Master in International Journalism Studies

About

Hong Kong Baptist University has taught International Journalism for more than a decade as a branch of its Journalism degree, which started in 1968 as the founding programme of what is now the School of Communication. The MA in International Journalism Studies Programme was founded in 2007 and aims to provide professional postgraduate studies in international journalism with a particular emphasis on Hong Kong, Mainland China and East/Southeast Asia. The programme has two concentrations: International Journalism and Business and Financial Journalism.

The Business and Financial Journalism concentration aims to accommodate students with or without previous experience working in or studying business and economics. Students not only learn how companies and markets function, but are also taught the skills of writing and reporting business and financial news for daily newspapers, business journals and financial websites.

The International Journalism concentration aims to cultivate journalism professionals with an in-depth understanding of international politics, economy and culture and equip them with the necessary skills to operate in English in covering international news.

Curriculum Design

• Business and Financial Journalism concentration
• International Journalism concentration

All students are required to complete a total of 27 units for the award of an MA degree. Each unit-bearing Course counts as 3 units. A 3-unit Course involves 45 hours of teaching. The 27 units consist of 15 units of unit-bearing Core Courses and 12 Elective units.

Course Structure

Core Courses

For International Journalism

For Business and Financial Journalism

Elective Courses

* International Journalism concentration students are required to take either “JOUR7010 International Relations Theory and Practice” or “JOUR7020 Comparative & International News” as their core course. The course not chosen as A Core course can be taken as AN Elective.
# Students can only choose from one of these 3 skills courses

Elective Courses

(Students can at most take ONE elective from courses below)

Offered By Other Programmes

Admission Requirements

The Master of Arts in International Journalism Studies (MAIJS) is a one-year full time or two-year part-time course.

Overall the MAIJS programme seeks the most promising students in terms of professional and academic distinction. We read all applications and take all factors into account. There is no cut-off point for grade point averages. No one item, such as the English scores, grade point averages, or letter of recommendation, is conclusive. The potential for academic and professional excellence can be demonstrated in many ways.

We adopt the rolling admission policy and open a window for application from 16 November to 30 June (First Round 16 November – 15 January; Second Round 16 January – 30 June). It may be to your advantage to apply as early as possible, as the window may close earlier when all spots are filled. Short-listed applicants may be notified of an interview.

You should apply online and upload all the application materials to the system. The application fee is non-refundable and will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission.

Applicants should

Hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university or institution; AND Be able to communicate in English at an advanced level, possessing one or more of the following qualifications if they did not study in an English-speaking institution:

• A minimum score of 79 in TOEFL
• A minimum score of 6.5 in IELTS

Online Application

Required documents:

• one copy of all official transcripts and degree certificates;
• one copy of official test scores;
• two confidential recommendation forms or reference letters from people familiar with the applicant’s academic performance and/or professional work (referees must be able to speak of the applicant’s ability to undertake academic work at an advanced level); and
• a 500-word personal statement in English outlining their academic interests and objectives;
• a sample piece of writing in English, either journalistic or academic;
• Personal particulars: a copy of a passport OR an identity document issued by the applicant's home country.

Short-listed applicants may be interviewed by a faculty panel.

Tuition Fee

HK$145,000 (per year for a one-year full-time student)

HK$60,000 (per year for a two-year part-time student) (local Hong Kong students only)

Scholarships

Merit-based scholarships will be awarded in the second semester to students with outstanding academic performance in the first semester. Awarded students receive between HK$10,000 and $20,000.

Enquiries

Telephone: (852) 3411 7489 | Fax: (852) 3411 8124
Email: maijs@hkbu.edu.hk