According to the education league table, UK has the second best education system among European countries and it is sixth in a global table. In fact, many Europeans come here to study at the higher level because they see the importance of the education itself and they are aware of the fact that United Kingdom has very good system, especially at the universities. However, it is very hard to say which system is the best but many students are seeing the importance in the practical knowledge of their courses.
However, to come here from overseas and study courses requiring at least intermediate level of English language is not easy but studying abroad has become cliché over the past years. We are able to see more students from Europe studying journalism than ever before and universities are taking care of their overseas students and they are giving them a great experience full of practical meanings of the course itself. City University London has a Master´s degree in International Journalism where not-British students are advised to apply if they want to study at the university level.
Journalism is highly entertaining field and many students are studying it because they see a potential to grow their general knowledge and personal development. But that seems to be true only in United Kingdom where practice is more important than the theory and therefore they can train their minds with the general knowledge and current affairs, rather than with the history of journalism itself.
Doc. PhDr. Svetlana Hlavcakova, PhD is a programme leader of journalism at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia and she explained that they are trying to combine theory with the practice. However, they still have many modules that are requiring theory only and for example the students, “should know the history of journalism,” because they have to know, “how the individual media have been created and what personalities have been working there,” she says. In the modules such as History of Journalism or Theory of Copy Editing which are taught at the first level of Bachelor´s degree, there is the high emphasis on the theory and no practice at all.
As a student of journalism at Middlesex University in London I have to say that this is not a case in London. The university and the journalism course, is focusing on practical sides and they are not requiring any knowledge of history of journalism itself. They place a great emphasis on the general knowledge, current affairs and they are requiring from students to know what is happening around the world right now. They expect that the journalism students will understand the important cases and media events from the past but they are not testing this in any meaning.
When engaged in personal development, practice seems to be more important but the main discussion arises whether this is the case for every student in UK. Is the practice more important than the theory in such a practical course like journalism is? Both students back in Europe and in London think that practical knowledge is very important because students are able to critically think, to experience the nature of journalism and they are able to learn far more than just by reading books full of history and theory.
Laura Kovacsova is originally from Slovakia and while studying media studies and journalism at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, she had, ”lots of theoretical modules,” as well, and even though she personally realises she has to know something about the theory,“ practice is definitely more important,” for her, same like for many other students, both in Europe and UK.
London Metropolitan University journalism student Lucie Vincencova came from Czech Republic and she confirmed that UK is emphasising on practice. At her university they have lots of, “practice and minimal theory” and they do not have any textbooks which are so common for European universities. Teachers at her university do not require from their students to know how to write an article but they ask them to write one.”I personally like the practice more because I am gaining regular experience and confidence. Journalism is practical subject and the practice is more important than theory, I believe.”
Even though it depends on the student’s preferences and the lecturer’s views, journalism is very practical subject. The students are required to write articles and to be able to demonstrate their arguments and opinions. Even though professor Hlavackova´s preferences are balanced, she thinks that “if the students will not try practice, it will be harder for them at the start of their careers,” and that is the main reason why practical knowledge seems to have a huge importance in journalism itself. However, we can let everyone decide what is more important for them.
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