Journalism Major - Bachelor of Communication Studies
Study journalism in AUT’s state-of-the-art newsroom and production facilities, get practical reporting experience in major news organisations and make industry connections.
Kickstart your journalism career in an exciting and fast-changing media landscape that remains essential to an informed society. Study at a journalism department known nationally and internationally for its research, programmes and the industry experience of its lecturing team.
Technological change has transformed the world of journalism. But behind the digital wizardry of today, the principles at the heart of all good reporting – accuracy, fairness and ethical truth-telling – are as fundamental and important as they ever were. Professional journalism skills, including high-quality writing, the ability to verify information and a talent for interviewing, are needed to cut through the noise. And that’s why AUT graduates are in strong demand.
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This is part of the Bachelor of Communication Studies.
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At AUT, you’ll gain experience in news reporting across multiple platforms and the sub-genres of journalism, including daily news work and investigative feature writing.
Learn on the job in our celebrated Te Waha Nui newsroom, doing live reporting and publishing your stories. You’ll develop your reporting talents further during an internship at leading news organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Editors know our students produce publishable work and strongly support our programme. During your studies, you'll also have opportunities for paid shifts at a variety of newsrooms.
Year 1
This year you take eight core courses that give you an overview of the media world and communication theories.
Semester 1 courses
- COMM505 Text, Image and Sound (15 points)
- COMM513 Media Technology and Society (15 points)
- COMM516 Media Production Foundations (15 points)
- DIGD507 Mahitahi | Collaborative Practices (15 points)
Semester 2 courses
- COMM512 Communication Ethics (15 points)
- COMM514 Intercultural Communication (15 points)
- COMM515 Media, Politics and Citizenship (15 points)
- COMM517 Media Production Studio (15 points)
Year 2
This year you take three courses related to journalism, helping you develop the knowledge for a career in journalism or a number of other pathways that use these transferable skills. You gain experience in news reporting, longform journalism, cross-platform storytelling, bicultural and cross-cultural journalism, as well as media law and ethics.
Semester 1 courses
- JOUR602 News Production (15 points)
- JOUR603 The Laws and Ethics of Newswork (15 points)
- Plus two courses from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses
Semester 2 courses
- JOUR604 Newslab Live (30 points)
- Plus two courses from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses
Year 3
You’ll be regularly taking part in live reporting assignments and pitching stories to editors in the industry as well as to our own student-edited news site Te Waha Nui
Semester 1 courses
- JOUR717 Newsdays (30 points)
- Plus two courses from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses
Semester 2 courses
- JOUR718 Creative Non-fiction Narratives (30 points)
- Plus two courses from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses
Year 1
This year you take the first of your core courses to give you an overview of the media world and communication theories, and start to take the first journalism courses.
Semester 1 courses (starting in July)
- COMM512 Communication Ethics (15 points)
- COMM515 Media, Politics and Citizenship (15 points)
- COMM516 Media Production Foundations (15 points)
- DIGD507 Mahitahi | Collaborative Practices (15 points)
Semester 2 courses (starting in February)
- COMM505 Text, Image and Sound (15 points)
- JOUR602 News Production (15 points)
- JOUR603 The Laws and Ethics of Newswork (15 points)
- Plus a course from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses*
Year 2
You continue to take courses related to communications and the media, and further develop the knowledge for a career in journalism or a number of other pathways that use these transferable skills.
Semester 1 courses (starting in July)
- COMM517 Media Production Studio (15 points)
- JOUR604 Newslab Live (30 points)
- Plus a course from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses*
Semester 2 courses (starting in February)
- COMM513 Media Technology and Society (15 points)
- JOUR717 Newsdays (30 points)
- Plus a course from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses*
Year 3
You’ll be regularly taking part in live reporting assignments and pitching stories to editors in the industry as well as to our own student-edited news site Te Waha Nui
Semester 1 courses (starting in July)
- COMM514 Intercultural Communication (15 points)
- JOUR718 Creative Non-fiction Narratives (30 points)
- Plus a course from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses*
Semester 2 courses (starting in February)
- Four courses from your second major, minor(s) or elective courses*
*Because of timetabling and the prerequisites required for higher-level courses, you may not be able to take a second major if you start in July and want to complete your degree in three years. If you do a second major, you may need to do an additional semester.
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for a course timetable or more info on a specific course use our course search.
Build your degree
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Majoring in journalism will prepare you for a wide range of roles, including:
- News reporter for newspapers, magazines, television, radio or online media
- Freelance journalist/specialist writer
- Production journalist, web editor or producer
- Researcher/communication specialist
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Other majors in the Bachelor of Communication Studies
- AUT-educated journalists now play leading roles in news outlets around the world
- Practical newsroom experience as you publish text, audio and video to our award-winning news site
- Workplace experience in local or national news outlets
- Experience running a news team
- Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
- An inquisitive truth seeker
- A hunter and gatherer of news
- Investigative and curious
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.