Journalism - (Sports Journalism) Final award Intermediate awards available BA (Hons) BA, Cert HE, Dip HE Mode of delivery UEL on campus UCAS code P502 Details of professional body accreditation N/A Relevant QAA Benchmark statements Communication, Film, Media and Cultural Studies UEL Academic School Arts and Digital Industries Date specification last up-dated July 2014 The summary - UCAS programme profile- BANNER BOX: A practical introduction to the world of sports writing. Students on this programme attend at least 15 sporting events in and around London, working as journalists in press boxes. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS The minimum requirements for entry at Level 4 is 260 UCAS tariff points from: A/AS level (Including 2 A2 passes), GNVQ, AVCE, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate. European Baccalaureate, BTEC / SCOTEC Diploma, Relevant Access Course or successful completion of a Level 3 pre-entry course. Other qualifications, including overseas, may be considered. Applicants who do not fulfil the admission requirements for Level 4 may be considered for entry into Level 3. Applicants should have 80 UCAS tariff points from GCE A2 or equivalent. Applicants who have previous experience and evidence of publication can count this towards their final degree. We welcome applicants from mature students who do not have formal qualifications but may have relevant experience. Students applying to this programme will be expected to demonstrate a specific interest in this area of study and should have a commitment to engaging with the subject. Applicants may be invited for interview. Students may be admitted through Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL) or Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL) processes. In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, the University s English Language requirements as detailed on the
website at time of application must be met see http://www.uel.ac.uk/international/application/english-language-requirements/ If you have the potential, commitment and enthusiasm to study for a degree but are unable to meet the entry requirements for your chosen degree programme you can apply for the Extended Degree programme route. An Extended Degree includes a year studying at level 3, making the period of study 4 years or 5 years if the Extended Degree programme is taken on a part-time basis. The programme provides a supportive learning space for students to experience academic studies at university and helps develop confidence and academic skills in preparation for Levels 4-6. The programme is also highly rated by students who successfully complete the programme. Successful completion of the programme guarantees entry to a range of Single Honours programmes within the School of Arts and Digital Industries. At UEL we are committed to working together to build a learning community founded on equality of opportunity - a learning community which celebrates the rich diversity of our student and staff populations. Discriminatory behaviour has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. Within a spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise fair treatment and equality of opportunity for all. In pursuing this aim, we want people applying for a place at UEL to feel valued and know that the process and experience will be transparent and fair and no one will be refused access on the grounds of any protected characteristic stated in the Equality Act 2010 ABOUT THE PROGRAMME What is Sports Journalism? Sports Journalism covers all areas of writing about sport from the challenge of filing a match report within seconds of the final whistle to producing sport for television. It covers the skills required for writing features about sport and for covering individual sports or clubs in detail. The course benefits from the expertise of lecturers from BA (Hons) Journalism and BSc (Hons) Sports Development. It is run in close conjunction with UEL Sport which trains athletes in a wide range of disciplines to compete in international events. Sports Journalism at UEL Key features of this programme include: - London is your classroom; you will attend at least 15 sports events during the first two years of this course (in recent years, our students have reported from Wembley, Lords, Twickenham, Wimbledon, the Olympic Stadium, the Emirates, Selhurst Park, Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge). - Learning on the job: you will work as part of a team to produce radio bulletins and magazines. - A choice of academic or practical pathways in levels 5 and 6. - You choose which sports you focus on.
- The opportunity to study for the Professional Publishers' Association diploma - the only university to offer this. - Five miles from the Olympic stadium and other top venues. - Close links to UEL Sport, including its recently built 20 million sport centre and training facilities for potential Olympic athletes. - The opportunity to attend our annual sports awards (currently held at the Emirates Stadium). - Multimedia training delivered in an Apple-accredited training centre. Programme structure You will study 12 modules, ranging from the highly practical Multimedia Sports Reporting to more theoretical ones such as Sports Journalism in Question. In levels 5 and 6 you will be able to choose some of your modules, based on whether you wish to write a dissertation or experiment with longer forms of journalism. Half our modules are shared with BA (Hons) Journalism. We also offer an extended programme which enables students to study for an additional year before joining the main programme. Learning environment Most of your classes will be taught in either the University's Apple Mac suites or in our newly built (Spring 2014) newsroom facility. You will be able to use our radio studio (which was refurbished in 2013) and a portable virtual television studio. You will have the chance to interview athletes in our state-of-the-art Sports centre - the 'SportsDock' (built in 2012), where the US OIympic team trained prior to London 2012. Each module is accompanied by a site in our online student community, Moodle, with discussion facilities that will enable you to discuss and resolve issues related to your studies. Assessment All your modules are assessed through coursework. In some cases, you may be given a mark based on how well you complete a particular task, eg producing a series of radio bulletins, in others you may be asked to submit a portfolio of work or an essay. Some assessment is carried out by means of a viva voce, in which we interview you about what you learnt from studying a particular module. Work experience/placement opportunities All students will complete a work placement, normally in the six months before the start level 6. Students have recently completed placements at the BBC, Guardian and Daily Mail or have worked in the press departments of football clubs or motorsport organisations.
You will also be expected to regularly attend matches, press conferences and other sports events throughout your studies at UEL. Project work Projects you work on at UEL are likely to include some or all of the following: - The UEL multimedia journalism website, Rising East. - Regular publication of a magazine covering east London sport. - Regular production of a television programme covering east London sport. - A series of radio bulletins covering University sport. IS THIS THE PROGRAMME FOR ME? If you are interested in... - Sharing your love of sport with others, - Writing creatively, - The buzz of racing to meet a deadline, - Thinking about the future of sport and of journalism....then 'Yes'. If you enjoy... - Telling stories about sport, - Attending sports events in person, - Meeting the people who make sport happen....then 'Yes'. If you want......to be the first with the big stories from games at Wembley, Twickenham or Lords,...to experiment with print, radio, television and online to find out which medium suits you best,...interview stars of the future, training at our high performance centre,...study the latest research into sport and social media, broadcasting rights or sport and gender...
...then 'Yes'. Your future career We aim to prepare you for a first job working on a sports website or in local radio. Recent graduates have also gone to work for sports public relations firms, sports charities and within the gaming industry. How we support you During your studies, you will be supported by academic, support and technical staff most of whom have significant experience of working as journalists in the television and magazine industries. We also invite regular guests who, in the past few years, have included speakers from BBC World Service Sport, BBC Panorama, ITN, Sky Sports, the Daily Mail, Private Eye and Brazil's biggest sports broadcaster. We have also hosted Olympic medallists and press officers from local football clubs. You will benefit from a personal tutor who will help you tackle any problems that crop up during your studies. Bonus factors The University of East London's Go Global scheme enables you to apply for a bursary to travel to anywhere in the world to write about or study sport. In recent years, UEL Sports Journalism students have visited Rio, Barcelona, Berlin and Milan as part of this scheme. Programme aims and learning outcomes What is this programme designed to achieve? This programme is designed to give you the opportunity to: We aim to develop your love of sport so that you can share it with others through creative use of writing, imaginative use of sound and astute use of pictures. We aim to empower you with the confidence to ask difficult questions of big name stars and make sure you have a front row seat at big sports events. We aim to give you technical skills demanded by employers today. We aim to encourage you to think about sport, ask questions about how it is reported and attempt to identify the forms that sports journalism will take in the future. We aim to prepare you for a first job working on a sports website or in local radio. Recent graduates have also gone to work for sports public relations firms, sports charities and betting companies. What will you learn? Knowledge You will learn how journalists construct stories and the different techniques they use;
You will learn how the reporting of sport has developed. Thinking skills You will consider the way sports journalism has changed in light of the internet, satellite television, 24 hour rolling news, social media and mobile applications. You will have the chance to assess how your particular skills and interests could fit into this new world of sports journalism. Subject-Based Practical skills You will learn how to write news stories, match reports (on a range of sports), feature profiles, ghost-written columns and analytical and confessional pieces. You will learn how to identify a gap in the market and develop a magazine or television programme for that audience. You will learn how to use industry standard software such as InDesign, Final Cut Pro X and Burli. Skills for life and work (general skills) You will learn how to present yourself and your work when dealing with employers. You will learn how to work as a team to produce professional sports journalism. You will develop the confidence to conduct big name interviews and attend big matches. The programme structure Introduction All programmes are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study that is needed. One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you do e.g. lecture, seminar and private study). Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels: 3 equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare students for year one of an undergraduate degree programme 4 equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme 5 equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme 6 equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme 7 equivalent in standard to a Masters degree
Credit rating The overall credit-rating of this programme is 360 credits. Typical duration The expected duration of this programme is three years full-time or upto six years part-time. It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments. Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact on the overall duration of their study period. A student cannot normally continue study on a programme after 4 years of study in full time mode unless exceptional circumstances apply and extenuation has been granted. The limit for completion of a programme in part time mode is 8 years from first enrolment. How the teaching year is divided The teaching year begins in September and ends in June A typical student, in full-time attendance mode of study, will register for 120 credits in an academic year. A student in a part-time mode of study may register for up to 90 credits in any academic year. What you will study when A student registered in a full-time attendance mode will take 120 credits per year. Typically this will be comprised of four 30 credit modules. The exact number may differ if the programme is comprised of 15, 45 or 60 credits modules. An honours degree student will complete modules totalling 120 credits at level four, modules totalling 120 credits at level five and modules totalling 120 credits at level six. Module Distance learning Level Module Title Credits Status* Code Y/N 4 CC4511 Sports Writing and Reporting N 30 Core 4 CC4502 Photo, audio and video Journalism N 30 Core 4 SE4104 Development of Sport N 30 Core 4 CC4514 Sports Journalism in Question N 30 Core 5 CC5512 Rising East (Sports Reporting) N 30 Core 5 CC5501 Law, Ethics and Business N 30 Core 5 CC5516 Multimedia Sports Reporting N 30 Core 5 CC5504 Journalism Studies N 30 Option 5 CC5505 Long Form Journalism N 30 Option 6 CC6512 Rising East (Editing Sport) N 30 Core 6 CC6516 Sports Magazine (Print or Television) N 30 Core 6 CC6503 Journalism Manifesto N 30 Option
6 CC6517 Sport, Media and Business N 30 Option 6 MS6104 Public Relations and Promotion N 30 Option 6 CC6504 Dissertation (Sports/Journalism) N 30 Option 6 CC6505 Insight N 30 Option *Please Note A core module for a programme is a module which a student must have passed (i.e. been awarded credit) in order to achieve the relevant named award. An optional module for a programme is a module selected from a range of modules available on the programme. Requirements for gaining an award In order to gain an honours degree you will need to obtain 360 credits including: A minimum of 120 credits at level four or higher A minimum of 120 credits at level five or higher A minimum of 120 credits at level six or higher In order to gain an ordinary degree you will need to obtain a minimum of 300 credits including: A minimum of 120 credits at level four or higher A minimum of 120 credits at level five or higher A minimum of 60 credits at level six or higher In order to gain a Diploma of Higher Education you will need to obtain at least 240 credits including a minimum of 120 credits at level four or higher and 120 credits at level five or higher In order to gain a Certificate of Higher Education you will need to obtain 120 credits at level four or higher Teaching, learning and assessment Teaching and learning Knowledge is developed through Lectures and seminars Guided reading Attending sports events Thinking skills are developed through Reflective activities with feedback Group discussions Tutorials
Practical skills are developed through Writing about sports events, redrafting and peer review Working with current software in our media production facilities Contributions from guest speakers Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through Working in teams to produce magazines or TV and radio bulletins Work Placements One-to-one interviews Assessment List here the assessment methods that you use. Once again, in order to demonstrate that all learning outcomes are assessed, it might be helpful if you use one of the approaches suggested above. Examples of forms of assessment include coursework, presentations, and case studies. Knowledge is assessed by Coursework Essays Thinking skills are assessed by Coursework Project work Portfolio work Viva Voce Practical skills are assessed by Practical reports Portfolio completion Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by Project work Group work Viva Voce Report on work placement How we assure the quality of this programme Before this programme started Before this programme started, the following was checked: there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
adequate resources would be in place; the overall aims and objectives were appropriate; the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements; the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements; the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms. This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions. How we monitor the quality of this programme The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating: external examiner reports (considering quality and standards); statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate); student feedback. Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation. The process is monitored by the Quality and Standards Committee. Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists. The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions. The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed. The role of the programme committee This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff). The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality. The programme committee plays a critical role in the quality assurance procedures. The role of external examiners The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner. External examiners have two primary responsibilities: To ensure the standard of the programme; To ensure that justice is done to individual students. External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including: Approving exam papers/assignments; Attending assessment boards;
Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks; Ensuring that regulations are followed; Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future. The external examiner reports for this programme are located on the UEL virtual learning environment (Moodle) on the school notice board under the section entitled External Examiner Reports & Responses. You can also view a list of the external examiners for the UEL School by clicking on the link below. http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/externalexaminersystem/currentexaminers/ Listening to the views of students The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme: Module evaluations Programme evaluations Student representation on programme committees (meeting 2 times per year) Regular informal conversations between staff and students Students are notified of the action taken through: Fortnightly email updates from the programme leader Postings on our online learning system, Moodle. Listening to the views of others The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties: Questionnaires to former students Our Industry liaison committee, which includes several leading magazine editors The programme leader sits on BT Sport's employability group Placements Officer Where you can find further information Further information about this programme is available from: The UEL web site (http://www.uel.ac.uk) The programme handbook (please email c.m.lambert@uel.ac.uk for a copy) Module study guides (please email c.m.lambert@uel.ac.uk for copies) UEL Manual of General Regulations (http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/policies/manual/) UEL Quality Manual (http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/policies/qualitymanual/) https://www.uel.ac.uk/adi/ and https://www.uel.ac.uk/sports/