Journalism courses

Your journalism degree will cover subjects like:

• News reporting

• Broadcasting

• Digital media

• Audio journalism

• Writing for a range of media

• Cross-cultural communication

• Media law and ethics

You will produce written, audio and video stories as part of your course, allowing you to build a portfolio of work.

It depends on the course you choose. Journalism is often studied as a major within a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Communication, where you’ll learn about all different forms of journalism. If you enrol in a journalism specific course like a Bachelor of Journalism, you can minor in a type of journalism through your electives.

Online journalism courses cover the whole spectrum of news reporting. They include subjects to help students understand and explore the changing world of online journalism.

If you’re studying journalism, you’ll typically do so as a major within a broader degree, which will often cover subjects like social media, communication and media, and digital media.

Working full-time or part-time while studying one of the online journalism degrees available through Open Universities Australia is definitely possible.

We understand that students studying online often have significant work or family commitments to balance. Online study is flexible; you can study as much or as little per semester as you want.

Some journalism degrees offer students the opportunity to complete a professional work placement or internship or participate in a research project.

If gaining work experience while you study is important to you, consider seeking out internship opportunities independently. You can do this during the semester alongside your studies or use the semester break periods to work full or part-time as a budding journalist.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide:

If you study a degree in journalism through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

Different universities have different requirements, but as a general rule, journalism degrees ask for an ATAR of between 60 and 75. You won’t need an ATAR to get into a journalism degree when you study through Open Universities Australia, though.

That’s because we have a unique arrangement with our university partners, which lets you bypass entry requirements on undergraduate courses. You can instantly enrol in online journalism subjects that are open to everyone. Once you complete these subjects, you will meet the academic requirements for a full journalism degree.

Journalism offers many career options, and journalism graduates often find work as investigative journalists, feature writers, in the newsroom, or as staff or freelance writers for some of Australia’s best-known mastheads.

Online journalism courses cover many foundational skills needed in other communications roles, so you can explore related career paths as well.

Some examples of related roles include:

• Producer: Propose story ideas and manage their production on a variety of media.

• Book editor: Evaluate manuscripts, provide feedback or rewriting suggestions to writers and fact-check their work.

• Public relations professional: Work with clients to shape their public image.

• Copywriter: Develop concepts, messaging and copy for clients’ advertising campaigns. Work in an agency or in-house for a brand.

• Social media manager: Plan and create engaging content for various social media channels.

• Content writer: Write interesting articles that align with digital marketing best practices for clients.

Jobs and Skills Australia predicts consistent growth for the journalism sector, so jobs in this industry will not go anywhere anytime soon.

In May 2023, the Australian Government announced its commitment to five-year funding terms for our national broadcasters, with annual funding of $1.1 billion for ABC and $334.9 million for SBS. The two organisations will also receive an additional $72 million over four years to extend selected programs, including ABC Enhanced News Gathering, which supports journalists in regional news bureaus.

Enrolling online is simple. Here’s how it works:

1. Find your course

• Browse the options on this page.

• Use our comparison tool to explore the different choices.

• Need help? Book a free phone consultation with a student advisor for personalised guidance.

2. Start your enrolment

• When you’re ready, click ‘Start studying now’ on the course page.

• Follow the prompts to begin your enrolment.

• You’ll need to provide supporting documents, such as:

  • Proof of identity

  • Your tax file number

  • A Unique Student Identifier (USI)

3. Wait for confirmation

Your chosen university will email you to confirm if your enrolment has been successful.

Note: Some courses have enquiries and applications handled directly by the university. If this applies, it will be clearly stated on the course listing page.

For more details, check our online self-service enrolment guide. And if you need help at any stage, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.

There certainly are. Use the table below to determine which courses to explore next.