Diploma in Journalism

The NCTJ level 5 Diploma in Journalism is an industry recognised qualification. Gaining the full Diploma qualification (especially at ‘gold standard’ – ie A-C in all subjects) will stand you in excellent stead when it comes to seeking employment within the news journalism sector. 

We have worked closely with the NCTJ to devise a course which will enable students with a wide range of abilities to participate and gain a valuable qualification.

The course will combine self-study on the NCTJ’s e-learning platform and webinar-based tutorials (totalling 51 hours) led by NCTJ-approved trainers. Please note that self-study is essential to the successful completion of the course; you are very unlikely to pass by only attending the webinar tutorials. 

There is no upper or lower limit to how much self-study you are expected to undertake: each individual is different. However, as a guide, the NCTJ recommends you could spend up to 820 hours in total learning to complete the qualification (including all teaching, self-study, revision and exam time). You should expect to spend up to 15 hours per week on self-study, as well as attending the online sessions. Each candidate is also entitled to an additional hour of one-to-one tutor support per diploma module.

The taught course will be split into three terms, with a total of 36 weekly, 1.5 hour live sessions, starting on TBC and ending with a wrap-up session on TBC. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. All webinars will be filmed and made available online for anyone that misses a session. 

During this period, you will study the following modules of the Diploma in Journalism (the first four are mandatory, and the remaining two have been selected for study on this course):

Essential Journalism
Essential Journalism Ethics & Regulation
Essential Media Law
e-Portfolio
Public Affairs for Journalists
Journalism for a Digital Audience

The course will be focussed towards exams in those modules, which will take place on the following dates (in the afternoons):

13^th November – Essential Journalism Ethics & Regulation (30 minutes)
20^th January – Essential Journalism (2 hours)
12^th March – Essential Media Law (2.5 hours)
13^th June – Public Affairs for Journalists (1.75 hours)
18^th June – Journalism for a Digital Audience (1.5 hours)

The e-Portfolio (showcasing your work across various formats) should be submitted by the end of 2025 if possible. 

Should a candidate not be able to sit exams on the above dates, there are subsequent opportunities, but please note that NCTJ exam sittings take place only three times a year (or twice a year for some modules).

Once you have successfully completed exams in the above modules, you will be entitled to select your remaining elective modules (three single modules, or one single and one double module) in order to gain the 35 further credits required to complete the diploma qualification. These will be undertaken via self-study only. While we will not run group workshops on these modules, each candidate will be entitled to book up to an hour of one-to-one tutor support per module. You should aim to complete your final modules by the spring of 2026, but this is not a hard deadline. The Academy will aim to support students up to 2 years from the course start date to accommodate individual requirements.  

As distance learners, you will probably sit your exams remotely, using the NCTJ’s online exams system, Cirrus. In most situations this will be possible, but please be aware of the following – 

• You must have access to a secure, private room in which to take your exams. 
• You must have a secure, stable internet connection in the location you plan to sit; and your exam computer must have at least 2GB of free RAM and a working webcam and microphone.
• The NCTJ uses remote invigilation technology (Proctorio), which requires you to complete a full 360 degree room scan and full desk scan with your webcam prior to the exam starting.
• You must not leave your desk for any reason during exams unless you have an agreed reasonable adjustment, approved by the NCTJ, for 50% or 100% extra time, rest breaks and/or medical bathroom breaks.
• Reasonable adjustments must be agreed well ahead of exams (preferably at the outset of your course); if late requests for adjustments are made, we may not be able to process them in time for you to sit your exams. The NCTJ does not offer alternative forms of assessment beyond the exams sat by all candidates.

Some of the elective modules that you can choose from to complete the qualification through self-study (eg Videojournalism) require specialist software (eg video editing software) and are invigilated via Zoom. Please note the software is not provided by the NCTJ.

In the event that you cannot meet the requirements for sitting remote exams, or a remote sitting is not suitable for unforeseen reasons, you will have to sit your exams in person at an approved NCTJ centre. You will need to make your own travel arrangements, bearing in mind that you may need to attend a centre in London, or the NCTJ’s offices in Essex. This will also apply if you require the use of voice-recognition or other software (eg Dragon), which is not compatible with our exams platform (Cirrus) or invigilation technology (Proctorio).

Partnering with the NCTJ has given the Academy the ability to provide direct mentoring and teaching support and to tailor the course for the needs of learners with a range of disabilities. These additional resources are not normally available through the NCTJ’s distance learning courses.

We work closely with the NCTJ to ensure any reasonable adjustments are put in place to allow our students full and equal access to the exams. If you would like to discuss possible adjustments ahead of your application, please contact us.  

To complete the Diploma in Journalism you must achieve A-E grades in all modules taken (achieving a minimum 82 credits) and a minimum 60wpm shorthand if that option is taken.  To gain the industry ‘gold standard’ in the diploma you must achieve A-C grades in all modules taken (achieving a minimum 82 credits) and 100wpm shorthand if taken.  

Ability Today’s online news platform is the perfect place for our student’s new content to be created and published. Our Academy will provide students with the unique ability to develop and hone their journalistic skills and deliver their content directly to our targeted audience.