Certificate in Foundation Journalism

Welcome to the Certificate in Foundation Journalism, the NCTJ's beginner-level qualification. If you have purchased units via the NCTJ website (www.nctj.com), this is where you will find your learning materials. Provided you have received your login details, you will find the relevant units unlocked below.  If you have not yet decided to go ahead with studying for the Certificate in Foundation Journalism and would like further information, please visit the following link: Find out more.

If you have any questions about our distance learning programmes, or if you are experiencing any technical problems accessing your materials, please contact info@nctj.com.

Available courses

Announcements and support forum

A welcome pack and support forum can be found here. Any qualification announcements will also be posted here.

Gathering information

The aim of this unit is for candidates to demonstrate valid techniques for carrying out journalistic research and interviews.

How to tell a news story

The aim of this unit is to enable the production of accurate news stories for publication.

Recording information

The aim of this unit is to understand the best and most appropriate ways to record information.

Legal and ethical considerations

The aim of this unit is for candidates to have a general awareness of the law as it affects journalists and how to operate in an ethical manner within any relevant regulations.

Writing for digital media

The aim of this unit is to understand how to successfully use digital media for journalistic purposes.

Community radio newsgathering

The aim of this unit is to understand key principles of being a community radio newsgatherer.

Feature writing

The aim of this unit is to understand how to research and create engaging features.

Finding and using data

The aim of this unit is to understand easily accessible forms of data and how to use the information for journalistic purposes.

How society works

The aim of this unit is to explain how Britain is governed at central, devolved and local government levels.

How to use the English language for journalism

The aim of this unit is to understand how to use the English language accurately for the purposes of journalism.

Reviews and comment articles

The aim of this unit is to learn how to write reviews and comment articles.

Sports reporting

The aim of this unit is to understand major UK sports and how to successfully report matches.

Taking images suitable for publication

The aim of this unit is to learn how to produce images suitable for publication.

The history of news

The aim of this unit is to understand the ways in which news have changed over the centuries.

Using audio to tell a story

The aim of this unit is to learn how to use audio recordings for the purposes of journalism.

Using the English language for maximum effect

The aim of this unit is to develop a strong use of English for the purposes of journalism.

Using video to tell a story

The aim of this unit is to learn how to shoot video to tell a news story.

Writing for a specific purpose

The aim of this unit is to learn how to write newsletters and press releases.