Specialist Sports Journalism

• Study our brand-new curriculum, which has been updated to keep pace with the industry and develop skills which you can utilise in the world of journalism and communications. 
• Build your experience by working in the sport you’re most passionate about while you’re studying. We’ll use our extensive contacts to help you get your foot in the door at sports clubs and media organisations, and we’ll provide access to international, national and domestic sporting events. 
• Learn from tutors that are experienced and well connected, having worked for organisations such as the BBC, ITV, the Premier League, The Guardian and The Times.

A sports journalism degree for 2024

We’ve made changes to our curriculum to ensure that we’re fit for the industry as it is. New modules on e-sports, videography, commentary and punditry, data analysis and visualisation, and the societal impact of journalism complement those delivered with focus on more established aspects of the profession.

This is in response to changes in the industry, such as the proliferation of specialist sport websites and the shift in power away from traditional media. Sports clubs and organisations are now taking control of their own narrative and looking for well-qualified media professionals who can help them build their audiences and communicate directly with fans. Our aim is to help you build those skills alongside the essential aspects of traditional journalism, such as interviewing, newswriting and media law.

Throughout your studies, you will gain significant hands-on experience of news gathering, reporting, and producing content for your chosen sport — including sports reports, social media content, stories and profiles of athletes, podcasts, feature articles, and blogs. You’ll cover all aspects of the news cycle from previewing events to live reporting and post-event analysis. To see what our students get up to and view the content they produce, take a look at our StoryHub website and X feed.  

As well as producing content, you’ll also be asked to analyse the work of current journalists to understand what best practice looks like. You will also learn more generally about communication, media, and societal issues in journalism.

Get professional experience

Our tutors are well-connected in the industry. They will put you in touch with sports and media organisations, so you can start to gain valuable work experience while you are studying.

You will not only have the opportunity to make the most of attending major international, national and domestic events, but also take advantage of our strong links with numerous clubs and organisations across a variety of sports. Our current group of students regularly work in basketball, netball, tennis, cricket, cycling, horse racing and motorsport, turning our contacts into their own, and setting themselves up for a successful future in the industry. 

By the end of the course – provided you’ve made the most of these opportunities – you should have an impressive editorial portfolio to show prospective employers.

Follow your passion

Unlike other sports journalism courses, you have the option to specialise in a sport of your choice — from the more obvious ones like cricket, rugby and football, to minority sports. You are expected to gain an in-depth knowledge of your sport, covering every level — from grassroots to the biggest names in international sport. You will learn about the business, finance and use of data in sport, and critically explore other current issues.

This specialist sports journalism degree is also extremely varied, with optional modules in years two and three, so you can tailor your degree to your own talents and interests. 

Be inspired by guest speakers

You’ll gain fascinating insights into the profession thanks to our programme of guest lectures by sports journalists, broadcasters and industry insiders. In recent years these have included:

• Broadcaster Mark Pougatch
• Commentator Jonathan Pearce
• Former professional boxer and commentator, Carl Froch
• Professional footballer George Friend
• Former gymnast and Commonwealth Games England board member, Kristian Thomas
• Journalist Henry Winter
• Commentator Rob Palmer
• Journalist Paul Hayward
• Head of Communications at British Canoeing, Ruth Norfolk

Outstanding facilities

You'll be based at our Markeaton Street and Kedleston Road sites, which have everything a journalist needs. Our facilities include three radio studios, a fully equipped television studio, video editing suites, Mac suites and a newsroom featuring the latest software, including Adobe Creative Suite.

Our radio studios have recently been refurbished and fitted with Calrec technology — a leading range of broadcast audio mixing consoles and equipment. All large media companies are now migrating to this technology, so we're ahead of the game.

All of this means you’ll be confident using industry-standard technology, giving you an advantage when you're looking for a job.

Study abroad

We can offer opportunities for you to spend time in another country, including studying at our partner universities or working on a placement or internship.

The key to becoming a journalist is to learn the essential skills so, at the start of your degree, you will learn the basics of finding and telling stories. As you progress you will develop more advanced skills in multimedia content production.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You will learn in a variety of ways – for example through:

• Lectures and seminars, including guest lectures from industry experts
• Practice-based workshops
• Trips to sports events and clubs
• News days
• Group work
• Independent study.

Assessment

Our assessments are focused on teaching you how to be a journalist. There are no exams and you’ll be assessed mainly on the content you produce, which might be blogs, podcasts, videos, features, and news articles. For some modules, you will need to complete more academic assessments, including essays, case study reports and presentations. 

Who you'll meet

You will benefit from the experience of all of our staff within the Journalism department, however in the main your course will be delivered by:

Niall Hickman: Programme Leader for Sports Journalism

Niall Hickman is the Programme Leader for Specialist Sports Journalism. He worked in the industry for three decades, covering a variety of sports including football, cricket, rugby, golf, boxing, athletics and even the World Pooh Stick Championships! He’s worked for media outlets such as the South London Press, ITV, Sky Sports, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express. Niall has also ghost-written two autobiographies for boxing world champions Ricky Hatton and Carl Froch. His career highlights were interviewing the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis and German footballing legend Lothar Mattheus.

Carly Baldwin: Lecturer in Sports Journalism

Carly Baldwin is a lecturer and sports journalism graduate herself. Since graduating, she has spent the last 15 years working predominantly in PR and communications roles across the sector, including with football clubs, national governing bodies and at major multi-sport events. Her career highlight was working at the London Olympics 2012. 

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

Offers will be made initially based on your application, including predicted grades and/or grades you have already achieved. You may be given the opportunity, within your offer letter, to submit a portfolio. If you submit a strong portfolio we will make you an unconditional offer, to reflect the quality of your work and your potential.

Additional entry requirements

• Portfolio: Recommended - view portfolio details

English language requirements

IELTS: 7.0 (with at least 6.5 in each skills area)

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

By the end of this specialist sports journalism degree, you should have plenty of professional experience and contacts to get your career off to a flying start.

The course develops the broad range of knowledge and skills you need to become a sports journalist today, but it also prepares you for broader careers in journalism, PR and marketing, advertising, corporate communications, law and public administration or politics.

Our specialist sports journalism graduates are now working for clubs and organisations like Leicester Tigers Rugby Club, Leicester City FC, Channel 5 Boxing, British Swimming, the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), England Netball, World Snooker, Bet 365, BBC Radio Derby, Derbyshire County Cricket Club and many more.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• Football Journalism BA (Hons)
• Journalism BA (Hons)