Sports Journalism
P525Would you like to produce Soccer Sunday, be the next F1 pit lane reporter, or direct coverage of Olympics? That’s exactly what some of our former students are doing. Our BJTC accredited course perfectly prepares you for the exciting and fast-paced world of sports journalism.
Course overview
Our aim is to equip you for the competitive world of sports journalism - both in front and behind the camera. Our course is accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) so you know that everything we do is of the highest industry standard.
At our state-of-the-art studios you will produce top quality sports journalism content that will rival local and national broadcasters. That might include highlights of local football matches, features on Olympic athletes, or social media content with local and national sports stars. You will learn to create digital content for television, radio, online and social media platforms. Your award-winning teaching team includes international broadcasters, editors, feature writers and documentary makers, with decades of journalism experience at sports organisations like Sky Sports, TNT, beIN SPORTS, and Prime Video. At Winchester you learn by doing, but that vocational learning will be supported by a challenging series of lectures and seminars that include sports media law, investigative journalism and sports documentary making.
What you need to know
Course start date
September
Location
Winchester campus
Course length
- 3 years full-time
- 4 years part-time
Apply
P525
Typical offer
104-120 points
Fees
From £9,250 pa
Course features
- Produce award-winning student journalism while learning from lecturers still working as professional sports journalists.
- Accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), the leading industry-led journalism training body.
- High employability rates - our graduates are at the BBC Sport, Sky Sports, ITV Sport, TNT, beIN Sports, Opta and Autosport.
Course details
Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.
You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars etc., you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.
Independent learning
Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.
Year 1 (Level 4): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 216 hours
Independent learning: 984 hours
Year 2 (Level 5): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 264 hours
Independent learning: 936 hours
Year 3 (Level 6): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
Teaching, learning and assessment: 144 hours
Independent learning: 936 hours
Placement: 120 hours
*Please note these are indicative hours for the course.
The approach to this journalism course is based around the creation of a simulated real-life working news and sports production operation. The course uses all the technology of the social media age. This approach, together with very low staff-student ratios enables us to tailor the course to the individual needs and ambitions of particular students. At Winchester journalism students can specialise in magazine, consumer and fashion journalism, sports journalism, news, campaigning and investigative journalism; either online or on radio or TV and for magazines.
Location
Taught elements of the course take place on campus in Winchester
Teaching hours
All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.
Assessments
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:
Year 1 (Level 4)*:
87% coursework
13% written exams
0% practical assessment
Year 2 (Level 5)*:
100% coursework
0% written exams
0% practical assessment
Year 3 (Level 6)*:
87% coursework
13% written exams
0% practical assessment
*Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme.
Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Further information
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
Modules
Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions
Entry requirements
Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A-Levels: BCC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
- BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
- International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
- T Level: Merit in a T Level
Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.
In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:
GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further
If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on their website which may be of interest.
If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:
- IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry)
- We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT
If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by contacting our International Recruitment Team via our International Apply Pages.
2025 Course Tuition Fees
| UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland |
International |
|
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 2 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Year 3 | £9,250 | £16,700 |
| Total | £27,750 | £50,100 |
| Optional Sandwich Year* | £1,850 | £3,340 |
| Total with Sandwich Year | £29,600 | £53,440 |
Additional tuition fee information
If you are a UK student starting your degree in September 2025, the first year will cost you £9,250**. Based on this fee level, the indicative fees for a three-year degree would be £27,750 for UK students.
Remember, you don’t have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year.
UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £77.08 and a 15 credit module is £1,156. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £6,935.
International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £139.14 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.
* Please note that not all courses offer an optional sandwich year.
**The University of Winchester will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year.
Additional costs
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:
Optional
Core texts
Core Texts are available from the University Library; however we strongly recommend student's purchase their own books. In Year 3 students are required to buy 3 core text books. These texts can be bought from the university bookshop, which in recent years have been offered as a package deal. Students can also find hard copies/e-copies of these books in the library. Indicative cost is £30-£200 per academic year.
Mandatory
Core texts
Students are required to purchase two books.
Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers by Harold Evans.
McNae's Essential Law for Journalists by Mark Hanna and Mike Dodd.
Indicative cost is £40.
Placement
In Year 3, students are required to take a 15 day placement. Students are required to cover the cost of travel to their placement. Costs varies depending on travelling distance and mode of transport.
Disclosure and Barring Service
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance check may be required if you undertake a placement, volunteering, research or other course related activity where you will have contact with children or vulnerable adults. The requirement for a DBS check will be confirmed by staff as part of the process to approve your placement, research or other activity. The indicative cost is £40.
SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS
We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards page.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Graduates go into print, broadcast and electronic media as reporters, producers and researchers. Support is given in seeking both work placements during study and employment thereafter to assist the process of a successful career in journalism.
The University of Winchester ranks in the top 10 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021, HESA.
Pre-approved for a Masters
University of Winchester students studying Bachelor Honours degrees are pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible students must apply by the end of March in their final year and meet the entry requirements of their chosen Masters degree.
OUR CAREERS SERVICE
Read how two Winchester Journalism students covered the 2024 UK General Election and as a result of their live reporting, were nominated for a national radio award.
