised by staff in both departments. You then have a free choice of modules to the value of 60 credits. Some modules, worth 30 credits, run for 20 weeks across the autumn and spring terms and other modules, worth 15 credits, run for 10 weeks, some running in the autumn term and others in the spring term. Students must select 30 credits from the Department of History and 30 credits from the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies.

As part of their History credits, students can elect to take a 30-credit Special Subject module (excluding dissertation) from a list approved annually by the Department of History or from a list of University of London Intercollegiate Group III Special Subject modules approved annually by our partner institutions. Partners include: Birkbeck, King’s College London, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, University College London.

See the full list of year 3 and Special Subject History modules

Teaching style

The programme is cumulative and progressive, with knowledge and skills building on previous years and growing year on year. Basic skills and competencies are delivered in the first year which sets the broad agenda for the programme as a whole. In the second year, the modules contain increasingly challenging and demanding material which provides the foundations for the significant independent scholarly work required and undertaken in the final year.

Teaching may be delivered in the form of lectures and seminars or other forms of contact time such as extended seminars, workshops, field trips, and film screenings. Lectures introduce subject specific skills and understandings and provide the basis for discussions, activities, group work, and debates. Seminars linked to lectures provide a space for further exploration of the lecture topics and materials and they reinforce the knowledge gained from the lectures and from independent reading and studying. Seminars also involve field-trips and site visits to relevant places including museums, galleries, archives, and sites of historical interest.

Throughout the programme students are taught to critically engage with the inter-relationship between history and journalism. In the final year, this interdisciplinary knowledge, understanding, skill and experience is tested through the compulsory interdisciplinary linking dissertation project. The variety of theoretical and empirical material throughout the programme, covering a wide range of topics, periods and regions, provides students with the opportunity to pursue their own interests while examining and interrogating the linkages between the two disciplines. Under close co-supervision from both departments, students develop a substantial and sustained individual project in which they form and present their own critical arguments in an extended format. In the context of this joint degree, students are required to produce a genuinely interdisciplinary piece of work that reflect their abilities to analyse and assess historical evidence, their awareness of journalist and media methods and concepts, and a knowledge of relevant empirical work and debates in each discipline.

Lecturers also make themselves available for tutorials either during their Consultation and Feedback hours or by appointment. These provide opportunities to ask questions about modules and their content, to receive support and guidance on independent work, and to receive feedback on submitted work.

The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 15% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning
• Year 2 - 15% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning
• Year 3 - 17% scheduled learning, 83% independent learning

How you’ll be assessed

A wide and innovative variety of different methods are used to assess learning, these include essays, reviews, source analyses, blogs, videos, walks, presentations, exams, and dissertations. Some modules are assessed by portfolios of coursework, or by a combination of coursework and an examination. Others are assessed by long essays or dissertations on topics approved with the tutor. Assessments vary in length according to the type of assessment and/or level of module.

Assessment supports student progression across the programme, as assessments in the first year aim to measure a set of baseline skills and competencies which are enhanced, deepened and broadened in subsequent years. Lecturers return assessments and provide useful and constructive feedback in a timely manner so as to ensure that students learn from the feedback and have the opportunity to improve subsequent work.

The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 56% coursework, 19% written exam, 25% practical
• Year 2 - 91% coursework, 9% practical
• Year 3 - 100% coursework

*Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2018/19. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about .

Year 3

You will take the following compulsory modules.

Year 3 compulsory modules	Module title	Credits
	Interdisciplinary Final Project Interdisciplinary Final Project 60 credits This module will be the culmination of the joint programme and is designed to showcase and synthesise the practical skills and learning of the previous three years from across both disciplines. Students will be expected to produce an extended piece of journalism on an historical theme or subject using a blend of both traditional historical research techniques and contemporary sources where appropriate. The work should be of a standard for publication on an appropriate journalistic platform and conform to legal and ethical considerations where appropriate. It should contain both extensive written content which could be supported by other visual or digital material where relevant and appropriate. The Autumn term will consist of a series of workshops delivered by both History and Media staff designed to refresh existing skills in journalistic and historical research, explore the different types of journalistic product for different platforms and introduce some essential digital and online content management skills, all placed in the context of historical themes. In the first half of the term, a parallel series of ideas seminars will also encourage students to draw up proposals for their individual projects. These will be further refined in the second half of term to produce an individual detailed and agreed project plan that will outline the content of the project, including the aims and key sources of the historical research, the approach and angle of the journalistic work and address issues of platform and audience. The deadline for this will be the end of term and this will form part of the overall project assessment. In the Spring term, students will be able to work on their individual projects in a workshop/lab environment under supervision of staff from both departments with appropriate technical support. Individual tutorials, group and class feedback and refresher sessions will be given as required.	60 credits

Teaching style

This programme is mainly taught through scheduled learning - a mixture of lectures and seminars. You’ll also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work.

The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 15% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning
• Year 2 - 15% scheduled learning, 85% independent learning
• Year 3 - 17% scheduled learning, 83% independent learning

How you’ll be assessed

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework assignments such as extended essays, reports, presentations, practice-based projects or essays/logs, group projects and reflective essays, as well as seen and unseen written examinations.

The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:

• Year 1 - 56% coursework, 19% written exam, 25% practical
• Year 2 - 91% coursework, 9% practical
• Year 3 - 100% coursework

*Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2019/20. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about how this information is calculated.

Credits and levels of learning

An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.

Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
International Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655
Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
Scottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)
European Baccalaureate: 75%
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2

Additional requirements

As the course demands significant amounts of writing, it's important that you are able to cope with the rigours of the course.

At Goldsmiths we offer innovative and challenging degrees, in a stimulating environment, amongst a diverse and exciting community of students. Many of our students have achieved high A-level grades, and that is reflected in our standard A-level offer.

Above all, though, we are looking for potential students who can demonstrate the range of skills, talents, and interests necessary for this work, either through traditional A-levels or otherwise. We believe that all able students, of whatever age and background, who have the ability, should have the opportunity to study at Goldsmiths. We actively encourage applications from students with a wide range of relevant qualifications, especially the access diploma.

We also offer a foundation year for students who need more preparation and experience before embarking on the BA. This is a longstanding commitment and practice and, over many years, a large number of our students have come from non-traditional backgrounds.

If you're interested in applying to Goldsmiths, whether you're currently studying or have been out of education for some time, we'd be delighted to hear from you. If you'd like further advice or have specific questions, please get in touch with the Admissions Officer listed above.

Given the range of students that the programme is designed to attract, applicants may be asked to attend an interview, where the following criteria are evaluated:

• reasons for applying to study this particular degree
• reasons for applying to Goldsmiths
• background knowledge/expectations of the discipline(s)
• intellectual potential and analytic skills
• ability to express ideas verbally and engage in debate
• motivation to complete the programme

Performance at interview can alter the usual criteria for entry on a case-by-case basis.

You should have Grade C/Grade 4 or above in GCSE Mathematics.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2021/2022 academic year.

From August 2021 EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for 'Home' fee status. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will be classified as 'International' for fee purposes, more information can be found on our fees page.

• Home - full-time: £9250
• International - full-time: £17370

If your fees are not listed here, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time if you require a Tier 4 student visa, however this is currently being reviewed and will be confirmed in the new year. Please read our visa guidance in the interim for more information. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our careers service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Career-orientated Skills

Equipping graduates with the flexibility, skills, and confidence needed to achieve their ambitions and ensuring that all students have clear opportunities to develop within, and beyond, their curriculum (through, for example, work placements and overseas study) are essential components of this degree programme.

History and Journalism are both very transferable subjects and both the Departments of History and Media. Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths have an excellent pedigree in providing careers-orientated opportunities for students.

A wide array of transferable skills is acquired throughout the programme. All modules foster skills in: effective reading; critical analysis and evaluation; assessment of arguments, ideas, and evidence; independent thinking and working; academic writing within a specified word-limit; group-working and collaboration; designing and delivering presentations; and creating a wide variety of outputs and materials. Students learn how to: effectively manage their time and their timetable; meet deadlines, to sensibly and pragmatically schedule time and activities; present themselves with self-assurance and confidence. Information and resource management skills are developed and honed as part of wider research processes and a wide range of library and IT skills are also delivered.

Links with employers, placement opportunities and career prospects

The departments of History and Media, Communications and Cultural Studies establish and foster a range of partnerships with some of the leading historical, cultural and media organisations in London and beyond, including the Black Cultural Archives, the George Padmore Institute, English Heritage, Historic England, Historic Royal Palaces, the Horniman Museum, the National Archives, Queer Britain and various newspapers and national media organisations.

Students on the BA History and Journalism programme can choose to undertake the Department of History’s work placement module, History in Practice. The module runs for two terms and, in the first term, students prepare for their placement through a series of classes and workshops on public history, museum studies, and working in archives and libraries. Students also choose their placement partner and visit them to identify and plan the activities they will be undertaking during their placement. The placement itself takes place in the second term of the module and consists of one day per week at the placement partner. Students continue to be supported throughout by the module convenor and, at the end of the module, are assessed on the work they have undertaken with the placement organisation.

There are also opportunities for students to pursue work placements through the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural studies with the support and guidance of staff in that department.

In addition to the resources provided by the programme and by the department, the Goldsmiths Careers Services offer significant support to students as they pursue their career, with general support in such areas as preparing a CV and interview skills, as well as bespoke events that work in partnership with the degree programme.

You can also read more about employability at Goldsmiths and career options on our dedicated History careers page.

Student journalism

EastLondonLines is an independent news website run by the School of Journalism in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies. The site runs throughout the year and students on all journalism programmes spend time working on the site, gaining valuable experience and building up their CVs. You work under the supervision of School academic and technical staff.

It began in November 2009 as a means of giving students an opportunity to work as professional journalists in a real life environment. The area covered by the site is a large, diverse, multi-cultural and vibrant part of London, ranging from inner city Hackney in the North to Croydon on the southern borders of London and provides exciting and varied journalistic challenges.

Visit the EastLondonLines website. 

Journalism students also contribute to London Multimedia News which collates London based news stories with a radio and sound focus and are able to take part in broadcasts through our radio and television studios.