Recognition of Prior Learning Case Study – TU Dublin School of Media BA in Journalism
The BA in Journalism studies (RPL) was carried out in partnership with TU Dublin School of Media and enabled experienced journalists to upgrade their diploma in journalism into a B.A Journalism degree with credit given for prior learning
The one-year B.A Journalism RPL ( recognition of prior learning) programme was run over a four-year period. It was a unique programme which allowed professional journalists obtain a degree qualification in journalism on a part-time basis while still working in the industry. Participants had completed the original Diploma in Journalism which had run in DIT (now TU Dublin). It was subsequently replaced by a full-time four-year B.A degree in Journalism with no official industry input. The original diploma course had not only become the accepted route into the industry, but it had had close links with the unions and industry and was based very much on the British NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) system which exists in the UK to this day.
The Challenge
TU Dublin School of Media was first contacted by several graduates of the old DIT diploma programme who were now at a mid-to senior-level in journalism and who wanted to pursue a degree qualification.
While changes in journalism practise including the move to online media, merged newsrooms, data and video journalism, were being reflected in changed curricula across journalism faculties, experienced journalists had little opportunity to engage and reflect on their own practise or to take on the kind of intense research into media which a thesis might involve.
Master’s programmes in journalism are aimed at post-graduate entry into journalism by those with non-media degrees. There was no specific course which would allow people working in the industry to progress to degree level or post-graduate level. In terms of career progression, having a prior degree was now taken for granted, so enabling these journalism professionals to complete a B.A degree programme would also enable those who wanted to, to take on other career challenges or advance to Master’s or PH. D level.
The Solution
Developing a course which would satisfy the required academic standards and yet recognise the levels of skills being brought to the table was ideally suited to an RPL form of accreditation.
Recognition of Prior Learning was already embedded in the TU Dublin structure, so it was a matter of deciding how to implement this for this particular degree level course. Credit was given for both industry experience, at a minimum of ten years, and prior diploma qualifications.
Kate Shanahan, former TU Dublin, Head of Journalism and Communications
“Recognition of Prior Learning was already embedded in the TU Dublin structure, so it was a matter of deciding how to implement this for this particular degree level course,” Kate Shanahan the former Head of Journalism and Communications explains.
“The decision was taken to seek accreditation for a one-year intensive bespoke course at Level 8 which would allow successful applicants to study for a B.A degree in Journalism. Credit was given for both industry experience, at a minimum of ten years, and prior diploma qualifications. There was also a recognition of the fact that mid-career professionals were the target group, a cohort that is not really catered for elsewhere in terms of media courses at third level.”
Rafter and Dunne (2016) found that the majority of Irish journalists, i.e. 68 percent, were aged between 25 and 44, and 80 percent had a third level qualification. Reflecting on this research in an article for the Irish Times newspaper, Rafter concluded that there was “a hollowing out of mid-career journalists,” an issue he attributed to the “apparent absence of an attractive career path taking journalists through their working lives.”
The TU Dublin journalism programmes at undergraduate and post-graduate level are distinctive in that there is a 50/50 breakdown between theory and practise. The practise lecturers all have industry experience and also lecture in theory, so were ideally suited to look at the needs of industry professionals and marry that with the expertise available across the faculty.
The elements of the one-year course came together in a targeted series of lectures, tutorials and one to one supervision which included essays, a thesis, and a portfolio project in which participants looked at the body of their own work showing how it interlinked with journalism, media and society.
The supervised thesis allowed the participants to produce a substantial piece of research to the highest of academic standards.
The Impact
Over 50 journalists and broadcasting professionals completed the course during the four years in which it ran. They came from a diverse range of media which included, RTÉ, The Irish Times, Virgin Media; Independent Media; Western People; The Echo; Today FM; The Sunday Business Post; The Sunday World; The Examiner; The Daily Mail; The Sunday Times; The Sun; The Star; The Roscommon Herald.
Many of the participants went on to complete Masters programmes in subject areas as diverse as the Irish language, business, creative digital media, and creative writing. Some crossed over into academe or public relations/public affairs, while others moved into leadership roles in their original organisations.
Within TU Dublin itself the course strengthened its links with industry and gave an insight into the challenges the media industry was facing at ‘coalface’ level as well as producing outstanding original research. In some instances, that research was useful for future-proofing within newsrooms and broadcast outlets. There may be further opportunities to engage with industry on Level 9 Master’s programmes for mid-career professionals in the future.
Journalism as an industry does not really do professional development, so you rarely get the chance to reflect on your own practice or the practice of journalism in general. Journalism can also be quite ephemeral, so personally the greatest benefit of the programme was getting the chance to dig deep into subject areas across all of the assignments. As a columnist I was later able to draw on my thesis research for example on the lack of women’s voices on current affairs panels or op-ed pieces and that research is still as relevant today as it was back then.
Alison O’Connor, Sunday Times columnist and programme participant
Programme participant Alison O’Connor, a columnist with the Sunday Times, reflecting on the course says “Journalism as an industry does not really do professional development, so you rarely get the chance to reflect on your own practice or the practice of journalism in general. Journalism can also be quite ephemeral, so personally the greatest benefit of the programme was getting the chance to dig deep into subject areas across all of the assignments. As a columnist I was later able to draw on my thesis research for example on the lack of women’s voices on current affairs panels or op-ed pieces and that research is still as relevant today as it was back then.”
For further information: https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/faculties-and-schools/arts-humanities/media/
