It is not necessary to have an academic background to work in journalism, though employers generally prefer people who have a diploma or bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications. A National Senior Certificate that meets the requirements for a diploma or degree course is a prerequisite for these courses.
It is also important to have practical experience from an internship or from working with print or broadcasting in an organization. Some employers offer on-the-job training learnerships, which combines theory and practical training.
Where can i Study Journalism
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Diploma: (Diploma) Journalism
Admission requirements
Undergraduates
For all Certificate, Diploma and National Diploma applications, consult the General admission requirements.
General admission requirements
Some courses require students to submit additional information as part of their application.
Additional admission requirements
Postgraduates
For all Honours, Masters and Doctorate applications, consult the Postgraduate admission requirements.
Postgraduate admission requirements
Wits University
BA(Hons) Journalism
Entry Requirements
Honours:
- A bachelors degree or equivalent with 65% course mark aggregate in a third year major
- At least an upper second class pass in the final undergraduate course in the subject.
Additional Entry Requirements
You need to be a graduate in any field with an average of at least 65% in your final year. We welcome applications from applicants whose first degrees fall in a range of areas, including the humanities, economics, arts, science and law.
Please see our website for additional requirements.
Mid-career programme
Students wishing to enrol in the mid-career programme need to meet one of the following requirements. They need to have either:
- An undergraduate degree in journalism and at least one year’s experience; OR
- An undergraduate degree in any other field and at least three years’ experience; OR
- If they do not have an undergraduate degree, they need to demonstrate significant journalistic experience through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, which includes a test, and evidence of journalism experience through a portfolio, cv, or references.
Check our website, at http://www.journalism.co.za/want-to-study-2/mid-career-honours/, for further details.
Stellenbosch University
BAHons Journalism
Applicants with an undergraduate degree (on SAQA Level 7) from any discipline can apply to this programme.
MA Journalism
Students are only required to visit Stellenbosch for specific periods during the programme for seminars.
PhD Journalism
Admission to the PhD programme in Journalism requires the candidate to be in possession of a recognised Master’s degree in Journalism or Communication or an appropriate qualification acceptable and within the guidelines of the University. Admissions to doctoral studies will be considered on the grounds of a research proposal.
What subjects are needed to become a journalist in South Africa?
To get on a relevant degree you’ll need five GCSEs A-C, including maths, English and science and three A levels. There are no specific subjects required but relevant ones include: English literature, English language, media, psychology, sociology, communication studies and law.
What requirements are needed to be a journalist?
A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related field is often a requirement to work as a journalist. Some hiring managers may prefer a degree in journalism, whereas others will hire individuals with a similar degree like English, political science or creative writing.