Football Journalism with Foundation Year
BA (Hons)

Journalism at Derby has been ranked in the Top 20 in The Guardian University Guide 2019.

Combine your passion for football with high level journalism skills on the only course of its kind in the country.

• If you have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to the Honours degree programme, you can choose to start at Foundation Year stage.
• Join the next generation of talented football journalists at a time when interest in the ‘beautiful game’ has never been higher
• Enjoy substantial practical experience of researching and producing powerful print, radio, TV and online football stories
• Get to grips with the latest techniques and technologies which are transforming journalism in an era of digital news
• Learn about the culture, history and practice of the football industry and the media that surrounds it
• Gain invaluable insights through work placements within football and media organisations
• Benefit from our outstanding facilities which include TV and radio studios as well as a fully equipped newsroom
• Build the core practical and intellectual skills of a journalist so that you’re also equipped for a broad range of media careers beyond the world of sport.

Derby is the first university in the UK to develop a specialist degree in football journalism. It offers you a clearly defined path to working in the football industry and meets the growing demand for highly knowledgeable, highly skilled multimedia journalists.

Studying Football Journalism with a Foundation Year is for you if you have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to the Honours degree programme.

It provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject of journalism, enabling you to achieve your full honours degree in four years.

Ahead of the game

Coverage of football in the mainstream media overshadows all other sports, underlined by the recent record £5.1 billion deal for Premier League TV rights.

Interest in our national game is so intense that it is regularly propelled from the back to the front pages of our newspapers, has led to an explosion of specialist football websites and has seen football clubs become global brands taking control of their own narrative.

This new degree reflects the public’s growing appetite for round-the-clock football news and comes at a time when clubs themselves are seeking well-qualified media professionals who can help them build their audiences and communicate directly with fans.

The course also supports national moves to attract more women into football-related careers, including in media roles: statistics suggest that fewer than 10% of sports journalists are female. Organisations such as the FA and Women in Football are now campaigning for a more ‘level playing field’ for females moving into the industry. Their calls coincide with growing interest in the women’s game too - with one billion TV viewers tuning into the 2015 Women’s World Cup across the globe.

New skills for a new era

New technologies are revolutionising the ways in which people receive their news. This dynamic course will equip you to rise to the challenge in the age of digital news.

You’ll learn how to deliver compelling content for both traditional and emerging media platforms - producing print, radio and TV reports as well as creating blogs and podcasts, digital photos, audio/video stories and content for websites and external devices.

While career opportunities for media professionals who can specialise in football are growing dramatically, we also ensure you have the foundation skills for journalism careers in the broader sense. You'll gain the core research and writing skills alongside knowledge of marketing, PR and media ethics.

Hone your expertise

Throughout your studies, you’ll have significant hands-on experience of reporting on football. You’ll cover all aspects of the news cycle from previewing matches to live reporting and post-match analysis, along with press conferences, interviews and sports features.

You’ll draw on the general principles of journalism - developing your news values; building a strong network of contacts; learning how to source, research and produce original stories; conducting interviews; and delivering fair, balanced and accurate reports. By the end of the course, you will have an impressive editorial portfolio to show prospective employers.

Meeting industry demand

We are collaborating closely with the football and media industries to ensure that the degree delivers the right level of skills and knowledge - not only for the journalists who cover the sport but also for the growing number of professionals who work in media relations for football clubs.

The course has been developed following discussions with the football industry, major media companies like the BBC and newspapers, as well as football clubs themselves.

As part of your course, you’ll gain practical work experience within the football industry or relevant media organisations to expand your professional know-how and boost your CV. You’ll also hear from guest speakers who will share their experiences of football journalism and help you extend your professional networks.

Outstanding facilities

You'll be based at our Kedleston Road and Markeaton Street sites where you'll study in our excellent facilities including three radio studios, a fully equipped television studio, video editing suites, Mac suites and a newsroom featuring the latest software.

We're an Apple accredited centre and you’ll work with the industry standard recording and editing software that is used worldwide. It means you’ll be both confident and competent with up-to-the-minute technology - giving you a real advantage when you're looking for a job.

Where sport is taken seriously

The University of Derby has an excellent reputation for sport, boasting a new £10.8m sports centre, strong partnerships with the likes of Derby County Football Club and wide-ranging academic expertise in subjects such as sport science and coaching.

You’ll discover the University is a rich source of news, debate and topical comment on sporting issues and you will have every opportunity to work for the various print, radio and online news outlets on campus.

Study in America or Europe

You can choose to study part of your degree at one of our partner universities in America:

• Eastern Michigan University
• Keene State College in New Hampshire 
• Longwood University in Virginia
• Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Or you can choose to study for a term at an English-speaking university in almost any major city in Europe under the Erasmus programme.

For a more general journalism degree, you can also study our BA (Hons) Journalism or you could combine Journalism with another subject - find out more about our joint honours degrees.

During your foundation year you will be assessed mainly by coursework, and with some in-class tests.

For the rest of your degree you’ll be assessed in several ways, including academic essays, audio and video reporting, case studies, editing skills, examinations, extended reports, journalistic writing, presentations, process analyses, production design and content production, production skills in image manipulation, reflective diaries, report writing and self-evaluation.

September 2018 typical entry requirements

Selection is based on an interview, after which you may be required to complete a foundation year before progressing to the degree course.

Please note that admission for the course is conducted on a gathered field basis and this course has an application deadline of 15 January 2018 which will be strictly adhered to. Applications will be considered for interview short-listing. To find out more about the definition and process of a gathered field, please see our Gathered Field Policy.

Please note we are working to a strict application deadline of 15 January. Applications received after this date may not be accepted.

Our entry requirements for this course should be read together with the University's general entry requirements, which details subjects we accept, alternative qualifications and what we're looking for at Derby.

September 2019 typical entry requirements

Alternative entry qualifications:

• BTEC - MPP
• Pass Access to HE Diploma 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 and 15 at Level 2.

We usually consider an A-level in General Studies as a supplementary qualification. A good application/performance will be taken into account if you do not meet the criteria/offer conditions.

Our entry requirements for this course should be read together with the University's general entry requirements, which details subjects we accept, alternative qualifications and what we're looking for at Derby.

2018/19 Fees

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

This course develops the broad range of knowledge and skills you need to become a multimedia professional, adept in the production of content for print, online and broadcast outlets. While it equips you to work in football journalism specifically, it also prepares you for careers in broader areas of journalism, online or broadcast media production, PR, advertising, corporate communications, law and public administration or politics.

The research and communication skills of a journalist are highly transferable to a huge variety of graduate level jobs. Our students have gone on to work for magazines and local newspapers; BBC, commercial and community radio; and BBC and commercial TV. Others have set up their own digital businesses or worked for online agencies. Three current students launched their own football-based media company in their second year. 

Ensuring you’re ‘work-ready’

Our Careers and Employment Service will provide you with support from day one of your course to ensure you leave Derby as a ‘work-ready’ graduate - industry aware, motivated and enterprising. Throughout your studies, you’ll also benefit from our Personal Development Planning (PDP) scheme which enables you to reflect on your learning and develop your career ambitions. The support continues once you’ve completed your course too: you are entitled to further help and guidance from the Careers and Employment Service for up to three years after leaving the University.

Programme leader

Ann Wells

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

5 Years with optional placement year

Download programme specification

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.

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. 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.

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