Program Overview

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Photography BA(Hons)

Course Overview

Ready to define a new era of contemporary photography? We’ll support you to craft a unique artistic voice as you experiment with techniques and processes, utilising our specialist studios, equipment and digital and analogue post-production spaces. As you develop a portfolio of original work, your technical know-how will be matched by a deep understanding of the critical and societal impact of your practice. With industry masterclasses, guest lectures and collaboration opportunities, you’ll gain the professional experiences to establish a sustainable career.

Key Details

• Location: Penryn Campus
• Course duration: 3 years / 4 years
• Attendance: Full-time / Professional Placement
• UCAS code: W640/FY21/PY38

Course Structure

Year One

• Foundation: Through an investigation into both practical and theoretical aspects of Photography, you’ll gain a foundational understanding of ways of learning and developing new knowledge
• Process: In this module, you’ll learn to confidently use specialist photographic facilities and equipment. From digital to analogue, studio to darkroom, you’ll explore some of the key photographic processes and techniques.
• Agency: Through practical projects that encourage you to take agency over your learning journey, you’ll develop a conscious awareness of the intersection of photography with education, wellbeing, sustainability and social responsibility.
• Progress: This module is all about consolidating your competency in the use of specialist photographic facilities and equipment. You’ll further progress your technical and craft skills in a range of different approaches while exploring professional working practices and industry contexts.
• Approaches: In this module, you’ll be introduced to a broad range of practical and theoretical approaches to photography, as well as developing critical thinking skills through investigation, analysis and reflection.
• Action: How can we use our creative practice to benefit our environment, community, stakeholders and society? In this module, you’ll be encouraged to take a critical view on the relationship between images and the larger contexts they operate within and are influenced by.

Year Two

• Commitment: Develop a practical understanding of contemporary professional practice with a commitment to creatively respond to set briefs within the context of commissioned work.
• Engagement: Through close and careful observation of the material world around us and our relationship to it, you’ll produce creative expressions of ideas and emotions utilising approaches that are contextually appropriate.
• Situation: You’ll further develop your critical understanding of how photography is situated and intersects with some of the most urgent global issues in our culture and society.
• Collaboration: Collaborate on a creative output with external partners. To develop professional practice and an awareness of a variety of roles within the photographic and creative industries. Explore ethical, sustainable and inclusive working practices within the creative industries.
• Experimentation: In this module, you’ll be encouraged to be curious, tolerate uncertainty, test ideas and play with possibilities. You’ll experiment with a range of techniques and processes and investigate how they relate to conceptual frameworks.
• Context: You’ll develop your independent creative practice and build an awareness of the intended audience and situational contexts of your work.

Professional Placement (Optional)

You can choose to take an optional professional placement 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 Employability team.

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

Year Three

• Investigation: You’ll carry out an in-depth critical investigation into a topic that’s related to your creative practice.
• Development: Translating your research into practice, you’ll refine and experiment with appropriate techniques and processes as you test creative concepts in response to a chosen area of study.
• Fulfilment: You’ll produce a sophisticated body of work that represents who you are as a creative practitioner, demonstrates your critical engagement with the medium and reflects appropriate industry expectations and contexts.
• Ambition: You’ll develop and apply the practical skills needed to realise your ambitions, including creating a professional identity as an emerging creative industry pioneer.

Integrated Foundation Year (Optional)

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.

How You'll Learn & Be Assessed

How You'll Learn

On this Photography course, you'll build valuable technical, critical and professional skills through practical workshops, seminars, lectures, tutorials, critiques, field trips and masterclasses with industry professionals.

How You'll Be Assessed

100% of your assessment will be coursework, with no formal examinations.

Assessment Methods

• Portfolios
• Projects
• Exhibitions
• Journals
• Presentations
• Essays

Facilities

• Fully equipped professional-standard studios with industry standard flash and continuous light, infinity coves and a full range of backdrops
• State-of-the-art digital post-production suites with complete Adobe Creative Cloud Package and Capture One
• Fully equipped black and white darkrooms for printing from any format to almost any size
• Machine film processing for B&W, Colour C41 and E6 and hand processing facilities
• Colour darkrooms for RA4 printing from any format up to 5x4
• Alternative and sustainable photographic processes
• Photography rental store housing a vast range of analogue and digital camera equipment for stills and moving image plus lighting, specialist equipment and location shooting kits
• Professional standard print lab for producing high quality prints on industry standard equipment and on various media up to B0

Staff

You’ll learn from a team of practicing professionals, offering experience in editorial, documentary, fine art photography, advertising, publishing, writing and curating. You’ll also connect with our network of visiting professionals who offer extra teaching, portfolio reviews and placement opportunities.

Careers

Our Photography graduates have worked as:

• Internationally exhibiting artists
• In-house photographers for global brands
• Freelance fashion photographers for campaigns including Calvin Klein, Gucci and Stella McCartney
• Award-winning filmmakers
• Producers and creatives for social media

How to Apply

You can apply for our undergraduate degrees via UCAS. You'll need our university UCAS code (F33) as well as your course code (which you'll find on your course page) for your application.

Application Advice & Interview Information

Go to Toolkit

Deadlines

For starting your studies in 2025

UK applications: 29 January 2025 (for equal consideration)

Applications after the 29 January will be considered on a first-come, first-served as long as there are places available. Apply for this course now.

International fee payers can apply throughout the year. But we recommend applying as early as possible, to make time for visa and travel arrangements.

Entry Requirements

We consider all applications on their own individual merit and potential. We invite all applicants to an interview day or audition to give them the opportunity to demonstrate this along with what inspires and motivates them in their field. Applicants will also be able to show their portfolio or give a performance depending on the course. We welcome applications from all subject backgrounds, whether you’ve specialised in STEM, the arts or humanities.

Course Routes & Entry Requirements

• BA/BSc(Hons) three year degree: 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points
• BA/BSc(Hons) four year degree with professional placement: 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points
• BA/BSc(Hons) four year degree with Integrated Foundation Year: 80 – 120 UCAS Tariff points

Language Requirements

For applicants whose first language is English we require you to have or be working towards GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent.

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the same standard which is equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. We accept a range of in country equivalencies and approved tests.

Fees, Costs & Funding

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for students starting the course in September 2025

• Annual tuition fee: £9,535 per year (Full-time UK)
• Annual tuition fee: £17,950 per year (Full-time EU/international)
• Annual tuition fee: £1,905 per professional placement year (Full-time UK and EU/international)
• Annual tuition fee: £9,535 per Integrated Foundation Year (Full-time UK)
• Annual tuition fee: £17,950 per Integrated Foundation Year (Full-time EU/international)

Typical Course Costs

As a medium, photography is constantly developing so the following figures are intended as a rough guide of anticipated expenditure on the course.

• You will need to have your own laptop, PC or MAC or tablet, on which you can access online learning materials and can process high resolution digital images. This should be capable of running Photoshop as a minimum.
• Access to a reliable broadband connection
• Ideally, a basic digital camera and a standard lens (either DSLR or a Mirrorless System) capable of shooting in RAW and Moving Image and it should have a fully manual mode (approx. £200 - £900). The Institute of Photography supports Canon, Sony and Nikon so these may be the best choices for compatibility with our lenses and accessories. Remember that you will be able to borrow all the equipment in the IoP stores for free
• You may prefer to work with analogue film. 35mm SLR cameras by Canon or Nikon will be most compatible with our loan equipment
• User manuals for your cameras
• SD card(s), minimum 16Gb
• USB card reader for the above
• USB hard drive, minimum 250Gb recommended. Approx. overall cost £50 – £100
• £50-£100 - Optional items such as lens hoods, UV/Skylight filters, shutter release controls, sturdy tripod
• £100-£400 - Per year on consumables (film, printing, portfolio materials, A4 binders, notepads and other consumables)
• £200 - Study trips integral to course

Optional Study Trips

• £400-£1,500 - various study trips, including international, offered throughout the year

Funding

For information about funding available, please visit our student funding pages.

Ask a Student

What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students?

From course details and academic support, to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

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