MA Journalism and International Affairs

The CNN Academy UCD Clinton Institute MA in Journalism and International Affairs is a one-year programme that combines practical training in audio, video, digital, and social storytelling with academic expertise in international affairs.

In today’s media ecosystem, journalists need to be able to produce engaging content for a savvy digital-first audience while understanding the structures and dynamics that shape global issues and relations.

This is the first English-language Masters programme CNN has co-designed in collaboration with a university partner, combining journalistic and academic excellence in an innovative curriculum that is challenging and employment-orientated.

The programme will equip new generations of journalists to report on critical global issues of the day, from climate change, to human rights to terrorism. It will appeal to and reward those with a passion to not only understand the world but explain it in ways that are informative and transformative.

The MA will combine theoretical discussion with experiential learning to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of international news media and the skills to undertake leading roles in that environment.

The syllabus is co-created and delivered by CNN Academy and UCD Clinton Institute, connecting the classroom to the newsroom, affording direct collaboration with the news industry and access to best practices in cross-platform journalism and news production.

Throughout the programme, students will learn about approaches to storytelling, international standards and ethics in journalism, and verification techniques. Each week, students will tackle key subject areas through modules at the Clinton Institute that draw on the CNN Academy Hub e-learning platform. CNN journalists, editors and producers will participate via live interactive seminars and also provide hands-on audio, video and digital production training at UCD Clinton Institute to equip the students with the tools they need to tangibly apply the media lessons they are learning.

Students will produce a podcast episode at the end of the first trimester and a video story at the end of the second trimester. Moreover, students will have the option of submitting their MA thesis in the format of multiplatform journalism with guidance from CNN journalists.

Students will also work through recent case studies from CNN reports that illustrate the ideas that have been discussed in seminars, and will have access to CNN’s Newsource platform where they will find the latest reports from across the CNN network.