University Photography Courses

Holliday

Holliday

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I've had a search and can't really find any threads similar.

At the moment I'm in the process of writing my personal statement for my UCAS form, which is going ok.

The trouble is choosing a University. Photography doesn't seem like like that much of a popular thing to study so finding a decent course is proving tricky.

Just wondering if anyone is or has studied photography at Uni and could recommend any courses or Unis?

Any help appreciated, cheers!
 
I studied at Napier Uni in Edinburgh. Very good theory and history based course if a little light on the practical side of things. Think I wrote more essays than I took pictures! Depends on what you want out of a course.
 
I know they do/did it at Sunderland - I always meant to do some of the modules, but always got distracted by other stuff, so no idea what it was like, but can't say I ever saw many students out taking photos.
 
I think, could be wrong. If the course is BA (Bachelor of Arts) there'll be more theory and less practical. On the other hand BSc, Bachelor of Sciences is generally more practical.

...
 
Depends what kinda photography you want to do Im off to study my ncj's press photography in september at norton for more information google nctj press photography

Falmouth is also very popular and worth looking into
 
University of Brighton does a really good photography course, i didn't do it myself but i lived with a bunch of people in halls who did and they all loved it. There are both theories and practical aspect to it with weekly tutorials and a end of year show which i always go to, they are fantasic.
 
Cheers for all your responses upto now.

Just looking at the Brighton course and it says;

"A-levels: will not normally provide sufficient grounding without a subsequent foundation diploma."

I'll be 22 when the course starts next September, I have my A-levels B,C,C in Media, Biology and Physics. I did try to do a Fine Art foundation Diploma a couple of years back but it was about 2% photography 8% traditional art and 90% doing not alot else, so I ended up leaving after a year.

I'm building up a portfoilo at the moment with some of my best photos and a few paintings/drawings.

Do you think it'd still be possible to be accepted into the course without a foundation diploma? I really don't want to waste another 2 years surrounded by 16 year olds messing around all the time.

Cheers again!
 
Raymond Lin said:
University of Brighton does a really good photography course, i didn't do it myself but i lived with a bunch of people in halls who did and they all loved it. There are both theories and practical aspect to it with weekly tutorials and a end of year show which i always go to, they are fantasic.
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Brighton had the WORST end of year show catalogue I've ever had the misfortune to witness. It was terrible! Full of badly composed, badly exposed photographs that I could have taken blindfolded with my mobile phone, and backed up with the most pretentious tosh I've ever seen printed.

Strategies were implemented and refined to produce images without overt political or emotive bias and free from notions of typology to diffuse clinical notions of colonial or cultural appropriations.
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I mean REALLY.

I think you should come to Nottingham Trent, although I'm biased :D
 
yourapocalypse said:
I think you should come to Nottingham Trent, although I'm biased :D
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Nottingham is a nice Uni yes, but I live in Nottingham so if I went I couldn't really justify living away from home (due to the cost) which I want to do.
 
yourapocalypse said:
Brighton had the WORST end of year show catalogue I've ever had the misfortune to witness. It was terrible! Full of badly composed, badly exposed photographs that I could have taken blindfolded with my mobile phone, and backed up with the most pretentious tosh I've ever seen printed.
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HA !, what year did you go? I went to see it for 3 years in a role and they were alway consistent.
 
zilly said:
Depends what kinda photography you want to do Im off to study my ncj's press photography in september at norton for more information google nctj press photography
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Me too! Really looking foward to it :)
 
Hey Holliday! The Documentary photography course at The University of Wales, newport (which is actually in Caerleon) is good. I didn't do it myself, wish I had though, but all my housemates did it and they've all done well for themselves.
 
I suppose the big question is: Why do you want a degree in photography?

It won't help you make it in the world of photography - only a good portfolio will do that.

A degree is mostly academic (study = essays). Of course, if you want 3 years of drinking and socialising and being subsidised to do that, then I would totally recommend a getting a degree. Especially as most people end up doing somethign totally unrelated to their degree.

Simon Harding, BSc (Hons.)
 
Yep i'd never recommend a degree in Photography, most of them just teach you how to use a camera. Of course this is good if you want to learn, but if you already know (even if you just know the basics) then a degree in it really won't benifit you much.

Also it does depend on what kind of photography you are interested in making a carrer in, most unis/colleges will just do a generic all-round photography degree which may not be benificial to you whatsoever.
 
i am just about to study for my degree at Salisbury college, its not a Uni but they have one of the best photography departments in England. Most of the students lead on to do stuff related to the art and its generally got a fantastic reputation.

i got in on my portfolio alone, no A-levels no comprehension of history of art (although i must say i am reading up on it now!!) and just my enthusiam and pictures to go by.

Cant wait

i have the book list for this coming year too if you are interested

good luck mate
 
Thanks for all your replies again.

I was aware that to make it in the business it's basically your portfolio not your qualifications, but at the moment I'm just working an average retail evening job, which feels like I'm just wasting my life away doing something I don't enjoy, nor will it lead anywhere. Although it does allow me to buy new phoography equipment :)

I'm 21 now and I've only just decided what I enjoy and want to do as a career (Almost anyway, I'm thinking advertising & editorial photgraphy). Although people I talk to seem to have the attitude, 'Photography? What career can you do that in, can't you just get a normal job?' Maybe I'm naive but I hate the attitude of going to work 9-5 in a job you don't care about only to be happy at the weekends.

Also, the social side of Uni is a factor i'm taking into account, since I left school, I've made mates at work but alot of them are +40 years old, so my social life for the past few years has been awful.

I might just become a monk, they all seem content with what they do :)
 
Here's a link to the 2 year HND at Leeds Met "HND Photography and Digital Imaging"

http://prospectus.leedsmet.ac.uk/main/detail.htm?&p=62&course_id=7741&attendance=1

Entry Requirements
Details: Admission is based primarily on an interview and submission of a portfolio of your work.
Applicants should normally have a Foundation Course, National Diploma in Photography, and art/design based course, VCE A Level in Art and Design, A Level in Photography, or a relevant Access course
Those with appropriate experience will also be

Could be worth a look. Leeds is pretty good on the social side of things too :clap:

Ray
 
Raymond Lin said:
HA !, what year did you go? I went to see it for 3 years in a role and they were alway consistent.
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Heh, I didn't. I studied engineering at NTU (not Notts Uni), and I now work here, and have friends studying photography here. I'm basing my one sided rant on the end of year show brochure thing they produce, which would have been the class of '07 I believe.
 
I've just finished my first year at Sheffield Hallam doing a degree in Photography.

Like people have said, it's mainly essays and the like. I've heard it gets better in the second year, you do more practical things, BUT if you don't want to be stuck writing essays then I suggest you just leave it and study something else.

As also said above, a good portfolio will suffice for getting into the photography world. I'm going to keep at it, but if I had known it was going to be more theory based then I wouldn't have gone. ALTHOUGH, having said, I have learnt a lot of things. Just not in the practical area, which is what I wanted.

So yeah, it's up to you really. Also, I wouldn't recommend Sheffield Hallam, they're terribly unorganized and slow.
 
I'm surprised that it hasn't been mentionned already on this thread, but I hear time and time agian that if you want to make it as a freelance photographer, studying business/marketing is going to be more useful in the long rung than studying photography...
 
You can do a 3 year course in Blackpool and Fylde College on wildlife photography - BA Wildlife Photography.

Dont know how good it is or how useful it would be but its another course to consider lol.
 
Just keep reading up about as many different courses as possible. I'll throw another university into the mix here: Falmouth. Now, I can't say how it compares to other courses when it comes to the practical/academic side as i have no knowledge of that, but it only came to mind as I myself did a foundation course there, and was tempted to do the photography course as I remember being quite impressed by the examples of work I saw in a presentation once. It also has a nice 'arty' vibe combined with some fantastic places to go out shooting down there, since the uni is basically an art college instead of a 'proper' university with photography attached on, and as a result it might be more practical.

The downside of Falmouth is that its night life, compared to a big city of course, is not as good (in terms of places to go!) but at the end of the day when you get down there and meet new friends your gonna have a good time whatever really.

In the end I chose not to study photography at all, thinking that it would be best left as a hobby - and hell, I'm just as interested, take just as good (possibly!? ;) )and just as many photos as those friends I have at my current uni who do photography. The bonuses I see for doing photography at uni (from my perspective) is the access to photography studios and equipment, and depending on what area of photography you enjoy, that could be quite important.

So yeah, read up on places and find out. Perhaps you could ring them as well and ask about the course directly?

Hope that helps.
 
8utters said:
Me too! Really looking foward to it :)
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Cool, Should be a blast think its going to be interesting. Nice to meet you and ill see you on september the 8th ! Im Dom Btw
 
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