Course summary
A one-year practical sports journalism course that is professionally accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Why study Sports Journalism? If you have a passion for sport and want to become a journalist, you need to acquire the skills and knowledge employers are looking for today. Our comprehensive training programme is taught in partnership with award winning journalists who can give you the head start you need. Why St Mary's? Each year we select 20 students who will embark on a demanding training course taught by professional journalists, broadcasters and academics. Our course offers one of the best routes into the industry. We will train you to become a journalist for the digital age covering everything from the traditional match report to the latest skills in multimedia journalism. Our graduates work in every sector of the industry. You will find them at the BBC, Sky Sports News, BT Sport, CNN, Perform, IMG and most national newspapers in the UK. Recent graduates have secured sports reporting jobs with Metro, the Manchester Evening News, Scottish Rugby, the Daily Mirror, BBC News, Mail Online, Fulham FC, Squawka, and Sky Sports. We were the first Sports Journalism MA degree course to be professionally accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). Editors and sports journalists recommend our course because we train our students to industry standards. They visit the campus regularly to offer career advice, talk about work placements and to keep you up to speed with the latest developments in sport and the media. We guarantee every student a work placement and there are often opportunities to earn while you learn. We are also committed to diversity in journalism. We have trained more women sports journalists than any other course in the UK.
Modules
Modules include: sports journalism; reporting and news writing; media law; public affairs; sports journalism project; core skills in journalism; critical issues in sports journalism; digital sports journalism.
Assessment method
Our approach to assessment reflects industry practice. There is plenty of scope to be creative. Tasks include writing regular stories for immediate publication, sub-editing, participating in editorial meetings and working in teams on live news days. We work to strict deadlines and you will get the opportunity to present your work to editors at Sky Sports News. You will also sit the NCTJ Diploma Exams in Sports Journalism, Reporting, Media Law, Public Affairs, Shorthand, and Court Reporting.
Entry requirements
We normally require a good degree in any discipline. In exceptional circumstances, we may accept a student without such a qualification if they demonstrate an aptitude and commitment to sport and/or journalism. All candidates selected for interview will be asked to submitted samples of their journalism and sit a short one-hour entrance test. You can do this online or in person. The entrance test assesses your media skills, creativity, sporting knowledge, sub-editing and writing.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
A non-refundable deposit of £500 is required for Home/EU students to confirm their place.
Provider information
St Mary's University, Twickenham
St Mary's University
Waldegrave Road
Twickenham
TW1 4SX