Sports Media and Journalism - BA (Hons) *
Currently viewing course to start in 2027/28 Entry.
Developed and delivered in partnership with the BBC, our BA (Hons) Sports Media and Journalism prepares you for a career in one of the fastest-evolving areas of the media industry....
- Level Undergraduate
- Study mode Full Time
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date September 2027
- Subject
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Available with Professional Placement year
Open to International Students
Overview
Developed and delivered in partnership with the BBC, our BA (Hons) Sports Media and Journalism prepares you for a career in one of the fastest-evolving areas of the media industry.
The course combines journalism, media production and digital content creation, and you'll develop the practical skills, editorial judgement and professional values needed to create engaging sports content across broadcast, digital and social media platforms.
The course reflects contemporary industry practice and the changing demands of sports journalism, including the growing use of data and AI skills, along with the evolution of audience demands. You'll learn professional workflows, multi-platform storytelling and audience-focused content creation, gaining the skills to report confidently across television, radio, online and social media.
Through a combination of practical and research-informed learning, you'll develop the knowledge and experience to report on sport at every level. From live match coverage and post-match interviews to investigative features and long-form storytelling, you'll learn how to produce accurate, engaging and responsible journalism for a range of audiences and platforms.
The course explores the wider role of sports journalism in society, encouraging you to examine the cultural, social and ethical issues that shape sport today. Alongside developing your reporting and production skills, you'll gain an understanding of journalism's responsibility to represent diverse voices and tell stories that matter, both on and off the pitch.
Teaching will take place at BCU's City Centre Campus and, subject to final planning approval, at the BBC's new Midlands headquarters at the Tea Factory.
What's covered in this course?
Working in our professional newsroom and media production facilities, you'll create content for audio, video, written and digital platforms while collaborating with students across Birmingham City University's media community. Through workshops, simulated news days and live production projects, you'll gain experience of working to professional deadlines and responding to real editorial briefs.
You'll also have opportunities to hear from visiting industry professionals and work on live projects with media organisations. Students regularly contribute to our award-winning Birmingham Eastside news website, building a professional portfolio throughout their studies.
The course is taught by experienced journalists and academics with backgrounds across broadcast, print and digital media. Their industry expertise, combined with strong links to leading media organisations, ensures your learning reflects current professional practice and emerging trends across the sports media sector.
By the time you graduate, you'll have developed the creative, technical and critical skills to pursue careers across sports journalism, broadcasting, digital publishing, content creation and communications. Our graduates have gone on to work for organisations including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, Bauer, Reach plc and the Express & Star, while others have won national journalism awards during their studies.
And where better to do this than the home of Premier League and EFL football clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham City, test cricket venue and home of Warwickshire County Cricket Edgbaston Stadium, the 2022 Commonwealth Games venue Alexander Stadium, the Utilita Arena and so much more?
Throughout your studies, you'll learn from the insights of BBC staff and other industry professionals, alongside opportunities to engage with broadcasters, sports and creative organisations across Birmingham's exciting media sector. Students will have built a professional portfolio of sports journalism content by the time they graduate.
Professional Placement year
This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.
If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course.
Placement opportunities may be available with a wide range of organisations across the media, creative and communications sectors. As placements are secured through a competitive recruitment process, opportunities with specific employers or organisations cannot be guaranteed.
Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year.
Why Choose Us?
- Industry-standard equipment – utilise our specialist facilities in our £62 million home in the city centre, including six radio studios, four TV studios, edit suites, music production studios, a newsroom media hub, and photography studios.
- Develop industry-ready skills - build practical skills across sports journalism, media production and digital content creation for TV, radio, online and social media.
- Learn with BBC expertise - developed in partnership with the BBC, the course reflects current industry practice, including data, AI and evolving audience demands.
- Gain real-world experience - cover live matches, conduct interviews, produce investigative features and work to professional deadlines through simulated news days and live projects.
- Learn from industry professionals – you will be taught by experienced journalists and academics, with opportunities to meet visiting professionals.
- Study in the heart of Birmingham’s sporting scene – benefit from access to major sporting venues and opportunities to engage with organisations across Birmingham’s thriving sports, media and creative industries.
Open Days
Join us for our next Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Open Days: 26 September (Sport only), 10 October
Course in Depth
First Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Sports Journalism and Storytelling 30 credits
Core Production skills 30 credits
Live Reporting 30 credits
Media Industries 30 credits
Second Year
In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
PR and Communications 30 credits
Sports Journalism and Investigation 30 credits
Live Sports Production 30 credits
Commissioning and Making 30 credits
Professional Placement Year (optional)
In order to qualify for the Professional Placement Year, you must successfully complete the following Level 5 module:
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 40- week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
Final Year
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Innovation in Sports Industry and Media 30 credits
Project Development 30 credits
Professional Practice 30 credits
Major Project 30 credits
How you will learn
Your learning will be through a mixture of lectures, practical workshops and seminars. We embed flexible opportunities for you to access your curriculum including recorded lectures, blended learning, on-campus delivery and intensive delivery of some modules.
We recognise that students’ progress to higher education from a variety of educational experiences and that university is a completely new educational environment for most of you. For that reason, you will find that in your first year with us there is a focus on supporting your transition which places an emphasis on developing both the confidence and the competencies required for being successful at your university assignments.
Where appropriate, we will bring in external speakers or arrange visits relevant to your specialism. These may be from industry or be focused on a particular specialist academic interest. We have excellent links with industry, community and scholarly partners which we draw on to enhance your learning experience.
How you will be assessed
All our assessments are designed to ensure that you meet the learning outcomes of your modules and thus of the course overall. Assessment types may include written research reports, essays, case studies, practical work, portfolios and presentations. There are no formal examinations on your course, but short classroom tests may be included within an element of assessment. You will be assessed as an individual but there may be times when you will be asked to work within teams and submit assessments as groups.
All modules offer chances for formative assessment, that is, informal assessments that are used to assess your understanding before the final submission of your work. Formative assessments also help inform the teaching strategy within a module, identifying areas where we can offer extra help and guidance. We will offer tutorials and a chance for you to discuss your draft assessments before you submit them. Once marked, we will give formal feedback and ‘feed forward’ on all work submitted, aimed at helping you improve future submissions.
Trips and visits
Students are given the opportunity to cover major sporting events such as live cricket or football.
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2027/28.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
Essential requirements
112 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Guidance for UK students
UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
- Register with UCAS
- Login to UCAS and complete your details
- Select your course and write a personal statement
- Get a reference
- Pay your application fee and submit your application
Guidance for International students
There are three ways to apply:
1) Direct to the University
You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.
2) Through a country representative
Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.
3) Through UCAS
If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.
Personal statement
The personal statement gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the three areas you’ll need to address:
- Why do you want to study this course or subject?
Here’s where you explain what makes this course exciting to you. Think about your motivations for studying the course and your future plans. If you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons.
- How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
This is your chance to show what you’ve learned at school or college. You should include the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from education or training and how this will help you succeed in your chosen course.
- What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
Not everything you’ve learned comes from the classroom. Life experience counts too! You might want to talk about work experience, employment, or volunteering and how they’ve helped you develop the skills needed for your chosen course or future career.
Worried about Personal Statements?
If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.
Employability
Enhancing employability skills
The course will equip you with first-hand practical expertise and provide you with the rigorous academic knowledge you’ll need to fulfil a career in your chosen communications and journalism field.
Our track record for graduate employment is excellent, with many graduates going into a media-related role. The course opens specific employability avenues related to the production route chosen. Several journalism graduates from Birmingham City University have gone into roles such as social media editor, reporter, and video editors.
Links to industry
Regular guest speakers and visiting lecturers from newspapers, broadcast, magazines and online publications will provide you with an insight into the modern journalism industry. By working with specialists in their field, you will be able to learn how to bring stories to life.
You’ll also get the chance to engage directly with industry through activities such as hack days and projects with the likes of the BBC, The Times and Trinity Mirror; we have excellent links with several national, regional and local outlets.
Graduate jobs
Our graduates have gone on to work for organisations including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, Bauer, Reach plc and the Express & Star, while others have won national journalism awards during their studies.
Facilities & Staff
Through Birmingham City University's partnership with the BBC, you will benefit from access to specialist facilities across both our City Centre Campus and – subject to final planning approval – the BBC Tea Factory, located just a short walk away in Birmingham's creative quarter.
Subject to final planning approval, the Tea Factory facilities are expected to include radio and television production spaces, audio facilities, and specialist broadcast technology environments.
Alongside this, you'll learn in BCU's purpose-built Media Centre at Parkside, home to industry-standard television, radio and digital production facilities. Three of the TV studios can facilitate live multi-camera production, and all studios (TV and radio) can be interconnected. It’s taken 22km of wire to make that happen!
Together, these facilities provide a dynamic production environment where you can develop practical skills, collaborate on creative projects and gain experience using the technologies found across today's media industries.
Our staff
Chris Lepkowski
Senior Lecturer in Sports Journalism
Chris has been a journalist since 1997, specialising in sport since 1998. Chris has worked for national publications and websites, including FourFourTwo, Autosport, Motorsport News and the Birmingham Post & Mail, as well as freelanced for The Sunday Times, The Mirror, The Express and The Daily Star.
More about ChrisDr Ross Hawkes
Course Director for MA Journalism
Ross is the founder and editor of an award-winning hyperlocal news website, Lichfield Live, and also leads the Community Interest Company producing The Lichfield and Burntwood Independent newspaper. His PhD explored the work of semi-professional journalists operating in the hyperlocal and independent space across the UK. He is a member of the...
More about RossDr Olufunmilayo Jinadu
Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism
Dr Olufunmilayo 'Funmi' Jinadu is a journalist and researcher with over a decade of experience working as a radio presenter, news editor and producer in the UK and Nigeria. She was also a multimedia journalist working across visual and audio online platforms.
More about OlufunmilayoDr Rachel-Ann Charles
Associate Professor in Media and Communications
Rachel-Ann brings a range of experience from her work in news media across the Caribbean and Europe. Her teaching expertise spans all undergraduate media courses, ensuring students receive a comprehensive and well-rounded education in journalism. As a member of the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR), Dr Charles is keen on...
More about Rachel-Ann