Photography MA

Photography opens up a transformative space. As a subject it is at the forefront of the global design world – creating brand imagery, fashion styles, art direction and product representation for a global audience. It also documents issues and presents trends, creating new visual languages to mediate on prevailing global contexts. The Masters course provides an opportunity for you to challenge and hone your professional approaches to the discipline for a range of creative platforms and contexts.

Our course aims to enable you to:

• Critically appraise the importance of social, ethical, technological and cultural dimensions of photography as applied to your personal practice and that of others.
• Evidence advanced knowledge and understanding of photography and its current and emerging global applications such as, but not limited to, advertising, architectural commercial, editorial, fine art, fashion and photojournalism.
• Systematically plan, negotiate and implement topical research to substantiate a coherent body of advanced photographic practice.
• Contribute to the principles and processes of photography in supporting innovation within commercial or creative industries.
• Evidence awareness and relevance of your work in relation to professional standards in photographic practice through high-quality post-production skills, sector awareness and self-promotion through marketing, social media and portfolio development.

Our course aims to encourage you to push the boundaries of your practice with the development of innovative and imaginative concepts and ideas relevant to a range of situations. We will introduce you to a variety of platforms and contexts within which photographic practices sit, enabling you to experiment, expand, progress and communicate your ideas through different forms and processes.

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

• An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject or an equivalent professional qualification.
• Alternative qualifications and/or significant experience may be accepted, subject to approval.
• International students with qualifications in 'creative' or 'practice' subjects should submit a digital portfolio (pdf) of work with their application.
• All suitably qualified applicants are normally invited in for an informal chat with a portfolio or considered for admittance under alternative arrangements, such as a skype chat.
• IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent will be considered acceptable.

Photography creates a space in which you can innovate or reflect the worid around you. It is central to all forms of contemporary visual communication in life, business and industry. Consequently, the opportunities are endless. A visually literate, innovative ‘creative producer’ has the edge and potential to lead in whatever area they choose; in freelance/consultancy, corporate, national and global contexts.

The expectation is that you will be seeking to enter the cultural and creative global industries into roles such as freelance photographers, creative directors, editors, post production specialists, fashion photographers, art directors, documentary, landscape, still life or product photographers, or editors. You may also be seeking to develop proposals for further postgraduate research and doctoral study or the education sector.

After studying within the subject area of Art and Design, graduates have gone on to be successful in the following areas: Studio assistants and Post production artists – Laura Burgess, Josh Wilde; Editorial Freelance Photographers – Tom Duffield, Alex Beldea. Fashion Editorial: Silvana Trevalé, Nicole Jopek. Travel Photography: Jake Hateley. A number of graduates are currently exhibiting photographic work nationally and internationally.