Courses of Photography HND at University College Northampton UK
Course aims
The HND Photography course is a vocationally focused course that encourages students to explore and refine their practical skills within a professional and supportive environment. Unlike a degree course it follows a structured format of assignment, practical/vocational application and assessment throughout the two stages.
Special course features
Supportive staff and learning environment
Vocational ‘real-world’ assignments
Opportunity for individual specialism within the course
Cross discipline experience and collaboration
Course content
The HND course differs in structure from a degree course in its make-up and delivery. It will be centred on a structured series of assignments, which will form the basis of the students studies. In completing these assignments, students are introduced to practical and vocational scenarios which require them to research and put into practice workshop-based guidance and instruction from the assignment tutors, together with their own research. The course is very much practically based, strongly underpinned with academic research and reading, as students learn, research, develop and apply skills and techniques appropriate to contemporary practical scenarios. The course will prepare the student to enter a broad range of photo-related fields from professional practice through to internet and virtual design. This should enable students to progress their career in a direction of their own choosing.
Stage one
The first stage of study is broadly exploratory in nature, offering students guidance and instruction in a wide range of practical situations from studio and location lighting, darkroom techniques in colour and monochrome to digital imaging and design. This learning is underpinned throughout by contextual and historical study that ultimately places the students’ own work within contemporary and historical practice.
Stage two
The second stage offers students further opportunity to produce work that reflects the individual student’s interests and specialist areas. The aim of this stage is that in completing the assignments, the student graduates with a portfolio of work and a range of knowledge that will take them forward, academically and/or professionally, along their chosen career path.
Typical modules include
Advertising photography
Colour darkroom practice
Curating and participating in exhibitions
Digital Media
Fashion photography
Location photography
Location techniques
Monochrome Darkroom Practice
Press and photojournalism
Studio techniques
Career opportunities
Destinations may include seeking commercial commissions as a photographer in editorial, press, advertising or fashion related fields. Other options are working as a photographic assistant, professional involvement in digital or virtual visual/photographic environments, picture/design agencies or photo libraries. Students may continue in higher education, ‘topping-up’ their HND to an honours degree through a further period of study on a BA (Hons) degree course.