BA (Hons) Photography (Top-up)

For every 10 credits, students should engage with around 100 notional hours of learning. This will be approximately 30% direct learning contact, and 70% independent student learning.

Level 6

Contextualising Practice (20 credits, compulsory)

This module will enable learners to reflect on their level 5 achievements to identify a specialist pathway to realise new work. The focus will be on development that is appropriate to outcomes in distributional contexts. The key contexts are books, exhibition, mixed or multi-media considerations, and web-based platforms. The module would generally require that the learner demonstrates ability across a broad digital skill-set. Learners keen to use specialist analogue processes would be required to facilitate the transfer of their work to a digital domain.

A research proposal leads towards supported technical development in a key area or a combination of key areas. Typically, these might be analogue or digital arenas with output to print, bookmaking, projection, installation, moving image and web design, or any other proposed outcome agreed with the module leader. Experimentation and process will lead to a portfolio of images presented in a skeletal context such as fine print, book dummy, latent web pages, short moving image product or other agreed context.

Key considerations are audience awareness, context of distribution and reception of work.

The learner will qualify projects as meaningful outcomes by demonstrating that contextual frameworks are considered elements of their own practice. (Presentation 20%, Written evaluation 30%, Portfolio 50%)

Final Major Project (40 credits, compulsory)

The photography final major project is a key component of final assessment and it is the opportunity for learners to demonstrate their creative, technical and production skills that are informed through critical understanding, the application of theory and a realisation of practice.

The context for the final major project will be the end of year show, which will be held onsite or at an offsite venue determined through negotiation and agreement in semester 1. As a group, learners can choose an overarching rationale for the event and to consider this as an element of the contextual framework for their practice – or, they can choose to see their contribution as independent of external associations and reliant only on the allocation of space to each learner.

Each learner will address the unique interests of their practice through independent study and a tutor supported pathway. There will be an emphasis on critical theory and practice that is interrogated through historical and/or contemporary contexts that informs critical evaluation of practice in the context of a final show.

The notion of ‘a show’ will be explored broadly to include a variety of possibilities including the use of digital space. (Written evaluation 10%, Exhibition 80%, Planning document 10%)

Research Pathways (20 credits, compulsory)

This module enables learners to consider specific research methodologies that will support their academic interest and help inform a critical framework for their own practice. The evaluation of work from L5 is an opportunity to consider new lines of enquiry or to consider the development of existing themes for research that is appropriate to L6.

Learners will be required to keep a professional online blog that reviews and evaluates research experiences throughout the year, and reflects the development of a relationship between research and practice over time. This will include information gathered from visits to galleries, festivals, conferences and exhibitions, direct contact with industry and relevant research experiences. There is an emphasis placed upon developing a digital visual language and a resource that supports the dissertation as a shared platform that invites dialogue between peers and the teaching team. (Written evaluation 20%, Digital research document 80%)

Dissertation (40 credits, compulsory)

This module develops the interface between research and practice explored in the first phase of the course. Students are required to carry out detailed research alongside critical enquiry to enable them to reflect on their own practice and to position this practice in relation to broader historical and contextual concerns.

The module allows students to undertake a major research project which is linked to their photographic practice. The research work carried out for this module will enable students to produce and present a focused body of work that synthesises their critical evaluation and contextual understanding and consider the relationship between this and their own practical work. (Presentation 20%, Dissertation 60%, Preparatory essay and literature review 20%)