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Sports Journalism

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 09/2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Parkside Building Campus

Course summary

This course will prepare you for a career in sports journalism by providing the knowledge, values and cutting-edge skills required to be a professional sports journalist. You will become an agile, independent sports reporter working across multiple platforms with the ability to understand the critical role that sports journalism plays in society by telling stories both on- and off-the pitch. You will be able to work across multiple formats with the ability to understand the democratic role of journalism in ensuring a diversity of stories are told. This will enable you to become an adaptable sports journalist capable of working in innovative, engaging and entrepreneurial ways.

This course has been designed in close collaboration with leading industry experts and researchers in journalism. Through a range of complementary modules, you will learn a wide range of journalistic skills for all news platforms and understand the wider issues that face the journalism industry. You will learn the skills to report on a broad range of sports in a variety of different ways, whether it be for audio, visual, written or social media platforms. The course will prepare you for everything from live reporting and asking the difficult post-match questions to interviewing key figures and going deep into the issues that make up an ever-changing and increasingly diverse sports industry. You will learn through research- and practice-informed teaching and also have the chance to undertake placement opportunities.

Professional Placement Year
This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.

£1,000 scholarships for 2025/26

If you apply to BCU by 30 June 2025, you could be eligible for one of our £1,000 scholarships:

  • Accelerate – if you are from a lower income family or household

  • High Achievers’ – if you achieve 144 UCAS points or more from your main three qualifications

For full details and terms, visit www.bcu.ac.uk/scholarships

How to apply

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
P501
Institution code:
B25
Campus name:
Parkside Building Campus
Campus Code:
C

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

112 points
Please note: If you qualify for our BCU Accelerate scheme, you could receive an offer that is two grades below our normal entry requirements.

A level

BBC
A Level: 112 UCAS tariff points / BBC (or equivalent). AS Level: Must be in a different subject to A Levels. A maximum of four subjects will be considered.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

112 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Access to HE Diploma

Pass with 60 credits. At least 45 credits at level 3. Accepted subjects: Arts, Media, Publishing, Retail, Commercial Enterprise and Business subjects preferred but other subjects also considered.

Scottish Higher

112 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (CCD) or two Advanced Highers (CD) plus two Highers (CC).

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

112 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

112 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

Scottish Advanced Higher

112 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (CCD) or two Advanced Highers (CD) plus two Highers (CC).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28 points
Obtain a minimum of 28 points overall

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

Minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects

GCSE/National 4/National 5

This course does not require evidence of GCSE qualifications.

T Level

M
Merit overall. All subjects accepted but Digital Production, Design and Development and Media, Broadcast and Production preferred.

Welsh Baccalaureate: 112 UCAS tariff points. Considered with three A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 112 UCAS tariff points.

NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 112 UCAS tariff points.

WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 112 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s).

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma: Merit overall

Foundation Studies (Art and Design, and Art, Design and Media): Distinction overall

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6overall with 6.0 in writing and no less than 5.5 in the remaining three skills.

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England£9535Year 1
Northern Ireland£9535Year 1
Scotland£9535Year 1
Wales£9535Year 1
EU£17690Year 1
International£17690Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

  • The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,535 for 2025/26 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.
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