To NCTJ or to MA, that is the question.

A question that many graduates looking for a career in journalism ask themselves. There are an abundance of MA courses and NCTJ options out there, but how do you know which is the right one for you?

Cost

Cost is likely to be one of the biggest factors for many aspiring journalists. Generally speaking, an NCTJ Diploma is cheaper than an MA no matter how you take it, but remember, funding options are available for both.

NCTJ – The cheapest way to get an NCTJ is through distance learning which, depending on your module choices, will usually cost between £1000 and £1500 including exams. The NCTJ is also offered by a handful of local centres, ie, colleges, which comes with a slightly higher cost, seemingly ranging from £2000-£4000. However, it’s worth remembering that there are few local centres which offer this NCTJ route. The most expensive NCTJ option is a specialist centre such as News Associates, which can cost £4000-£6000 depending on which course you take, whether you’re part-time or full-time and if you’re able to pay in advance and receive an ‘early payment discount’. It’s worth noting that the top end of this price range is not dissimilar to the cheapest way to get an NCTJ accredited MA.

MA – The cost of an NCTJ accredited MA in journalism varies quite dramatically, ranging from £6,500 – £11,000. Having compared different courses, there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason for the huge variety in cost as there is no correlation between cost and factors you might expect to be influential such as, Russell Group vs ex-poly, north vs south etc. I can only assume the differences come down to the university’s reputation and investment in facilities, for example, City University, Cardiff University and the University of Sheffield all score highly in league tables, are well regarded within the industry and charge over £10,000 for their MA courses.

Employability

There’s no clear answer on which qualification makes you more employable, however, the NCTJ is the minimum required so it’s important that any MA course you consider is NCTJ accredited. Aside from that it really depends on you.

NCTJ – This is arguably the more efficient way to get the industry-standard qualification and get your career started. Having an NCTJ accredited qualification is by far the most important thing that employers look for, with the way you acquired it being very much secondary. Of course, some universities and specialist centres will come with a reputation which could look better on your CV than your local centre or distance learning. However, some people argue that distance learning shows dedication, determination and self-motivation so ultimately, as long as you have an NCTJ accredited qualification, how you get it shouldn’t affect your employability.

MA – There’s a wide range of MAs available which would allow you to specialise in different areas of journalism such as Broadcast, Investigative, Sports, Financial journalism and many more. A journalism masters is also likely to come with more opportunities for networking and easier access to work experience, both from the course through your university’s connections in the industry, and from opportunities to gain experience through student newspapers, magazines, radio etc. MAs also tend to provide a broader range of knowledge to allow people to then explore associated careers such as PR, marketing and communications amongst others.

Timescale

NCTJ – Full-time courses at centres are usually completed in around 28 weeks, with part-time taking around 40 weeks, and the NCTJ recommending the Diploma be studied by distance learning in no more than two years.

MA – MAs take either one or two years depending on if they’re studied part-time or full-time. There’s also a handful of institutions that offer more flexible options such as remote learning or evening classes.

So, to NCTJ or to MA? There is no right answer. Ultimately it comes down to you, where you see your career going and what else you have going on in your life. Which is more financially viable? Do you want to study full-time? Hold down a job alongside? Move cities? These are all questions you need to ask yourself. The NCTJ is likely to be the most cost-effective way for most people to get the minimum, standard qualification which should begin to open up opportunities within the industry, however, money isn’t everything. It really is down to you and what you want for your future.

Louisa Merrick-White

Twitter: @louisa_mw

Featured image courtesy of Nick Morrison on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.