MA in Professional Photography

Program Overview

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Oxford Brookes University's online MA in Professional Photography fosters creativity, intellectual rigor, and ethical practice. Through interactive virtual learning, students develop their photographic skills, explore critical theory, and create self-initiated projects. The program prepares graduates for various careers in the media and creative industries, such as photography, cinematography, and digital marketing.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

This online MA in Professional Photography at Oxford Brookes University equips students with the confidence and ability to progress their personal professional photographic practice. The program emphasizes creativity, intellectual rigor, and ethical practice. Students will also learn how to establish an online presence within professional fields to support their career aspirations.

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Objectives:

The program aims to:

• Enhance students' knowledge, skills, and critical abilities.
• Support students' individual photographic practices.
• Prepare students for a wide choice of career options in the media and creative industries.

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Description:

• This online-only course allows students to pursue projects globally, regionally, or locally, responding to issues they care about while receiving mentorship from industry professionals.
• The program uses interactive features of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and follows the established campus-based MA arts degrees at Oxford Brookes.

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Outline:

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Course Structure:

• The program is structured into three semesters.
• Semester 1:
• Introduces the Exploratory Photography Project module, focusing on personal projects.
• Introduces the Histories, Theories, and Ethics module, exploring the history of photography and relevant critical theory.
• Semester 2:
• Explores the professional environment of the creative industries related to photography in the Professional Practice module.
• Requires completion of the Research and Context module, leading to the final dissertation.
• Semester 3:
• Focuses on the self-initiated Major Photography Project.
• Students explore multiple outputs, including still and moving-image creation, self-published books, exhibition portfolios, and commissioned portfolios.

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Learning and Teaching:

• The program is typically studied over 12 months but offers a part-time option for completion over 24 months.
• Full-time students take five core compulsory modules covering:
• Exploring the Photographic Project
• Professional Practice
• Critical Theory: Histories, Theories, Context and Ethics
• Critical Theory: Final Dissertation
• Final Major Project
• The program concludes with an online exhibition of work and a 6,000-word dissertation.

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Assessment:

• Assessments are diverse and cater to different learning styles.
• Assessments may include:
• Individual or group coursework
• Examinations
• Presentations
• Assessment methods are tailored to student learning needs, individual aims, and academic standards.

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Teaching:

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Teaching Staff:

• Students are taught by working professionals from within the creative industries across the globe.

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Teaching Methods:

• The program employs innovative teaching strategies and online platforms to deliver engaging online learning.
• It features a supportive online learning community.

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Careers:

• The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in the media and creative industries.
• Potential career paths include:
• Professional photographer
• Director of photography
• Cinematographer
• Publisher
• Creative director
• Art director
• Photo editor
• Curator
• Documentary filmmaker
• Post-production
• Content strategist
• Researcher
• Digital marketing and advertising
• Marketing communications
• Social media management
• Web content management
• Teaching and education
• Media research
• Digital strategist
• Brand marketing consultant

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Other:

• The course is delivered online, enabling students to study from anywhere in the world.
• The program includes weekly formative feedback from lecturers, fellow students, and mentors.
• The program is career-focused, helping students set their career expectations and explore strategies to achieve them.
• The program highlights the importance of research as a fundamental aspect of contemporary photography in both academic and industry contexts.

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Tuition Fees 2024 / 25 Home (UK) distance learning full time £9,150 Home (UK) distance learning part time £4,575 International distance learning full time £17,350 International distance learning part time £8,675 Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year. The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support. How and when to pay Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.