University of Sheffield School of Information, Journalism and Communication

Degrees offered

The School offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in journalism and information studies, including a BA Journalism Studies accredited by both the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), and a Journalism MA.

Programs and emphasis

The BA Journalism Studies curriculum covers news production, media law, ethics, and political communication, with practical exercises such as patch reporting in Sheffield, courtroom coverage, and multimedia content creation in dedicated newsroom facilities. The school is one of the few Russell Group universities offering NCTJ-accredited journalism degrees, and its Centre for Freedom of the Media provides training and resources on issues including Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

History

The school's information science lineage dates to 1963, when it was founded as the Postgraduate School of Librarianship, the second university-based library school in the UK. It became the first UK iSchool in 2010. The Department of Journalism Studies was launched separately in 1994. The two merged in 2025 to form the School of Information, Journalism and Communication.

Key faculty and leadership

Paul Clough: Professor and Head of the Information Retrieval Research Group.

Location and contact info

Website
https://sheffield.ac.uk/ijc