BA (Hons) Photography with foundation year

• 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative and art and design-related subjects are preferred.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
• You may be required to attend for interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Photographs are viewed by everyone and are a part of our everyday culture. From advertising products, illustrating stories in magazines and books to appearing on apps and websites, it is an ideal medium to communicate beyond barriers.

A photography career offers opportunities to work independently or as a staff photographer for an employer. Our BA (Hons) Photography with foundation year degree helps you to develop valuable transferable skills, such as team working, problem-solving, managing large and complex projects to deadline, the discipline of working to briefs and set deadlines, the ability to exploit creative and challenging visual ideas, a comprehensive understanding of digital imaging issues, and the ability to solve and put forward your ideas to address creative problems. These skills can also lead to other professional opportunities such as employment in sales, marketing and customer care, management and other roles.

What can I do with this qualification?

Many BA (Hons) Photography with foundation year graduates work in areas such as fashion, photojournalism, documentary, fine art, advertising and commercial product photography, as well as in publishing, web design and digital output. Other career prospects include marketing, travel photography, studio management, teaching, medical photography, graphic design, visual media, teaching and camera operation.

Typical employers include retail sales companies, design companies, publishing including magazines, books and newspapers, film and television, wedding photographers, medical-related organisations, the police, holiday companies, universities, and media organisations such as advertising agencies. A large number of photography graduates are self-employed and work on a freelance basis.

There is a range of photography-related postgraduate options available that can support you to develop a strong portfolio career. Some courses look at specific, practice-based areas of photography, such as fine art photography or photojournalism, while others offer a more research-focused approach. Other postgraduate research areas include curatorial, teaching, design, film, editing, journalism and creative enterprise.

Alternative career options

Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Some of these careers include:

• Film, video and picture editing
• Secondary education
• Visual merchandising
• Museum curation
• Art gallery management
• Graphic design
• Web design
• Art direction
• Fashion
• Wedding
• Photographic laboratories
• Conservation
• Forensics

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2023-2024 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2023-2024 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Learning and teaching methods are varied, and we use a blended style, meaning you'll attend face-to-face sessions and take part in online learning. You can expect lectures, seminars, tutorials and critiques, self-directed learning, e-learning and workshop sessions. You'll also have opportunities to engage with employer facing and work-related activities.

During the foundation year, you'll learn general art and design subjects but benefit from specific support by photographic academics and technicians. This will support you to gain practical skills in photography and develop your portfolio.

You'll gain practical skills through technical introduction and support, workshop sessions, demonstrations and activity-based assignments. Live briefs and personal projects will promote active learning. Your learning will also be enhanced by research in libraries, art galleries, museums and other educational visits (where relevant).

You'll benefit from opportunities to attend guest lecture events. These feed directly into our teaching and offer relevant and up-to-date photographic industry information. Group critiques and tutorials will allow you to discuss and consider your work in progress, either in individual tutorials, interim reviews, or small groups. Our lecture programmes, visiting speakers and access to the latest research all feed into your learning experience.

There are no formal examinations, and continuous assessment is used. We may ask for various types of assessment evidence, for example, portfolios, practical projects, presentations and written pieces.

Assessment is carried out at key points during the modules. We'll use formative assessment methods to help you learn and develop your knowledge and skills. You'll also undertake summative assessment on which you'll be graded.

Formative assessment (face-to-face and online) will be offered during each module. You'll also receive written feedback, and feed-forward will be provided following summative assessment. Assessment tasks are linked to the learning outcomes of each module and are normally completed by the end of each module

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Creative Responses
• Information and Interpretation
• Preparation and Progression
• Specialist Project
• Digital Imaging
• Pre, Present, Post Photography
• Creating Photography
• Editorial Photography
• Analogue
• Video Documentary
• The Photo Story
• Explorations
• The Creative Studio
• The Photographic Industry
• Concepts and Practice
• Employment, Enterprise, Entrepreneurship
• Consolidation and Display

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.