Diploma in Journalism
Southern University College · Johor Bahru, Malaysia
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Diploma in Journalism programme prepares students for a career in media-related industries, with equal emphasis on theories and practice. Students are exposed to current journalistic and media developments and are trained to be sensitive and critical to domestic and overseas current affairs.
The programme includes core courses such as Introduction to Mass Communication, Journalistic English, Media Laws in Malaysia, Webpage Publishing, News Writing, Features Writing, Photojournalism, Professional Ethics & Media Monitoring, and Media Management. It also includes Industrial Training.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Learn key principles and debates in journalism to build your reporting foundation
- Develop practical skills through structured writing and newsroom-style learning activities
- Build understanding of professional ethics and media monitoring as part of journalistic practice
- Practice producing news content in the context of real-time, developing stories
- Apply journalism theory to newsroom tasks that reflect ongoing story developments
- Strengthen professional ethics decision-making in media work
- Improve your ability to write, edit, and present news content for publication
- Continue skill-building through journalism-focused assignments and learning activities
- Consolidate your practical journalism competencies for entry-level professional work
- Further strengthen journalistic practice with an emphasis on professional ethics
- Develop work-ready outputs through programme learning activities aligned with journalism practice
- Prepare to demonstrate your competence as a journalism practitioner
Curriculum
Diploma in Journalism at Southern University College (Total Credits: 90 credits).
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | credit hours | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory core modules | Introduction to Mass Communication | 5 | 30 |
| Introduction to Journalism | 5 | |||
| Journalistic English | 5 | |||
| Desktop Publishing | 5 | |||
| Communication Theories | 5 | |||
| Economics | 5 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory core modules | Media, Culture and Communication | 5 | 30 |
| Media Laws in Malaysia | 5 | |||
| Organizational Communication | 5 | |||
| News Writing | 5 | |||
| Photojournalism | 5 | |||
| Desktop Publishing | 5 | |||
| Semester 3 | Compulsory core modules and industrial training | Webpage Publishing | 5 | 35 |
| Communication Research Methodology | 5 | |||
| Newspaper Production | 5 | |||
| Magazine Production | 5 | |||
| Professional Ethics & Media Monitoring | 5 | |||
| Industrial Training | 10 | |||
| Semester 4 | Compulsory core modules | Seminar on Media Issues | 10 | 25 |
| Journalistic Translation | 5 | |||
| Media Management | 5 | |||
| Introduction to Political Science | 5 | |||
| Total | Diploma in Journalism compulsory and industrial training credits | 90 credit hours | ||
Career outcomes
- You build job-ready journalism fundamentals through practical learning that prepares you to report on developing stories in a real newsroom context.
- You gain professional ethics and media monitoring skills that help you produce responsible reporting and make better editorial decisions.
- You graduate with practical output experience that supports roles such as junior reporter, news writer, content producer, or media support staff in journalism and media teams.
- The diploma qualification helps you establish a clear pathway into further media or communication studies and future career progression in journalism.
- You develop confidence in producing journalism content that aligns with professional expectations, improving your competitiveness for entry-level media opportunities.
Employability rate
For journalism and media graduates in Malaysia, we estimate an employability rate of about 78% and an unemployment rate of about 22%, reflecting that demand exists but entry-level competition can be strong.
Overall, this suggests a reasonably stable outlook when you build strong writing, reporting, and media-practice experience during your diploma.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| School-leaving qualification | International applicants must have a pass in an SPM/O-Level level qualification with a minimum of 3 credits including English, or an equivalent international qualification recognised by the Malaysian Government. |
| Equivalent international qualifications | For applicants with UEC, the programme states UEC with at least Grade B in subjects including English (as part of the 3 subjects) can be considered. |
| Certificate in a related field | The programme also states that a certificate in a related field, together with a credit in English, can satisfy the entry requirement (for international applicants where the qualification is recognised as equivalent). |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism & Media | Direct match | International applicants with a prior qualification in media, communication, journalism, or related studies should align best with the programme’s journalism and media subjects as listed by the university. |
Language requirements
International applicants must meet the programme's published English competency requirement to be considered for admission to the Diploma in Journalism.
IELTS Academic
TOEFL iBT
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | MYR 41800 / total program | Official international student fee sheet lists Tuition & Misc Fees for Diploma in Journalism at RM 41,800 over the programme. |
| Other charges | MYR 7500 / total program | Official international student fee sheet lists Other Charges for Diploma in Journalism at RM 7,500 over the programme. |
| Total programme (tuition plus other charges) | MYR 49300 / total program | Official international student fee sheet shows total cost of RM 49,300 for Diploma in Journalism (tuition & misc fees plus other charges) over the programme. |
Proof of financial resources
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | Winter intake |
|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Prepare your entry and English documents
Check that your international (foreign) qualification meets the programme's published entry requirement and prepare your academic certificates and transcripts. Ensure you also have the published English competency result (IELTS or TOEFL as stated by the programme). If your qualification is not listed in the programme page, prepare supporting documents showing it is equivalent/recognised by the Malaysian Government.
Submit your application to Southern University College
Complete the application using the university’s official admission process during the intake period. Upload the required documents for academic entry and English competency, and submit before the application deadline published for international students (if shown on the admissions page). After submission, keep your reference details in case the university requests additional documents.