During the first two weeks there will be an induction programme in which you will:

• Get an overview of the structure of the course and each unit and discover the ethos of the course.
• Get to know the facilities on offer to you at course, College and University level, including those provided by the Learning Resources department, Student Services and Students' Union.
• Get to know your tutors and colleagues.
• Learn about the difference between working at postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

Autumn, Term One (11 weeks)

Unit summary:

• Professional Photography in Practice (Photographic Technology and Applied Production Skills) (40 credits)

Through a series of workshops and project briefs, this unit will enable you to develop and utilise specialist photographic skills and knowledge to solve photographic problems. Through planning, implementation and review, and engagement with industry, you'll be able to apply your photographic skills in a realistic professional context and identify areas in which you may wish to develop your practice.

• Critical Approaches (Photographic Culture, History and Theory) (20 credits)

This unit will give you the opportunity to study major developments and critical approaches in photography. This will enable you to gain an understanding of the contemporary significance of photography and to place your own work in a historical-cultural context. This unit is particularly useful to those students wishing to bridge to Master level study.

Spring, Term Two (10 weeks)

Unit summary:

• Professional Photography in Practice (continued)
• Critical Approaches (continued)
• Personal Project (Research and development) (20 credits)
• Professional Identity and Portfolio Development (Professional Context and Progression) (40 credits)

Through the research and development of a comprehensive project, you will be able to recognise creative influences in your own work and develop an understanding of your own creative ambitions.

The Professional Identity and Portfolio Development unit is a culmination of the previous units, offering you the hands-on opportunity to develop a professional body of work that showcases your personal identity.

This is the most significant unit in that you are expected to produce a professional portfolio of work in which you'll be required to demonstrate a rigorous and critical analysis of your interests in professional photography, strongly influenced by your area of specialism.

Summer, Term Three (10 weeks)

Unit summary:

• Personal Project (continued)
• Professional Identity and Portfolio Development (continued)

You will explore and gain working knowledge of contemporary business practice, with an emphasis on operating as a freelance practitioner. The process for all units will involve you in original applications of knowledge, together with a practical ability to use and critically assess existing photographic techniques and formats.

You will also, in the process of the critical evaluation of your own and others work, develop innovative solutions to creative challenges.

Learning and teaching methods

• Workshops - these form the core of the teaching programme and involve a critical peer review of your work in progress.
• Lectures - these concentrate on the craft elements of Photography, and are delivered by the course team together with visiting speakers from industry.
• Independent study - this provides an opportunity for you to engage with research, writing and other activities related to your academic and creative progress, outside formal teaching hours.
• Reflective reports - reports in which you, the student, reflect upon your practice with respect to projects.
• Tutorials - these one-to-one sessions with a tutor provide a platform for assessing your development and addressing issues relevant to the course.

Assessment methods

The course objectives are assessed using the following assessment methods:

• Practical project work and computer based activities
• Prepared writing
• Responses to case studies
• Oral presentation
• Personal presentations of prepared work
• Simulations and role plays
• Workshop based activities
• Written research
• The creation of a portfolio of collection of work which may contain a number of different activities

Course structure

The information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course.

Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year.

In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.

Webpage updates

We will update this webpage from time to time with new information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact a member of the course team.