Sport Journalism MA (PGCert PGDip)

Course structure

The Sport Journalism MA comprises six 20-credit modules that each involve around 30 hours of contact time, plus an independent final project where you will work with an allocated supervisor. 

The course is taught by sport media industry professionals and highly respected academics who will help you develop key journalism skills as well as academic research and writing methods.

You will compile an e-portfolio of assorted journalistic work that acts as a showcase to prospective employers. The practical journalism modules will feed into your portfolio and you will also publish your work on our website, Overtime Online.

Your placement will enable you to demonstrate hands-on experience in a sport journalistic environment.

The course is flexible in that it allows you to exit with a postgraduate certificate at the end of one semester (three 20-credit modules) or a postgraduate diploma at the end of two semesters (six 20-credit modules). You must complete the 60-credit research project to qualify for the MA.

For international students, the MA offers an extended masters route with English language study for between two and six months before the course begins. 

 Areas of study

The Sport Journalism MA enables you to develop the critical, contextual and practical skills and knowledge to be able to succeed in the sports media industry.

• Analyse the state of the industry and critically appraise how current professional standards can be improved with particular focus on ethically and socially responsible journalism.
• Explore the contextual knowledge needed to be a successful professional sports journalist, learn how to cover court cases involving high-profile sports people and how to avoid libel and breaches of copyright in the study of media law.
• Learn about sports governance, such as how UK Sport and Sport England work, and public affairs issues including planning that are essential to writing more complex sports stories such as new stadium developments.
• Study the purpose and function of the profession and reflect on industry standards and your own professional practice.

• Explore how the industry has changed in the digital age, the challenges posed, and what this new media environment has meant for what sport journalism is and could be.
• Explore the key shifts in sports media including the emergence of Sky in the early 1990s through to the development of global third-party production companies such as IMG and Perform Group.
• Apply theoretical models of understanding sport journalism such as the toy department concept, sociology of work and professions, and political economy in exploring these occupational and industry shifts.
• Evaluate key ethical debates affecting the industry including coverage of race, gender and sexuality issues within sports journalism and whether the profession is doing enough to hold those in power to account.
• Consider what implications the rise of public relations has had for sports journalism and how sports clubs and organisations now employ sports journalists as well as mainstream media. 

Modules

Core modules

• News Journalism
• Digital Journalism
• Critical Issues in Sport Journalism
• Journalism in Society
• Sport Journalism Practice
• Professional-based Learning
• Final Project

The Critical Issues in Sport Journalism and Journalism in Society modules provide the critical and contextual knowledge needed to underpin good journalistic practice.

Professional-based Learning oversees your professional development and you will also synthesise your learning in the Final Project module.

Practical journalism modules (News Journalism and Digital Journalism) explore newer, forward-thinking digital practices such as live blogging, social media and data journalism alongside the core, traditional skills of interviewing, writing skills and developing contacts. You will evaluate the most appropriate technique to the story in question and consider the ethical considerations in play.

You will study core sports journalism skills such as match reporting, preview pieces, long-form writing and sourcing sports news through the Sports Journalism module.

NCTJ Diploma

In addition to gaining a Journalism MA we offer you the opportunity to take the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism and include the examination costs within your university course fees.*

The NCTJ Diploma in Journalism is the qualification that editors look for when recruiting a trainee journalist.

The NCTJ Diploma examines in general reporting, ethics and regulation, public affairs, media law, court reporting, sports journalism, Teeline shorthand, and a portfolio of journalistic work.

Although not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to engage with this opportunity. Achieving gold standard of A-C in all components of the diploma and 100 words per minute in shorthand will boost your qualifications and your employment prospects.

* The University will pay for first assessment attempts of the NCTJ Diploma but you would need to finance any re-sits yourself.

* The University will pay for your first assessment attempts of the NCTJ Diploma but you would need to finance any re-sits yourself.

Professional experience

Through our Professional-Based Learning module, you will spend time in an industry environment on placement. We have close links with national and local organisations including Sky Sports News and the Eastbourne Herald. The University of Brighton won the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Innovation of the Year award for its partnership work with Brighton & Hove Albion FC that involves paid opportunities for students to cover matches in the Amex Stadium press box.

Our Employability Hub is on hand to help you secure an experience that best meets your career goals and aspirations. Professional experience will enhance your practice and academic knowledge, and many of our students have started their careers with their placement organisation. You will also compile an e-portfolio of journalistic work that will act as a showcase to prospective employers.

We have links with many organisations for placements including:

• The Sun
• Sky Sports News
• The Independent
• Daily Mail
• The Times
• The Guardian
• Daily Telegraph
• Hayters Sports Agency
• Eastbourne Herald
• TalkSport
• FourFourTwo
• Brighton and Hove Albion FC
• Ricochet TV.

Features 

Field trips
Journalism students will also benefit from field trips. Previous trips have included:

• Sky Sports News tour and development day
• London Lions basketball
• Flat racing at Brighton racecourse
• County cricket at Hove, Sussex
• Football at Eastbourne Borough and Lewes FC
• Sussex Senior Cup Final

Guest speakers
The journalism subject area at the University of Brighton also has a vibrant guest speaker programme. Previous visitors have included:

• Paul Hayward, chief sports writer, Daily Telegraph
• Dick Pound, ex-CEO, World Anti-Doping Agency
• Jim White, sport columnist, Daily Telegraph
• Stuart Mawhinney, head of Sky Sports PR
• Geoff Shreeves, chief touchline reporter, Sky Sports
• Kelly Cates, touchline reporter and presenter, BBC 5Live and Sky Sports
• Sam Munnery, digital sports editor, The Times
• Derren Howard, head of sport, East Sussex Newspapers
• Adam Hurrey, author, Football Cliches
• Duncan Alexander, head of editorial, Opta Sport

Facilities 

Newsroom 
Our modern newsroom is equipped with 40 computers that retract into the desk to form a workspace for editorial meetings. All computers have the Adobe Suite installed including Premiere Pro, InDesign and Photoshop. The newsroom also has five wall-hung screens showing Sky News and BBC News 24.

Digital Hub 
Next door to the newsroom is the digital hub, with editing suites and mobile journalism facilities.

Staff profiles 

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included, while studying a course in the School of Sport and Service Management are listed here.

• DBS checks, where required, are included in the fees.
• For all journalism students there are professional body examinations from the National Council for Training of Journalists. The university pays for your first attempt at each examination and this cost of around £400 is included in the course fees. But if you don’t pass an exam you will be responsible for resit fees, at an average cost of £45 per examination.
• UK-based field trips are available in some option modules in the final year. You do not have to take these option modules to complete the degree programme. Where a field trip is present costs are covered but you are expected to make a contribution towards food. Typically this is £50.
• For courses which require a placement, you’ll be expected to pay for your living costs and travel. Physical Education (QTS teacher training) students can claim travel costs to their school placement.
• The school runs a number of day trips which students do not pay for. There may be some food and drink costs and you should budget around £30 per year.
• All work is electronically submitted. You may need to provide a printed copy of your final dissertation. Estimated cost £5 per student in the final year.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

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