Multimedia Sports Journalism BA (Hons)

• Overview

  Working alongside the many sports clubs, bodies and media companies based in Northamptonshire, your first year will see you learning and starting to apply key audio and video production skills. You will also learn how to write sports stories and understand laws and ethics which apply to sports reporting.

  The second year will see you apply those production and writing skills in live newsdays; attending press conferences and live events and reporting on our own FM radio station, NLive. You will learn how to report in the growing world of esports and develop skills in sports magazine production and sports commentary.

  In the final year you will apply your skills to professional standards in multi-platform newsdays, as well as develop your employment skills ready for that future career. You will learn about future trends in journalism tech and storytelling. Your final year project will be either a documentary or a magazine and your dissertation will analyse and question a key issue in sports media production, sports journalism or sports ethics.

  We will support you to achieve your career and study ambitions, which is why if you complete our Employability Plus Gold programme or Changemaker Gold certificate alongside your studies and if you haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating* we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you, or support you into postgraduate study.

  *with a 2:2 degree classification or higher

  TV & Radio Studio Tour

  Read more

  Course

  Highlights

  • Course accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).
  • Real-life experience working with Northampton’s elite sports teams and on our own radio station.
  • Dedicated newsroom and specialist radio equipment.
  • Benefit from strong industry connections such as BBC and ITN.
  • Learning trips to sporting events in the UK and abroad.
  • Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.

  HP Laptop and software included with this course.*

  *Terms and Conditions apply

  Apply Now Open Days

  
• Course Details

  You will be taught by people who still work in the journalism industry to follow the career paths they still enjoy. Coupled with the opportunities given to you by our sports clubs and media around the county and beyond, this BJTC accredited course will give you opportunities to learn and be supported by tutors who see you as more than a number.

  You will also have your learning future-proofed, by studying the growing areas of Esports reporting, data journalism, drone journalism and many other future technologies.

  In your first year, you will study media law and how both political and sporting opportunities work, so you understand how to get a story and how sport works as an industry.

  You will learn the core audio, video and mobile journalism skills which will allow you to conduct interviews (like Meliz pictured below), create reports and publish. You will also learn how to write sports stories and features.

  

  Journalism student Meliz interviewing Northampton Saints player James Grayson

  In the second year, you will enhance your skills on all of the above, with extended teaching in magazine journalism, sports media regulation, sports commentary and documentary making skills and we will prepare you for your final year projects and dissertation.

   

  In your final year, you will create a documentary or magazine on a sports

  

  Student Jamie – about to graduate and start his full time job at NTFC.

  issue of your choice and you will create a dissertation which investigates a key issue in sports media. You will also conduct newsdays where you create sports news content to deadlines and professional standards, much like you see and hear on Five Live, talkSPORT, Sky Sports News or BBC Local Radio.

  Upon completing the course you will be equipped with the skills to work in any area and across all platforms within the sports media, from local newspapers, newsrooms and commercial communication departments to national broadcasters such as BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Radio 5 and Associated Press. Or you cloud take a leaf out of Jamie’s book (pictured above), who has just secured a job at Northampton Town Football Club.

  Study Trips

  In the below video, our Journalism students present highlights of their trip to Berlin, taking in an EU conference, a celebration of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and reporting on sporting events; the students put into practice the skills that they’ve learned on their course.

  Industry guest speakers

  BBC Sport’s Editor, Dan Roan, visits Waterside

  Sky Sports Visit UON – Faye Carruthers

  Assessments

  You will be assessed through a variety of methods including practical portfolios, essays, reports, presentations, practical projects and written examinations and timed tests.

  Read more

  Additional

  Information

  Learn on the job

  You will attend Northampton Saints rugby and Northampton Town football press conferences and games on a weekly basis from year one, as well as events at Silverstone, Northants Cricket, Huntingdon Races, Kettering esports tournament and Towcester Greyhounds.

  You will work on a student sports show on NLIVE community radio and also interview many other sports people from the area as part of your experience.
  You will get to meet well-known names who already work in the industry. Previous guest speakers include Jacqui Oatley, Faye Carruthers, Dan Roan, Liam Fisher, Sue Smith.

• Careers and Events
  • The Northampton Employment Promise.

    *We promise to secure paid experience for you, if you need it.

    We work with employers to understand what they’re looking for and we’re confident that if you follow one of our structured awards, as well as committing to your studies you’ll be in a competitive position when it comes to applying for graduate jobs.

    We’re so confident, that we promise to secure a paid 3-6 month internship for you, if you need it. Find out more about the Northampton Employment Promise, including how it works and who is eligible.

    
  • Open Days

    Come say Hello

    Our Open Days offer you a fantastic opportunity to get a real taste of university life at Northampton and discover how studying here will be a life-changing experience.

    Each Open Day has a packed programme of subjects talks, advice sessions and activities designed to give you all the information you need about studying with us.

    To find out more about the day, please feel free to have a look at our Open Day Guide.

    
  • Careers

    Career Opportunities

    This course will open up a range of career opportunities, including…

    Sports Journalist, club media officer, sports video content creator, sports commentator, esports reporter, TV reporter, feature writer, magazine writer.

    
• Requirements

  Standard entry requirements apply. A typical offer is BCC at A-Level or DMM at BTEC. Applicants need either an A Level or BTEC in any of the following subjects: English, Media, Humanities, Sports Science or a PE-related subject. You will be expected to have achieved GCSE Mathematics and English (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above.

  For more more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.

  If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.

  English Language Requirements

  All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

  • Minimum standard – IELTS 7.5 or equivalent
    for study at undergraduate level.

  For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

  Contacts

  Course Enquiries

  Application status enquiries
  admissions2020@northampton.ac.uk

  Current student enquiries
  SID@northampton.ac.uk

  International student enquiries
  international@northampton.ac.uk

  Applying for 2020
  Facebook Applicant Group

  Office hours:
  Mon – Thu: 9am – 5pm
  Fri: 9am – 4.30pm

  Phone Call

  0300 303 2772

  +44 (0)1604 892134

  +44 (0)1604 892546

• Course Content
  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2
  • Stage 3

  • Law for Journalists (10 Credits)
    Module code: JOU1017

    Core Module Y
  • Public Affairs for Journalists (10 Credits)
    Module code: JOU1018

    Core Module Y
  • Writing Skills for Sports Journalists (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU1012

    Core Module Y
  • The International Sports Industry (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU1013

    Core Module Y
  • Reporting Skills for Sports Journalists (40 Credits)
    Module code: JOU1014

    Core Module Y
  • The Social Context of Sport and Exercise (20 Credits)
    Module code: SPO1038

    Core Module Y

  • Sports Broadcasting: Commentating and Documentaries (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU2016

    Core Module Y
  • Sports Journalism in Print and Online (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU2014

    Core Module Y
  • Sports News Day (40 Credits)
    Module code: JOU2015

    Core Module Y
  • Sports Development (20 Credits)
    Module code: SPO2007

    Core Module Y
  • Sports Journalism Research Skills (10 Credits)
    Module code: JOU2022

    Core Module Y
  • Esports Reporting (10 Credits)
    Module code: JOU2023

    Core Module Y

  • Journalism Dissertation (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU4001

    Core Module Y
  • Journalism Practical Project (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU3002

    Core Module Y
  • Launchpad: Careers in Sports Journalism (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU3015

    Core Module Y
  • International Sport and the Media (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU3016

    Core Module Y
  • Multiplatform Journalism (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU3019

    Core Module Y
  • Future Trends in Journalism (20 Credits)
    Module code: JOU3020

    Core Module N

  • Reading List
    • Andrews P (2011) Sports Journalism: A Practical Introduction. Sage Publications
    • Boyle R (2006) Sports Journalism: Context and Issues. Sage Publications
    • Evans, H and Crawford G (2000) Essential English for Journalists. Pimlico
    • Hanna M and Dodd M (2016) McNae’s Essential law for Journalists 23rd Edition. OUP Oxford
    • Steen, R (2014) Sports Journalism. A Multimedia Primer. Routledge
    • Toney, J (2012) Sports Journalism. The Inside Track. Bloomsbury Sport

  Facilities &

  Special Features

  • Accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council
  • Our own, 24/7 FM radio station, NLive – community radio station for Northampton.
  • Broadcast standard multi-camera TV studio.
  • Broadcast-standard radio studios.
  • Free laptop with access to Adobe suite of editing and design programmes.
• Further Studies
  • Postgraduate Opportunities

    Further your Study

    Our postgraduate courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on postgraduate fees to give yourself a CV that will catch the eye of employers.

    English – Contemporary Literature MA

    Master of Business Administration (MBA)

    
  • Research

    We are committed to delivering outstanding research that makes a difference to society. Our Research Institutes and Centres work closely with external partner organisations, locally, nationally and internationally. We produce internationally renowned and relevant research and disseminate knowledge on an international scale.

    Visit our Research Hub page for more information.

    
  • Business and Enterprise

    We are committed to supporting and encouraging business growth and we are involved in a variety of initiatives which seek to benefit the wider community as well as students and staff of the University.

    Discover what businesses we work with and what opportunities may be available to you on our Business and Enterprise pages.

    
• Fees & Funding
  • UK & EU
  • International

  2020/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £9,250
  Part Time: £1,450 per 20 credit module

  Additional Costs

  printing costs: £50+ per year
  external hard drive to store material: £50
  travel on Newsdays to stories: No more than £50

  2019/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £9,250
  Part Time: £1,400 per 20 credit module

  2020/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £12,900

  For information on the scholarships available to you as an international student, please see our International scholarships page.

  Additional Costs

  printing costs: £50+ per year
  external hard drive to store material: £50
  travel on Newsdays to stories: No more than £50

  2019/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £12,500

  Scholarships

  EU and International Scholarships

  We’re committed to offering the opportunity to study in the UK to the best and brightest students from around the world.

  Sir Thomas White Scholarship

  The Sir Thomas White scholarship will support and acknowledge an academically gifted student, with the proviso that the selection panel is confident that there is…

  TD Lewis Scholarship

  The T D Lewis Scholarship provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students with financial awards of up to £1,000.  This scholarship is awarded on educational excellence…

  The Chancellor's Fund

  The Chancellor’s Fund is a bi-annual fund providing students with awards of between £100 and £1,000. You must be a current student to apply.  The…

  Wilson Endowment Scholarship

  The Wilson Endowment Scholarship provides a £1,500 scholarship to undergraduate students from the Northamptonshire area. The endowed scholarship was donated in memory of Mr Lynn Wilson,…

• Joint Honours Study

  We offer so many courses, it can be hard to choose just one. With a Joint Honours degree, you can study two courses, whether they are closely related or completely different. Depending on how much time you want to spend on each subject, your degree may emphasise one subject more than the other, which is a major and minor programme. Alternatively, you can study your subjects equally, resulting in a joint degree.

  Please visit our Joint Honours page for more information on Joint Honours courses and available Joint Honours combinations.

*Course data provided by Unistats