Wales’ capital, Cardiff, is home to our Atrium campus as well as a host of top sporting venues – and it could be yours too as you study for a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism in this lively city.
From the Principality Stadium, to the Viola Arena, Sophia Gardens to Cardiff International Sports Stadium, there is something for every sporting preference.
Our vocational sports journalism degree will provide you with plenty of opportunities to develop your journalistic skills as well as gain an understanding of how media communications work in relation to sport. You will be taught by highly experienced practitioners and academics with excellent industry links and who understand the ever-evolving world of sports media.
Across the three years of your sports journalism degree, you will gain live experience via weekly practical sessions at our Sport Park in Treforest, where you will report on British Universities and Colleges Sport. By the time you get to the final year, you will have had the chance to meet and learn from journalists, media professionals and top sportsmen and women.
You will produce content for online, print, social media, television and radio and develop highly transferable media communication skills alongside gaining an understanding of the social, political and economic aspects of the global sports industry. As your skills develop you will build an industry-relevant portfolio to showcase your capabilities to future employers. Your work will be published on Exposport and on your own websites.
The wellbeing and health and safety of our students and staff is paramount to us. We are committed to delivering all of our courses and services as safely as possible. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the methods and activities adopted for delivering our courses in the coming year may differ from those previously published and may be subject to change during the course of your study if such change is necessary due to public health concerns, health and safety guidance or in response to Government Guidelines. Whether you’re on-campus full time, part-time with online study, or full-time online, USW is committed to providing you with a fantastic student experience and a wealth of support, and you can hear how students have benefitted from this approach here: Learn more about blended learning.
| UCAS Code | Study Mode
2022 |
Duration | Start Date | Campus | Campus Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6B27 | Full-time | 3 Years | September | Cardiff (ATRiuM) | B |
| UCAS Code | Study Mode
2023 |
Duration | Start Date | Campus | Campus Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6B27 | Full-time | 3 Years | September | Cardiff (ATRiuM) | B |
Your production skills will be developed through a series of practical modules which underpin your learning and form the foundations of your sports journalism degree.
Based primarily on USW’s newest campus, you will benefit from industry standard studios and equipment which will enable you to practice and reflect on what you are taught. The multimedia nature of the sports journalism degree means you will learn how to work with words, sounds and pictures across all platforms.
To support this, you will explore the importance of media law and ethics, and know how to apply this knowledge and critical thinking to your journalism.
Learning as you do is a key part of your experience and work placement opportunities will further enhance your understanding of the industry and what you need to succeed in it. Our students have undertaken work placements at Wimbledon, BBC Wales, the Football Association of Wales, Swansea City Football Club, Newport Gwent Dragons, Hockey Wales and Cardiff City Football Club, to name a few.
You will be taught via a series of lectures, seminars and workshops as well as individual tutorials. Some will be on campus, some in the field as you learn your craft.
Assessment on the Sports Journalism degree is primarily by coursework, with an occasional test or exam in subjects such as law.
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
The entry criteria below shows the qualification range within which the University will make offers. Most offers we make are at the top of the range, but we take all aspects of an application into consideration and applicants receive a personalised offer. Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable.
Applicants in the UK
Selection for this course is based on a suitable application and attendance at an interview with successful outcome. You may also be required to provide a portfolio of your work prior to attending interview where your course requires this, and full details of what is required will be provided once your application has been processed.
Applicants outside the UK
Selection for this course is based on a suitable application and submission of a portfolio of your work which the Course Leader confirms is suitable for an offer to be made.
BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).
Pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 29 overall
Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points
GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an IELTS grade of 7.5 or equivalent in all four elements of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.
We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course
Students have access to a wide range of resources including textbooks, publications, and computers in the University’s library and via online resources. In most cases they are more than sufficient to complete a course of study. Where there are additional costs, either obligatory or optional, these are detailed below. Of course students may choose to purchase their own additional personal resources/tools over and above those listed to support their studies at their own expense. All stationery and printing costs are at a student’s own expense.
* Obligatory
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone capable of shooting stills and video * | £250 | |
| Travel to and from events and/or matches * | £200 | |
| Minimum 64gb Hard Drive * | £50 | |
| Subscription to quality broadsheet newspaper | £50 | |
| Press card * | £30 | |
| Textbooks (all academic years) * | £80 |
Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.
Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.
As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.
Our Cardiff Campus is right in the city centre – the perfect home for our creative industries students. We’ve just finished a new phase of campus investment and development, so we can offer even more specialist facilities.
It’s the community and friendships you’ll build that make this place special. Outside your studies you can experience our amazing sport facilities and Students’ Union.
Living in Halls is a great way to meet new people and make friends. We have high quality accommodation in Treforest, Cardiff and Newport.
