The NCTJ level 5 Diploma in Journalism is an industry recognised qualification. Gaining the full Diploma qualification 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 49.5 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 40 weekly, 1.5 hour live sessions, starting with an induction on 26^th September 2023 and ending with a wrap-up session on 24^th July 2024. In between, there will be 33 trainer-led online workshops and five mock exam sessions. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter, and at the end of May. 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:

13^th November – Essential Journalism Ethics & Regulation
15^th April – Essential Journalism
17^th April – Essential Media Law
23^rd May – Journalism for a Digital Audience
12^th July – Public Affairs for Journalists

The e-Portfolio (showcasing your work across various formats) should be submitted by the end of July 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 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 complete the diploma qualification. These will be completed via self-study. While we will not run group workshops on these modules, each candidate will be entitled to book up to three hours of one-to-one tutor support per module. You should aim to complete your final modules by the end of 2025. 

As distance learners, you may 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 do a scan of your room 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 through self-study (eg Videojournalism) require specialist software (eg video editing software) and are invigilated via Zoom. 

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.

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.  

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.

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.