RPS Research Dissertation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 67219
  • Start date Start date
D

Deleted member 67219

Guest
I'm considering writing a research dissertation to try and gain my L/A/FRPS (whichever one I decide to go for) and was wondering if anyone else here had done the same?

My personal areas of interest are contemporary photography - especially Japanese artists. I'm studying for a History of Art degree at the moment and I also write for photography magazines, so it makes sense to go down this route. For me anyway.

Does anyone have any thoughts or insights at all to the research dissertations as opposed to the panel of images format? The RPS website itself seems a bit sketchy on details for the dissertation option.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
No info on dissertation process I'm afraid but I think you are limited to either LRPS or ARPS initially.
 
graphilly said:
No info on dissertation process I'm afraid but I think you are limited to either LRPS or ARPS initially.
Click to expand...

Yes, having looked through it more completely I'll most likely enter for the ARPS and then follow it up with the FRPS. The LRPS looks a little basic, not even seeming to require proper academic referencing which strikes me as more than a little odd.
 
Does anyone have any information on the levels of work/dissertation for the Imaging Science strand?
 
CharlotteM said:
Yes, having looked through it more completely I'll most likely enter for the ARPS and then follow it up with the FRPS. The LRPS looks a little basic, not even seeming to require proper academic referencing which strikes me as more than a little odd.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree. LRPS comes across as a very basic level demonstrating that you can use a camera. I've heard of a lot of instances where people have planned to submit for LRPS only to be advised to go away and rethink it and submit for ARPS instead.
 
Have you contacted Andy Moore LRPS - Distinctions Manager (0)1225 325760 or andy@rps.org at the RPS? I am sure he will give you the info you need.
 
Photodiva said:
Have you contacted Andy Moore LRPS - Distinctions Manager (0)1225 325760 or andy@rps.org at the RPS? I am sure he will give you the info you need.
Click to expand...

I was really hoping to find others that may have done it to be honest, hence posting here where there are lots of photographers. :-)
 
Never bothered with it. Qualifications alone mean I could just basically write off and gain LRPS without lifting a finger, but I'm wondering whether the RPS is actually relevant for someone like you (an art undergrad). Seems a bit restrictive.. and prescriptive in their outlook. Get your degree, and do an MA would be my advice. Looking at your photographic work (well.. one of the links any way), I think it would just confuse RPS panel members :)
 
Last edited:
Pookeyhead said:
Never bothered with it. Qualifications alone mean I could just basically write off and gain LRPS without lifting a finger, but I'm wondering whether the RPS is actually relevant for someone like you (an art undergrad). Seems a bit restrictive.. and prescriptive in their outlook. Get your degree, and do an MA would be my advice. Looking at your photographic work (well.. one of the links any way), I think it would just confuse RPS panel members :)
Click to expand...

I'm not an art undergrad, I'm studying history of art (and I'm planning on doing a PhD).

But I am also a freelance writer who writes for photography magazines and it was suggested by my editor as a way of gaining a qualification to back up my abilities in the shorter term (since I'm only a first year).
 
Jayst84 said:
Yeah, I've never thought of the RPS and art going together. May be worth it just for the process for yourself though. There are certainly other places I would be looking if I wanted to do similar.
Click to expand...

Just wondered where else you would look for a similar qualification? I've not seen any others who offer a research based qualification, but I'd be interested to see and compare! I'm planning to write it in January when I have a month off, so it would be good to know before I start my research.
 
CharlotteM said:
I'm not an art undergrad, I'm studying history of art (and I'm planning on doing a PhD).

But I am also a freelance writer who writes for photography magazines and it was suggested by my editor as a way of gaining a qualification to back up my abilities in the shorter term (since I'm only a first year).
Click to expand...

Ahhh.. you actually reading for a PhD now, or still doing a MA?

You could just do a MA in Photography... but maybe that's a bit much if you already studying for art history. If it's just for the enjoyment of doing a research based project, then there's no harm in doing it.. after all, you can take the research any way you want within reason.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Ahhh.. you actually reading for a PhD now, or still doing a MA?

You could just do a MA in Photography... but maybe that's a bit much if you already studying for art history. If it's just for the enjoyment of doing a research based project, then there's no harm in doing it.. after all, you can take the research any way you want within reason.
Click to expand...

I'm in the first term of my BA at the moment. I previously studied History of Art with the Open University but finding myself single, skint and redundant meant I had the opportunity to go to 'big university'!

My current plan is to be so awesome (;)) after I finish my undergrad that I get accepted onto a PhD without having to do a Masters. Rare, but it happens! Any research award I can do in the next three years will obviously help my chances of that too. So this kind of thing seems like a good opportunity for both giving weight to my ability as a writer (because that's what I do for money) and also to provide more evidence of constructive extra-currircular activities when I apply for my PhD in two and a half years. I thought it would be a good supplementary for my course as we don't specifically study photography as a subject (although I'm entirely sure it will come up in the modern modules we do next term) and I would prefer to use my research dissertations for more specific things (currently most likely to be something obscure like homosexuality in Edo period Japan...).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CharlotteM said:
I'm in the first term of my BA at the moment.
Click to expand...

Then you're an undergraduate :) You've not graduated yet.... unless you graduated from the OU course... and it was also a BA. If that was the case, I'm surprised you got funding for another degree... unless you are self-funding.

If it's just to have some evidence of research to help your ambition to be granted a PhD opportunity, then of course... it will all help. Just don't expect the *RPS awards to make a massive difference to how people view your work. (not that any qualification does.... the point of a studying at this level is to improve your work.. not colour people's judgement of it).
 
Last edited:
Pookeyhead said:
Then you're an undergraduate :) You've not graduated yet.... unless you graduated from the OU course... and it was also a BA. If that was the case, I'm surprised you got funding for another degree... unless you are self-funding.

If it's just to have some evidence of research to help your ambition to be granted a PhD opportunity, then of course... it will all help. Just don't expect the *RPS awards to make a massive difference to how people view your work. (not that any qualification does.... the point of a studying at this level is to improve your work.. not colour people's judgement of it).
Click to expand...

Yes, I know I'm an undergrad. I said I'm not an art undergrad - when most people say they are studying art they mean fine art. I'm not a fine art undergrad, I'm a history of art undergrad. :-)

I'm not sure about your second point. As I said it was suggested to me by a magazine editor as a way of having evidence of my ability to write when pitching to other magazines and similar. If it has sway with him, I should imagine it would have sway with other editors?
 
I understood that. Didn't feel the need to specify you're an art history undergrad. You kind of know that :)
 
CharlotteM said:
Just wondered where else you would look for a similar qualification?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't look for anything similar I don't think, as I don't rate the RPS distinctions. (From my limited exposure to them; they never inspired me to look any deeper into them). If I was serious about the research side of things, I did consider it for a while, I would likely do as you are and head towards a PhD. If you feel the RPS will help along the way, fair enough, I doubt I would bother with it though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top