Photography

The preliminary and intensive Integrated Foundation in Art and Design is designed to develop your ideas, skills and confidence in readiness for progressing to year one of your degree programme.

This year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement, for assessment.

You’ll develop your creative ability and technical skills through a range of set and self-directed projects. Modules cover broad contexts of photography including fashion, documentary, landscape, portraiture and editorial.

Year one
You’ll look at fundamental photographic principles and practice, and develop an awareness of photographic practice within the creative industries. You’ll gain practical and technical skills. You’ll learn to research visually and analytically and evaluate your work with tutor guidance. Modules cover darkroom, studio and portable lighting as well as a wide range of digital darkroom techniques.

Year two
You’ll develop detailed knowledge of major theories relating to photographic practice, and a deeper awareness of social and ethical implications for the photographic industry. You’ll negotiate activities with tutors, and will be able to analyse, synthesise and evaluate work more independently. Studio modules offer tutorial-led project work and incorporate professional workshop sessions led by industry practitioners. Visiting lecture and masterclass speakers have included: Ian Teh, Jem Southam and Andy Sewell, Nick Wapling, Celine Marchbank, Jack Latham and many more.

Year three
You’ll become more confident in identifying and defining complex visual solutions and have the freedom to define your own area of practice. You’ll apply appropriate knowledge and practical skills to produce your own body of work. You’ll be able to initiate, manage and critically evaluate your work and that of others, and demonstrate an informed knowledge of contemporary professional practice and the issues and debates that provide a context. The year ends with a public exhibition of portfolio work.

Assessment is entirely by coursework.

Teaching takes place through critiques, tutorials, presentations, lectures, self-directed learning and peer review.

Throughout the course you’ll develop your craft and individual photographic interests through practical project work. You’ll explore the contextual framework of photography through Historical and Critical Studies modules and gain industry awareness through Professional Practice modules.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

From year one to three, you’ll have opportunities to participate in local and international fieldwork opportunities across the BA (Hons) Photography modules. Please note that you’ll have to pay for international study visits. Recent international fieldwork destinations have included New York and Iceland.

The course works closely with a variety of industry partners and associations such as the Royal Photographic Society and Fox Talbot Museum. There are opportunities to work on live project briefs, participate in work experience, and collaborate with a wide range of industry practitioners.

Graduates of Photography at Bath Spa University have entered careers in:

• photojournalism
• fashion photography
• product photography
• portrait photography
• photo editing
• editorial design
• advertising
• curation
• art direction
• marketing
• studio management
• teaching

You can apply for The Porthleven Prize: an opportunity for Bath Spa University students to take part in a fully-funded ten day residency based in a Cornish Studio, with travel, accommodation and other expenses included.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

As a BA Photography student you’ll benefit from access to comprehensive digital workshops and specialist art and design facilities, including:

• Our student service point at Locksbrook where you can purchase subsidised art and design materials, hire out equipment for free and collect Library resources
• Access to our well-stocked Library at Newton Park
• Specialist technical workshops across all of art and design
• Access to studio space where you can work on projects and refine your practice.

BA (Hons) Photography students can hire out equipment using SISO, Bath Spa University’s free equipment loan service. We have excellent studio spaces and workshop facilities in specialist craft areas, such as darkrooms, lighting studio’s, photo etching, photo publishing and digital print.