Multimedia Sports Journalism BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  On our BA Multimedia Sports Journalism course, you will be taught by people who still work in the journalism industry to follow the career paths they still enjoy. Coupled with the opportunities given to you by our sports clubs and media around the county and beyond, this BJTC accredited sports journalism course will give you opportunities to learn and be supported by tutors who see you as more than a number.

  You will also have your learning future-proofed, by studying the growing areas of Esports reporting, data journalism, drone journalism and many other future technologies.

  In your first year, you will study media law and how both political and sporting opportunities work, so you understand how to get a story and how sport works as an industry.

  You will learn the core audio, video and mobile journalism skills which will allow you to conduct interviews (like Meliz pictured below), create reports and publish. You will also learn how to write sports stories and features.

  In the second year of this sports journalism degree, you will enhance your skills on all of the above, with extended teaching in magazine journalism, sports media regulation, sports commentary and documentary making skills and we will prepare you for your final year projects and dissertation.

  In your final year, you will create a documentary or magazine on a sports issue of your choice and you will create a dissertation which investigates a key issue in sports media. You will also conduct newsdays where you create sports news content to deadlines and professional standards, much like you see and hear on Five Live, talkSPORT, Sky Sports News or BBC Local Radio.

  Upon completing our multimedia sports journalism course at the University of Northampton, you will be equipped with the skills to work in any area and across all platforms within the sports media, from local newspapers, newsrooms and commercial communication departments to national broadcasters such as BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Radio 5 and Associated Press. Or you could take a leaf out of Jamie’s book (pictured above), who has just secured a job at Northampton Town Football Club.

  Learn on the job

  You will attend Northampton Saints rugby and Northampton Town football press conferences and games on a weekly basis from year one studying university sports journalism. You will also attend events at Silverstone, Northants Cricket, Huntingdon Races, Kettering esports tournament and Towcester Greyhounds.

  You will work on a student sports show on NLIVE community radio and also interview many other sports people from the area as part of your experience.

  You will get to meet well-known names who already work in the industry. Previous guest speakers include Jacqui Oatley, Faye Carruthers, Dan Roan, Liam Fisher, Sue Smith.

  Industry Guest Speakers

  Watch our YouTube video to see BBC Sport’s Editor, Dan Roan, visiting our Waterside campus.

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

  • Stage 1
    • Writing Skills for Sports Journalists (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1012

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the writing skills of a sports reporter across platforms including print, online, and broadcast. Students will learn to write sports reports, match previews, full-time match reports, quote-led reports, post-match press conference features and follow-ups as well as using social media.
    • The International Sports Industry (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1013

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the international sports industry. Students will learn the structure of each sport and which governing body covers it both domestically and internationally. They will examine the administration, regulation and structure of sport and its relationship with the media.
    • Law and Public Affairs for Journalists (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1022

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is lay the groundwork for students? ability to newsgather important public interest stories effectively and legally safely. It covers the key civic structures for the UK and the essential elements of media law.
    • Sports Newsgathering (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1028

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to introduce students to a range of skills connected to researching, writing and gathering of sports news stories. It aims to allow students to develop technical and editorial expertise across print, radio, television and online journalism through guided instruction and completing a portfolio of practical assignments.
    • Sports News Production (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1029

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to introduce students to a range of skills connected to researching, writing and producing sports news stories. It aims to allow students to develop technical and editorial expertise across radio, television and online journalism through guided instruction and completing a portfolio of practical assignments.
    • Specialist Sport (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU1031

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to equip students with the research and journalistic skills required to produce multimedia journalism relating to minority and/or `specialist? sports. The module will require students to demonstrate their adaptability to produce journalistic content relating to subject matters outside of their sphere of interest in a direct, in-person format and utilising several key elements of modern journalistic practice.Students will be required to engage with the subject matter in a way which is ethically responsible and demonstrates an ability to create content in three different formats, thus widening their skill set to incorporate a broader range of journalistic techniques.
  • Stage 2
    • Academic and Journalism Long Form Skills
      Module code: JOU2027

      Status: Compulsory
    • Sport Broadcast Skills (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU2029

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is for students to develop their professional journalistic skills in research, newsgathering, reporting and production. These skills will then be put into active use to industry-standard deadlines in Sports News Days module which follows this module. Students will also be assessed on their learning in a real-life environment by reporting back on their work placement.
    • Sports News Days (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU2031

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is for students to develop their professional journalistic skills in research, newsgathering, reporting and sports production. This module will be delivered in a form that includes 'Sports News Days' when students will report on the news in a near-professional work environment, with a specific deadline.
    • Live Sports Reporting and Regulation (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU2034

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to enable students to convey the excitement of a live sports event through multimedia content generation. Students will learn advanced radio, video and text generation techniques for live as well as develop a near professional understanding of the regulation and ethics underpinning live sport journalism. Using industry standard equipment students will compile a portfolio of their broadcast work and be tested on their knowledge of industry regulation and coverage guidelines.
    • Design Skills for Sports Journalists (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU2037

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop students? skills in hands-on page design, layout, sub-editing and proofreading, as well as associated content management. Students will be using industry-standard graphic design and publishing software to produce their own individual magazine or newspaper project.
    • Digital Skills for Sports Journalists (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU2038

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop awareness of digital toolsets and critical thinking on development of content on digital platforms. Students will enhance their analytical and teambuilding skills by devising and delivering a digital service to a defined target market.
  • Stage 3
    • Journalism Practical Project (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU3002

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to facilitate independent creative and critical work in a specified area of journalistic production. It requires students to initiate, discuss and negotiate a body of work for the year, and then to take responsibility for the successful completion of that work to deadline.
    • Launchpad: Careers in Sports Journalism (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU3015

      Status: Compulsory
      This module prompts students to consider a specific role within sports journalism, and to investigate how this might become a future career path. Teaching requires students to research and critically reflect on the structure of the sector and their own intentions and professional development.
    • International Sport and the Media (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU3016

      Status: Compulsory
      This module enables students to develop a comprehensive understanding of the origins, development and expansion of the contemporary sports media business and its relationship with the governing bodies of national and international sport and media regulation. In particular, the commercialisation of sport and sports rights will be examined.
    • Multiplatform Journalism (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU3019

      Status: Compulsory
      This module is the principal module for Multimedia Journalism students. The focus is on establishing and managing a local journalism newsroom with outputs on digital, radio and television. Students will submit a portfolio providing evidence of their journalistic contributions during the period of the project.
    • Future Trends in Journalism (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU3020

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to examine the development of future trends in journalism. Journalism has undergone several waves of significant change, such as the emergence of digital journalism, social media, and data journalism, this module aims to critically examine those changes and critique emerging future trends.
    • Journalism Dissertation (20 Credits)
      Module code: JOU4001

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide an opportunity for students to develop, at length, a particular disciplinary interest. This may derive either from study in the first two years of the degree, or from reading and/or practice activities on their own initiative.

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full time Multimedia Sports Journalism degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements for this Sports Journalism course, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• FAQs

  How will I be taught on BA Multimedia Sports Journalism?

  Our multimedia sports journalism degree is taught by a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, both face to face and online through blended learning.

  How will I be assessed on this Multimedia Sports Journalism course?

  You will be assessed through a variety of methods including practical portfolios, essays, reports, presentations, practical projects and written examinations and timed tests.

  Do you organise any study trips?

  In the below video, our Journalism students present highlights of their trip to Berlin, taking in an EU conference, a celebration of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and reporting on sporting events; the students put into practice the skills that they’ve learned on their course.
  

   

  Are there any specialist facilities and features?

  • Course accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council
  • Our own, 24/7 FM radio station, NLive – community radio station for Northampton.
  • Broadcast standard multi-camera TV studio.
  • Broadcast-standard radio studios.
  • Free laptop with access to Adobe suite of editing and design programmes.

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