Art Degrees Online

Course Summary

This course equips students with transferable skills, and explores the use of photography in modern society, through the use of a hybrid of old and new media. The course team places a great emphasis on integrating critical theory and practice in all years and modules. The course is taught by practising photographers and experienced lecturers who provide a supportive framework to encourage self-motivated research and experimentation.
Course Structure

The first year provides a thorough grounding in both technical and critical skills. Students will be introduced to historical, theoretical, cultural and political debates surrounding lens-based media. This study is directly linked to the use of all camera formats as well as the specific qualities of analogue and digital photography. The traditional genres and their convergence are explored in the studio and on location.

In the second year students continue to develop technical and contextual skills at a higher level. Risk taking, collaborative and interdisciplinary methods of working are introduced. Specific contact points are developed with industry through placements, visiting lecturers, field trips and exhibition visits.

The third year enables students to establish their own direction and to place themselves within a contemporary context. Critical professional debate about visual culture is encouraged. Ways of distribution within the creative, media and arts industries and entrepreneurship are investigated and applied. By the end of the final year students will be independent and confident practitioners who will hit the ground running.
Assessment

The course is assessed through a variety of methods including practical projects, essays, seminar presentations, exhibitions and portfolios.
After the Course
Career opportunities in photography include editorial, documentary, portraiture, advertising, fashion, music, architecture, newspaper, medical, wildlife, police photography, reality based visualisation or computer generated imaging and publishing. Other areas graduates can move into are fine art practice, picture research, editing and curatorial posts, gallery or project management, technical support and PR.

Media and Communication (Media Photography) Cert HE / Dip HE / BA (Hons)

This three-year course is designed for students who want to develop a career as a photographer or in the digital imaging industry.

You will begin by developing key skills in digital and chemical photography and explore how to produce photographs for publication. You will also develop visual literacy and skills in related software. All these skills will be put into practice in the live Production Event, where you will work to produce an exhibition of photos on a particular subject, or produce images to a brief from a magazine, PR campaign, or website.

As you progress through the course you will develop a portfolio in an area of your choice, such as documentary, portraiture, fashion photography, music photography or travel photography, as well as continuing to further experiment with camera technique, lighting and image manipulation. You will also explore the working practices of the freelance photographer as you work within the constraints of professional briefs.

Complementing your practical skills, you will develop a broad base of media theory and analysis skills, looking at the photography industry, image production, consumption, and the images themselves.

The Professional Studies strand of the course will build your contacts in the media, help you find placements in the industry, and improve your employability.
Will I do placements as part of the course?

You will undertake 2 industry placements during your course, at the end of the Year 1 and Year 2. Your tutors will work with you to find placements suited to your interests or specialist areas; the department’s close links with industry mean that students are able to find placements with the top media employers. These placements provide an invaluable insight into working in the media, as well as contributing to your CV and improving your employability.
Entry Requirements

Academic qualifications (shown below) are only part of what we look for in an applicant. You will also need to demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of the public relations industry and ideally some media-related work experience.

Baccalaureus Technologiae: Photography
Qualification: BTech (Photography)
Description: BTech (Photography)
Code: 4071
Faculty: Arts
Level: Undergraduate
Duration (full-time): 1 year(s)
Career fields: Photography
Qualification type: 26 (Degree)
Approval letter(s): Department of Education (DOE)

View module details: North Campus Full Time
North Campus Part Time

How to apply
Information on Financial Assistance

Introduction

The programme will equip the student with the necessary competencies to pursue a viable career as a practitioner in the communicative, technological, creative and financial aspects of the photographic environment.

Recommended study areas include reportage, documentary, portraiture, digital still-life, training videos, digital image manipulation, astronomical photography, architecture and landscape photography.

Admission requirements

(Please note that these are the specific programme admission requirements – the university has its own minimum admission requirements.)