BA (Hons) Journalism Studies Bachelor's degree at the University of Sheffield
BA (Hons) Journalism Studies at University of Sheffield. You're given your own patch in the city to cover, ranging from grassroots community stories through to international current affairs, and no two weeks look the same: one day might involve filming on location for a breaking TV news story…
About this course
Practise journalism for real with your own patch in the city, covering grassroots stories to international global current affairs. Each day will present you with a new challenge: you could be on location filming for a breaking TV news story, heading to the courtroom to cover live trials, or interviewing a sports star f From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Journalism Studies is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Sheffield, based in Main Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Journalism graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Media & Communications, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 99% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
First year 6 modules
- News SkillsCore20 credits
Module details
Learn about the process of news production including how to write and structure a news story to an industry standard. Learn how to interview people and ask the right questions. Learn where to find news stories. Learn about journalism in its context in society on national and international scale. Use technology to produce digital journalism to professional standard. Learn to be an ethical journalist.
- Researching JournalismCore20 credits
Module details
Explores the development of journalism, its role in society, and the impact of new technologies on news production and consumption. Engages with key theories and contemporary debates. Examines political, cultural, and economic factors that influence the news. Develops academic research skills and critical understanding of journalism's place in a changing media landscape.
- The Professional JournalistCore20 credits
Module details
Prepares you for the ethical, professional conduct of reporting, and to develop a trauma-informed approach when approaching others, as well as safe-guarding your own mental health in the face of distressing content and potential cyber attacks.
- Live News ProductionCore20 credits
Module details
Learn to publish real-world stories for an outward-facing audience. Learn more advanced reporting techniques that allow you to produce more in-depth reports. Gain newsroom experience within a classroom environment. Make your own editorial decisions and work to a professional level.
- Media, Race and RacismCore20 credits
Module details
Equips you with knowledge of definitions, key issues, theories, and perceptions on race and racism in the media. Explores subjects like racism definitions, types of racism, racial equality and equity, and freedom of speech versus racism. Introduces debates relating to overt and inferential racism, critical race theory, race equality in journalism education.
- Press, Politics and DemocracyCore20 credits
Module details
Helps you understand how the levers of power operate in regional and national politics and how you can use this information and understanding to hold those in power to account on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners through your news reporting.
Second year 8 modules
- Broadcast Production SkillsCore20 credits
Module details
Gain the practical skills needed to produce and present compelling and accurate radio and television news bulletins. Learn the fundamentals of broadcast journalism including newsgathering, scriptwriting, audio and video production, and on-air presentation. Get experience of producing and editing bulletins, deciding which story goes where.
- Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in a Digital EraCore20 credits
Module details
Critically explores the historical and contemporary status of freedom of expression and media freedom and the constraints on this liberty in the digital era. Covers philosophies of freedom of expression, legal frameworks in Europe and US, cancel culture, disinformation, debates about harm and offence, models of media regulation, online platforms and content moderation.
- Media Law for JournalistsCore20 credits
Module details
Provides essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. Covers defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. Demonstrates that UK journalists can assert human rights which uphold freedom of expression.
- Features and In-depth StorytellingCore20 credits
Module details
Learn a range of features styles that will allow you to tell longer, more complex stories. Learn the power of ideas pitch, different writing techniques and features styles, advance interviewing skills, importance of research, sourcing and attribution. Create sophisticated and complex multimedia packages.
- Introduction to PR for JournalistsOptional20 credits
Module details
Provides knowledge and skills necessary to communicate messages through the media. Case studies and practical workshops allow students to learn about media communication, how the media operates, and how to communicate messages through interviews, press conferences, news releases and social media.
- Reporting JusticeOptional20 credits
Module details
Introduces journalism students to the skills required to write news reports from Crown, magistrates' and coroners' courts cases. Students visit courts to make notes on real cases. Feedback is given on draft and finalised reports, and on notes.
Assessment: Formal examination in which they write up a news report of a hypothetical 'prosecution opening' of a trial.
- Journalism in HistoryOptional20 credits
Module details
Sets the processes and outputs of UK journalism in their historical context. Develop understanding of how journalism developed as a commercial activity and recognisable profession in the nineteenth century. Discuss key issues such as emergence of a free press, campaigning and investigative journalism, development of alternative media.
- Sports JournalismOptional20 credits
Module details
Focuses on what specialist sports reporting in a digital age involves and explores the skills necessary for a modern sports journalist across all platforms. Encompasses a range of sports including football, F1, basketball and cricket. Learn about how to thoroughly research specialist sports and finding a niche.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course structure moves progressively from grounding to independence. Core theory modules introduce you to the ideas, history and structures that shape journalism and the media industry, giving you a framework for understanding why news works the way it does. Research & methods teaching builds the investigative and analytical skills you need to find, verify and interrogate stories rather than simply report what you're told. Applied practice is where the "own patch" approach comes in: you'll be out reporting, filming, interviewing and writing against real deadlines, treating each assignment as genuine journalistic work rather than a classroom exercise. As you progress, specialist options let you shape your studies toward particular interests, such as broadcast, court reporting, sports journalism, or international affairs, depending on what draws you in. Professional skills modules cover the practical craft, from interview technique to editing and production, that NCTJ and PPA accreditation is built on. The degree culminates in an independent project, giving you the chance to pursue a story, investigation or piece of work driven by your own judgement and initiative, drawing together everything covered across the three years.
Who it's for
This course suits people who are naturally curious about what's happening around them and want to be the ones finding out, rather than reading about it after the fact. If you're the sort of person who follows current affairs closely, asks questions others don't think to, and doesn't mind putting yourself in unfamiliar or slightly uncomfortable situations, a courtroom, a press pack, a stranger's doorstep, you'll likely feel at home here. It suits people who can write and speak clearly under pressure, who are comfortable with deadlines rather than daunted by them, and who want their degree to feel like early professional practice rather than purely academic study. You should be prepared for the unpredictability of the job: some days will be planned, others will be dictated by breaking news. Most students who join this course arrive with A-levels or equivalent qualifications, typically within the 128–143 UCAS tariff range, though this reflects the profile of recent entrants rather than a fixed requirement. If you want a course that treats you as a working journalist from early on, and are willing to put in the legwork that real reporting demands, this is worth serious consideration.
Careers & job market
Graduates from this course are working toward roles across journalism and the wider media and communications sector, supported by the course's NCTJ and PPA accreditation, both of which are recognised markers within the industry. Nationally, across Media & Communications courses, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with 60% of those working graduates in highly skilled roles or further study; these figures describe the national picture for the field rather than outcomes specific to this course. National earnings data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) for the field show starting salaries 15 months after graduation typically between £22,000 and £28,000, moving to a range of £18,275 to £25,800 after three years, and £22,525 to £31,800 after five years, again, national figures reflecting the field as a whole rather than guaranteed outcomes for any individual graduate. Nationally, 85% of students on comparable courses continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed. The professional accreditation and the emphasis on applied, patch-based reporting are intended to build a portfolio and skill set relevant to newsrooms and media organisations after graduation.
University & format
The University of Sheffield is a public, research-intensive institution and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1905, based on its main campus. This BA (Hons) Journalism Studies (UCAS code P500) is delivered full-time over three years, wholly in English, and leads to a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree. Teaching quality at the university was rated Silver in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The course sits within the Media & Communications field and holds professional accreditation from both the PPA and the NCTJ, connecting the academic award to recognised industry standards.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Optional placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 98% |
| a Baccalaureate | 1% |
| an Access course | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code P500). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Sheffield →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Media & Communications graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £25,000 | £23,000 – £27,500 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £23,500 | £20,000 – £28,000 | 90 |
| 5 years after | £29,500 | £25,000 – £35,000 | 90 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in media & communications · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Media & Communications nationally
National figures for Media & Communications graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Media & Communications courses at the same study level.
Compared with 541 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 40% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 60; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Media & Communications graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Media & Communications graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Media companies
- Agencies
- In-house comms teams
- Broadcasters & charities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Media & Communications graduates.
Media Operations, VP (Parental Leave Cover)WPP MediaMedia Relations ManagerCommonwealth War Graves CommissionMedia ManagerUS Tech SolutionsMedia Planning and Buying CoordinatorBurberryMedia Sales ExecutiveService ServiceMedia Planner/BuyerDifferent Technologies Pty Ltd.Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.5 out of 10: NSS 91.7% · in work or study 95% · continued 99%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Sheffield
Media, journalism and communications across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Main Campus
2,964 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Media & Communications right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Sheffield from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Sheffield; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Sheffield’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Sheffield and gov.uk before you apply.
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