BA (Hons) Photography

UCAS Code:
W640
Institution:
B50
Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

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Wiltshire College and University Centre’s Salisbury campus has an enviable reputation and over 50 years’ experience of delivering photography degrees that balance technical mastery, personal experimentation and creative development, giving you the best possible basis for a successful career. You’ll undertake a wide range of projects, including professionally guided assignments, research into the industry, as well as the production of a professional-style portfolio.

The Salisbury campus has outstanding studio space standards and facilities that enable you to gain experience of working with industry-standard equipment. You’ll work in fully equipped studios, including traditional darkrooms, and will use professional-standard cameras and lighting equipment. You’ll also have the opportunity to use the latest digital imaging software, alongside more traditional techniques for post-production work, thus increasing the opportunities for creative solutions to contemporary communication challenges.

You will be encouraged to continue our longstanding success in entering national and international competitions such as those organised by the Royal Photographic Society, the Association of Photographers and the British Institute of Professional Photography, to which the course is affiliated.

Open Days for this course are held at Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury, where this course is delivered. Visit their website to book onto an Open Day.

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.

Image description — Image of Wiltshire College image processing room

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, September 2020

Location:

Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury

Duration:

3 years (with a 2-week placement) or 4 years (including a 30-week placement), full-time

Accreditations:

The British Institute of Professional Photography and the Association of Photographers

Entry requirements:

For 2019 entry: 96 -104 tariff points from 2 A-levels or equivalent. BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM. For more information check out our 2019 entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each component or equivalent. For more information check out our International entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students.

You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, and you will also undertake group work and written exams. The assessment methods for each unit can be found in the programme specification for your course.

Download the programme specification (pdf 704kb)

Year 1

Media Concepts & Contexts: You'll learn how to carry out independent study and research as well as critically reflecting upon your own beliefs and understandings within a media context.
Professional Development Plan: You will research a particular area of industry practice, with a view to developing your own individual career path.
Introduction to Production Skills: You will learn the fundamentals of imaging making using traditional silver based technology as well as the latest digital equipment and software. Work will be both in the studio and on location.
Applied Production Skills 1: You will develop key skills in underlying concepts and principles associated with images, narratives and audiences in photography.
Collaborative Project: You will work collaboratively within a team to produce a professional body of work.

Year 2

Professional Studies: It's intended that industry contacts will be developed by you throughout the remainder of your course and can then be used as an on-going link upon graduation.
Media Theory: Critical study of film form with particular emphasis on the centrality and importance of narrative. You'll be asked to focus in on one key media theory and reflect upon the implications of the theory in your practice.
Applied Production Skills 2: This unit centres on the production of an individually authored documentary or fiction film. You will develop your own creative voice and demonstrate a flair and ability for film making.
Research Methods: Here you'll hone your research skills, drawing upon various methods to carry out your own piece of independent research.
Photography Project: You will further develop your ability to deliver work to a specified length, format, brief and deadline, making use of a problem solving approach.

Placement year

This course contains a two week period of professional placement, usually completed between year 2 and 3. Alternatively, the course can be taken as a 4-year sandwich when your third year will be spent on professional industrial placement.

The placement is an integral part of the course and will give you the opportunity to relate theory to practice and to develop a real understanding of the profession you will enter upon graduating.

Final year

Dissertation: A dissertation allows you to develop and demonstrate your critical, analytical and research skills by producing a major piece of academic work. It gives you the chance to really hone in on an area of expertise.
Concept Development: This unit underpins your Graduate project and includes the development of a production folder, critical statement of practice and exhibition.
Graduate Project: In this unit you will get the chance to plan, produce and author a portfolio of photography.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placements

We recognise that placements are extremely valuable and can give you a head start when it comes to your future career. That’s why we offer every new student the opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of their course.

We will provide a great deal of support to help you find the most appropriate work placement for the subject you’re studying and the career you’re interested in, which means you could be based anywhere in the UK, or even overseas.

Find out about BU students’ experiences on placements All you need to know about placements

How placements benefit you

Placements provide a great opportunity to make your first career steps and enhance your employability while you’re completing your studies. You’ll get the opportunity to:

Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider
Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

How long will your placement be?

Your application

This course will suit applicants who:

Demonstrate both intellectual and creative abilities
Show experience of Photography
Have an appreciation of the academic underpinnings of photography
Possess a strong awareness of the visual communications industry
Demonstrate good technical and communication skills.

How to apply BU Academic Excellence Scholarship

What we’re looking for

Students on this course will typically have a background in photography and the academic ability to undertake a degree. Students will also be media aware and have a proven ability to work creatively, in groups and individually.

We look for creative and innovative thinkers who are familiar with current Photographic practice and want to apply it. We would encourage applicants who are passionate about photography, work well in groups and express themselves well in writing.

Selection methods

How we'll assess your application

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, predicted grades, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview/selection test.

If you meet one or more of our contextual data indicators for educational disadvantage (such as being in care, living in a low participation neighbourhood or in an area with less advantaged socio-economic characteristics), your offer could be between 8-24 points below the published tariff.

Our offer making process

Our offer making will typically be based on your most recent graded qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications on the UCAS tariff tables when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) and the rest of the application to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will still confirm your place.

Our Unconditional Offer Scheme (2019 entry)

Applicants who are predicted to achieve strong academic results will be eligible for BU’s Unconditional Offer Scheme in recognition of their academic performance and potential to succeed at university. If you are selected for the scheme and commit to us as your firm choice of university, then we will match this commitment by making your offer unconditional, which will guarantee your place at BU.

You will receive a standard conditional offer based on the entry requirements for your course via UCAS Track and your offer letter – it will advise that you are eligible for the Unconditional Offer Scheme. We will then update your offer to unconditional should you choose BU as your firm choice on UCAS Track. We believe that unconditional offers reduce pressure on applicants who will continue to strive to achieve the best grades possible. If you achieve ABB or above at A-level or equivalent, you’ll also be eligible for our Academic Excellence Scholarship.

Visit our Unconditional Offer Scheme FAQ page

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

We use the UCAS Tariff to show our entry requirements and will accept a combination of grades from your qualifications. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to tariff points.

For 2019 entry: The entry requirements for this course are 96 -104 tariff points from a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifcations. BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM.

Excluded subjects: This course does not accept General Studies.

GCSEs: This course requires GCSE English and Maths grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications.

Numeracy and literacy: We need to be sure that you can express yourself in written English and have basic numeracy skills. We look at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework, which includes, but is not limited to, GCSEs, iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills Level 2. If you do not have formal qualifications to this level or have alternatives, we may still be able to consider your application – please contact the Future Students Enquiry Service to find out more.

Other qualifications: We have outlined below other qualifications that we consider for this course. If you are studying a qualification that is not listed, please contact the Future Students Enquiry Service – it may be that we can still consider it.

Access courses: 96 - 102 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades.

Students may also submit for the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) of the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP).

The course is supported by an impressive network of alumni, many of whom have risen to the top of their field. They frequently assist with professional placements and visit the college as guest speakers.

BTEC qualifications:

Extended Diploma: This course requires Merit, Merit, Merit (96 tariff points)
Diploma: 96 tariff points (Grade DD)
BTEC National Foundation Diploma/90-credit Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent
BTEC National Extended Certificate/Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied an A-level or equivalent.

Cambridge Pre-U Diploma: 96-104 tariff points including a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects.

Cambridge Technical qualifications:

Extended Diploma: This course requires Merit, Merit, Merit (96 tariff points)
Diploma: 96 tariff points (Grade DD)
Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent
Introductory Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

International Baccalaureate (Diploma): 26 - 29 overall including grade H5 from 2 Higher Level subjects.

Scottish Highers: 96 - 104 tariff points from 2 Scottish Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by an A-level or equivalent.

Extended Project Qualification: Accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with the Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if it’s included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider applicants for deferred entry.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course. Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement, without the need to re-take IELTS.

Academic entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students’ page.

We offer a number of preparatory programmes through the Bournemouth University International College. These courses offer you progression from High School in your home country to a Bachelor’s degree at BU.

Careers

There is always demand for talented photographers and this degree will prepare you for work in this varied and exciting industry. Once you graduate, you can apply for roles with established studios, with large organisations that require staff photographers, with photo libraries or agencies, or can forge your own career as a freelancer.

Careers advice, resources, events and job opportunities

Potential job roles

Industries worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise.

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that staff can change.

Patrick Denis - Programme Leader

Patrick moved to Dorset in 2003 after obtaining a BA (Hons) in Photography at Bournemouth University. He has designed and delivered adult education courses for LRPS and ARPS at Bournemouth and Poole College. He has also taught A level and BTEC Photography at Bournemouth and Poole College and Wiltshire College and University Centre.

He is currently the programme leader for the BA (Hons) Photography at Bournemouth University.

Patrick specialises in architectural photography using large format technical cameras, both film and digital. He holds an ARPS.

Course changes

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
14/11/2017	Where the change was made: Fees Change: After an annual review of the placement year tuition fee, a price increase in line with current inflation, equating to 3% has been introduced. Previous text: £790
25/10/2017	Where the change was made: Key information and 2018 entry requirements. Change: The entry requirements for 2018 have changed to 96 -104 tariff points from a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifications. BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM. Previous text: 2017 entry requirements: The entry requirements for this course are 96 -104 tariff points from 3 A levels or equivalent qualifications. BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM.

Date

Changes to this course

14/11/2017

Where the change was made: Fees
Change: After an annual review of the placement year tuition fee, a price increase in line with current inflation, equating to 3% has been introduced.
Previous text: £790

25/10/2017

Where the change was made: Key information and 2018 entry requirements.
Change: The entry requirements for 2018 have changed to 96 -104 tariff points from a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent qualifications. BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM.
Previous text: 2017 entry requirements: The entry requirements for this course are 96 -104 tariff points from 3 A levels or equivalent qualifications. BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM.