Sports Journalism with Placement

The sports journalism course gets you into the thick of the action straight away, reporting on local and national sports for both online and traditional media platforms. You will be a practicing journalist from day one – benefiting from outstanding teaching, facilities and contacts, along with plenty of opportunities to put your learning into practice.

The course has been developed to meet the needs of the modern sports journalism industry and is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), which ensures you are ready to work for their industry partners (BBC, Sky News, ITN, Channel 4 News, Global Radio, Associated Press, Reuters and National Union of Journalists). The degree boasts a broad spectrum of transferable skills - from print or broadcast to online and social media reporting – training you to produce a comprehensive news package that will engage and excite your audience.

The proof is in our graduates. Solent sports journalists operate at some of the top broadcast companies, including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, ESPN and talkSPORT, as well as national newspapers such as The Daily Mail and The Times. Other graduates work in the media offices of football, cricket and rugby clubs, as well as creative agencies and organisations.

At Solent, you'll have access to industry-standard software and work with real news agency material and interviews with the biggest names, via our partnership with Press Association (PA) and Independent Radio News (IRN). In a dedicated newsroom, you will engage in news productions for Solent Sports News using high-end media equipment, where you'll be encouraged to report on a variety of sporting events and stories. You'll also use our other industry-standard broadcast facilities including television and radio studios, editing and production facilities, and professional grade camera, audio and lighting equipment.

The course also hosts guest speakers and masterclasses from high‑profile figures in sports journalism and broadcasting, including leading writers, commentators, and editors from national newspapers, Sky Sports, ITV and the BBC.

And the south is a fantastic location to engage with sporting activity. Solent University is the official education partner of Championship side Southampton Football Club, while the nearby Utilita Bowl is home to Hampshire Cricket and hosts regular national and international matches. The Solent is a popular race sailing location, hosting major events such as the America’s Cup. Plus, the University has many successful sporting teams and athletes for you to create content from.

If you’re looking to study our sports journalism degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the foundation year in media will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the foundation year in media.

This course also offers the option of a placement year. A placement year allows you to put what you've learned in your first and second years into practice in the workplace, gaining valuable real-world work experience before you graduate. Our course and placements teams will help you find the perfect industry placement in your chosen field.

What does this course lead to?
Graduating with hands-on experience as a practising journalist, you will find many doors open to you when looking for work in sports media. From reporting live matches as sports journalists and broadcasters, to shaping narratives as feature writers, digital content creators, and social media managers, graduates have gone on to hugely diverse careers. We have former students working in the media teams of football clubs, presenting TV and radio bulletins on Sky Sports and talkSPORT, creating videos for social media giants, writing for broadsheet newspapers, digital media, and magazines, and much more.

YEAR ONE
CORE MODULES

Ready for Broadcast
Making Your Debut
Sport Journalist Toolkit
In the Frame

YEAR TWO
CORE MODULES

Sports Report
Data Journalism and Visualisation
Sports Social Storytelling
The Press Pass

PLACEMENT YEAR

FINAL YEAR
CORE MODULES

Future of Sports Journalism
The Professional Launchpad
On Air
Final Whistle

You may be assessed at the end of each block by:
Portfolios
Individual presentations
Written exams
Practical exams
Essays
Video submissions
Blogs
As part of this course, you will study one module at a time, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding and see the results of your hard work more quickly. With regular assessments and feedback, rather than exams all at once, you’ll also benefit from improved focus, and a more manageable workload.