MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling

Course Details

No matter whether in print, online or on TV, powerful images capture the world’s attention and have the ability to inform, illuminate and evoke powerful emotion. Visuals play an increasingly central role in driving the world’s news coverage. Meanwhile, online and social platforms have led to new ways to tell visual stories and engage today’s audiences, from ephemeral social stories to long-form digital interactives and online documentaries. Our intensive, practice-focused programme aims to develop visual and multimedia skills in high demand across a range of journalism, media and communication sectors.

The University of Bolton’s MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling is designed to appeal to a diverse range of people with interests in journalism, documentary, social advocacy and other forms of non-fiction storytelling. You’ll be trained in practical skills, via hands-on instruction, alongside the principles of professional visual journalism. You’ll work on assignments that mirror real industry briefs to develop reporting and storytelling skills to underpin your creative practice.

Core faculty continue to work professionally in the fields of visual journalism and communications, allowing us to offer global industry links and, where relevant, support you in making connections. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with professionals across the world through guest speakers and masterclasses.

You’ll critically engage with broader industry issues and debates such as diversity, ethics, audience issues and new technologies and consider them in the context of the contemporary field of visual storytelling and your own practice. We are committed to training the next generation of image-makers to be ethically aware, adaptable and forward-thinking. Taking advantage of emerging and future innovations, our aim for you is to thrive in a career creating stories that capture, inform and influence an audience.

This programme sits alongside our successful China-based multimedia and visual media programmes. Graduates of these programmes work as staff and freelancers at major news organisations as camera operators, documentary producers and filmmakers, photojournalists and multimedia reporters. Others work as communications directors or content creators in non-profit, governmental and commercial sectors. The work of our staff and alumni has been recognised with prestigious industry awards, including World Press Photo and the George Polk Award.