MRes Photography provides an exciting opportunity for students to pursue an individual research project, which may be practice-based, historical, critical, curatorial or theoretical.

Programme highlights

High profile photography department; academic staff exhibit/publish individually and contribute within the Research Centre for Land/Water and the Visual Arts.
Facilities include a purpose built daylight studio; digital and analogue dark rooms.

Entry requirements

A 2:1 honours degree or above in Photography or a related subject; or an equivalent degree from overseas. Evidence that you are ready to pursue your proposed project. IELTS of 6.5 minimum or equivalent.
Duration

1 year full-time or two years part-time
Contact email

artsresearch@plymouth.ac.uk
Contact details

Research & Graduate Affairs
Faculty of Arts

Tel: +44 (0)1752 585030
General programme structure

We particularly welcome research proposals in the following areas: land and environment; camera-less photography; contemporary art practices; documentary and reportage; architectural photography; women’s photography. The programme engages current ideas and debates, skills and methodologies for research into or through photography.

The programme comprises three assessed modules:
Photography, the practice of research, shared with the taught Masters programmes in photography (30 credits)
Research in the Arts and Humanities (30 credits)
A masters thesis or approved research project (120 credits)

The project/thesis may be assessed entirely through written work, or through a substantial practical project accompanied by an extended contextual essay.

Full-time students take Photography, the practice of research in term one, Research in the Arts and Humanities in terms one and two, and their project/thesis across the whole academic year.

Part-time students take the two taught modules in year one and carry out their project/thesis in year two.

The project/thesis is taught via one-to-one supervision during term time and through contact by arrangement up to final submission in September.

Students are also encouraged to attend research seminars in a wide variety of arts disciplines, and the faculty-wide training events.
Detailed programme structure

We will help you to ground your chosen project in the latest theoretical and conceptual approaches in photography studies and beyond. This programme explicitly embeds research skills to prepare graduates for MPhil/PhD programmes.
Teaching and learning will take place through one-to-one meetings/tutorials; group seminars, discussions and workshops; staff/student research seminars; lectures/presentations by staff and visiting practitioners/academics; written feedback;

This course will be of particular value to individuals wishing to pursue a career within commercial photography or a related field.
Assessment

Through written and practical work.
Links with industry

Students undertake work-based learning.

MRes Photography provides an exciting opportunity for students to pursue an individual research project, which may be practice-based, historical, critical, curatorial or theoretical.

Programme highlights

High profile photography department; academic staff exhibit/publish individually and contribute within the Research Centre for Land/Water and the Visual Arts.
Facilities include a purpose built daylight studio; digital and analogue dark rooms.

Entry requirements

A 2:1 honours degree or above in Photography or a related subject; or an equivalent degree from overseas. Evidence that you are ready to pursue your proposed project. IELTS of 6.5 minimum or equivalent.

General programme structure

We particularly welcome research proposals in the following areas: land and environment; camera-less photography; contemporary art practices; documentary and reportage; architectural photography; women’s photography. The programme engages current ideas and debates, skills and methodologies for research into or through photography.

The programme comprises three assessed modules:
Photography, the practice of research, shared with the taught Masters programmes in photography (30 credits)
Research in the Arts and Humanities (30 credits)
A masters thesis or approved research project (120 credits)

The project/thesis may be assessed entirely through written work, or through a substantial practical project accompanied by an extended contextual essay.

Full-time students take Photography, the practice of research in term one, Research in the Arts and Humanities in terms one and two, and their project/thesis across the whole academic year.

Part-time students take the two taught modules in year one and carry out their project/thesis in year two.

The project/thesis is taught via one-to-one supervision during term time and through contact by arrangement up to final submission in September.

Students are also encouraged to attend research seminars in a wide variety of arts disciplines, and the faculty-wide training events.
Detailed programme structure

We will help you to ground your chosen project in the latest theoretical and conceptual approaches in photography studies and beyond. This programme explicitly embeds research skills to prepare graduates for MPhil/PhD programmes.
Teaching and learning will take place through one-to-one meetings/tutorials; group seminars, discussions and workshops; staff/student research seminars; lectures/presentations by staff and visiting practitioners/academics; written feedback;

Arth 101 and Arth 102 or their equivalents (ARTH 201 and ARTH 202) or Arth 111 Arts of the Western Tradition, or Arth 198 Arts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, or their equivalents (ARTH 298) which must be taken before the senior year.

Three semester courses in studio art foundations:
Arts 111 Two-Dimensional Design
Arts 112 Three-Dimensional Design
and Arts 116 Drawing I
These foundation courses must be taken before the senior year.

One semester of Arts 402.

One additional semester course in Art and Art History.

And six additional semester courses in studio art from the following areas (with a possible emphasis in the student’s major interest): drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and graphic design. Studio concentrators are urged to take Arth 318. Arts 399 is normally reserved for fall semester seniors.

For permission to enter the studio concentration, students must submit a portfolio of their work to the department during their sophomore year. Faculty review portfolio submissions once during the fall and once during the spring semester. All students who wish to be studio majors must be approved and accepted by the end of their sophomore year. Please see the chair of the department for more information.

Photography in Europe students will select where they would like to study and prepare by researching and helping to arrange your own exchange (placement officers and course tutors help and advise in this aspect).

The University’s foreign language learning facilities will be available to help students develop their language skills as appropriate.

Year Two
Students will get the chance to try new kinds of photography, extend and develop their skills and begin to identify their line of interest.

The overall focus is on developing individual interest and working towards the degree of choice.

Whether in the UK or abroad, most students undertake some short work experience during this year; recent examples of employers include The Sunday Times, Rankin and Mark George.

Photography in Europe students spend a minimum of 15 weeks studying overseas.

Year Three
Students research and write a topic of choice for dissertation, usually linked to photographic practice and put together a final year degree show.

Year two
• The “fine” digital print
• Light
• Developing your portfolio

Year two modules
• theories of creative practice • new media • film/video theory • critical methods • drawing, rendering and creative realisation

Year three modules
• creative practice • dissertation • professional placement (subject to availability) • animation/film making workshops • collaborative projects