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Sports Media Production

BA (Hons)

Undergraduate degree - single honours

Award
BA (Hons) Sports Production
School/s
Bath School of Art, Film and Media
Campus or location
Newton Park
Course length
Three years full time, or four years full time with professional placement year. Part time available.
UCAS codes
Institution Code: B20
Course Code: SP10 or SP11 (with professional placement year)
Campus Code: A,BSU

Entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.

Explore the fast-paced world of Sports Production across all types of media on this hands-on, industry-focused course.

  • Hands-on learning – you won't just talk about production and broadcasting, you’ll be doing it, alongside the professionals.
  • High-spec facilities – industry-standard TV studio, outside broadcasting, gallery and a wide selection of equipment and resources.
  • Expert knowledge – you’ll be taught by specialists with industry experience and access to sports networks.

Created by practising sports producers and educators, with contributions from broadcasters and sporting champions, our Sports Media Production course equips you with skills in one of the fastest growing sectors of the creative economy. You'll learn powerful and longstanding sports broadcasting techniques as well as more contemporary immersive and interactive formats – such as e-sports, social media and podcasting – that use digital technology creatively.

With cutting-edge facilities at our campuses in Bath, and working in partnership with local, regional and national sporting organisations, this distinctive course will nurture your career aspirations, with professional guidance offered through regular contact with sport and industry practitioners. We explore the ethos of the UK’s sporting culture – one that is diverse, rich, and an integral part of the nation’s social history. You'll gain an understanding of sports production that is sophisticated, inclusive and ethical.

You'll graduate with the knowledge and skills you’ll need to become part of the next generation of creatives, producers, content developers, leaders, entrepreneurs and managers in sports production. This sector attracts millions of spectators internationally, across a diverse range of media platforms.


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What you'll learn

Overview

This practice-based degree covers a wide range of aspects of Sports Production across broadcast media and digital platforms. You'll gain firsthand experience in the exciting and fast-paced world of sports broadcasting, with real-world training for careers in the sports industry. You'll learn valuable skills in reporting, presenting, shooting, editing, writing and creating, and have the opportunity to work directly with sporting organisations.

As well as graduating with in-depth sports production knowledge, you'll also learn key transferable skills such as creative content making, project management, client experience and journalistic research.

Course structure

Year one
Alongside an introduction to sports journalism and studio-based sports production, you'll be trained in the elements of shooting and editing sport. You’ll also explore key concepts including critical thinking and analysis, digital creativity and content development. Questions around commissioning, management, leadership and inclusivity, along with an understanding of communication platforms and methods, will also inform your learning.

Year two
You'll be introduced to a wider range of sport production practices including outside broadcasting, sports presentation, commentary and interviewing skills. You'll also be introduced to the ethical and legal aspects of sport production. Optional modules give you the chance to develop one or more specialisms, such as e-sports, podcasting, sports documentaries, social media or digital marketing.

Year three
Your final year culminates in a year-long, specialist project, which will form your portfolio. You'll apply all that you've learned to nurture your professional aspirations, and be guided by regular contact with sport and industry practitioners. A range of optional modules will provide further opportunities to specialise, with options including outside broadcasting, studio broadcasting, radio sports, editing and graphics. 

How will I be taught?

You'll be taught through a combination of workshops, lectures, seminars, training events and project-based work. You’ll learn from lecturers who are active practitioners in industry.

Sports production is collaborative and group learning is a key part of the course. Participation and engagement in group activity will be a requirement of some of the assessment tasks. A variety of general and specialist teaching spaces, including classrooms, studios, galleries, edit suites, on and off-campus locations will be used.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement

How will I be assessed?

The course will include diverse module content and learning approaches, with a firm emphasis on digital technologies, which will be assessed using a variety of analogue and digital formats using writing, making, presentational and production skills.

Assessments are designed to enable you to apply your learning, skills, creativity, originality, critical and analytical thinking. They’ll test your understanding of the subject matter, your ability to apply creative approaches to problem solving, and your production skills and competences.

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • Shooting and Editing Sport - 1
  • Shooting and Editing Sport - 2
  • Digital Creativity and Content Creation
  • Studio based (Indoor) Sport Production
  • Inclusivity in Sport
  • Sports Storytelling
Year two (Level 5) modules
  • Outside Broadcasting
  • Media Law and Ethics
  • Sport on Screen: Presenting, Commentary and Interviewing
  • Sport and Society
  • Sports Documentary
  • E-Sports
  • Sport Psychology
  • Business of Sport
  • Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
  • Industry Project
  • Advanced Outside Broadcasting
  • Radio Sport: Journalism and Presenting
  • Advanced Studio Broadcasting
  • Sports Editing
  • Contemporary Issues in Sport

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Fieldwork

Field trips are planned as an integral part of the course experience. Destinations may include key sports production facilities and venues.

Work placements, industry links and internships

Working with a wide range of local, regional and national sporting and broadcasting organisations, the course is developing several partnerships, including work placements and internships, to provide students opportunities to apply their learning to client projects, working to industry-level expectations and professional standards.

Careers

Graduate employability will be a key area of focus throughout the course. You'll receive advice from the course team, industry professionals, and the University’s Careers and Employability service.

Assessments are designed to help you build a professional portfolio and equip you for entry level positions in the Sports Production sector.

Competitions and awards

There will be opportunities to enter your work into competitions and festival spaces as appropriate.

Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Adobe Creative Campus

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Professional placement year

Overview

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

How will I be assessed?

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

“The best part of my placement so far has been a recent trip to Dubai. I got flown out to work on the DP World Tour championship for just over a month. The experience I gained working out there was incomparable.
My placement has provided me with valuable business experience, and I’ve also noticed my confidence and individual professionalism develop hugely."

Anna Chandler, BA Business and Management student
Smiling young woman in a cafe

Facilities and resources

Where the subject is taught

You'll be taught at Newton Park campus. Your learning will take place at a variety of facilities and locations, which could include:

Resources

The Newton Park studio complex provides two TV studios and a gallery which allows for live vision mixing. The studio has a number of HD digital cameras and a variety of lighting rigs. 

In addition there is a series of TV production suites consisting of post-production rooms for editing news/VT strands for inclusion in live multi camera studio-based programmes.

You’ll have access to resources such as camera and sound recording equipment and multi-camera outside broadcasting kit for external use. For location based, single camera shooting, you can hire out equipment using SISO, Bath Spa University’s free equipment loan service.

Fees

2024 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £15,750

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,150

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

If you're passionate about discussing, analysing, reporting, presenting, broadcasting, producing or writing about sport, or if you see yourself in a career as a sports pundit across a range of media, we want to hear from you.

Your creativity, ability to innovate and adapt, rise to challenges and apply your learning to the fast-growing sports production sector will be key to your success.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level – grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply webpages.

Course leader: Lizzie Powell
Email: e.powell@bathspa.ac.uk 

Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk