Quick facts
| Qualification type | Level 3 Diploma |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Study times | You will be expected to be in college for a minimum of 3 days per week, from 9:15 to 4:00. Your timetable will be confirmed at induction. |
| Entry requirements | 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above or an equivalent Level 2 qualification. You must have a minimum grade 5 in English. You will be asked to attend an interview where you should demonstrate that you are motivated, can manage your own time and within a team and have the flexibility to work on projects out of college hours. |
| Campus | West Suffolk College Sixth Form Campus, Bury St Edmunds |
| Work placements | Work experience opportunities |
Is it for me?
Are you a fearless character? Full of curiosity? Passionate about finding out the details behind a story? A diverse communicator? If you answered 'Yes' then this is the course for you.
This social media and journalism course will provide you with real-life projects which will allow you to explore your journalistic and presentation skills through a mixed blend of both social, written and multimedia platforms, including our online reporting magazine, WSCtv shows, Instagram and TikTok.
You will develop your reporting, research, interviewing, presenting, investigating, communication and writing skills and apply this to a range of projects such as investigative journalism, documentaries, feature article writing, breaking news reporting, outside broadcasting, vlogs and blogs, multimedia storytelling, reviewing and social media promotion.
The course is supported by a fundamental understanding of production techniques, such as photography, graphic design, camera and lighting operation, image capture, audio and film editing.
What you'll learn
This course is equivalent to three A Levels.
Throughout the course you will develop core skills in online journalism and multimedia production (graphics, camera, audio and software) and social media skills and management.
You will explore fundamental online journalistic skills to help develop your research capabilities, graphic design, presenting to camera, writing and interview techniques and apply this to different types of journalism such as news reporting, investigative, feature and opinion.
You will realise your work through active projects which will require you to develop skills in graphic design, motion graphics, editing in Premier Pro, Photoshop, InDesign, camera operation, audio recording and editing.
The course will include elements of writing, such as magazine features, storytelling, scriptwriting, and court room reporting. You will also be required to go out into the local community to cover stories, investigating local activities.
Equipment required for the course
- External Hard-drive - for example: LaCie Rugged 1TB USB 3.0
- SD card Class 10 minimum 32gb - for example: Sandisk Extreme Pro
- Monitor Headphones with 3.5mm jack connection for example: AKG K52 - 3.5mm
- Total of approximately £120
Work experience placements
You will be required to carry out 40 hours of work experience each year; therefore, you will be expected to work outside of timetabled college hours.
Assessment
There are no exams, instead you will produce an ongoing portfolio of work, demonstrating your skills in each area. Primarily, project work consists of research, practical work and evaluative skills.
Ongoing feedback and individual targets are provided at key milestones to support your continuous improvement.
All portfolio work is assessed and verified internally; however, the Final Major Project is moderated externally.
Final qualifications are awarded at either a Pass, Merit or Distinction level (with a Distinction equating to 3 x A* at A Level)
Example careers
- Social Media Manager
- Multi-media Digital Journalist
- TV Presenter
- Radio Presenter
- Reporter
- Commentator
- Digital Media Manager
- Freelance Broadcast Journalist
- Feature Writer
- Content Editor
- News Editor
- News Correspondent
- Blogger
- Vlogger
- Researcher
- Copywriter
Discover more
Days & times
Starting September 2025
Monday
Tuesday