Master of Journalism

University of Melbourne

Australia, Melbourne

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University of Melbourne

Australia , Melbourne

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

075464C

Application Fee

AUD 154

Campuses

Parkville

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesJuly-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

AUD 44,992 / year

Next Intake July-2026

Master of Journalism

About

Overview

Join us for an in-person expo at our Parkville Campus on Wednesday 2 April to learn more about our Masters and Honours programs. Chat with course coordinators and admissions staff, explore study options, and get insights on how to apply.
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Tell the stories that change the world

In the Master of Journalism degree you’ll build the knowledge and skills you need to gather, analyse and present different kinds of news – whether you’re looking to build a new career in journalism or hone your skills in a changing media landscape.

The Master of Journalism is designed by leading academics and news media practitioners, and our degree teaches the skills required in contemporary journalism.

In core subjects, you’ll have the chance to develop cross-platform capabilities in audio, video and photo journalism – and delve into the history, principles and techniques of professional journalism in Australia and around the world.

Broaden your knowledge with elective subjects across key fields affecting modern journalism such as media law, management theory, globalisation, health policy, and climate change. Or choose options that dig deeper into key specialisations within the industry, such as podcasting, data journalism, or writing and editing for magazines.

To finish your degree you’ll complete a capstone project, with opportunities to extend your studies into the areas that matter to you, including:

Building real-world experience by completing a placement and professional project under industry-standard supervision
Integrating your knowledge and research skills by planning and executing a research-based project
Focussing on your craft by completing a substantial professional project – such as a portfolio of articles, a podcast or a multimedia presentation – under industry-standard supervision.

The Master of Journalism offers a bridge between study and your career in the contemporary media industry. You’ll engage with key industry figures such as renowned Australian journalists, senior editors, former broadcasters and experts on media ethics.

Who is the Master of Journalism for?

Whether you’re new to journalism or an established media practitioner looking to update your skills, this program offers tailored options based on your existing proficiencies and experience in the industry.

Enter from any undergraduate study and complete the full program, or take your existing knowledge from a relevant undergraduate degree or professional experience and apply for advanced standing to complete your degree sooner.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Admission criteria

Meeting the published entry requirements for this course does not guarantee selection.

Where our admission criteria includes a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and/or specific subject criteria, these are based on University of Melbourne grades and subjects. If you've studied elsewhere, we'll assess your relevant prior studies and equivalent grades. Your final WAM may be adjusted depending on your previous institution's accreditation, subject grading, and pass marks.

You can use our graduate coursework grade conversion eligibility calculator to get an indication of whether you are eligible for this course based on your previous studies and Weighted Average Mark (WAM).

Calculate your eligibility

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

English language test score requirements
If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

IELTS

7.0

with written 7.0 and no band less than 6.0
TOEFL

94+

with writing 27; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13
PEARSON

72+

with written communicative skill of 75 and no other communicative skill below 60
CAMBRIDGE

185+

with no less than 185 in writing and no less than 169 in each other skill
*Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.

About selection

When assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider your previous studies and academic performance.

The Selection Committee may request additional information to clarify any aspect of an application, according to the University’s Academic Board rules regarding selection instruments.

Meeting the published entry requirements for this course does not guarantee selection.

English Program Requirements

English language test score requirements

If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

IELTS

7.0

with written 7.0 and no band less than 6.0

TOEFL

94+

with writing 27; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13

PEARSON

72+

with written communicative skill of 75 and no other communicative skill below 60

CAMBRIDGE

185+

with no less than 185 in writing and no less than 169 in each other skill

*Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.

Career

Journalism career outcomes

As a Master of Journalism, expect to advance your career in areas including:

Graduate with a deep understanding of best practice in traditional and emerging media, and be prepared for careers across journalism, communications, public relations, and the media.

Our graduates are ready to advance their careers in areas such as:

Broadcast, print and digital journalism
Corporate communications
Media advocacy
Mobile and social media
Public relations.

Graduates work for national and global media organisations, including:

The Age
The Guardian
The Australian
ABC Radio National
Canberra Times
Channel Nine
Xinhua
The Monthly
Double Helix magazine, produced by CSIRO.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

Produce high-quality journalism across a wide variety of traditional and new platforms using skills in journalistic research, investigation and communication
Reflect on professional issues and develop innovative forms of practice
Link theory and practice through a reflective, critical and ethical understanding of challenges in the industry
Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to shape the profession at a time of great change.

Explore the full expected learning outcomes and attributes in the Handbook entry for this course.

Graduate profile: Dilpreet Kaur Taggar

Dilpreet Kaur Taggar was working at a news channel in India but felt compelled to learn more about the ethics behind her craft and tell the stories that matter.

It motivated her to pursue a Master of Journalism at the University of Melbourne. As a student, Dilpreet interned with ABC News, The Conversation and Al Jazeera, and has since founded independent media organisation South Asian Today.

“The journalism program is peerless. There are some incredible journalists and reporters from such diverse backgrounds that it is impossible to not hone new skills,” Dilpreet says. “I launched South Asian Today solely because I learnt how to produce and edit podcasts, videos, photos and interviews during my degree.”

South Asian Today is Australia’s first media organisation for South Asian women and non-binary peoples. Its goal is to tell the stories that aren’t told often enough in Australian media.

“Arriving in Australia and finding lots of South Asians but no media which catered specifically for them was not only bizarre, it was unsettling,” she says. “As a migrant and a woman of colour in journalism, it is important I decolonise the current media structure and fill in the gaps I see and consider myself capable of closing.”

Graduate profile: Jordyn Beazley

Before commencing a Master of Journalism at the University of Melbourne, Jordyn Beazley had a career in the foreign aid sector. Nervous about the career change from one tough industry and into another, the media manager at the foreign aid organisation where she worked gave her some advice: “You can get a job as a journalist. You just have to be the best.”

Jordyn says, “I remember laughing at that advice and sarcastically saying ‘thanks, so simple’. But I guess it did give me the push I needed to know it’s going to be hard work."

She says it’s all about taking extra steps to get assignments published, and developing your portfolio.

“[The year working at The Citizen] was a really good step to figure out what I was interested in, because I had a lot of freedom to choose what I wanted to write about and get a taste for different things,” she said.

Now as a cadet at Guardian Australia, Jordyn has had the opportunity to rotate around various desks including General News, Environment, Rural & Regional, Features Writing, Foreign Affairs and, at the time we spoke, the podcasting desk.

“I really enjoyed the foreign desk and I also really enjoyed rural and regional. I grew up in a rural area and so I enjoyed having the opportunity to do some writing that I felt was representative of the community I grew up in.”