Birmingham City University

BA Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year

Birmingham City University

Course overview

The course name, BA Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year, describes what this programme is about. Rather than going straight into the degree, the foundation year prepares you with the essential academic and practical skills needed to succeed in sports journalism.

Designed to teach the core and advanced knowledge of journalism within the sports industry, this course applies a practice-oriented teaching method. You will learn through traditional lectures, seminars, news days, workshops, and multimedia reporting while building a strong portfolio of your work.

By the end of this programme, you will have covered journalism essentials like news writing, media law, broadcasting, and digital storytelling, and developed skills such as interviewing, live reporting, video editing, and audience engagement. This, coupled with the opportunity to gain industry experience, will provide you with an all-around education.

Entry requirements

Here are the entry requirements to study BA Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year at Birmingham City University:

Grade Requirements

  • To be eligible, you need 80 UCAS points from a maximum of 4 A-Level subjects (CDD). You may submit equivalent qualifications, such as a BTEC, instead.
  • The university also accepts 24 points overall in the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

English Proficiency 

  • Non-native English speakers may need to demonstrate proficiency in the language, typically through an IELTS score of at least 6.0. TOEFL or other equivalents are also allowed.

Scholarships

  • Accelerate Scholarship

    If you come from a lower income family or household, you could receive an offer that is up to four grades below our normal entry requirements – and possibly claim a £1,000 scholarship too.

    Up to £1,000

  • Bowater Financial Assistance Award

  • Graduate Scholarship

    20% fee discount for BCU graduates undertaking Master’s or PhD study.

    Up to 20% of fees

  • International Postgraduate Scholarships

    BCU is offering a scholarship of £3,000 to all self-funding international postgraduate students joining BCU on a full-time postgraduate taught Master’s degree in 2026.

    Up to £3,000

  • International Undergraduate Scholarships

    BCU is offering a guaranteed scholarship of £5,000 to all self-funding international undergraduate students joining BCU on a full-time degree in September 2026.

    Up to £5,000

  • Sports Scholarship

    Enhanced performance support funding.

  • The High Achievers' Scholarship

    You will be eligible for a £1,000 scholarship to get your university life off to a flying start.

    Up to £1,000

Career opportunities

Here are some of the career options you have with a BA Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year from Birmingham City University:

  • Sports Journalist
  • Sports Broadcaster
  • Content Creator (Sports Media)
  • Sports News Reporter
  • Social Media Manager (Sports)
  • Sports PR Officer

Cost of study

The tuition fee (2025/2026 session) to study BA Sports Journalism with a Foundation Year at Birmingham City University is £17,690.

Admission

To apply for this course, you’ll need to go through UCAS. To find out more about this process, speak to one of our trained counsellors.

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