This course is available in Clearing. Call our Clearing hotline on 0330 058 4266 to apply or for more information.
Course overview
Are you passionate about sport? Do you want to develop the journalistic skills to bring sport to life for audiences, help people understand what makes the industry tick and what happens off the sports field, as well as on it?
Sports Journalism is about much more than match reports and events coverage. It’s about unearthing the stories behind the headlines and understanding the broader context that the sports industry operates in.
This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.
This route is for you if you do not have the necessary qualifications or don’t yet feel ready to begin degree-level study, or are returning to education and would like some support to get up to speed with learning in a university setting.
The Foundation Year in Journalism Studies will allow you to develop your academic skills and confidence as well as introduce you to key concepts, debates and skills that will support and inform your subsequent years of undergraduate study.
Following successful completion of your Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto Year 1 of our Sports Journalism BA (Hons) degree.
About this course
During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.
You’ll develop an understanding of the tools used by journalists and content creators, how to spot a story and how to produce content for various media platforms. You’ll be introduced to various types of media, both in theory and practice, and will learn about the skills and concepts required by the creative industries.
Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Sports Journalism BA (Hons) degree.
Our vocational approach blends theory, practical skills development and professional work experience. You’ll learn key journalistic skills, such as how to source, research and compile news stories, how to film stories and put together audio packages, and how to write shorthand.
These practical skills are only part of the picture. We’ll also develop your knowledge of journalism theory to help you understand the context in which news is produced, along with law and the social, ethical and political impact of journalism on society.
You’ll learn about the place sport has in today’s culture, as well as the business of sport including sports advertising, sponsorship and staging multisport events.
During your studies, you’ll be able to develop a professional portfolio of work and gain journalism experience through the professional work placements included in your degree. Your learning environment will simulate the professional news environment, with newsrooms and industry-standard TV and broadcast studios on campus.
Why study with us?
- Build your self-confidence, academic skills and core subject knowledge in preparation for progression onto degree-level study.
- Our partnership with NewsUK gives us exclusive placement opportunities with TalkSport and SunSport as well as the chance to visit NewsUK head office in London.
- Specialise in sports. You'll develop core journalism skills, alongside a detailed understanding of sport and its social and cultural context.
- Learn from the experts. Our lecturers are award-winning with extensive industry experience and links.
- Be inspired. You'll meet some of the UK's most highly respected sports journalists at our acclaimed annual Journalism and Media Week.
- Our graduates get great jobs. You’ll develop a portfolio of work and gain experience in the industry to help you secure a professional level job and start your chosen career.
Specialist facilities
You’ll have access to industry-standard spaces and equipment including production rooms, Mac and PC editing suites and TV, radio and photography studios. These specialist facilities will enable you to develop your practical and technical skills, produce a portfolio of professional work across different media platforms and prepare you for your graduate career in the industry.
Rankings
The Guardian University Guide 2024
Journalism Undergraduate Open Days
Journalism course trips to Manchester and London
Journalism Students produce an international show!
Course Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Foundation Year
During your Foundation Year, you will study four core modules.
Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence (Core)
We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations.
You'll learn to manage your time, prioritise tasks and manage stress, and become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.
Project (Core)
Study areas of interest related to your chosen future academic specialisation in this highly personalised module.
You'll have 12 hours of workshop tuition to explore how you will be assessed and the form your project could take, which could be a written report, a presentation, a film or a series of blog posts.
You'll also explore topics your project could focus on, and get peer assessment of your ideas.
In the first semester, you'll get support through personal tutoring and learning hub liaison.
You'll also explore careers and employability pathways in journalism with the Graduate Recruitment Team and the Centre for Journalism.
In the second semester, you'll produce your negotiated assessment, focussing on existing academic literature and other secondary sources.
You won't undertake primary empirical research.
Introduction to Journalism (Core)
You'll develop an understanding of tools used by journalists and content creators, learn how to spot interesting stories and gather information.
You'll learn the basics of producing attention-grabbing content for social media, websites, television and radio.
Communication: Introduction to Modern Media (Core)
We'll look at the theory and practice of film, television, journalism, radio and the web through lectures, workshops and practical exercises.
We'll give you practical guidance on how to find the 'hook' and grab an audience's attention.
You'll develop an understanding of narrative structure, character development and how to generate ideas.
Year 1
During your first year, you'll study two core modules.
Essential Sports Journalism 1 (Core)
Learn the essential skills you need to be a sports journalist.
You'll produce sports content for online, social media, TV and radio, developing your skills in photography, interviewing and online presentation.
You'll learn about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), visual communication, sourcing sports stories and story development.
You'll also get an introduction to media law and industry regulation.
Essential Sports Journalism 2 (Core)
You'll develop your practical sports journalism skills, build your theoretical knowledge and complete five weeks of professional placement.
We'll increasingly focus on multimedia production in this module.
You'll write sports content for online, social media and radio.
You'll develop your skills in online presentation, SEO, visual communication, television mobile journalism, photography, interviewing, sourcing sports stories, story development and audience analytics.
You'll also take part in live newsroom production.
In the theoretical journalism strand, you'll learn academic skills such as literature searching, citation and referencing and academic writing.
We'll introduce theoretical concepts and the role of journalism and sports journalism in society, aligning these perspectives with practical work, current media practice and journalistic role.
You'll also work on your professional development, including interview and presentation skills, and we'll cover the standards needed in the workplace.
You'll complete five weeks of professional placement, which can be organised over the year or as a block.
Year 2
During your second year, you'll study three core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
Sports Reporting (Core)
You'll develop your skills in key areas of sports writing through practical exercises.
We'll cover previews, live coverage, the aftermath and specialist reporting.
The practical work is in the context of sports reporting issues, including sources in the sports industry and the role of digital skills in research and publication.
You'll build your professional development skills to prepare for your six weeks of placements.
These could be completed across the year, one day a week, or in a block at the end.
Off the Field: The Business of Sports (Core)
Develop your academic skills, focussing on critical analysis of the off-the-field aspects of sports reporting.
We'll demonstrate how academic understanding can enhance and sharpen journalistic practice.
You'll investigate the influence of social, economic and political power on the media presentation of global sports, exploring how different theories can throw light on a range of stories.
Pitchside (Core)
As a sports journalist, you will cover a West Yorkshire team or sport as a patch reporter for ten weeks.
You'll go to press conferences, games and events and file content to an outward-facing sports news online platform.
Documentary: Concept to Practice (Option)
Develop your production and story-telling skills, working as a team to produce a seven-minute short film.
You'll learn the process of development, research, production, post-production, and the crucial role of narrative structure.
We'll explore the ethics behind the creative treatment of actuality, and provide a theoretical understanding of the role of non-fiction media products and their historical development.
Features and Magazines (Option)
You'll create a varied portfolio of magazine and feature writing through practical exercises.
These will involve using authoritative sources, research and interview skills, writing styles and the role of the internet for research and publication.
We'll explore the magazine market and develop your craft production skills, allowing you to create your own magazine.
Radio and Podcasting (Option)
You'll learn interview skills, how to write for radio and podcasts, how to edit audio, and the skills needed to compile, write and deliver a news bulletin and podcast.
You'll get an understanding of radio and podcasting and the context in which they operate, including OFCOM regulation, marketplaces and audiences.
Year 3
During your final year, you'll study two core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
Final Project (Core)
Consolidate your skills from your degree course by producing a dissertation, a work-based learning project with a portfolio, or an artefact (which could be a portfolio).
All routes involve detailed research, working with university supervision and relevant sources, experts, industry professionals and work partners.
Running the Newsroom (Core)
You'll be put into teams running competing newsrooms covering sports stories.
You'll have rolling responsibilities, such as editor, video, social media or syndication.
You'll produce content for a website, aiming to build a significant online audience.
There will also be two media law refresher sessions at the start of the year.
PR and Promotions (Option)
Working on real-life case studies, you'll examine the context of public relations and promotions in the media and explore the methods used by industry professionals.
Techniques include news releases, media relations, events, social media and digital promotions.
You'll produce a portfolio and presentation as part of a team.
You'll get to work on real-life case studies and attend talks by business partners and guest speakers from the industry.
Advanced Documentary Production (Option)
You'll devise, research and produce a ten-minute documentary film.
In sessions, you'll get a theoretical understanding of the nature, impact and role of contemporary documentaries as well as practical aspects of production.
This includes devising and researching programme ideas, finding key contributors, preparing and executing single-camera location filming and story-telling in the editing process.
In an intensive period of self-directed team-based production, you'll create a professional-quality documentary and a legal binder of industry-standard production documents.
You'll also supply an individual critical analysis of the finished film, your role, what you learned and how you would do better in the future.
Public Interest Reporting (Option)
Hone your professional public interest reporting skills and enhance your employability by working towards the NCTJ shorthand diploma.
You'll explore the role of journalism in a democracy and civic communities.
You'll learn shorthand note-taking to reach speeds of 60-100wpm.
You'll work independently outside the taught shorthand sessions to put your shorthand to practical use by attending council meetings and court and other public meetings, creating a reporting portfolio.
TV and Social Media (Option)
Learn practical TV and social media skills.
You'll produce television and social media artefacts, and develop your skills in production and presentation.
Advanced Audio Production (Option)
During the module, you'll contribute to a live radio show broadcast on BCB Radio and produce a three-minute radio news package.
You'll edit audio using Adobe Audition's multi-track editor, and learn about radio programme production and advanced storytelling using audio.
You'll get a deeper understanding of radio and podcast production.
Professional work placements
Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.
How does it work?
Careers and Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
Our students complete placements at a wide range of organisations, from the BBC and Sky Sports, to Wakefield Wildcats and the Yorkshire Evening Post. Many students have gone on to gain employment with their placement provider, so it’s a great opportunity to not only enhance your skills – but to get a job!
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Learning and Teaching
At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:
- high quality teaching
- an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
- a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.
We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:
- Student Involvement and Engagement
- Inclusion
- Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
- Digital Literacy and Skills
- Employability and Enterprise
To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.
We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:
- Personalised support
- Expert lecturers
- Strong connections with employers
- An international outlook
- Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development
Programme delivery
Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.
Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:
- Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
- Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
- Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.
For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Entry Requirements
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
| Qualification | Grade |
|---|---|
| UCAS tariff | 48 |
| GCSE requirements | GCSE English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4 (or higher) will be required |
Applications are welcome from mature students with few formal qualifications.
Any previous relevant work experience and learning will be assessed and, where appropriate, we may offer an alternative way to assess suitability to study.
This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.
Fees and finance
Funding
UK Home Students:
Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2023/2024.
Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.
Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.
Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.
Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.
Additional costs
We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees. These include:
- Books - recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
- Print costs - the University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.
How to apply
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.
You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.
Clearing is now open for applications for September 2024 entry for available courses. Find out more about Clearing.
Applications are not yet open for courses starting in September 2025. You can register and start your application for 2025, although you cannot submit it until 3 September 2024.. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2025 is 29 January 2025.
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:
- call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
- email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk
This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.
Graduate opportunities
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Our graduates work in regional and national organisations covering broadcast (TV and radio), online and print. You’ll also develop transferable skills such as writing, communication and interviewing, which has prepared many of our students for roles in PR and marketing.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
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It helps you make sense of all the information out there by linking to other quality resources and explaining what can be found where. It also allows you to search for and compare information and data for individual undergraduate courses across the UK.