BA in Journalism then BA in English OR MA- which is better?

OP

(NotGivingRealName)
Well, you're not gonna like what I say, because it completely contradicts what you're already doing

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I think I've come to expect it, to be honest!

Thanks for the post. You can still get into foreign journalism with an English degree, I don't think it should be a problem.

Reply 5

OP

I've forgotten how to quote properly, please excuse me!

Reply 6

NotGivingRealName

Magic Potion

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I think I've come to expect it, to be honest!

Thanks for the post. You can still get into foreign journalism with an English degree, I don't think it should be a problem.

Thanks!

If you're doing Journalism as undergraduate you should be fine really. All its really about is showing commitment with stuff that you've done voluntarily so just throw in as much work experience along with your own articles alongside your course.

And plus, you won't have to shell out lots more cash for a postgraduate course.

Reply 7

OP

By the way, an MA in English can be done! Very good news!

Reply 8

If you are serious about going into journalism, an MA in English is unnecessary. You are better off doing a BA journalism degree first. Graduate, get a few years of experience under your belt, then go back to do a more specialised postgrad degree, with a better concentration on a region (Middle East, Asia), or a discipline (Economics, Security).

Reply 9

OP

If you are serious about going into journalism, an MA in English is unnecessary. You are better off doing a BA journalism degree first. Graduate, get a few years of experience under your belt, then go back to do a more specialised postgrad degree, with a better concentration on a region (Middle East, Asia), or a discipline (Economics, Security).

This is interesting. I'm thinking about going into arts journalism but focusing on theatre so I wanted to do an postgrad in Reinassance and Eighteenth Century Literature a) as I think I would enjoy it and English has always been my passion and b) because I think it would allow me to deepen my knowledge.

A man featured in a Q and A regarding Journalism said that he had done a BA in Journalism and wanted to specialise in Enviromental Politics. So, I think, its good to know that a Journalism degree is not so restrictive as people claim it to be.

Reply 10

I've been in the industry for a few years, and I would say people who have a journalism degree make up about 60 percent of the industry. The rest have various backgrounds from generic Arts degrees to Political Science, Economics etc. They are just as competent, if not more. Most of the tools of the trade you can learn quickly on the job anyway.

What a journalism degree gives you is perhaps an edge in making those job connections early and making plenty of necessary mistakes before diving into the deep end.

Good luck.

Reply 11

Oh and one more thing on some of the above comments on postgrad journalism. I don't think it's more "respected" at all, and I don't think people in the industry think so. Most of the top papers/broadcasters would rather hire someone with a generic undergrad degree with a few years of experience covering the city beat, than someone with an undergrad degree and an MA from a fancy top 10 uni but ZERO experience.

Postgrad journalism is really a waste of money, in my opinion. You can learn pretty much the same things working for a small town daily, who will teach you this stuff for free, and pay you.

My advice is again, do your degree (whatever it is, doesn't really matter), write for your local paper, your university paper, whatever publication will publish you, and build your clippings.

Use those clippings to get your foot in the door. Then after a few years, go back to do a postgrad in a more specialised field that will help you with your career. I think that saves a lot of money and time.

Reply 12

OP

Petit Noir- I think that your advice has been very helpful. Thanks. You know, I just think that I'm a bit put down by the fact that people slam media based degrees. Yes, to be honest, they are fairly new degrees and I think snobbery exists with them, particularly in regards to national newspapers.

I've always been told that the generic essay- based subject and an MA in journalism is the best way to go because newspapers, like you to have that broad knowledge and then to hone in on the specialism. Doing an undergraduate journalism degree will allow me to get the experience which is vital for getting my 'foot in the door'.

However, I want to ask, if I did go into theatre journalism, wouldn't an employer like me more for the fact that I would have knowledge of Shakespeare or plays from various periods of time ie. doing an English degree of some sort rather than a journalism degree? (which I don't think is that 'generic')

NB I wouldn't just 'do' English as a degree. I do enjoy the subject immensely and applied to do it but all did not go to plan. You do get to specialise within a journalism degree but I guess if I wanted to write for a certain field of journalism I would have to get clued up myself. Your thoughts?

Thanks

Reply 13