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Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
If you are applying for this course from within the UK click apply now.
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
If you are applying for this course from outside the UK click apply now
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Launch your career as a sports journalist for top-end multimedia sports platforms such as Sky Sports News, BBC Sport or national newspapers, or join the media teams of Premier League clubs, Formula One teams or golf's European Tour. Gain the skills to work with, and for, the best in the business on this NCTJ-accredited course.
Register your interestSky Sports News, BBC Sport, Everton FC, West Ham United FC, golf’s European Tour, the Williams F1 team, national newspapers… just a few examples of careers that all started with this course. Report from the press box at Wembley Stadium, interview Premier League chief executives, visit some of Europe’s finest football stadia, report on professional county cricket and rugby union, produce your own website or series of investigative sports articles - all while learning the latest techniques in digital, video and broadcast sports journalism and studying for UK journalism’s gold standard qualification, the NCTJ Diploma.
Our students gain thorough training for life at sports media’s cutting edge while studying Sports Journalism at Sunderland. Build both your practical experience and portfolio of published work on SportsByte, our student-run website covering sport across the North East, in our innovative mediaHUB - BBC Newcastle’s home in Sunderland and host to visiting journalists from across the North East.
You will be introduced to a range of traditional and digital skills in journalism and will have opportunities to learn how to use the various resources based in the David Puttnam Media Centre. Alongside this, some of your teaching and learning will take place online.
A combination of online and face-to-face sessions will enable you to access the mediaHUB, studio resources and equipment that will broaden your skills, as well as the specialist academics and technicians who will assist you as you learn. This flexible approach will enable you to stay safe, provide you with a rounded experience and enable you to join our community of learners.
We will make all reasonable efforts to provide the courses and student experience outlined. It may be necessary to make changes in response to COVID-19 whilst we continue to follow government guidance. View our FAQs for more information or contact us.
Get to know Spark, Fashion North, Northern Lights, SR News, and Sportsbyte, our students' award-winning websites for local news, local sport, fashion and arts and entertainment.
During the first year, we’ll set you up with the core skills of sports journalism, including training in writing styles, research and Media Law. You’ll look at both traditional sports reporting techniques and the contemporary skills of digital sports journalism. In the second and third years, you’ll study topics in more depth, sampling our state-of-the-art facilities and tackling Multimedia Sports Journalism, Advanced Sports Reporting, and Media Ethics, while training in shorthand – a skill hugely valued by employers such as Sky Sports News - free of charge.
Throughout your course, you can build both your practical experience and portfolio of published work by taking on reporting and/or editing roles on SportsByte, our student-run website covering sport across the North East, in our innovative mediaHUB - BBC Newcastle’s home in Sunderland and host to visiting journalists from organisations such as Reach PLC and JPI Media. You can also benefit from our exclusive link-ups with Durham County Cricket Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club and Sunderland AFC – where a part-time internship is available each year to one third-year student - to gain invaluable match day and behind-the-scenes reporting experience of big sporting stages.
In your final year, you can have your sports content published by JPI Media each week for an entire semester, and go on work placement – putting what you’ve learnt into practice and also building crucial workplace relationships. You’ll undertake a practical project, which will add significantly to the portfolio of work you can present to prospective employers.
Teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations, seminars, workshops, group projects and practical skills work. All our teaching staff have worked as journalists and have strong links with regional employers and industry organisations. We also invite experienced industry professionals to carry out regular guest lectures and classes.
Assessment is split between portfolios of practical work, essays, examinations, reports and presentations.
Getting into journalism can be challenging, but here at the University of Sunderland, we give you all the tools you need to make it as a great journalist. Here are just a few of the ways we equip you to make it in the industry.
Find out how we equip you to make it as a journalist
Journalism may have been regarded as a soft option a few years ago. This is no longer the case, according to award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster Alastair Stewart OBE. A revered media presence, here he shares his expert insight into the changing face of journalism and offers advice to aspiring journalists.
Discover what it takes to become a journalist
The University of Sunderland’s School of Media and Communications has a range of opportunities and an experienced academic team to help our journalism graduates stand out in a competitive sector.
Find out how to get the most out of your Journalism degree
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, we also offer this course with an Integrated Foundation Year.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
If you are studying a HND or Foundation Degree you may be able to enter onto the final year of our degree courses. For more information, please contact studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk
As part of our NCTJ accreditation we will also invite you to an informal interview. We’d like to hear about you, why you’re interested in sports journalism, and tell you a bit more about our course and what makes us special.
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
The tuition fee includes the NCTJ exam fees. It covers the cost of one attempt at all seven exams required for the NCTJ Diploma, including each shorthand speed.
Tuition fees for part-time students are £6,935 per 120 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
This degree prepares you for writing and talking about sports in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and online media, as well as for clubs or brands. It's also highly relevant to many positions in industry, commerce and the Civil Service, as well as to jobs in the arts and voluntary sectors.
Recent journalism graduates from Sunderland have gained experiences with employers such as Sky, Sky Sports, NFL, 4ThePlayer, The Racing Post, MTV, The Guardian, ITV, regional newspapers and PR companies.
Real-world experience – right on campus
Rub shoulders with BBC Newcastle Journalists, get advice from former Sky News Journalists and see a Newsroom in action in our innovative mediaHUB.
You’ll be actively involved in the Sportsbyte website and have the opportunity to get involved in Spark Sunderland, the 24/7 community radio station based in the Media Centre. Spark has won many awards and holds the Nations and Regions Award for Best Radio Station in the North East. Students are responsible for all news-gathering, programme production and advertising.
You’ll be taught in some of your classes by visiting lecturers who are current sports writers, editors and football club media managers. Other opportunities for real-world experience include Spark online magazine, SR-News website, Northern Lights website and Fashion North, which are all linked to our Journalism and Media courses.
Superb industry links
Our academics are industry experts and have excellent relationships across sports including PFA (Professional Footballers Association) magazine, 4ThePlayer, Sky Sports, ITV and BBC.
Broaden your horizons with inspiring trips – recently students have enjoyed trips to Barcelona, press access to Wembley finals and Europa league games at FC Schalke 04 in Germany.
Our students have attended Premier League matches in the press box to see sportswriters at work and have interviewed sports celebrities themselves. Two of our students even had a FIFA tournament on the pitch at SAFC with Jordan Pickford and Duncan Watmore.
In addition, our students have also covered tennis, golf, boxing, American Football, F1, hockey, gymnastics and many other sports.
Work placements
You will undertake a work placement module in your final year, though many of our students arrange placements across three years. The placement can be at a sports newsdesk, sports magazine or sports club of your choice.
All students studying this course can take up a CV-enhancing work placement, a University-led industry initiative, or a professional and business development boot camp. A placement offers you a taste of the industry and can last anything from two days to four weeks, on a part-time basis.
Join award winners
Our students and graduates have been making a splash, winning awards and prizes across the board.
Choose modules and a final project that excites and interests you.
I came to Sunderland, 300 miles away, and found another place to call home
Thanks to my tutor, I secured a two-week placement with the BBC.
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