Careers with a masters degree in Journalism

It’s easy to see why our graduates do so brilliantly in their careers. Here at Sheffield, every student has the opportunity to learn from visiting professionals, through guest lectures and weekly masterclasses. We provide students with insight, work placement and networking opportunities. These opportunities, paired with Sheffield's mighty reputation in newsrooms across the UK and internationally and the professional accreditation for our practical MA courses, means our students leave Sheffield equipped to thrive in the workplace.

MA Broadcast Journalism

Headline statistics

• 100% of graduates were in work within 15 months of graduation.
• 63% of graduates walked into their dream job - a job that was 'exactly what they were looking for'.
• 88% of graduates work in the information and comms sector.

Job titles

These were the roles graduates found themselves in:

• Journalist
• Multimedia Journalist
• Producer
• Production Journalist
• Radio Assistant Producer
• Senior Video Editor

Employers

These were the destinations of our graduates:

• Global Radio
• BBC
• Bauer Media
• Daily Mail
• ITV
• Barnsley Chronicle

What I love most is telling stories, and the challenge of doing that on different platforms.

Miriam Walker-Khan MA Broadcast Graduate

Miriam Walker-Khan is a freelance reporter, writer and presenter, who studied MA Broadcast at The University of Sheffield.

Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2019/20

MA Global Journalism

Headline statistics

• 96% of graduates were in work within 15 months of graduation.
• 4% of graduates had gone onto further study.
• 57% of graduates said they wouldn't have got their job without their MA. 

Job titles

These were the roles graduates found themselves in:

• Journalist
• Editor
• Marketing Assistant
• Advertising Executive
• Assistant Editor
• Teacher
• Communications Officer
• News Editor

Employers

These were the destinations of our graduates:

• American University Cairo
• Centre for Independent Journalism
• Formosa TV News
• Jiangsu Phoenix Science Press
• China Mobile
• China National Petroleum Corporation
• University of Science and Technology Beijing

I mastered journalism theory by analysing news reports

Siyu Chen Global Journalism MA

Siyu Chen's precious year at Sheffield gave her the knowledge and experience to continue her studies at PhD level and win scholarship funding.

Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2019/20

MA International Public and Political Communication

Headline statistics

• 95% of graduates were in work within 15 months of graduation.
• 5% of graduates went on to further study.

Job titles

These were the roles graduates found themselves in:

• Administration Officer
• Brand Manager
• CEO Assistant
• Communications Manager
• Deputy Director
• Journalist
• Internet Editor
• Marketing Specialist

Employers

These were the destinations of our graduates:

• Apple
• Bytedance (TikTok)
• China International Publishing Group
• The Home Office
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• National Literacy Trust
• Pulse Academy

Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2019/20

Many of the friendships I made during my time here are lifelong and for that alone, I am incredibly grateful.

Tom Parkin MA International Public and Political Communication graduate

Tom Parkin studied MA International Public and Political Communication, and has just begun a PhD at the University of Sheffield.

MA Journalism

Headline statistics

• 100% of graduates were in work within 15 months of graduation.
• 80% of graduates walked into their dream job - a job that was 'exactly what they were looking for'.
• 87% of graduates said that they wouldn't have got their job without their MA. 

Job titles

These were the roles graduates found themselves in:

• Journalist
• Multimedia Journalist
• Editor
• Digital Copywriter
• Print Media Journalist
• Sports Reporter
• Public Engagement Administrator
• News Reporter
• Business Reporter

Employers

These were the destinations of our graduates:

• Daily Mail
• Reach PLC
• Daily Telegraph
• Hello! Magazine
• PA Media
• The Guardian
• Cambridge News
• National Institute for Health Research

Source: Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2019/20

My confidence in building contacts and my understanding of a good news story are grounded in my time at Sheffield

Jessica Murray Journalism MA

Rising star Jessica Murray received a Scott Trust bursary enabling her to study for our MA Journalism degree. After graduating in 2019 she joined The Guardian, where her stories have already led the front page.

Graduate case studies

I've been privileged to travel all over the world covering major sporting events and interviewing some fascinating people

Dan Walker Broadcast Journalism MA

Now a senior BBC sports journalist and presenter, Dan is a graduate of our MA Broadcast Journalism degree. He presents BBC Football Focus and BBC Breakfast News as well as a weekly show on BBC World.

I put everything I learned at Sheffield into practice pretty much every day in my job.

Ben Bason MA Broadcast Graduate

Ben Bason studied MA Broadcast at the University of Sheffield, and now works at ITV.

Building my confidence and making friends for life

Gina Kalsi MA Journalism Graduate

From the Sheffield Star to the Independent, then finally into a full-time job with the Daily Mail online months before graduation - Gina's time at Sheffield gave her to boost she needed to succeed.

Sheffield knocked the bad habits out of me, enhanced the good ones, and gave me the confidence to realise that it really was possible to succeed.

Rachael Venables MA Broadcast Graduate

Rachael Venables is a correspondent for LBC, and MA Broadcast alumni. She explains how her degree at Sheffield helped her gain the vital skills required for her job today.

I had high expectations from the course, hoping it would help take my career to the next level. It did not disappoint

Subhajit Banerjee Broadcast Journalism MA

As Head of Content and Innovation at the Prime Minister's Office, Subhajit holds one of the most high-profile digital media jobs in the UK. His career history includes five years with The Guardian. He retains fond memories of newsdays during his Broadcast Journalism degree.

A recognised qualification from such a reputable place gave me the boost I was hoping for

Ben Cooper International Political Communication MA

Ben completed his masters in 2011 and began a career in political communication, including a stint based at the European Parliament in Brussels. After returning to the UK he worked on two general election campaigns and is now a Senior Broadcast Journalist with the BBC.

How we help

Here in the Department of Journalism Studies, our dedicated work placement officer can help you find meaningful employment experience with hand-picked organisations matched to your interests.

Meanwhile our guest lectures and media Careers Days put you face to face with professionals from the media industries to give insights direct from the frontline and tips on what employers are looking for.

Visit our brilliant Careers Service for more about what's on offer and find out why Sheffield is the top university in the north of England for graduate employability.

University Careers Service