Economic Policy Journalism
Summary
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
|---|---|
| Subject group | Social Sciences and Cultural Studies |
| Standard program duration | 8 semesters |
| Admission requirements |
Restricted admission (NC) for program semester 1-8
Details |
| Start of studies |
Winter semester
|
| Language | German |
| Enrollment requirements | |
| Further information | Website of the Institute for Journalism |
Overview
The B.A. in Economic Policy Journalism is intended for all those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how the economy shapes political and social developments.
Students complete a comprehensive macroeconomics program at the Faculty of Economics of TU Dortmund University. In parallel, they work in the training newsroom at the Institute of Journalism. They additionally learn how to combine economic theory and journalistic practice in the framework of special modules: An exciting combination that forms an excellent basis for work in editorial offices, but also for further specialization in economics.
Like the other Bachelor’s degree programs at the Institute of Journalism, the B.A. in Economic Policy Journalism also includes an integrated one-year journalism traineeship.
Skills and knowledge
As a prerequisite for enrollment, applicants must provide evidence of at least six weeks of work shadowing in the editorial department of a daily news media or a high-quality, thematically appropriate monthly magazine. The goal of the internship is to become familiar with recurring basic journalistic routines and to develop a basic understanding of the public service mission of journalism. Regular freelance work may also be accepted under certain circumstances.
Field of activity
Among others, graduates can work in the editorial departments of national daily or weekly newspapers and business journals, with political news and business magazines or on the economics and politics desks of public broadcasting companies. As the program contains a similarly large proportion of macroeconomics courses as Bachelor’s degree programs in economics, it also opens up career opportunities in specialist areas of economic policy journalism or in other areas of macroeconomics where the communication of economic topics to laypersons plays an important role. This is because the ability to communicate macroeconomics topics in a way that is generally understandable and uses different media channels is very important in many of the traditional professional fields where economists are found. Such professional fields, beyond journalism itself, include above all public relations work for institutions with an economic policy focus, such as public authorities, national and regional governments, associations and organizations, chambers of industry and commerce, economic research institutes, banks, financial institutions and the insurance sector, etc.
Apart from the possibility to plunge directly into the world of work with the Bachelor’s degree certificate, students can also continue at the Institute of Journalism and complete one of the Master’s profiles in the Economic Policy Journalism program.