What our students say
‘The course at Staffordshire enabled me to develop my personal vision within Photography. Thank you to each member of the Photography Department, without these people I wouldn’t be in this position.’
James Pogson (Photography Graduate 2008 and winner of the Jerwood Photography Prize)
‘Photography at Staffordshire University is an intense and challenging course, which constantly pushes you to reach your full potential, whilst giving you the freedom to be creative and dynamic in a supportive and enjoyable environment.’
Charlie Gajda (Photography Graduate 2008)
What it’s about
Photographs are everywhere. The way that we see, understand and think about ourselves and the world around us is informed largely by photographic images. If you choose to study photography you are taking on the challenge of learning about the most important visual medium of our time.
This is a three-year specialist degree award which aims to provide a student with a broad range of photographic skills and a high level of visual literacy. Our approach to photography at Staffordshire University provides the means for you to work effectively as a visually aware communicator, with both individuality and distinctiveness, and with an intellectual flexibility that requires you to adapt to a rapidly changing cultural and social environment. The award’s structure ensures that a student is an informed individual who can critically engage with and understand how photographs ‘function’, through the often complex and diverse usages of the photographic medium.
What you do
From the very outset you will be challenged about your understanding of the medium of photography, how photographs function within particular contexts and communicate messages. You will be engaged throughout with practical photographic assignments some set by us and others proposed by you. Through an extensive lecture/seminar based programme and student centred learning you will consider the medium’s history, contemporary issues and how to engage with photographs critically.
Our emphasis on developing your ability to make ‘effective’ photographs, requires you ask who makes photographic messages, in what way and most importantly, why? No matter what photographic practice you are considering in the future; advertising, journalism, fashion sports or documentary, you will be asked constantly to question images and to make informed judgments about the nature of photographs and their usages.
The award is organised within the University undergraduate modular structure and consists of Core and Option modules. Core modules provide the essential foundation to the degree being studied, and Options from Level Two onwards allow you to select a more personalised route through the award, with the possibility of experiencing other disciplines operating throughout the Faculty of Arts, Media and Design and other faculties in the University.
Generally modules are taught through a combination of lectures, technical workshops, personal/group tutorials, seminars and photographic critiques. All of these processes contribute to you developing ‘the personal voice’ and being confident to articulate your ideas coherently and effectively.
@ Level One: This is designed to introduce you to the main issues, concerns and questions relating to the understanding of what an informed photographic practice signifies. Modules are structured to provide in parallel the teaching of the technical aspects and the development of your conceptual thinking. You will be introduced to the basic technologies and how to research appropriately and effectively.
@ Level 2: The modules here allow for a more self-initiated direction to your practical work being considered and for that direction to be actively researched with regard to future employment. You will be asked to engage with the theoretical issues raised by the relationship between photography, culture and society.
@ Level 3: This is the opportunity to propose and direct your own year of photographic work. This year’s work will form the basis of your Degree Show. In addition you will be involved in the writing of, and visual research for, a catalogue essay as you create an ‘imaginary’ photography exhibition, and for ‘life after graduation’ options to be discussed and researched.
Where next
We believe that photography is primarily a means of communication and therefore the question is how best might you participate in that process? With the skills acquired over three years your choice is not a narrow one.
In an image-rich environment photographers may produce the images, but, if you are visually aware, have intellectual flexibility, initiative and skills in research and writing, you are able to consider many other options that require an understanding of how photographs function and are seen. The list includes; picture research; curatorship; arts administration; picture editing; teaching.