Photography with Professional Placement

Define a new era of contemporary photography.

Ready to define a new era of contemporary photography? We’ll support you to craft a unique artistic voice as you experiment with techniques and processes, utilising our specialist studios, equipment and digital and analogue post-production spaces. As you develop a portfolio of original work, your technical know-how will be matched by a deep understanding of the critical and societal impact of your practice. With industry masterclasses, guest lectures and collaboration opportunities, you’ll gain the professional experiences to establish a sustainable career.

You will:
Explore and develop your ideas through workshop-based teaching, with sessions in our Learning Hub, around the campus and beyond
Have access to professional-standard photography facilities, including studios and darkrooms, and a range of digital and analogue cameras
Experiment with and question the role photography plays in our society and culture
Develop valuable skills in creative problem solving, critical thinking, negotiation and collaboration, alongside project management
Engage in creative collaborations and work experience with industry professionals and organisations, building your professionalism and expertise in creative enterprise
Shape your practice by working with tutors who are practising artists, photographers, curators, writers and thinkers
Exhibit your work throughout the Photography degree, gaining feedback along the way and testing new ways to engage audiences

Across the duration of the course, you’ll build a self-directed practice that defines your unique way of representing the world. You’ll gain a wide range of technical skills utilising specialist equipment and processes from analogue to digital, studio to location, camera to print. Underpinning your practice will be a grounding in the history, theory, professional contexts and working practices of photography.

Year one
Year one will give you a firm foundation in photographic processes and techniques as well as the critical and cultural contexts of the discipline. From day one, you’ll be encouraged to take ownership of your learning journey and engage with opportunities to embed yourself in our supportive creative community.

Modules:
Foundation
Process
Agency
Progress
Approaches
Action

Year two
You’ll engage with a wide range of genres and possible applications of your work, exploring the critical and professional constraints of audience engagement and perception. You’ll also develop a deeper critical understanding of how photography operates in the world.

Modules:
Commitment
Engagement
Situation
Collaboration
Experimentation
Context

Year Three:
You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team.

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying.

How you’ll study during your professional placement :
You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks.

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation.

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Year four
In the final year, you’ll focus on your future aspirations and ambitions and how you can work towards achieving them. At the end of the year, you’ll have a complete body of work that represents your unique perspective as a creative practitioner along with the professional tools to launch yourself into the creative industries.

Modules:
Investigation
Development
Fulfilment
Ambition

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Any students affected will be informed of any changes made directly.

100% of your assessment will be coursework, with no formal examinations.

Assessment methods:
Portfolios
Projects
Exhibitions
Journals
Presentations
Essays