Masters Degrees (Documentary Photography)

Develop a wider vision. Designed with photojournalists and documentary photographers in mind, MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (online) will help you expand your practice and challenge the potential of the medium. Learn through a series of assignments as part of this internationally renowned programme, and join the graduates who've gone on to win the World Press Photo Daily Life Singles category and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize.

Content

A practical, cutting-edge Masters course with an international reputation, designed for aspiring photojournalists and documentary photographers.

Photojournalists and documentary photographers explore and record human experience. Beginning with Henri Cartier-Bresson (regarded as the father of modern photojournalism), they have recorded significant moments in history, documented unfolding news and created images that have gained iconic status. Central to their work is the telling of a story through images.

This internationally-recognised course is aimed at people who want to pursue a career in photojournalism or documentary photography. The aim is to equip students with a thorough grounding in the discipline, whether through film or digitally-based photography. You will follow a rigorous programme of photographic assignments, as well as initiating and developing your own projects and areas of special interest. All this takes place within the framework of the history and development of the medium, together with critical ethical and theoretical contexts. You will be encouraged to develop a wider vision of the practice and potential of the medium through exploration of the uses of documentary and reportage photography in magazines, portfolios, gallery exhibitions, books, television, web, CD-based productions and other media.

Structure

Phase 1

- Photojournalism Practice
- History of Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

In the first week, you’ll take part in an online induction programme, using web conferencing, in which you will:

- Become familiar with the course structure,
- Be introduced to the teaching staff and your fellow students,
- Access information about the Student Union, Student Services and Learning Resources,
- Become familiar with PGNET, delivered through the software Moodle.

Phase 2

- Documentary Practice with Research Methods
- Critical Perspectives on Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (including research methodology)

Phase 3

- Major project

Read less

Introduction

Develop a wider vision. Designed with photojournalists and documentary photographers in mind, the MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography course can help you expand your practice and challenge the potential of the medium. Learn through a series of assignments as part of this internationally renowned programme and join the graduates who've gone on to win the World Press Photo Daily Life Singles category and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize.

Content

A practical, cutting-edge Masters course with an international reputation, designed for aspiring photojournalists and documentary photographers.

Photojournalists and documentary photographers explore and record human experience. Beginning with Henri Cartier-Bresson (regarded as the father of modern photojournalism), they have recorded significant moments in history, documented unfolding news and created images that have gained iconic status. Central to their work is the telling of a story through images.

This internationally-recognised course is aimed at people who want to pursue a career in photojournalism or documentary photography. The aim is to equip students with a thorough grounding in the discipline, whether through film or digitally-based photography. You will follow a rigorous programme of photographic assignments, as well as initiating and developing your own projects and areas of special interest. All this takes place within the framework of the history and development of the medium, together with critical ethical and theoretical contexts. You will be encouraged to develop a wider vision of the practice and potential of the medium through exploration of the uses of documentary and reportage photography in magazines, portfolios, gallery exhibitions, books, television, web, CD-based productions and other media.

Structure

Phase 1

Photojournalism Practice
History of Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

Phase 2

Documentary Practice with Research Methods
Critical Perspectives on Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

Phase 3

Major Project

Read less

The University is world-renowned for the study of Documentary Photography and this distinctive MA offers a contemporary and lively engagement with the subject, ranging from reportage to fine art. You will also engage with international visiting speakers and our cohort of scholars undertaking PhDs in photography as part of our photography research centre.

The course challenges you to explore definitions of Documentary Photography by embracing a wide range of practices, while working through real world engagement with social and political issues.

You will be taught by world-leading photographers, writers and curators through a series of lectures, seminars and technical workshops which will encourage you to develop new ways of thinking about your practice.

If you choose to study on a creative postgraduate course at the University of South Wales, you will also benefit from being part of a vibrant international student community.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1243-ma-documentary-photography

What you will study

The course is available to study either full-time or part-time, meeting on one day per week. This means it is possible to undertake the course from a distance and alongside existing employment.

The introductory modules are shaped around a lecture programme that covers the critical issues of contemporary photographic practice, and a seminar programme in which you will develop new ways of looking at your own practice. You will explore distinct areas of contemporary photography while reviewing your own and fellow students’ work in progress. Through negotiation, you will develop a proposal for new work that will form the framework for further projects.

The final modules are structured to enable you to fully realise your ambitions for your work. A lecture programme and regular contact with teaching staff, along with seminars from visiting fellows and prominent practitioners, will assist you towards the production of a significant body of new work along with a key situating text. Students have in the past exhibited their final work at public galleries including Ffotogallery, Cardiff. You are encouraged to develop the final production of the work in the form that is most relevant to the work: for example, exhibition, book dummy or website. This is a significant step towards moving out into the wider photographic industry.

Common Modules:
The Faculty understands the importance of a strong grounding in research knowledge and skills, enterprise and innovation as part of a balanced postgraduate education.

We also recognise that each student has different requirements of their postgraduate experience.

You can choose to study one of the following three, 20 credit common modules. Each of these has a different focus, enabling you to select the module that will be most beneficial to you.

- Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship
This module aims to develop your knowledge of the methods to identify, develop and manage enterprise and innovation in the creative sector. It will then help you apply this to your own entrepreneurial project.

- Research and Practice in the Creative and Cultural Industries
The focus of this module is on the development of research knowledge and skills, while also encouraging critical engagement with approaches to creative practice. You will also explore ideas, debates and issues in the creative and cultural industries.

- Research Paradigms
This module focuses on research paradigms and their theoretical underpinnings. It also looks at key conceptual tools drawn from a wide range of subject areas relevant to postgraduate research in the creative industries.

PLEASE NOTE: Modules are subject to change.

Learning and teaching methods

Students will be taught via a range of university-taught modules.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

The course is particularly popular among those wishing to pursue a career in documentary production and research, photographic exhibition, publishing, teaching or journalism.

Recent graduates have regularly exhibited their work and several now teach in higher education. A number are also undertaking PhD study.

The course has an eminent list of alumni now working within the photographic industry, including freelance photographers and those who have set up their own businesses.

Assessment methods

Initially you will be assessed through the production of experimental work-in progress, with fully resolved work expected in later modules. Alongside your work you will be asked to develop a perspective through written texts placing your work in its photographic and social context.

Read less

The course explores documentary practices and photojournalism as exciting and developing mediums, through a combination of practice based teaching and discussion of critical contexts.

We take each applicant on their own merit. This can include students of documentary photography or photographers in general who are interested in specialising in this area. Also welcome are artists who wish to focus their activities on a more social practice, and individuals from other disciplines, who wish to explore the subject area at post grad level.

The course builds on the international stature of the photographic and journalism departments of the University and is designed to equip you with an awareness of contemporary documentary and photojournalism, drawing on a variety of related media.

Course content

The Documentary and Photojournalism MA allows students to explore ideas of society through photographically related practice and within critically informed ways that maintain connections with the issue, yet also consider fresh visual approaches to the subject matter.

We approach photography as a social practice, situated within its own history, but also drawing on various discourses. We explore the idea that documentary practice and photojournalism may take many forms in the 21st Century.

Importantly, from your arrival, we emphasize the development of your own practice, through experimentation, critique and theory, and encourage analysis of practice through contemporary perspectives.

The course leads towards the Final Major Project, which is a consolidation of student learning into a high profile event in a central London exhibition space.

You will be taught by practising professional photographers, artists and writers, within a supportive course atmosphere. Technically, the course resources are equipped to the highest professional standards for both analogue and digital production of still and moving image.

Associated careers

We would imagine our graduate to be well rounded and confident individual with adaptability facilitating new ways of seeing

In addition to the skills acquired of photographers enabling the production of works this will also involve proficient use of a variety of hardware, software, social media, presentation and production skills. The course will offer the development of various hardskills such as:
-Curation and Management of large and small scale projects
-Direction (either within film or theatrical modes)
-Advocacy, (such as in educational or community roles)
-Experience of group and collaborative working

We intend that the student will be highly employable as a still photographer, documentary film-maker, educator, activist, artist and writer, and much more, as well as having preparation for further doctoral study.

Read less

As part of this course you will produce a major, practical documentary project informed by contemporary debates and historical perspectives, having gained the practical skills via a firm grounding in digital video production and exploring photography and multimedia using industry-standard equipment.

You will cover all stages of documentary production - from initial proposal to final edit, learning how to research and write a documentary, and create and edit film.

Choose from video, photography and multimedia technologies, discovering new and unique features of each medium. Underpinning the strong practical element are the political, legal, moral and ethical issues informing contemporary production and exhibition.

Intermediate qualifications available:

• Postgraduate certificate – 60 credits at Masters level
• Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Masters level

Visit the website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/postgraduate/next-year/documentary

Course detail

• Study an intensive specialist course in creative documentary, focused on practice informed by ideas, with access to state-of-the-art documentary film-making equipment and excellent links with industry professionals
• Explore a unique opportunity to study documentary practices in moving image, photographic and journalistic forms with opportunities to attend documentary festivals in the UK and mainland Europe
• Develop specialist knowledge of specific areas of the media and use the opportunities presented by your project work to enter competitions and make industry contacts
• Gain a qualification valuable to anyone seeking employment in the rapidly changing field of media: with the knowledge and skills to pitch ideas, write proposals, identify sources of funding and find appropriate avenues of distribution and exhibition of your work
• Benefit from a degree that prepares you for roles such as documentary producer, researcher or director, or qualifies you to continue to MPhil and PhD research degrees

Modules

• Documentary Practice
• Stills and Movies
• Production Research
• Practical Post Production and Digital Effects
• Documentary Project A
• Documentary Project B

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of your learning. Your assessments will follow the pattern of teaching and learning.

As you complete each stage of your production we will give you feedback and give you advice on how to further develop and improve your work so that you can take it to the next stage. We will assess both the processes you use to produce work and the quality of the final production.

The media industry expects high quality work completed to absolutely fixed distribution deadlines. We will reflect this in our assessment of your work.

Careers

MA Documentary provides the opportunity for the committed student to engage with a range of industry relevant events, this includes professional practice seminars, developing documentary ideas into workable projects and visits to international festivals such as IDFA, British Shorts Berlin and Sheffield International documentary festival.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

Read less

Photography at Brighton is taught within the context of the fine arts and oriented around the development of individual projects.

The aim is for you to develop a strong and sustainable artistic practice and body of work that you can confidently exhibit and publish. This will give you a strong foundation for developing a career as an independent photographer/artist, or alternatively for more commercial or community-based activities.

The course has a strong theoretical component, as we believe all students should understand how to conceptualise and contextualise their practice and communicate it clearly to a variety of audiences.

We encourage students to engage with the latest developments in photography, fine art and wider media culture, and to constantly challenge the limits of the medium. Work that crosses technological boundaries and engages with film, video, sound and installation is encouraged – but so is photography's engagement with performance, painting and sculpture.

More than anything, we are committed to an exploratory and thoughtful form of picture-making that is adequate to representing our experiences of the modern world.

Why study with us?

• Creative and critical environment in which to practise and think about photography
• Opportunity to build a professional profile as an independent practitioner
• Fine art approach to photographic practice
• Course tutors who are experienced professional photographers and photographic researchers
• Advice on professional development
• Chance to develop a sustainable individual practice, graduating with a body of work ready for exhibition, a publication and a piece of critical writing that will help to position your work

Areas of study

Practice-based projects are supported by briefings, tutorials, lectures, seminars and technical workshops. Workshops include demonstrations in the latest digital and traditional analogue processes, involving camera use, lighting, and black-and-white and colour printing. Key professional practice sessions include talks and seminars by photographers, artists, writers and other professionals concerned with commissioning, publishing and exhibiting photography.

Semester 1:

• Experimental Practice(20 credits): a themed practice module designed to help you explore your own approach to practice in more depth

• Research Methods in Theory and Practice (20 credits): developing skills in research, experimentation and critical reflection

• Contemporary Debates (20 credits): a theoretical seminar considering how photography has developed as a reflexive medium straddling fine art practice and more documentary contexts

Semester 2:

• Photography Research Project, Part 1 (20 credits): laying the foundations and making initial work in your specialist area of practice

• Professional Practice (20 credits): built around lectures from visiting artists, curators and editors and a series of workshops teaching skills in public speaking, fundraising, research and web design

• Dissertation (20 credits): between 6,000 and 8,000 words exploring a theoretical or historical topic related to your specialist area of practice

Summer Semester:

• Photography Research Project, Part 2 (40 credits): developing and resolving a body of work for exhibition

• Photobooks and Publications (20 credits): realising your project as a publication

Photography in Brighton

Brighton has an established photographic culture. Photography has featured as a significant part of the Brighton Festival and has had a strong presence within the many visual arts spaces of the city. This continues to grow, particularly through the presence of the Brighton Photo Biennial and Photoworks, a commissioning and publishing organisation. Furthermore, the Brighton Photo Fringe, MiniClick and ArtsForum all organise regular events, exhibitions and talks, contributing to a lively photography scene across the city.

Facilities

The following resources are exclusively for MA and BA(Hons) photography students:

• Fully equipped photographic studios
• Dedicated photographic computing facilities
• A digital print bureau
• Traditional colour darkrooms with enlargers that accept a range of negative sizes up to 10 x 8”, capable of enabling the production of exhibition-standard prints
• A traditional black-and-white processing area and darkroom
• A selection of film and digital single lens reflex cameras – and medium-format and large-format film cameras – to supplement your own equipment

The university’s art and design library has a well-stocked photography area and provides access to a wide range of online resources.

Careers and employability

Our Photography MA has led to students developing strong portfolio careers in the field of the arts and gaining considerable recognition for their work through prizes and exhibitions. Many of our students have gone on to do doctoral study or take up lecturing posts in higher education; others have developed roles working in galleries, publishing, picture editing and community projects.

Alumni include Lisa Barnard, Corinne Silva, Virgilio Ferreira, Matt Henry, Stephen Vaughan – successful artists in the world of contemporary photography who exhibit internationally and produce challenging new work.

Read less

This course is for you if you want to develop your individual style and explore photography as a means of creative expression. You will create an impressive portfolio of work, which you will exhibit in real gallery space and disseminate to potential employers.

Course overview

Through the MA Photography, you will develop a professional base for your future career. The course is tailored to your individual interests and we invite you to share your aspirations with us at interview.

During the course, we support the development of student-initiated projects in which individuals can implement, research and extend their practical and intellectual skills across the spectrum of photography, digital imaging and video. By the end of the course, you will have prepared a substantial portfolio of creative and written work and participated in a public exhibition and a publication.

At Masters level, the specialisms of tutors are an important factor. Sunderland’s academic team includes staff with world-class reputations whose research interests fall within the areas of landscape, documentary and diaristic photography, experimental and alternative photographic methods, and span a variety of themes, from representations of femininity, subcultures, curating and exhibiting art photography with a specialism in new photographic technologies and the networked image.

In addition, we operate the North East Photography Network (NEPN) which develops and promotes photography in the North East of England. We also have close links with major arts organisations such as the Arts Council, the Laing Art Gallery and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

Graduates from Sunderland have gone on to work throughout the creative industries and education. A Masters qualification not only opens doors in the workplace but also helps you progress more rapidly once your career is underway.

To find out more about the part time version of this course, please view this web-page: http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/artsdesignandmedia/postgraduate/photography-part-time/

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors.

Modules on this course include:
Photography 1 - Certificate (60 Credits)
-Self-negotiated Research Project (40 Credits)
-Revisiting Photography Theory (20 Credits)

Photography 2 – Postgraduate Diploma (60 Credits)
-Self-negotiated Portfolio Project (40 Credits)
-Issues in Contemporary Photographic Practice (20 Credits)

Photography 3 – Masters Degree (60 Credits)
-Exhibition (40 Credits)
-Research Project (20 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters programme requires a higher level of independent working.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods ranging from technical workshops, research seminars, theory lectures, practical demonstrations, peer critiques, and group discussions. These are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. You will also have high levels of contact with tutors who give regular feedback and support.

You will have the opportunity to meet established photographers and hear about their work and careers. Past speakers have included Simon Norfolk, Liz Wells, Julian Stallabrass, Peter Kennard, Bas Vroege, Michele Sank. Portfolio review days allow you to discuss your portfolio with leading national and international artists, and photographic professionals, publishers, gallery and museum curators.

Assessment methods include project reports, research files, essays, your portfolio of work and the final exhibition.

Facilities & location

The University has invested in modern facilities in the recently refurbished Northern Centre of Photography that include:
-Chemical darkrooms for colour and black and white printing. You can print from 35mm to 5x4 with a large horizontal enlarger to create extra large prints
-Separate chemical darkroom for alternative printing methods
-Digital darkrooms with state-of-the-art scanners and digital production and printing
-Photography studios equipped with tungsten and flash lighting equipment
-Cameras ranging from 35mm to 5x4 Pentax, Nikon, Mamiya, Hasselblad, Fuji 6x7, Toyo, Sinar and Linhof. We provide Digital Nikons and Leaf backs for high-end digital studio work as well as HD video cameras
-Digital suites with open-access Apple Macs for editing video and digital images
-Digital studio with video, sound editing and screening facilities
-Project spaces
-Large wall screen with HD projection for film and video screenings
-Art gallery

Arts and Design Library
Our Arts and Design Library has a specialist collection of over 120,000 books, CD-ROMs, videos, slides and one of the largest electronic information networks in the sector.

Journals and research
We subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals so you can access the most reliable and up-to-date articles. Some of the most important sources for your course include:
-Art Full Text + Art Abstracts, which is a major resource for media and arts information
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course, you will be equipped for a range of positions within the creative sector which include professional photography and arts practice, curatorial, editorial and design work as well as education.

Recent Sunderland graduates are now working in art institutions, museums, community arts organisations, Further Education Colleges and the wider media industry.

A Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

Read less

The Photography Arts MA is a new revalidated course, which replaces the former Photographic Studies MA (1996-2016). The programme helps you develop your own distinct photographic practice and visual research, and is designed to enable you to advance and focus your photographic practice in making new work, supported by a positive educational environment where you can accumulate new knowledge and develop new critical thinking. Students are fully supported by our internationally renowned photography staff.

In an open-minded educational environment you will be able to explore the dynamic range of your photographic practice, engage in innovative thinking and cultivate new independent creative strategies for your practice. Situated in the dynamic Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design, you will draw on extensive photographic facilities and a wealth of inter-disciplinary expertise in this world-famous centre for the practice and critical research of photography.

The course has an open definition of photography as a medium and practice, recognising plural tendencies in its definition and identity. Different modes of practice may be developed and pursued on the course, which encompasses a wide range of methods and techniques: conceptualism, expanded documentary, video, archival, fine art, experimental, installation, fictional realism, and other performative modes of photographic practice. The course encourages open experimentation in the development of new ideas and work. You will advance your practical work choosing new or traditional techniques, digital or analogue forms, or a mixture of approaches. The course champions a long and proud tradition of new and challenging photography at the University.

This is the right course if you are highly motivated, excited to develop and expand your independent practice alongside critical research. Working with our highly experienced staff you can find new approaches and forms of thinking about photography. Alumni from the course (under the former title Photographic Studies MA) now work all over the world in a range of careers as photographers, artists, picture editors, researchers and careers in the creative industries. Do you want to join them?

Course content

The course aims to develop your practice, informed by research. The course sets out to stimulate thinking through practice as a way to generate new innovative work. Students make and actively present their visual work in exhibition, book and/or screen modes of presentation to explore ideas and experiments in new methods of practice and representation. Critical research modules help inform and elaborate the contemporary situation of photography as cultural practice, whether considered in the arts and/or media environment. Excellent facilities and technical workshops support the research and practice. Students write three short research essays during the course, each aimed at broadening knowledge of photography and its related histories and criticism. There is no dissertation on this course except as an option.

The course enables students to become independent practitioners, generating new and informed work. You will be empowered with new visual, practical and critical skills that culminate in the Masters Project, which you will show at the end of the course in the degree show. The final degree show will be in central London.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
-AESTHETICS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
-CONTEMPORARY DEBATES
-MASTERS PROJECT
-PHOTOGRAPHY PRACTICE
-RESEARCH METHODS
-THEORIES OF THE IMAGE

Associated careers

The course prepares graduates for a range of career paths in the arts, media and photography. Many successful graduates work as artists/photographers and also develop careers in related work within the creative industries. Graduate opportunities range from picture agency work, curators and as innovators of independent projects. Many also pursue careers in lecturing and teaching of photography. Graduates have a high success in developing their research work at doctoral level and the MA also has a high reputation amongst potential employers within the sector.

Read less

This unique MA programme is based in a university but run by leading film practitioners, ensuring that you not only receive the highest-quality practice-based learning, but you do so in a university research environment where you learn to understand the world we live in.

Degree information

Students will learn to devise a visual research project; to apply anthropological and social science approaches to documentary film work; to think critically about the relationship between form and content in ethnographic/documentary practice; to master the technical skills needed to produce different kinds of films of different lengths for varied audiences; and to critically view and review film material.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of 1/2 core module(s) (45/60 credits), 2/3 optional /elective modules (30/45 credits) and a project/diary (90 credits).

Core modules
-Practical Ethnographic and Documentary Filming and Editing
-Students without a social science background at either undergraduate or Master's level also take Social Anthropology or another social science foundational module in Term One as agreed with the tutor.

Optional modules - students choose two of the following:
-Anthropology and Photography
-Documentary Film and the Ethnographic Eye
-The Story and I - Finding the Form and/or Time and the Staged Index
-One of the practical film-related options offered as part of Film Studies MA according to provision.
-One of the film history modules taught in the School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES), or Departments of History or English, (for example, Russian Cinema in SSEES), details to be confirmed.
-An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.
-An Anthropology or other social science module from the Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences, or Arts & Humanities.

Dissertation/report
A major practical film project and diary allowing the students to demonstrate their mastery of the skills of documentary film-making in a film of 20–35 minutes.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of practical tutorials, seminars and masterclasses and assessed by camera and editing exercises and a written piece.

Placement
We facilitate two types of placements. Firstly, we will enable short-term internships at the film companies with whom we already have relationships through Open City Docs. Secondly, we will offer all our students the opportunity to work on the collaborative film-making projects linked to MyStreet Films, such as the Doc in a Day workshops that have proved so successful.

Careers

The programme equips students for careers in:
-Mass media including broadcast, cinematic and web-based moving image.
-Film and TV industry as camera operators, producers, directors, editors, researchers.
-Academia – ethnographic research, visual media and culture.
-Marketing and research.
-Communication and other media.
-Archives, as well as cultural heritage organisations.

Employability
The increasing demand for social and scientifically trained moving image specialists in the years ahead will continue, if not accelerate. Many of the graduates of our existing programmes now work in organisations such as Ipsos Mori film unit, BBC World Service and BBC Education.

Why study this degree at UCL?

This MA will allow you to benefit from UCL’s unique position in the heart of London, and from the many activities in film within the Department of Anthropology. The programme is unique in using professional film-makers to teach within a truly pan-disciplinary university research environment.

UCL now houses London’s Global Documentary Film Festival, Open City Docs Fest, created by Professor Michael Stewart. You can participate in the curation and delivery of this festival; gain experience in the delivery of a major public arts event; and benefit from established partnerships with world-famous institutions such as the the Science Museum and the British Film Institute.

This degree will from 2017 provide three strands: the existing non-fiction cinema and reportage based documentary will be joined by a 'Future Docs' strand (including VR and interactive documentary production).

Other admission requirements

Applicants with prior technical knowledge of film making are asked to send a video portfolio of up to 20’ duration (Vimeo link recommended). Applicants without a video portfolio are asked to complete a photo essay. Please see our guidelines on how to make a visual essay. You can submit either by post - a maximum of twenty 20cm x 25cm (8'x10”) stills – or by link to an external site.

All shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a proposal for a film or video project - to consist of no more than four sides of A4, typed and double-spaced. This should include: an outline of what the film is about; the characters and other elements crucial to the narrative and the film structure/narrative. (You are not committed to the proposal for the final project.)

Read less

Why take this course?

On this course you will extend your photographic work at postgraduate level, defining your own authorial voice within the context of the contemporary documentary environment and the theoretical debates that underpin this.

There is a strong ethos in social and cultural awareness, supporting projects that are embedded within research and professional practice. You will be encouraged to network, publicise and market your work outside the University, and enhance your skills for working in the creative sector.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Experience an intellectual challenge within a productive research community, aided by supportive supervision.
Engage with internationally renowned visiting speakers and practitioners.
Take part in study visits to galleries and photography festivals.

What opportunities might it lead to?

On this course you will develop strong academic, creative and technical abilities. As a result, you will have the skills to work in various areas of the current photographic industry or as part of the wider creative industries, from writers to curators, picture editors to educators.

The MA course may lead to opportunities in:

Freelance photography
Curating
Exhibiting
Assisting in a commercial photographic environment
Visual content provider
Picture editing
PhD research / Research related careers

Module Details

This MA course is offered over one year (full time) or two years (part-time). The course has units related to:

Research: This includes methodologies, analytical skills, visual analysis, research management and organisation, professional skills, networking and personal effectiveness.
Creative photographic practice: This includes analogue and digital skills, editing, project management, professional practice and industry links, peer learning, contextualisation and reflective practice.
Core units comprise:

Proposal
A Question of Research
Photography Major Project
Contemporary Documentary Practice in Context

Programme Assessment

The course informs and encourages our students to participate in project work that is built upon social and cultural awareness through engaging and collaborating with communities outside of the university, nationally and internationally.

Much of the teaching encourages students to have the ability to verbally articulate their ideas, peer exchange and participate in collaborative learning, with some workshops and lectures. You will benefit from being taught by practising professionals with extensive expertise in exhibiting, publishing and curating.

There will be regular contact teaching time including one-to-one and group tutorials and workshops. You will also have the opportunity to engage in the wider culture that develops within the subject area alongside the undergraduate students in Photography.

During the final stage of the course in summer the learning becomes more independent and self-managed making your timetable more flexible.

You will mostly be assessed by a mix of written and practical coursework, with regular feedback

Student Destinations

Through seminars, project work, training and work experience, the MA Photography course will help you to engage with the creative industries of photography and its ancillary industries to be better equipped for employment and further career progression.

Roles our graduates may take on include:

Research-related careers
PhD study
Free-lance photographers
Assisting work
Picture editors
Editorial photography
Setting up own businesses
Digital printing and retouching
News industry
Picture agencies
Publishing
Curation
Galleries and museums
Design
Media industry
Teaching

Read less

The MA Photography course focuses on the fields of international photojournalism, documentary and travel photography, and is designed in particular for postgraduate students who wish to develop their knowledge and skills to pursue a career in these areas.
You will explore issues of photographic culture, image economies and visual representation, and develop an understanding of how the practice of making photographic images is affected by these issues in terms of both your approach to the subject and the style of your photographs. You will apply your learning through a series of practical assignments.

The course is designed to be accessible to professional photographers and photo educators studying part-time as well as those wishing to study full-time and complete in a single year.

What will you study?

In term one you will consider a range of practical and ethical issues that have an impact on the practice of photography by researching four research questions. You will explore these issues through readings, lectures, discussions and practical assignments.

In the first half of term two, you will plan for two picture stories, one travelogue and one issue based, which you will then go on to shoot in the second half of the term. This work will be based on a further four research questions. At the end of term two, you will edit and discuss your projects with professionals, peers and tutors leading to preparations for continuing one of the two projects into term three.

In your final term you will have 10 weeks to expand your work in progress into a substantial body of work with ‘The Book’ module in which you will have the opportunity to develop a photographic book on a personally researched theme. You will negotiate a learning contract with your tutor from which the final project will be assessed.

The type of issues you will study include image libraries and the commercialisation of the photo market, the changing nature of picture news gathering and photojournalism, issues of ethics and social responsibility in photography and the importance of meaning and context in photo images. The insight you gain from this study will inform your approach to taking photographs.

You will study the work of contemporary practitioners in these areas of photography and the relationship between their work and the markets they supply.

In addition, you will develop an appreciation of the practical requirements of planning, research and preparation for photography assignments.

Entry to the course is based on the assumption that you are a technically proficient photographer. It is important to note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the technical skills to complete the practical work.

For more information please visit http://www.bolton.ac.uk/postgrad

Read less

Discover, research and experiment with different photographic processes and disciplines using our industry-standard facilities. Supported by a team of photographers, visual artists and theorists, you’ll develop your critical understanding of this art form, and prepare for a career in today's global photography industry.

Overview

Our course will help you define your photography practice and become a critical practitioner.

You’ll learn to experiment, to carry out research and disseminate your work. The course focuses on the relationship of practice to research and research to practice, the role of sequence and series in developing your visual language, the relationship between text and image, and the latest important issues in photographic theory and practice.

You’ll explore the global industry that is modern-day photography, and form an understanding of current debates and opportunities.

Your work will be supported by a team of experienced photographers and researchers with wide-ranging interests and specialisms. You’ll receive guidance on many photographic processes, from documentary and fine art to institutional or historical critique, and traditional or found photography to digital technical innovation. And we'll be able to offer expert advice on your future career.

Teaching times: 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Wednesdays (full-time); 10am-1pm or 2pm - 5pm Wednesdays (part-time).

Careers

Our course will prepare you for many roles in the photographic industry and beyond: photographer, yes, but also picture researcher, assistant, lecturer, curator or art critic. You might choose a 'portfolio career' and combine your photography work with other activities. Either way, you’ll have developed the skills to use a comprehensive range of approaches and technologies which, combined with projects such as symposium and exhibition organisation, will prove invaluable in many roles.

With our focus on international practice, you'll be able to develop new contacts and networks, and seek out international employment opportunities. If you’re from a country where the visual media has untapped potential, you’ll be in a position to contribute to its development.

Core modules

Process and Practice as Research
Photography: Experimental Practice
Photography: International Perspectives
Master's Dissertation Art and Design
Master's Project: Art and Design

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of methods that reflect the learning outcomes of each module. These include portfolios of practical and written work, reflective commentaries, symposium contributions, and a 6,000-work dissertation.

Specialist facilities

You’ll have access to our state-of-the-art digital facilities (including CGI HDRI lab), colour and black-and-white darkrooms, photographic studios, a printmaking studio and laser-cutting facilities, with full inductions and training available. You’ll be able to use our digital imaging resources, darkrooms and studios on an open access basis. Other Cambridge School of Art facilities, such as letterpress and 3D workshops, will be available to you once you’ve had training. You can book one-to-one tutorials during the week and use specialist equipment with the support of our technicians.

You can also borrow photographic, video and recording equipment from our Media Services Unit to use in your projects.

Read less

Taught by committed and active filmmakers, you’ll learn to produce a portfolio of short non-fiction films in a creative and stimulating environment.

You have the opportunity to pursue your own interests through your film practice and engage in a range of approaches from story-telling to more experimental forms. You will learn:
-To communicate imaginatively through the moving image about the topics that interest you most
-How to research and write original non-fiction film
-How to develop visual storytelling
-How to shoot and edit
-How to project manage, schedule, budget, distribute and fundraise

Uniquely, you also have the opportunity to develop your abilities not only in single-screen video but in other digital media forms.

How will I study?
Each term you work on practical documentary projects alongside conceptual and theoretical study. In the summer term, you undertake either a documentary project or a dissertation.

There are frequent discussions of your work-in-progress. Regular master classes and screenings are presented by industry professionals and successful alumni from the course.

Assessment is by:
-Practical video/media work
-Essay or video essay and
-Production documentation and critique

The final assessment is a major documentary project plus report or a dissertation.

Facilities
You’ll have 24-hour access to the School of Media, Film and Music’s broadcast-standard equipment including HD cameras and a range of post-production facilities.

Scholarships
Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course.
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Faculty
Our researchers produce internationally recognised creative and critical practice through a range of media, including film, radio, photography and new and interactive forms.

Faculty projects have been broadcast on the BBC and Channel 4 and shown at many festivals, galleries and events including:
-Jeu de Paume (Paris)
-LLGFF London Southbank
-Brighton Festival
-Impressions Gallery
-Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art

They specialise within three interlocking themes:
-Cultural histories/cultural politics
-Resistant images
-Hybrid forms, media and genres

Careers
The MA prepares you for professional work in the media and related industries, as well as enabling you to make an informed contribution to non-fiction film.

The sessions by industry professionals and distinguished alumni including Gerry Rothwell, Kim Longinotto, Penny Woolcock, Peter Beard and Marc Isaacs allow you to make links with potential employers and give you insights and advice on working in the media professions.

The course also provides an in-depth study of contemporary documentary for those wishing to pursue a PhD in this area.

Our students have been successful in gaining highly competitive scholarships offered for doctoral study, both at Sussex and other UK universities.

Graduates have pursued careers in:
-Independent filmmaking
-Television production and research
-Marketing
-Communications
-Teaching and academic research

Employers include the BBC, ITN News, Al Jazeera, Century Films, Ricochet, Back2Back Productions, Brighton.tv, EDF Energy, BP, Vodafone and a variety of universities and research centres.

Students’ documentary work from the School has been shown at several film festivals including:
-London Short Film Festival
-Cinecity
-Sheffield International Documentary Festival
-East London Film Festival

Read less

MFA Photography offers you a rare opportunity for extended study and practice over two years at Masters level.

A distinctive feature of our course is the development of a high level of professional and research-based knowledge on the subject of photography. This gives you a unique perspective to enable you to be successful in this internationally expanding field.

You'll study units which provide inter-connected 'streams' of study, that serve to integrate theoretical and research methodologies with practice-based work. And you'll either take a visual or written approach to your studies, or a combination of both.

You're encouraged to explore the medium of photography and its related theoretical fields in an experimental manner and with an open mind. You should develop excellent technical skills, creative vision and academic understanding on our course.

As part of the MFA, you'll be introduced to a wide range of global photographic disciplines and will benefit from our unique relationship with the National Institute of Design in India, which you can visit as part of our exchange/work placement programme. The opportunity for work placements both in the UK and abroad will help you to develop a good understanding of the working world of photography.

Industry Partners

Our course has a number of connections with similar institutions worldwide, including art and design institutes and universities in India, Pakistan, USA, Sweden, France and Spain.

Professional contacts and regular industry lectures are integral to this course, and enable you to learn from photographers and artists talking about their professional practice.

Recent guest lecturers include:
-Martin Parr
-Val Williams
-Iain Sinclair
-Sarah Pickering
-Helen Sear
-Joy Gregory
-David Dibosa
-Jeremy Akerman
-Joan Fontcuberta
-Joachim Schmid
-Susan Lipper
-Ewan Spencer
-Marius Hannsen
-Robert Wyatt
-Simon Watney

Careers

Graduates from this course work in a wide variety of related careers, including:
-Editorial, fashion, documentary and fine art photography
-Advertising
-Editing and curatorial posts
-Gallery and project management
-Writing
-Teaching
-Technical support

Read less

This practice-based course considers photography within contemporary international society. You will examine the exciting, and at times challenging, cultural and contextual dialogues surrounding your practice. We'll provide high-level production workshops which will strengthen and extend your own photography within today's visual culture. You will produce your own plan, a Learning Agreement, showing how you wish to develop your practice as a professional photographer or academic researcher.

You will engage with either new technologies or traditional photography, or a mix of both, but you should aim to update and challenge your pre-existing skillset. The resulting photographic practice can be for whatever purpose you choose; art, commercial, documentary, fashion, landscape, moving image or perhaps something experimental.

Our Photography staff team have expertise across a wide range of specialist photographic practices, and will support you with flexible and responsive teaching.

Key features:

Develop a project tailored to your own personal interests and career aspirations.
Have the opportunity to engage with, and discuss the critical, historical and contextual frameworks surrounding your practice.
Go on a field trip to at least one photographic archive.
Benefit from visiting speakers, recently these have included Emma Bowkett, Francis Hodgson, Giles Duley, Martin Parr, Ophelia Wynne, Simon Roberts, Simon Webb and Sunil Gupta.
Take advantage of our excellent industry links, including companies such as Mamiya Leaf, Phase One, Genesis Imaging, Wex Photographic, Red Photographic and Calumet.
Benefit from our staff's international links and contacts across Europe.
Join the 75 years' worth of NTU graduates who have achieved success, won awards, or otherwise distinguished themselves in the field of photography.
Opt for an additional advanced research module if you're thinking of progressing to PhD or Professional Doctorate study.

Read less