Photography BA(Hons)

During the first year of your Photography degree, you’ll explore the expressive, critical and technical potential of photography. This will help you to develop and consolidate photographic craft skills in the context of contemporary photographic practice. You’ll build your professional practice through an introduction to key industry issues, copyright and business practices, allowing you to develop a professional identity while researching and interrogating the importance of professional ethics. 

Modules

Elements of Photographic Practice & Context  

We’ll introduce you to a range of photographic approaches, techniques and skills, through a series of weekly thematic projects. You’ll begin to explore the expressive, critical and technical potential of photography to develop craft in the context of contemporary practice. 

Professional Practice 

You’ll dive into key industry issues, copyright and business practices, allowing you to construct your professional identity while researching and interrogating the importance of professional ethics. You’ll design and construct your own website and business profile and build your social media presence while developing your CV through workshops, lectures and tutorials. 

Developing Approaches to Practice & Context  

You'll develop and consolidate your photographic craft, research, contextual knowledge and project development skills. Through technical inductions and workshops, you'll build your practical photographic skills, from working with professional studio equipment through to the use of moving image and colour darkroom printing. This module also introduces the relevance of historical and contemporary approaches in image making to enable you to contextualise and develop critical and reflective research skills.

Image in Context

You’ll explore methods of describing and analysing photographs within the contexts in which they’re placed, exploring key concepts in visual culture and media studies. This will enable you to better understand how photographs are used, the relationship between image and text, and the professional contexts in which your work can exist. 

We'll push you to work more independently as you develop your own style. Work placements and live collaborative projects will further develop your professional and technical abilities and knowledge of global themes and debates in photography.

Modules

Expanded Practice

This practice-based module aims to explore imaging in its broadest sense, encouraging experimental practice and a multidisciplinary approach. You'll explore expanded photographic practice in art-based and commercial contexts and will develop a new body of independent work.

Collaborative Project

Working within a small team, you’ll research and build a proposal for a collaborative project, which can be anything from a short film to a socially engaged/community project. Working together, you’ll develop an awareness of a variety of roles within the photographic and creative industries, considering ethics, copyright law and other legal matters relating to professional practice. 

Global Positions 

This module introduces you to global themes and debates that are fundamental to the study of the image, ideas of looking and subjectivity, and the contexts and institutions within which we view the photographic image. You'll examine the production, dissemination and reception of contemporary photography, focusing on global cultural debates and diverse practices in the expanded field.

Audience and Context

This module builds your self-directed practice through the production of a portfolio showing emerging personal iconography. You'll grow your independent practice while building your awareness of the professional context.
Research Project Preparation

Work Experience

We'll prepare you with the professional skills and experience to pursue a career through creative practice. Tutors will help to identify your personal strengths and interests and help you organise a work placement (typically two weeks' duration or equivalent).

You can choose to take an optional placement year after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the RealWORKS employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your placement year 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

With improved confidence and a well-rounded skill set, you’ll be ready to complete your final portfolios and contextual research project to prepare you for a career in the creative industries. 

Modules

Development Portfolio

This module forms the inspirational and contextual backbone of the final year of study. Based on the interests you’ve developed in the previous two years, you’ll produce a portfolio that begins to define your individual practice with an emphasis on research and exploration toward the completion of your final major project. You’ll be supported in this process by intensive one-to-one tutorials, group workshops and seminars and peer assessments. 

Contextual Project

You’ll research, explore and develop your own interests, working independently (with supervision) to build a final piece of academic work. This will contextualise the area of specialism you’re developing in your practice. This project may take the form of a written essay, a curatorial proposal or multimedia/moving image piece of work, to be negotiated with your supervisor. 

Final Project

During this final module, you’ll produce a professional portfolio and final exhibition presentation that will help you pave your chosen career path after university. This final project should reflect your technical skill, creativity and individuality to industry standards. 

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route? 

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree. 

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs. 

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject. 

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.