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City vs Westminster

Hello everyone!

I'm an international student I have offers for both City in a new MSc in Internet studies so to speak and another one in Westminster for Journalism.

I come from a Communications / journalism background.

However I really don't know which one has the best reputation. I know neither of them are top universities, and eventhough LSE accepted me I really didn't like the course outline in the end.

So what would you recommend (based on reputation)

Thanks,

Maria

Reply 1

Haksa

City is the best place in the UK to study Journalism. Reputation wise, City is ahead.

City.

RAE 2008: University of Westminster best in UK for media and communications research. UOA 66 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies
UOA descriptor

The UOA includes research addressing or deploying theory, history, institutional, policy, textual, critical and/or empirical analysis, or practice within communication, culture, media, journalism and film studies.

http://submissions.rae.ac.uk/results/selectHEI.aspx

http://submissions.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=113&type=hei

http://submissions.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=82&type=hei

We are very pleased that the Communications and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), at the University of Westminster, has been judged to be the best in the UK for media and communications research, in the results of the latest Research Assessment Exercise, released in December 2008.

The UK's Higher Education Funding Councils run a Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) every six or seven years, to assess the quality of research in all subjects across all UK universities. Research is assessed, in a massive exercise, by specialist expert panels who read substantial samples of research books and articles by every researcher submitted, and also consider other indicators of esteem and international reputation.

CAMRI submitted the work of 16 researchers. 60 per cent of this research was judged to be at the very highest level - "world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour" (the top, 'four star' ranking). All of the work was judged to be "recognised internationally" and 90 per cent of the total was rated "internationally excellent".

For comparison, only 17 per cent of research across all universities and all subjects was judged to be "world leading". At the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, an average of 32 per cent of research was at this four-star level.

http://www.theory.org.uk/david/rae2008.htm

http://submissions.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=66&type=uoa

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2009/05/28/how-westminster-students-covered-last-weeks-journalism-in-crisis-conference/

BBC Director-General delivers first Charles Wheeler Memorial Lecture

BBC Director-General Mark Thompson last night re-emphasised his organisation’s commitment to quality journalism in a keynote speech at the University of Westminster.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson was among the packed audience to hear the Director-General deliver a lecture in memory of the late Charles Wheeler – describing the veteran foreign correspondent as the “finest reporter the BBC ever had”.

Charles Wheeler’s widow, Lady Dip Wheeler, had earlier in the evening presented the inaugural Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism to BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman.

Mark Thompson’s speech marked the climax of a two-day conference at Westminster entitled Journalism in Crisis, organised jointly by the University and the British Journalism Review (BJR), marking the BJR’s 20th anniversary. As well as academic speakers, the event featured industry panellists including former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie and journalist and author of Flat Earth News Nick Davies.

http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-18206

The advice is to strongly visit the places you are thinking of studying at if you can do this - it can really give you an insight in to the course and the environment you want to be in - it also gives you a chance to ask about things that are important to you individually.

Westminster is very strong for Journalism and related areas - as you can see from the above links concerning the latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) carried out in 2008. Good luck with everything.

Reply 4

mars4bars

It depends on which information you want to look at.

Here are three tables that may help.

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=8727

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php?AC_sub=Communication+and+Media+Studies&sub=17&x=41&y=13

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2009/may/12/university-guide-media-studies-communications-librarianship

Look for the environment you want, the student satisfaction etc. Ultimately its up to what your preferences are. Also make sure you see check out how reputable the specific department you will be at is overall.

Generally ranking though, City is better and if I were in your place I would probably choose City. But Westminster is KNOWN for its Media studies, not necessarily Journalism but yes, media in general.

P.S. Im doing a MA in Journalism so I'm basing my opinion on the research I did about schools.