The Wits Centre for Journalism offers several study programmes for aspirant and working journalists and those working in cognate disciplines like communications. Located in Johannesburg – at the heart of the country’s media – it is well placed to work closely with both the industry and working professionals to ensure a rich and exciting centre of teaching, training, research and public engagement. The Centre is steeped in a tradition of independent, critical, quality journalism, and courses are taught by journalists and academics with many years of experience and seniority, including Prof Lesley Cowling, Dr Dinesh Balliah, Dr Nechama Brodie, Dr Thandi Bombi, Dr Collen Chambwera, Pheladi Sethusa and others.
A special visiting lecturer programme brings some of the country’s most prominent professionals to interact with students. This has included Tim Modise, John Perlman, Mark Gevisser, Ferial Haffajee, Justice Malala, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Harald Pakendorf, Raymond Louw, Phillip Altbeker, Liz McGregor, Phylicia Oppelt and Tim Cohen.
Currently, our sessional team includes Prof Dario Milo, Beauregard Tromp, Charles Leonard, Catherine Muller, Jabulani Sikhakhane, Lesley Mofokeng and Aaisha Didi Patel.
ACADEMIC OVERVIEW
We offer two streams: one for career-entry students, and one for mid-career journalists.
BA Honours – Career-Entry
A career-entry route for graduates who want to become journalists: Students will find the course a rich mix of practical and academic training, designed to give them both the skills they need to operate in a newsroom.
BA Honours – Mid-Career
A mid-career route for working journalists who wish to develop their skills and knowledge: Mid-career journalists will find opportunities to upgrade their skills, and branch into new areas.
Master’s
A Master’s degree consisting largely of research and critical scholarship, with options in Financial Journalism, Longform Journalism, Communication for Social Change (Development Communication) and Ethics.
PhD
The PhD is a two-year full-time or four-year part-time programme, and is completed by research. Students are expected to have secured a 70% or higher average at master’s level.
For information on financial aid that may be available to students studying at the Wits Centre for Journalism, visit the funding opportunities page.
2025 Registration Information and Links:
- Registration is solely online: https://www.wits.ac.za/study-at-wits/
- Contact information for student fee queries.
- For WCJ academic enquiries, please email Andrea Gumede
- Wits University 2025 term dates
- Staff profiles