A Diploma of Journalism (or Diploma in Journalism) is an academic qualification in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

issued by a university or college.

Overview

The diploma is generally issued after one year of study. As is common with

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

s in general, diplomas in journalism are often more practical or applied than a course leading to a

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in journalism. Some universities offer

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

Diplomas of Journalism. Historically, the emergence of journalism diplomas reflected the somewhat condescending view of journalism education which emerged in Britain and British Commonwealth countries, unlike the United States. Briggs and Burke point out that, despite the emergence of university degree programs in the United States from the late 19th century, British universities were uninterested in formal

journalism education A journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. 'J-School' is an increasingly used term for a journalism department at a school or college. Journalists in most parts of th ...

, and entered the field only at sub-degree level: "between 1919 and 1939 the only University Diploma for Journalism in Britain was offered at London University". In the 1920s and 1930s in Australia, four universities started journalism diploma courses as sub-degree programs, but none of the courses survived in this form. (They have since emerged as degree courses.) More recently, there has been debate about comparisons between diploma and degree programs in journalism, with advocates of diplomas arguing that the shorter courses, with their lesser emphasis on theory, are often more relevant to industry needs. Degree courses, however, offer deeper theoretical exposure and greater analysis of ethical and legal issues. In New Zealand, the media industry has developed a national diploma of journalism, establishing a curriculum which is followed by accredited training institutions, including universities and colleges. Britain National Council for the Training of Journalists offers certificate courses and accredits colleges and universities offering diplomas and degrees in journalism. Another development has been the specialist diploma in a particular field of journalism, such as sports journalism, science journalism or business journalism, generally taught at postgraduate level. English-language institutions offering the Diploma of Journalism are mainly in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

countries. Examples of journalism diploma courses are: *

Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

, Wales *

City University, London City, University of London, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City Univ ...

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

, Canada *

Griffith College Dublin Griffith College ( ga, Coláiste Uí Ghríofa) is one of the two largest, and one of the longest-established private, third level (higher education) colleges in Ireland. Overview Established in 1974, with four campuses in Dublin, Cork and Li ...

Indian Institute of Mass Communication Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is an Indian media centre of learning and civil service training institute for the Indian Information Service Cadre funded and promoted by the Government of India in New Delhi. The IIMC is an auto ...

* Jschool: Journalism Education & Training, Australia *

RMIT University RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public research university in Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city ...

, Australia *

Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...

, South Africa *

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

, New Zealand *

University of Mysore The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...

References

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Bibliography

Asa Briggs Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (7 May 1921 – 15 March 2016) was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the Victorian era, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his lon ...

and Peter Burke, ''A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet'', Wiley, 2005 *Rod Kirkpatrick, Diploma to degree: 75 years of tertiary journalism studies, ''Australian Studies in Journalism'', 1996, no. 5, pp. 256–264 Journalism education