Specialist Sports Journalism with Foundation Year

This degree offers you the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence before you advance to stage one of your honours degree.

From the Olympics to Premier League football, our nation's passion for sports coverage has never been stronger.  

• Choose our foundation year route if you want to strengthen your knowledge and skills before you progress to stage one of the BA (Hons) Specialist Sport Journalism degree
• Journalism at Derby has been ranked Top 30 in the Guardian University Guide 2023
• Build high-level skills in researching and producing compelling print, radio, TV and online sports stories
• Harness the latest digital technologies which are transforming the way we receive and engage with sports coverage
• Take a unique opportunity to focus on the sport of your choice - from cricket, rugby or football to minority sports
• Gain invaluable experience through work placements, employer-led projects and opportunities to study abroad
• Be inspired by our team of highly experienced tutors with strong media backgrounds and extensive contacts
• Learn in our exceptional facilities which include TV and radio studios plus  fully equipped newsrooms

We've developed this course with your future in mind. New technologies are revolutionising media and the ways in which people receive their sports news. Today's digital technologies allow people to follow their chosen sports much more closely - and they expect a high level of expertise from those reporting on sport. We will equip you with the professional knowledge and multimedia skills to rise to this challenge.

Studying Specialist Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject of journalism, enabling you to achieve your full honours degree in four years.

New skills for a new era

In an age of digital news, there has never been a more exciting or challenging time to study sports journalism. This dynamic course enables you to produce compelling content for both traditional and emerging media platforms.  And, unlike with other courses, you'll have the opportunity to specialise in a sport of your choice - from minority sports through to cricket, rugby and football.

You'll gain the core journalistic research and writing skills as well as studying media law and ethics. At the same time, you'll develop a multi-platform mindset, producing print, radio and TV reports as well as creating blogs and podcasts, digital photos, audio/video stories and content for websites and mobile devices.

Meeting industry demand

We are collaborating closely with leading names in sport and media to ensure this degree delivers the right level of skills and knowledge. You'll be equipped not only to cover sport as a journalist but also for the growing number of media relations roles in the sports industry.

The course has been developed following discussions with major media companies like the BBC, national and local newspapers, sports industry bodies and sports clubs themselves. Drawing on these strong partnerships, you'll be able to extend your professional networks, gain practical work experience and hear guest lectures from experienced sports journalists.

Hone your expertise in sports news

Throughout your studies, you'll gain significant hands-on experience of gathering and reporting news and information on your chosen sport.  You'll also analyse traditional media coverage and the way in which social media and individual blogs are transforming sports journalism.

You are expected to gain an in-depth knowledge of your sport, covering every level from local grassroots players to the biggest names in international sport. We focus on the governance and business aspects of sport too, reflecting how these are never far from the headlines.

Exciting work experience opportunities

As part of your course, you'll boost your CV by gaining practical work experience with a media or sports organisation in the UK or overseas. All our students are expected to have completed at least 15 days of work placement by the time they graduate.

The course features work-based modules where you can expand your professional know-how. We also encourage you to work with charities and other not-for-profit organisations to gain an insight into why media matters so much. In addition, you can contribute to the various print, radio and online news outlets at the University, which is itself a rich source of news and debate around sport.

Outstanding facilities

You'll be based at our main campus at Kedleston Road and at our Markeaton Street site where you'll discover our excellent facilities including three radio studios, a fully equipped television studio, video editing suites, Mac suites and a newsroom featuring the latest software.

You'll work with industry-standard recording and editing software that is used worldwide. It means you'll be both confident and competent with up-to-the-minute technology - giving you a real advantage when you're looking for a job.

Variety and versatility

Our emphasis is on fostering creative, versatile journalists with experience in a variety of production techniques. On top of this, you will gain journalistic expertise in your chosen sport, helping you to pursue a career in your specialist area of interest.

Alongside your traditional reporting skills, we want you to develop a passion for ideas and creative communication, to seek people out and find the human stories behind the headlines. You'll also focus on your intellectual and critical development, study research techniques and gain an understanding of audience theory.

Broaden your perspectives

We offer the opportunity for internation study through our American exchange programme, in which you will spend a full semester studying at one of our partner universities in the USA:

• Eastern Michigan University
• Keene State College in New Hampshire
• Longwood University in Virginia
• Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.

• Shahadat Al-Thanawaya Al-Aama
• Students with an overall score of 60% would usually be eligible for the International Foundation Year
• UKVI IELTS 4.5 with a minimum of 4.0 in all components (CEFR B1) is also required

• If you are studying and completing any internationally recognised qualification such as A-levels; International Baccalaureate (IB) or the American Curricula from the International Schools within Jordan, then you can begin from the first year of a Bachelors degree. Please see individual course pages for specific entry requirements
• If you have completed a recognised international foundation programme with good grades
• Advanced entry to year 2 or 3 may be possible. You will need to supply detailed information including courses taken, grades achieved, syllabus and a grading guide

This course develops the broad range of knowledge and skills you need to become a multimedia professional, adept in the production of journalistic content for print, online and broadcast outlets. While it equips you to work in sports journalism specifically, it also prepares you for careers in broader areas of journalism.

The research and communication skills of a journalist are highly transferable to a huge variety of graduate level careers. Our graduates secure jobs not only in newspapers, magazines and broadcasting but also with online businesses and social media agencies. While many go on to work in traditional journalist roles, others find careers in PR, marketing, advertising and corporate communications.

Ensuring you're 'work-ready'

Our Careers and Employment Service will provide you with support from day one of your course to ensure you leave Derby as a 'work-ready' graduate - industry aware, motivated and enterprising. Throughout your studies, you'll also benefit from our Personal Development Planning (PDP) scheme which enables you to reflect on your learning and develop your career ambitions. The support continues once you've completed your course too: you are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.