Specialist Sports Journalism with Foundation Year
Specialist sports journalism brings professional journalistic training together with deep knowledge of the sports world, preparing you to cover sport with both the craft skills and the sporting expertise that the field demands. Sports journalism is one of the most competitive areas within the profession, combining the skills of general journalism, including news writing, interviewing, research, and editing, with specialist knowledge of sports institutions, stories, and culture. The multimedia and digital dimensions of contemporary sports media mean that journalists must be able to work across print, broadcast, podcast, social media, and video platforms with confidence and versatility.
At the University of Derby, this four-year programme includes a foundation year that provides a supported entry into degree-level journalism and sports study. The foundation year builds the academic and professional foundations needed before the main programme, and is particularly suited to students who are passionate about sport and journalism but who want additional preparation before entering the full degree. From the main programme onwards, you will develop your journalistic skills across all the core areas, including writing to deadline, conducting interviews, filing copy across platforms, and understanding media law and ethics.
Your sports specialism will deepen alongside this, developing knowledge of sports organisations, sports business, and the specific conventions of sports reporting.
This full-time, four-year programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, making it one of the most experientially comprehensive sports journalism degrees available. The placement and international experiences add enormous professional value, giving you real-world credentials and, in many cases, the industry contacts that early careers in journalism depend on. Graduates go on to careers as sports reporters, correspondents, broadcasters, content producers, social media managers, and communications professionals within sports organisations, clubs, federations, and media outlets.