BA (Hons) Sports Journalism Full-time

Get ready for a career at the cutting edge of sports media. You’ll learn the latest skills in digital, video, and broadcast production. Work towards the gold-standard UK journalism qualification – the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) diploma.

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Sports journalism students working in the press boxes at a football match

Start date/study mode:

UCAS codeP505

Duration3 years

Fee (UK)£9,790

Fee (Int)£17,500

LocationOn campus

Course summary

On the BA (Hons) Sports Journalism course, you'll have the chance to:

Report from the press box at Wembley Stadium
Interview club executives
Visit some of Europe's finest football stadiums
Report on professional county cricket
Produce your own website, sports TV episode, or series of investigative sports articles
Use our state-of-the-art TV studios and outside broadcast equipment.

You'll build your experience in our mediaHUB and develop a portfolio of work. You'll then publish this work on SportsByte – our student-run website for north-east sport.

Our graduates have gone on to work for:

Sky Sports News
BBC Sport
Manchester United FC
Liverpool FC
Everton FC
Newcastle United FC
Golf’s Ryder Cup and DP World Tour
The Williams F1 team
National newspapers.

Why Sunderland for Journalism

Accreditations and approvals

This course is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

What you'll study

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Undergraduate module credits should total 120 credits per academic year. If optional modules are available, choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

In your first year, you’ll build the core skills you need to get started. You’ll learn different writing styles, how to research stories, and the basics of media law. You’ll also cover both traditional sports reporting and modern digital skills.

In your second and final year, you’ll take your learning further. You’ll work in our state-of-the-art facilities and train in shorthand – a key skill valued by employers like Sky Sports News.

You’ll grow your experience and build your portfolio by taking on reporting or editing roles with SportsByte. You’ll also benefit from our strong links with:

Durham County Cricket Club
Newcastle Falcons
Sunderland AFC (with a part-time internship each year for one final-year student).

You’ll get real match-day and behind-the-scenes experience at major sporting events.

In your final year, your work could be published each week for a full semester by JPIMedia. You can also take a placement to put your skills into practice. You’ll create a large-scale piece of journalism – a great addition to your portfolio to help you stand out to employers.

Our teaching methods include:

Lectures and demonstrations
Seminars
Workshops
Group projects
Practical skills sessions.

Our teaching staff are experienced journalists with strong industry links. We also bring in guest speakers from across the media industry.

Assessment methods include portfolios of practical work, essays, exams, reports, and presentations.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is 104-120 UCAS Tariff points, from a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications. These may include A Levels, T Levels, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

We accept a maximum of 6 points from Level 3 Key Skills qualifications.

As part of our NCTJ accreditation, we'll also invite you to an informal interview. We’d like to hear about you and why you’re interested in sports journalism. We'll also tell you a bit more about our course and what makes us special.

You also need three passes at GCSE grade C or above. This must include maths and English language, or a minimum of Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number. If you've studied for a GCSE that has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above.

See how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff calculator(opens in new tab).

Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you're eligible for a tariff point reduction.

If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.

If you're studying an HND or Foundation Degree, you may be able to enter the final year of our degree course. For more information, please contact admissions@sunderland.ac.uk.

Fees and finance support

UK£9,790

International£17,500

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.

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. If you're a Home fee-paying student, the fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,790. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Check your fee status(opens in new tab).

See all course tuition fees.

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Start date/study mode:

UK students

Full-time September 2026
Apply now

International students

Full-time September 2026
Apply now

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and you're offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

For more information, view our programme specifications. These include course content, learning outcomes, and the skills you'll gain.