Are you ready to shape the future of journalism and international affairs? The CNN Academy UCD Clinton Institute MA in Journalism and International Affairs is the first English-language Masters programme CNN has co-designed in collaboration with a university partner, combining journalistic and academic excellence in an innovative curriculum that is challenging and employment-orientated.
The CNN Academy UCD Clinton Institute MA in Journalism and International Affairs is a one-year programme that combines practical training in audio, video, digital, and social storytelling with academic expertise in international affairs.
In today’s media ecosystem, journalists need to be able to produce engaging content for a savvy digital-first audience while understanding the structures and dynamics that shape global issues and relations.
The programme will equip new generations of journalists to report on critical global issues of the day, from climate change, to human rights to terrorism. It will appeal to and reward those with a passion to not only understand the world but explain it in ways that are informative and transformative.
Students will have an opportunity to take part in CNN Academy simulation week in the UAE.
The MA will combine theoretical discussion with experiential learning to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of international news media and the skills to undertake leading roles in that environment.
The syllabus is co-created and delivered by CNN Academy and UCD Clinton Institute, connecting the classroom to the newsroom, affording direct collaboration with the news industry and access to best practices in cross-platform journalism and news production.
Throughout the programme, students will learn about approaches to storytelling, international standards and ethics in journalism, and verification techniques. Each week, students will tackle key subject areas through modules at the Clinton Institute that draw on the CNN Academy Hub e-learning platform. CNN journalists, editors and producers will participate via live interactive seminars and also provide hands-on audio, video and digital production training at UCD Clinton Institute to equip the students with the tools they need to tangibly apply the media lessons they are learning.
Students will produce reports across digital and television in the first trimester and will work on a podcast group assignment in the second trimester.
Students will also work through recent case studies from CNN reports that illustrate the ideas that have been discussed in seminars.
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The practical, training components supported by CNN will be complemented by the Clinton Institute’s academic expertise in the field to provide core modules in research skills, international journalism, new media and international conflict, cybersecurity and political communications. These will be integrated to provide an innovative curriculum that will enable students to be reflective practitioners.
The programme is designed to equip students with a foundational understanding of newsroom best practices and trends shaping the way we report the news and cover stories. On graduation they will have learned skills to create and produce multimedia journalism, to think conceptually about newsmaking practices and about their relationship to environments of international affairs. The MA will enhance student career pathways, principally in the international news industry and also in ancillary sectors that value knowledge of international communications.
Applicants do not need to have prior experience in journalism to enrol in this program. It provides an education and training programme for aspiring journalists while also being suitable for those seeking continuing professional development.
Entry requirements:
An honours undergraduate degree (NFQ level 8) in a relevant subject area with a minimum upper second class honours UCD GPA of 3.08, or the international equivalent is required.
Applicants without the above degree qualifications but with extensive work experience in a relevant sector will be considered.
IELTS – An average score of 6.5 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version.
Applicants must submit the following:
Academic transcripts
Academic references OR professional references
Personal statement – explain why you would like to join the programme
Either a 300-word thesis proposal – What aspect of international journalism would you like to research and write on in some depth? Do you have something fresh to say about this topic?
Or a 300-word multimedia production proposal – What is a story you are passionate about telling the world? Why is your angle on this story unique and how do you propose to tell this story for audiences on multiple platforms?
IELTS certification
Optional – a sample of your journalism or multi-media work
Following review of above materials, suitably qualified candidates will be shortlisted and invited to interview.
Fees Full-Time Non EU: 25,000 EUR
Fees Full-Time EU: 11,790 EUR
Click here for information on the Clinton Institute Scholarships
All applicants who are offered a place on the MA programme are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
International applicants may also be eligible for the scholarships below, be sure to check the eligibility and deadline details for each scholarship programme.
UCD Global Excellence Scholarship – https://www.ucd.ie/global/scholarships/globalexcellencescholarships/
Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship – https://hea.ie/policy/internationalisation/goi-ies/
If you have any queries about fees or scholarships, please contact Catherine.Carey@ucd.ie
UCD is one of Europe’s leading research intensive universities; an environment where undergraduate education, masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity.
The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years; it is currently ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions world wide. UCD is also Ireland’s most globally engaged university with over 38,000 students drawn from 152 countries, including over 5,000 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The University’s main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of 133 hectares and offers world-leading facilities.
As Ireland’s largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland through the study of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation.
