Sports Journalism (including a Foundation Year)

Foundation Year courses have been designed for students who do not have the necessary academic qualifications needed to enter directly into the first year of a degree but who have the ability and commitment to do so. Once the Foundation Year has been completed successfully, you can then go on to complete your degree.

On our Sports Journalism degree course, you will study the dynamic worlds of both creative journalism and professional sports. You will explore the power and reach of digital, written and broadcast media, and discover how they shape people’s perceptions and understanding of the fast-paced and everchanging sports industry, including its policies, ethics and controversies. On our course, you will hone your practical journalistic skills and analyse key theories, contexts, practices and emerging trends within the field of sports journalism.

You will be immersed in the world of sports journalism throughout all three years of your studies, and will become an expert in covering the action, interviewing key performers and coaches, writing articles, columns and features, and analysing games, teams, players and trends. You’ll become well-versed on how to broadcast in multiplatform environments and will begin to prepare yourself for a versatile career in sports media, whilst building professional contacts every step of the way.

Studying Sports Journalism ensures that you will become equipped with the skills to communicate the power and influence of sports, which is – and always will be – a major cultural, social and economic force that is recognised on a global scale. Sports journalism serves as a critical bridge between the sports industry and the public, shaping how events, athletes and issues are understood and discussed. Through your work, you will learn to reflect broader societal values, such as teamwork, competition, diversity, politics, culture, economy, identity and community, whilst providing the public with accurate, engaging and insightful coverage of events, ensuring fans stay informed and connected.

BA Sports Journalism shares a common first year with students on BA Journalism, BA Music Journalism and BA Creative and Professional Writing. This means that you’ll learn alongside students studying a similar discipline, helping to broaden your knowledge and exposure to other concepts, perspectives and professions in the first year of your degree. We place a great deal of focus on working with others; you’ll work as part of a team on group projects and frequently discuss ideas and story leads with your peers and tutors. This means you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry.

For the latest example of curriculum availability on this degree programme please refer to the University of Chester's Website.

There will be a broad range of assessment methods so that students are exposed to the different types of tasks they might encounter in the workplace. These will include coursework in the form of portfolios, essays, presentations, digital productions and online tasks. We continuously review the assessment methods used so that they adequately prepare students for graduate-level employment.