Getting started and learning the basics
In the first semester, students are introduced to the fundamentals of journalism, thereby laying the foundations for their further study programme. These fundamentals include, amongst other things, research, media monitoring and initial journalistic writing exercises in the writing workshop.

Technology and Presentation
Students also learn about the tools used in digital journalism. They work with content management systems and develop ideas for web-based journalistic products.

Elective courses
In addition to lectures and seminars on law and ethics, multimedia storytelling, or politics and society, students choose their first elective courses (WPs). These are developed each semester to meet student needs. Here, students can already begin to identify key areas of specialisation.

Complementary studies in social and cultural sciences (SuKs) and languages
In addition to the journalism seminars, students must complete two language courses and two SuKs courses by the end of their study programme. Further information can be found in the module handbook.

Semester project
In the third semester, students begin the first of three semester projects. In the teaching editorial office, they simulate realistic editorial meetings and work as a team. The resulting projects are diverse: podcasts, blogs or magazines.

practical semester
In the fourth semester, students gain an insight into the media industry through a compulsory work placement lasting at least 18 weeks. They can undertake this work placement, for example, at a radio station, a television station or in a newspaper editorial office.

Semester projects and WPs
As in the third semester, students also undertake a project in the fifth and sixth semesters. In addition, they now tailor their timetable to their individual needs: students can choose from a range of compulsory-elective modules and thus shape their own academic profile.

Theories and Methods
To prepare students for their Bachelor’s thesis, they are introduced to theories and methods in communication studies. Academic writing is therefore also covered as part of the study programme.

Research Project
As part of a research project, students develop a research question and an associated research design. The project is supervised by the lecturers who also supervise the Bachelor’s thesis.

Bachelor’s Project
The Bachelor’s project is carried out over a period of three months, either individually or in pairs. Students have the choice between designing and implementing a practical project or writing an empirical paper.

The study programme prepares students for professional practice step by step.

It is structured over seven semesters. The fourth semester is a practical semester, during which students can gain experience and make contacts in a journalism newsroom. The sixth semester is a ‘Window of Mobility’ – during this semester, students can plan a semester abroad.

A six-week introductory work placement in a newsroom is compulsory and must be completed by the start of the third semester at the latest.

The Social and Cultural Sciences (SuK) are interdisciplinary fields of study that examine social contexts from a variety of perspectives. The modules cover a broad spectrum of topics – ranging from ethics, law and economics through to philosophy and psychology, and including cultural issues. Students on the Online Journalism study programme are required to take two SuK modules during the course of their study programme.

SuK website

During their study programme, students of online journalism complete two compulsory language courses. The h_da language centre offers a wide range of options: in addition to various English courses, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German Sign Language are also available – each at different levels. A placement test is required to progress to higher course levels.

Language programmes

With three writing workshops and in-depth courses on stylistics, journalistic genres and storytelling, we place great emphasis on language and writing training. Appropriate target audiences are identified for all projects – with a view to reaching a wide audience, the focus is on ensuring that the media content produced is accessible.

Career prospects in digital journalism are diverse and offer exciting opportunities. At the same time, the sector faces challenges posed by the changing media landscape, economic pressures and technological progress.

Our graduates work across a broad spectrum of digital practice, encompassing both new and long-established media brands. The key areas of focus are working in digital teams or editorial departments. Working conditions there are characterised by:

• A wide variety of content types,
• intense time pressure and the need for immediacy,
• fierce competition for users’ attention,
• the intensive and targeted use of social media for distribution and community building,
• high expectations regarding multimedia storytelling and interactive potential, and
• short innovation cycles

Digitalisation has changed the professional demands placed on journalists. This applies, on the one hand, to the fundamental journalistic activities of research, documentation and content development, which are increasingly shaped by new technologies and, in particular, by artificial intelligence. However, it also applies to communication relationships, which in digital media are designed to be dialogical or community-oriented and often develop with a greater or lesser degree of dependence on third-party platforms.

Technological innovations in particular, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, are shaping online journalism and enabling new ways of working, formats and options for personalisation. At the same time, consumer behaviour is changing: podcasts and video clips are gaining in importance, and many users prefer so-called ‘snackable’ content. Media companies have shifted to ‘digital-first’ strategies and face the challenge of breaking free from platform dependencies – for example, through direct-to-consumer strategies such as newsletters or apps. Monetisation models such as subscriptions, crowdfunding and partnerships are becoming central, which in turn is increasing the focus on community-building and user engagement. Trust in content is strengthened by a high level of transparency and rigorous fact-checking. Many editorial teams and journalism teams are striving to increase their diversity. New ideas, flexibility and adaptability are crucial factors for thriving in this dynamic media landscape.