Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £16,655 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
Teaching Quality
Sheffield Hallam University is ranked 8th amongst UK providers for journalism in the Guardian University Guide 2023 league table.
Course summary
- Prepare for the degree with an extra foundation year at the start.
- Learn how to gather, organise, write and present sports news, features and commentary to a professional standard across a variety of platforms.
- Gain a critical understanding of the historical, cultural and global context of sport.
- Equip yourself with the skills necessary to enter a competitive industry as a freelance sports journalist.
You will examine the ethical, legal and regulatory context in which sports journalists work and learn about the historical and cultural significance of sport. You will learn how to produce content for print, web, social media, radio and TV audiences.
View our students' work
Find out more about the Media Arts and Communications department and view the work of some of our students.
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
The course is suitable if you don't meet the entry requirements for our BA (Hons) Sports Journalism course, or you want extra preparation before starting degree-level study. You share the first year with other media arts and communication foundation year students, then move on to the degree.
You learn through
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Practical sessions
- Work Placements
You will have opportunity to study abroad in Europe, Australia or America and the option to take a placement year to work in industry.
In the foundation year, you will study wide-ranging media arts and communication topics, while also focussing on your particular subject area and completing assignments in that field. You will grow as a creative, and begin developing a professional portfolio. You will also become familiar with our exceptional facilities and staff, so you're fully prepared for undergraduate study.
Applied learning
On the course you learn how the sports department of media organisations operate, how to produce news stories, match reports, commentary, preview features, opinion pieces and personality profiles and how to research and plan sports coverage for radio and television broadcasts. You will gain an understanding of public relations and media liaison techniques, such as how to devise and organise media opportunities and how to write web pages, press releases, news items and promotional material.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in
- newspaper sports journalism
- broadcast sports journalism
- sports public relations
- online sports journalism
- magazine sports journalism
Previous graduates of BA (Honours) Sports Journalism have gone on to work for
- Talk Sport
- Liverpool FC TV
- Charlton Athletic FC
- Everton Football Club
- Leeds Rhinos
- Perform
- National Golf Magazine
- Sheffield Star
- William Hill TV
- Chesterfield Football Club
- Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour | Keeping safe on Campus
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course you work with
- industry standard, state of the art broadcast studios and exclusive access to three news rooms.
Learn more about your department
Media, Arts and Communications Facilities Tour
Take a look around the media, arts and communication facilities at Sheffield Hallam University with lecturer Saskia Wilson.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
With at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- CDD at A Level.
- MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core.
- A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M.
GCSE
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.p>
• An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Media Arts and Communication.
We treat the foundation year as part of the Media Arts and Communication degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Media Arts and Communication degrees.
Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Important notice: The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Creative Synergies In Media Production | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media In Context | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media Project | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Preparing For Independent Practice And Study | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Audio Visual Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media Law And Democracy | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Multimedia Storytelling | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Social Media And Web Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Sport History And Society | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Sports Reporting And Commentary | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Ethics And Responsibility | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Media Management And Public Relations In Sport | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Radio And Sound Production | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Sports News And Features | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Tv And Video News Skills | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Football And Popular Culture | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Podcasting | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 4
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Final year
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Applied Project / Dissertation For Journalism | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Multiplatform Sports Journalism | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Digital Journalism And Data Visualisation | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Gender, Disability And Sport | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Pr And Power | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Radio Broadcasting | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Tv Journalism And Production | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fees for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/2025 are regulated by the UK government and are yet to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2023/2024 is £9,250 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £16,655 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Media, PR and journalism courses (PDF, 220.5KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
