Tom Julian, BSc Applied Sport Science
Tom studied BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Science at Moray House, graduating in 2012. His career in Sports Journalism and PR has since gone from strength to strength, and he now works as International PR Manager for the Bundesliga.
Why did you study at Moray House?
The combination of a globally-renowned course, coupled with the history and beauty of the city of Edinburgh made it a no-brainer when the time came to choosing a university. Coming from a small town, Edinburgh was the perfect blend of city life yet surrounded by nature, and I was instantly at home there. The course itself – the facilities and the opportunities to dive deeper into subjects that had long fascinated me – made it a clear number one.
Tell us about your time at the University
Studying at Edinburgh was an incredible experience, not only for the course and chance to discover more about the advancement of elite sport and people, but also the possibilities outside of study. Over the course of four years, I spent time as captain of the Men’s Judo team, hosted a Fresh Air radio show, and played intra-mural football as the player-coach of multi-title winning Aston Vica’ FC. Co-founded with my flatmate and fellow alum Jimmy Paul, intra-mural was the highlight of the weekend; compiling a really talented squad, developing spirited rivalries with longstanding teams (shout-out to Shugs Maw), and creating friends for life through a sport we all loved! Outside of university activities, I volunteered at Hibernian FC, and at local radio stations Forth 1 and Garrison FM (now BFBS Forces Radio).
My dissertation centred on the importance of balance in martial arts training, primarily how experienced judoka’s compared to a non-martial arts trained control group. Moray House gave me access to state-of-the-art equipment, and the professors from both sports psychology and physiology provided support and guidance. The skills I learned ranged greatly; from independence and the importance of budgeting, to being diligent and thorough in my work, asking critical questions, and demanding more of myself to achieve the best possible result.
Tell us about your experiences since graduating
After graduation I joined Sky as a media researcher, hoping to work my way up to being a full time sports journalist. I achieved that goal, starting as a multi-sport journalist before becoming NFL Editor for Skysports.com. A personal career highlight to date was travelling to Houston, Texas for Superbowl 51 – the site of Tom Brady’s New England Patriots coming back from 28-3 down to lift the Lombardi Trophy in overtime!
After five years at Sky, I moved into public relations, working for an agency that specialised in Olympic communications. There I worked with international federations and governing bodies, including the Commonwealth Games Federation, International Volleyball, and World Taekwondo. I also contributed to the corporate communications efforts from Olympic bid cities, including LA 2028.
After three years there and just days before the Coronavirus pandemic, I moved to Germany to begin working as the International PR Manager for the Bundesliga. After two years of pandemic and “ghost games”, the Bundesliga is once again one of the most exciting and most watched leagues in the world, and it is my pleasure to work with journalists and broadcasters globally to bring the best of German football to fans across the globe.
Alumni wisdom
My time at Moray House was fundamental to my progression because of the life lessons I learned along the way. The confidence to reach out and ask for an opportunity, even if it doesn’t look like one is there, has been the making of my career so far. While in Edinburgh, you have to hike Arthur’s Seat for the sunrise, take every opportunity to join clubs and societies, and enjoy your time with friends because you will likely never have time like that again!