Journalism

You will have teachers with small classes so one-on-one learning experiences and you’ll be part of a small group of like-minded students working in teams to produce real journalism. Urban life is your reporting backyard and you will go all over the city to cover the courts, police news conferences, accidents, heated meetings, protests, and more. You’ll end up with friends for life and a network of colleagues across Canada and the world who will help you at every point in your career.

Diploma Program

The diploma program aims to provide high school graduates with a combination of journalism courses and an introduction to liberal arts courses relevant to the journalist’s work. The first year provides introductory and basic skills courses; the second year focuses on advanced journalism practices. Between years, students are encouraged to seek summer employment with community media outlets to gain experience. A Diploma in Journalism is awarded for successful completion of the four-term diploma stream.

Certificate Program

The certificate program is designed to give students with an appropriate university degree the opportunity to take specialized journalism training at high speed. This intensive, skills-oriented experience is designed to build on the student’s academic background, providing the student with the tools to work as a well-informed professional journalist. The first semester focuses on introductory and basic skills courses; the second semester on advanced journalism practices. A Certificate in Journalism is awarded for the successful completion of the two-term certificate stream.

We have one of the richest endowments and funding opportunities for students in western Canada. Money that will help you pay for your education and to produce work to get you into your first job.

The program distributes a little over $50,000 a year to its students just from scholarships, fellowships and bursaries targeted only to journalism. In a unique part of the program, four students get fellowships of $7,500 apiece to work on a special projects when they graduate through the Read-Mercer fellowship program or a second scholarship that has recently been offered.

Another $30,000 a year is given to students through scholarships and bursaries that are from the college or through scholarships offered by other organizations that have Langara College students earmarked as guaranteed recipients. That’s in addition to financial help and awards available to all Langara students. 

Here is some of the recent work done by our students who were accepted into the Read-Mercer fellowship.

As B.C. tobacco taxes rise, more smokers are turning to the black market

B.C. police can't keep up with boom in online child sexual exploitation

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Some schools focus on broadcast; some on communications theory. Many have online publications. Most now teach how to incorporate video, audio and photos into online publications. We are the only school that combines everything and insists that each part be taught in depth. We have: A newspaper still printed on paper – like thousands of publications across Canada, the U.S. and beyond. An online publication. Intensive courses in radio, television, data and mobile journalism – not just quickie three-hour workshops.

We do that while emphasizing all the time journalism's purpose: integrity and quality.  This is a program for independent-minded, adventurous and engaged individuals who want to know how and why to do outstanding journalism and who celebrate it when done bravely, boldly or beautifully.

Langara Journalism graduates are the biggest group of journalism-school grads working in B.C. media today. With almost 50 years of history in training journalists, we have grads in almost every newsroom in B.C., as well as many further afield. As well, people also get jobs as social-media managers, researchers, communications staff, political aides, and much more in organizations ranging from the Vancouver International Airport to the Government of British Columbia to tech start-ups.

Some of our grads get journalism jobs right away in the city. Many more start at smaller publications out of Vancouver and then move up over the years. Others find they love life in Kelowna or Fort St. John or Canmore and never leave. Read our testimonials.

Here are some current job postings where journalism skills are needed by employers right now.

You will end up working in the same newsrooms as those who got four-year bachelor’s degrees or two-year master’s degrees, but you’ll spend half the time and way less money.

We are the only program west of Ontario that offers a one-year Certificate for those with a bachelor’s degree or significant post-secondary credits with some life experience. We are the only program in B.C. with a two-year Diploma program. For historical reasons, Langara tuition rates are low compared to other post-secondary institutions in the country.

Having faculty who are staying current with the trends in journalism and communications is key, because things are changing so fast. As well, students benefit from the network of contacts our faculty have with news organizations, communications companies, and others. Check out our faculty on the department website.

We have diploma graduates who have gone on to study at Simon Fraser University, Concordia University in Montreal, St. Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia, Royal Roads University, the University of B.C., and Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, among others. The diploma earns transfer credits that are just short of one full year at SFU and many other universities, and two years at Kwantlen.

Students who do a diploma and then a degree at SFU will spend five years in school and come out with two credentials and some very practical skills – the same amount of time as students who do a bachelor’s degree elsewhere and then come to Langara for the one-year intensive Certificate program.