Launch your career as a sports journalist for top-end multimedia sports platforms such as Sky Sports News, BBC Sport or national newspapers, or join the media teams of Premier League clubs, Formula One teams or golf's DP World Tour. Gain the skills to work with, and for, the best in the business on this NCTJ-accredited course.
Overview
Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, Manchester United FC, Liverpool FC, Everton FC, Newcastle United FC, golf’s Ryder Cup and DP World Tour, the Williams F1 team, national newspapers – just a few examples of careers that all started with this course.
Report from the press box at Wembley Stadium, interview club executives, visit some of Europe’s finest football stadia, report on professional county cricket, produce your own website, sports TV episode or series of investigative sports articles – all while learning the latest techniques in digital, video and broadcast production sports journalism and studying for UK journalism’s gold standard qualification, the NCTJ Diploma.
You'll gain thorough training for life at sports media’s cutting edge while studying Sports Journalism at Sunderland. Working in the mediaHUB, you'll build your practical experience and portfolio of published work on SportsByte, our student-run website covering sport across the North East. Develop cutting-edge sports production techniques using our state-of-the-art TV studios and outside broadcast equipment. Learn about the day-to-day media operations of major sporting organisations in the Club Journalism module.
Why us?
- Benefit from our exclusive link-ups with Sunderland AFC, Newcastle United FC and Durham County Cricket Club to gain invaluable matchday reporting or broadcast production experience of big sporting stages.
- Sky Sports News, BBC Sport, Manchester United FC, Liverpool FC, Newcastle United FC, Everton FC, West Ham United, Glasgow Rangers FC, Derby County FC, Durham CCC, Formula 1, DP World Tour, The Racing Post, The Daily Express, The Daily Mirror and – of course – Sunderland AFC have all been destinations of our graduates.
- This course is accredited by the National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ). The NCTJ diploma is required by key journalism employers, such as Sky Sports News. Learn more about the benefits of studying an NCTJ-accredited course.
- Our Journalism courses are 13th in the UK (Guardian University Guide, 2023).
- Network with and learn from a range of guest speakers who work in the industry.
- Guaranteed placements. Students have previously gained experience at FourFourTwo, national newspapers (e.g., The Sun, The Telegraph), the BBC, Sky Sports News and many more big names in sport.
- Go on inspirational sports trips. Student have visited the Camp Nou in Barcelona, attended Europa League matches in Germany and covered Wembley cup finals in the press box.
Course structure
During the first year, we’ll set you up with the core skills of sports journalism, including training in writing styles, research and Media Law. You’ll look at both traditional sports reporting techniques and the contemporary skills of digital sports journalism. In the second and third years, you’ll study topics in more depth, sampling our state-of-the-art facilities and tackling Multimedia Sports Journalism, Advanced Sports Reporting, and Media Ethics, while training in shorthand – a skill hugely valued by employers such as Sky Sports News - free of charge.
Throughout your course, you can build both your practical experience and portfolio of published work by taking on reporting and/or editing roles on SportsByte, our student-run website covering sport across the North East, in our innovative mediaHUB - BBC Newcastle’s home in Sunderland and host to visiting journalists from organisations such as Reach PLC and JPI Media. You can also benefit from our exclusive link-ups with Durham County Cricket Club, Newcastle Falcons rugby club and Sunderland AFC – where a part-time internship is available each year to one third-year student - to gain invaluable match day and behind-the-scenes reporting experience of big sporting stages.
In your final year, you can have your sports content published by JPI Media each week for an entire semester, and go on work placement – putting what you’ve learnt into practice and also building crucial workplace relationships. You’ll undertake a practical project, which will add significantly to the portfolio of work you can present to prospective employers.
Teaching methods include lectures, demonstrations, seminars, workshops, group projects and practical skills work. All our teaching staff have worked as journalists and have strong links with regional employers and industry organisations. We also invite experienced industry professionals to carry out regular guest lectures and classes.
Assessment is split between portfolios of practical work, essays, examinations, reports and presentations.
Facilities
Our David Puttnam Media Centre is a buzzing place to study sports journalism. As well as working in our mediaHUB on sports content, you can volunteer with our award-winning radio station, Spark Sunderland, write for one of our suite of websites or edit Spark Magazine in our mediaHUB. Get hands-on in Journalism and Digital editing suites. Learn from experts in this centre of excellence for training.
Career ready
This degree prepares you for writing and talking about sports in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and online media, as well as for clubs or brands.
Recent journalism graduates from Sunderland have gained experiences with employers such as Sky, Sky Sports, NFL, 4ThePlayer, The Racing Post, MTV, The Guardian, ITV, regional newspapers and PR companies.
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