Bachelor's Degree International Journalism

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Thomas More University of Applied Sciences

Program Overview

The International Journalism programme is a three-year, hands-on degree that transforms you into a confident media professional ready for today's dynamic news landscape. Whether you're passionate about climate reporting, migration stories, or innovative digital journalism, this program combines practical newsroom experience with mentorship from industry professionals to launch your international career.

Curriculum Structure

Year One: Building Your Foundation
Your first year establishes the core skills you'll need as a modern journalist. You'll spend approximately four days per week on campus, diving into interactive classes, workshops, and editorial days rather than sitting through traditional lectures. You'll explore foundational journalism concepts, learn the technical tools of the trade, and begin understanding the evolving media landscape through courses designed to give you a 21st-century perspective on storytelling.

Year Two: Developing Your Voice
By your second year, you're building on that foundation with more specialized coursework. You'll continue your four-day weekly campus engagement, now focusing on deeper editorial skills and emerging areas like climate and migration reporting. This phase prepares you for real-world assignments, allowing you to develop your unique voice as a journalist while receiving personal coaching from lecturers who guide your technical and editorial development.

Year Three: Real-World Application
Your final year is where theory meets professional reality. You'll complete an intensive 80-day internship in an international media environment—whether that's a newspaper newsroom, TV production company, radio station, or digital news platform in Belgium or abroad. Rather than writing a traditional thesis, you'll graduate with a hands-on final project such as a magazine, interactive website, podcast, or video documentary that becomes your professional portfolio for employers.

Focus Areas

You'll gain expertise in climate and migration reporting, new narratives from non-Western perspectives, AI-powered journalistic innovation, and 21st-century multimedia storytelling across digital, broadcast, and print platforms.

Learning Outcomes

The program develops you into a media professional equipped with technical journalism skills, editorial judgment, intercultural awareness, and the ability to thrive in English-speaking newsroom environments alongside peers from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Professional Alignment

The International Journalism programme achieves Level 6 professional orientation, the highest qualification standard, assessed through rigorous evaluation of your News Lab work, final project, and internship performance. This accreditation ensures your degree meets international professional standards for journalism careers.

Reputation & Employability

Your final project becomes your professional portfolio—a tangible demonstration of your capabilities to future employers in newsrooms, media companies, and digital platforms across Europe and beyond. Thomas More's three-year international degree is specifically designed as a launch pad to an international career in media.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, the Bachelor's Degree in International Journalism immerses you in hands-on learning right from the start, spending four days a week on campus in Mechelen at Campus De Ham for classes, workshops, editorial days, and personalized coaching to build real-world media skills. You'll work in an English-speaking newsroom environment with diverse students from around the world, producing stories on global topics like climate reporting, migration, or underrepresented voices while embracing innovation like AI tools in journalism. This practical focus culminates in an 80-day internship with international media organizations in Belgium or abroad—think newsrooms, TV production companies, radio stations, or digital platforms—preparing you for a global career.

Here's what makes our experiential learning stand out, all tailored to turn you into a confident journalist:
- 80-day international internship in your third year at media outlets like newspapers, TV/radio stations, or digital platforms, building your professional network and portfolio.
- English-speaking newsroom simulations on campus, collaborating with multicultural peers on real news stories and new narratives from non-Western perspectives.
- Hands-on final project instead of a thesis: create your own magazine, interactive website, podcast, or video documentary to showcase to employers.
- Workshops and editorial days with personal coaching from industry-experienced lecturers on technical skills for online journalism, documentary production, and podcasting.
- Diverse, active learning environment emphasizing "learning by doing," including group projects in international settings to amplify underrepresented voices.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The International Journalism program at Thomas More stands out because it's built on a philosophy that separates it from traditional university experiences: you don't spend your time sitting in lecture halls waiting to graduate. Instead, you're learning by doing from day one, developing the technical, editorial, and storytelling skills that today's newsrooms actually demand.

On average, you'll spend four days a week on campus actively engaged in classes, workshops, editorial days, and intensive coaching sessions. This isn't passive learning—you're working alongside experienced lecturers who bring real-world expertise into the classroom and help you develop the precise skills needed for careers in online journalism, documentary production, or podcasting. The program emphasizes hands-on, real-life assignments that mirror professional workflows, ensuring you're not just learning theory but building a portfolio that employers recognize.

Here's what makes this program genuinely different:

- 80-day internship in year three in an international media environment—whether that's a newspaper newsroom, TV production company, radio station, or digital news platform, either in Belgium or abroad
- English-speaking newsroom environment where you work alongside students from different cultures and backgrounds, preparing you for genuinely global media careers
- Final project as your portfolio: Instead of writing an academic thesis, you graduate with a tangible professional project—a magazine, interactive website, podcast, or video documentary—that becomes your calling card to future employers
- Personal coaching from lecturers who adapt the program to your individual learning pace and help you master both technical production and editorial judgment
- 21st-century journalism focus with course content on climate reporting, migration journalism, and new narratives from non-western perspectives
- AI integration encouraged in your journalistic work, so you're learning the tools shaping tomorrow's newsrooms today
- Dedicated study path coach and inclusion coordinator available to support you throughout your three-year journey

You complete the 180-credit, three-year program with a structured progression across three phases, graduating with genuine professional experience rather than just credentials.