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Journalism with a Foundation Year

  • BA (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time including foundation year
  • September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Parkside Building
More about Birmingham City University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
Apply

Course summary

This course will prepare you for a career in journalism by providing you with the knowledge and cutting-edge skills required to be a professional journalist. You will become an agile, independent reporter working across multiple platforms with the ability to understand the democratic role of journalism in society, ensuring a diversity of stories are told. The course will enable you to become an adaptable journalist capable of working in innovative, engaging and entrepreneurial ways.

This course has been designed in close collaboration with leading industry experts and researchers in journalism. Through a range of complementary modules, you will learn a diverse set of journalistic skills for all news platforms and understand the wider issues that face the journalism industry. The course will prepare you for everything from live reporting to interviewing key figures, enabling you to ask the difficult questions required to cover the key contemporary issues that make up an ever-changing and increasingly diverse news agenda.

About foundation courses
This four-year programme has been specifically designed to allow students who do not initially meet the entry requirements for a three-year degree, to undertake additional level 3 study designed to ensure they are successful on their chosen degree programme.

After successful completion of your foundation year, you will have the flexibility to switch (should you wish to change direction) onto several related undergraduate Media degree programmes.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Parkside Building

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time including foundation year • 4 Years

Start dates

  • September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
P50F
Institution code:
B25
Campus name:
Parkside Building
Campus Code:
C
Points of Entry:
Foundation, 1

Birmingham City University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
P50F
Institution code:
B25
Campus name:
Parkside Building
Campus Code:
C

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation
  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
80 points

A level
CDD

80 UCAS tariff points from three A Levels.
Grades CDD (or equivalent). AS Level: Must be in a different subject to A Levels.
A maximum of four subjects will be considered

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Access to HE Diploma

Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3. Accepted subjects: Arts, Media and Publishing subjects preferred but other subjects also considered.

Scottish Higher

80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Scottish Advanced Higher

80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
24 points

Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

Minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects

GCSE/National 4/National 5

This course does not require evidence of GCSE qualifications. Please see A Level, BTEC and other level 3 requirements below.

T Level
Pass (C and above)

Pass overall (C or above on the core). All subjects accepted but Digital Production, Design and Development; Media, Broadcast and Production preferred.

Welsh Baccalaureate: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with three A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points.

NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points.

WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s).

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma: Pass overall.

Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design and Media): Pass overall.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6overall with no less than 5.5 in any level

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

*The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,790 for 2026/27 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.

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