Taught course

Photography

Institution
University of Portsmouth · School of Art, Design and Performance
Qualifications
MA

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class honours degree in a related subject, or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview or be asked to submit a online portfolio in support of their application.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Overview
This MA Photography course will build upon your existing skills and passion for photography and visual arts, supporting you as you develop and refine your unique photographic practice and gain confidence in relevant research methodologies.
By extending your photographic work to postgraduate level, you’ll be encouraged to pursue an understanding of the contexts that situate your practice, engage with the debates informing and underpinning contemporary photographic practices, and hone your authorial voice.
This Master’s in photography degree course will provide you with the core knowledge and skills to work effectively across photography-related industries as an artist, educator or researcher, or in broader creative and artistic roles like writing, curating and picture editing. It will also equip you to pursue further study and research at PhD level.
With many opportunities to network, publicise and market your work publicly, you'll be better prepared to take your creative career to the next level once you graduate.
Course highlights
  • Utilise our extensive photographic studio facilities, including: flash and tungsten lighting set ups, digital and traditional darkrooms supporting colour and black and white photography, high-end negative scanners, ink jet printers and projection facilities
  • Optimise and fine tune your portfolio with our powerful PCs and Macs, loaded with the software used by professionals, high-spec printers, and film, video and photography editing facilities
  • Take part in study visits to galleries and photography festivals
  • Connect with internationally-renowned visiting speakers and practitioners – recent speakers have included: Anna Fox, Oliver Chanarin, Maisie Cousins, Faisal Abdu'Allah, Eric Kessels, Laura Pannack, Tom Hunter, Eva Stenram, Bettina von Zwehl, and Sunil Gupta

Career planning

During your course you'll have expert career support from our Careers and Employability Centre, your tutors and our Business and Law Career-Ready Programme. This support will continue for 5 years after you graduate.

Career support

You'll benefit from:

- Networking events

- Regular emails from the Career Ready Programme sharing job opportunities, application tips and events

- Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council

- Workshops to enhance your employability skills

- Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair

- 1-to-1 appointments

- CV and cover letter advice

- Interview preparation and practice

- Support starting your own business

Careers and opportunities
Careers this Master's in photography prepares you for
As a successful graduate of this course, you'll have developed and refined your individual photographic practice to a point where you will feel confident enough to exhibit your work within the context of professional art.
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.
Graduates of this course have gone onto roles in:
  • Freelance photography
  • Editorial photography
  • Picture editing
  • Publishing
  • Digital printing and retouching
  • News / Press industries
  • Picture agencies
  • Curation
  • Galleries and museums
  • Design
  • Teaching
PhD research / Research related careers
Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • MA
    part time
    24 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    12 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Admissions Team
Email
admissions@port.ac.uk
Phone
023 9284 5566