Program Overview
Solent University's one-year foundation and three-year BA (Hons) Graphic Design Degree provide a comprehensive education in photography, fostering creativity, technical skills, and critical thinking. Students benefit from industry guest speakers, state-of-the-art facilities, and a focus on freelance work, preparing them for careers in various photography fields and related industries.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The one-year foundation provides all the creative, technical and study skills needed to prepare for the degree. Upon completion, you will be able to progress onto the three year BA (Hons) Graphic Design Degree here at Solent. Throughout the course you will be supported to develop your creative, imaginative and critical abilities – skills that are essential in a creative career – you’ll also explore a range of photographic subjects and will embed photographic skills through dynamic projects. Solent’s experienced teaching team will guide you in creating a rich and varied professional portfolio, and will ensure that you have the creative freedom to make a portfolio that best represents your own unique style, while at the same time demonstrating that you are a competent, adaptable and employable practitioner. Regular course lectures are supported by a programme of industry guest speakers, which in the past have included appearances from Richard Billingham, Catherine Yass, Charlotte Cotton, Ori Gersht, Brian Dillon, Peter Fraser, Dan Holdsworth, Chrystel Lebas, Jeremy Millar, Sophy Rickett, Margaret Salmon and Tom Hunter. Your studies will take place in the multi-million pound Media Academy – featuring state-of-the-art teaching and photography facilities including digital and analogue studio spaces. You will also learn in the Photography Base Room – a dedicated, flexible teaching space. Think a career as a photographer might be for you? With first-class facilities and a unique emphasis on freelance work, Solent University’s photography programme is a great first step towards your dream career.
Outline:
Foundation year
Core modules
- Creative Applications
- Contextual Practice
- Materials and Methods
- Research and Ideas Development
- Personal Development Planning
- Degree-related Project
Year one
Core modules
- Image Lab
- Orientation
- Photography History and Theory I
- Photography History and Theory II
- Representation
- Visual Exploration
Year two
Core modules
- Photographic Concepts and Themes
- The Figurative Image
- Photographic Methods and Approaches
- Photographic Ecologies
Final year
Core modules
- Contemporary Photographic Practice
- Contemporary Photographic Journal
- Professional Practice
- Final Major Project
Assessment:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
- Coursework
- Creative design projects
Teaching:
You will learn by:
- Collaborative learning
- Directed learning
- Guided learning
Careers:
Many photography graduates have gone on to work in commercial, editorial, fashion, portrait, documentary, photojournalism, landscape and fine art photography. Graduates also enter related fields, including post-production, museum and galleries, book and journal publication, picture editing, education (FE and HE) and have also gone on to postgraduate study.
Other:
- The course team offers a blend of skills, knowledge and expertise; they have a rich breadth and depth of experience and backgrounds.
- The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
- Course facilities include an extensive media loans programme, providing access to high-end DSLR cameras, an extensive range of lenses (including many ‘L’ series and Prime lenses), 35mm cameras, medium format cameras (645, 6x7 and 6x9), large format 5x4 cameras and lenses, and a full stock of accessories – light meters, tripods, flash guns, remote-controlled boom-mounted flash systems and more.
- You’ll also have access to our digital reprographics lab, featuring commercial-standard and large-format printers, flatbed scanners, three Hasselblad drum scanners scanning up to 5x4 size and a colour-calibrated ProMac-based reprographic suite.
- Additionally, we have finishing and film processing rooms, a modern multimedia lab featuring 24 iMacs with Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro, plus large professional photographic studios and associated make-up and styling rooms.
Fees will increase for year 1.
International full-time fees:
£16,125 per year
