Program Overview

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About our foundation years

Our Foundation Year courses are perfect for you if you...

• are returning to education after a long time, or you don't have the qualifications for direct entry into our degree programmes
• are thinking of re-training and would like an introduction to the area
• are an international student wanting an additional year to adapt to the UK academic system
• are still evaluating which degree pathway at UEL is the right one for you

Please note: Foundation years can only be studied full-time. However, you can transfer to part-time delivery once you have completed your foundation year. Please apply to the full-time option if you wish to study in this way.

Sports Journalism BA (Hons)

Overview

Wembley. Lord's. Wimbledon. Twickenham. There's a wide and varied world of sports journalism jobs out there. Our sports journalism students have reported from all of these iconic venues in the past few years.

Our sports journalism course offers practical training in multi-platform journalism. You will learn to report on sports for newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the internet, and mobile applications. Expert lecturers and working sports journalists will guide you. You will have the chance to interview important figures, report on matches, and visit studios and facilities. You'll develop a deep passion and knowledge of sports journalism to share with others.

Course options

Sports Journalism BA (Hons)

• UCAS code: P
• UCAS points: 112
• Duration: 3 years
• Start date: September 2025

Sports Journalism BA (Hons) with foundation year

• UCAS code: P50364
• UCAS points: 64
• Duration: 4 years
• Start date: September 2025

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements

• 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification listed on the UCAS tariff calculator, including:
  • A Levels in at least two subjects
  • BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM
  • BTEC Diploma – DD
  • Access to HE Diploma
  • T Levels
  • International Baccalaureate – 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level
• GCSE English Grade 4/C or Level 2 Functional Skills in English

International Qualifications

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit our International page for full details.

English Language requirements

IELTS 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (or recognised equivalent).

Fees

UK/Home students

• £9,535 per year

International students

• £15,560 per year

Course modules

Foundation Year

• Academic Development Core Module
• Social Media Project Core Module
• Journalism Portfolio Core Module
• Narrative and Creativity Core Module
• Ways of Looking Core Module
• Mental Wealth: Professional Development Core Module

Year 1

• Essential Journalism Core Module
• Photo, Audio and Video Core Module
• Media Law, Ethics and Regulation Core Module
• Production Journalism Core Module
• Broadcast Journalism Core Module
• Mental Wealth: Professional Life 1 (Rising East) Core Module

Year 2

• Mental Wealth: Professional Life 2 (Rising East 2) Core Module
• Employment and Enterprise (Journalism) Core Module
• Features (1): Interviews Core Module
• Storytelling with Data Core Module
• Documentary: Publications (1) Core Module
• Reporting the Business of Sport Core Module

Year 3

• Mental Wealth: Professional Life 3 (Rising East) Core Module
• Final Project: Development Core Module
• Final Project Completion Core Module
• Aesthetics and Technologies: Publications (2) Core Module
• Features (2): Data and Visualisation Core Module
• Reporting the Politics of Sport Core Module

Your future career

Our sports journalism course stands out as one of the most successful sports journalism degrees in the country. It promises an industry-focused education tailored to prepare you for a successful career. As the sports industry evolves, our graduates leave with a strong foundation of skills, knowledge, and critical thinking. These are essential to landing a job in sports journalism. You will benefit from our extensive industry connections and a far-reaching professional network.

Industry links

We have links with:

• Laura Raphael, music journalist for the BBC and Channel 4
• Matthew Lidbury, former photo editor at various national newspapers
• Alexandra Heal, reporter on the visual storytelling team at the Financial Times
• Pilar Tomas from the Shared Data Unit at the BBC
• John Stern, writer and editor specialising in cricket
• Ed Grenby who has worked at The Telegraph, The Times and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
• Rodney Hinds, Sports Editor at The Voice, The Guardian

Graduate employers

Our sports journalism graduates have gone to work for employers like:

• The BBC, BBC Sport, Match of the Day Extra
• Arsenal, Chelsea, Leyton Orient, West Ham, Charlton Athletic
• Formula E
• The Guardian
• ITV
• YOU Magazine; and
• NewsUK

Job roles

Typical roles which our sports journalism graduates have gone on to include sports journalist, sports broadcaster and sports editor/content producer.

Further study

You could specialise further in journalism by doing an MA in Global Sports Journalism or Data Journalism at UEL.

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed.

Career Zone

This digital platform provides you with careers and employability resources, including:

• Jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work
• Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts
• 1-2-1 career coaching services
• Careers workshops and employer events
• Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you've mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top:

• Work-based projects
• Networking and visits to leading organisations
• Support in starting a new business
• London on our doorstep

How you'll learn

You'll be taught by a range of staff, many of whom are practitioners in the area they teach. Some of the assessments focus on practical skills and are presented as 'live or simulated briefs'. This ensures that practice-led teaching is relevant to industry and practice. Our staff are well placed to take advantage of a range of professional networks and industry contacts. Each module is designed with practical components and a reflective component, with the intention that students develop an ability to comment on and justify their creative process.

Guided independent study

When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities. These include online resources, and specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.

Academic support

Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support.

Dedicated personal tutor

When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.

Workload

Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.

The approximate workload hours per year for this course are:

• Scheduled teaching - 318 hours
• Guided independent study - 882 hours

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible.

Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts 20-30 students a year. Lecture sizes are normally 20 plus students.

In the classroom, you will be taught in groups of 18-20 students. However, this can vary by academic year.

How you'll be assessed

The sports journalism course is assessed through coursework. Coursework will include practical outcomes, e.g. written assignments, podcasts or research-based assignments, individual or group-based films, and presentations.

You'll always receive, in-person, written or audio feedback, outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days.

Campus and facilities

Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well-equipped learning environment.

Join us and you'll be able to make the most of our facilities including contemporary lecture theatres and seminar rooms, art studios and exhibition spaces, audio and visual labs and a multimedia production centre.

Features include our 24/7 Docklands library, our £21m SportsDock centre, a campus shop and bookstore, the Children's Garden Nursery, cafés, eateries, a late bar, plus Student Union facilities, including a student lounge.

The University of East London is one of the few London universities to provide on-campus accommodation. Our Docklands Campus Student Village houses close to 1,200 students from around the world. We are well connected to central London and Canary Wharf, with London City Airport just across the water. We also run a free bus service that connects Docklands with Stratford campuses.

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by the School of Arts and Creative Industries.

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

• Course leader: Naida Redgrave
• Course leader: Dr Renata Brandao
• Course leader: Simon Patrick Miles
• Course leader: Daniel Gallan

Official student data from Discover Uni

The banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).

100%say staff value students views and opinions about the course

Data for Sports Journalism (Full time) at The University of East London, over two years

85%of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for Sports Journalism (Full time) at The University of East London, over two years

85%in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

Data for courses in Journalism at The University of East London

For more official course information visit Discover Uni

See course data

link opens in new tab

Statistics for BA (Hons) Sports Journalism Degree, full time

100%say staff value students views and opinions about the course

Data for Sports Journalism (Full time) at The University of East London, over two years

85%of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for Sports Journalism (Full time) at The University of East London, over two years

85%in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

Data for courses in Journalism at The University of East London

For more official course information visit Discover Uni

See course data

link opens in new tab

Statistics for BA (Hons) Sports Journalism Degree, full time

What our students and staff say

The most inspiring times with our students are when you feel you are playing a part in opening up the life of the mind, when so much wants to close it down. That is when the magic happens."

Simon Miles

Senior lecturer, journalism

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