Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology
School of Art and Design
Programme Specification
FdA Applied Photography
Programme valid from September 2014
JACS code: W640
NCN UCAS Code: W548
Valid for delivery at:
New College Nottingham, City Campus
Contents Page Number
Section One: General Information 3
Programme Title and Interim Awards 3
Mode of Study 3
Programme Start/Review Date 3
Awarding Institution 3
Faculty Managing the Programme 3
Institution(s) Delivering the Programme/JHS 3
External Benchmarks and Accreditation 3
JACS Code 3
Programme Specification Last Updated 3
Section Two: Overview and Programme Aims 3
Rationale 3
Programme Aims 4
Section Three: Programme Learning Outcomes 4
Section Four: Programme Structure 7
Structure and Curriculum 7
Personal Development Planning 10
Section Five: Programme Delivery 11
Learning, Teaching and Assessment 11
Section Six: Admissions 14
Entry Criteria 14
Section Seven: Student Support and Guidance 15
Section Eight: Post Programme Opportunities and Employment Links 16
SECTION ONE: GENERAL INFORMATION
PROGRAMME TITLE
FdA Applied Photography
AWARD TITLE AND INTERIM AWARDS
Award Title
Foundation Degree (Arts) in Applied Photography
Interim Award
Certificate of Higher Education in Applied Photography
MODE OF STUDY
Full Time only, September start.
PROGRAMME START DATE
January 2009 for a period of 5 years, changed to indefinite approval
Revalidation June/July 2011 for indefinite approval
Revalidation for 20 credits April 2012 for indefinite approval
Validation Franchise, New College Nottingham, City Campus for indefinite approval
AWARDING INSTITUTION
University of Derby
FACULTY MANAGING THE PROGRAMME
Arts, Design and Technology
INSTITUTION(S) DELIVERING THE PROGRAMME
New College Nottingham, City Campus
EXTERNAL BENCHMARKS AND ACCREDITATION
The Quality Assurance Agency’s benchmarks for Foundation Degrees and Art and Design have been considered within the design of this programme and the Foundation Degree framework for the Photo Imaging Sector produced by the Sector Skills Council for the Audiovisual Industries, Skillset.
JACS CODE
W640
NCN UCAS Code
W548
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION LAST UPDATED
23/05/14
SECTION TWO: OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME AIMS
RATIONALE
The Foundation Degree in Applied Photography is designed to balance your personal learning needs, along with encouraging the development of your creativity and technical abilities, with the needs of the industry you are moving into and consideration for progression into further study whether vocational or in higher education towards an honours degree.
What makes this programme different? This programme covers a broad spectrum of photography but as the name implies it is looking at ‘Applied Photography’, photography that has a function. This covers the range from where a photograph doesn’t have to have any meaning or significance beyond being ‘a record’, hopefully an accurate well photographed record but still just a record through to a photograph designed to communicate to a particular audience for example in a corporate brochure, to go with a press release or be published. Also those that have significance for you showing your appreciation of what photography can convey as an art form whether from a fine art perspective, as a breathtaking landscape, portraying the beauty of the natural world or capturing with scientific techniques something that is not normally visible to the naked eye.
Photography has the ability to educate, to stimulate, to shock, to document in minute detail, to convey emotion; it is a means of communication and through exploring the possibilities of photography in this programme we aim to expand your thinking and development not just as a photographer but as an individual.
PROGRAMME AIMS
The aims of the programme are to:
1. Develop students’ knowledge of how the theories and techniques of applied photography can be used to communicate to an audience.
2. Develop an awareness of the relationship between practice and theory so you are able to work and further your career aspirations in applied photography.
3. Developing student’s confidence in their own abilities, to communicate professionally and support the development of interpersonal and team working skills.
4. Preparing students through reflection and evaluation of their learning and creative work in order to identify clear action planning for future development of their careers which could include moving on to the final year of a suitable honours degree programme.
5. Develop student’s working knowledge of the organisation and working practices of the photoimaging sector.
6. Prepare students to have sensitivity to their own creative development as professionals that enables them to explore, engage in debate about and judge their image making and problem solving skills.
7. Support student’s understanding and articulation of the role of work based learning as an integral part of their programme to support their on-going professional development.
8. Meeting international, national and local needs;
9. Preparing students for employment and further professional and creative development;
10. Developing student's capacity to learn (both on the programme and as independent and lifelong learners after the programme);
11. Providing flexible learning opportunities, widening access.
SECTION THREE: PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES
PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES
We use what are called “learning outcomes” to explain what is expected of you as a student on the programme. You will see these written as: “On completion of the programme you will be able to . . “ then it specifies what you will be able to do, sometimes this is something specific as in a practical skill e.g. “Manage the digital workflow from camera to computer to client.” at other times it is an intellectual skill, knowledge and understanding or a transferable skill, one that is important in future professional practice or employment.
You may see learning outcomes in different parts of the programme: when lecturers plan a teaching session, as part of a module specification and as programme learning outcomes. The learning outcomes for the programme are based on the guidelines developed by the Sector Skills Council for the Photo Imaging Sector, SkillSet, who have asked employers and freelance photographers nationally what skills and abilities they think photographers graduating from a Foundation Degree in Photography should have developed.
The Programme Learning Outcomes are described in terms of knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills, practical subject specific skills and transferable skills. There is a development between your first stage of study, termed Level 4, and your second stage, termed Level 5. In many cases the skills gained or understanding developed in the first stage will be further developed in the second stage and the beginning of an appreciation of the learning outcomes at Level 5 will have been started in your first year of study. For further information about Levels see the Rights, Responsibilities and Regulations (3R’s) handbook section on the credit framework.
Knowledge and understanding – the ability to:
On completion of the programme you will be able to:
Level 4
1. Understand the principles and theories of art and design related to applied photography.
2. Demonstrate knowledge and experience of professional practice in photography.
Level 5
3. Understand the relationships between practitioners and their audience.
4. Understand the development of photography from traditional to current innovations.
5. Understand the origination of proposals in response to briefs.
Intellectual skills – the ability to:
On completion of the programme you will be able to:
Level 4
1. Research, select and analyse information from a variety of sources.
2. Communicate effectively the principles of photographic theory and practice.
3. Use creative problem-solving to address your individual needs.
Level 5
4. Generate proposals, independently or collaboratively responding to briefs.
5. Contribute to debate within applied photography.
6. Respect and respond to the critical judgement of others.
7. Reflect on your own and other people’s photography.
8. Analyse the impact of legal and ethical issues on your practice.
Practical/Subject Specific Skills – the ability to:
On completion of the programme you will be able to:
Level 4
1. Appropriately select and use materials and processes.
2. Develop effective computer skills for photoimaging.
3. Use practical skills to interpret and realise ideas consistently and creatively.
Level 5
4. Demonstrate technical competence in a range of skills experimentally and creatively.
5. Manage the digital workflow from camera to computer to client.
Transferable skills – the ability to:
On completion of the programme you will be able to:
Level 4
1. Develop numeracy sufficient for the photoimaging sector.
2. Express yourself well, correctly using professional language.
3. Understand legal and ethical issues that impact on your practice.
4. Engage in observation, investigation, enquiry, visualisation and making.
Level 5
5. Understand your personal strengths, employability and need for continuing professional development through lifelong learning.
6. Work independently including the ability to write and interpret a brief.
7. Build professional relationships.
8. Work as a member of a team and develop interpersonal skills.
9. Develop business skills and commercial acumen.
10. Develop an awareness of electronic media and their integration with photography.
Reference has been made to the Framework for Higher Education Qualification (FHEQ) to ensure that the programme outcomes are expressed at the right level for Certificates of Higher Education, Level 4 and Foundation Degrees, Level 5. The Programme Learning Outcomes conform to the Diploma Supplement requirement of no more than 2000 characters including spaces.
SECTION FOUR: PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM
This section outlines your journey as a student through the modules often termed the ‘Student Journey’. This programme takes how students learn into account through the way it is structured and the flexibility in delivery through a combination of blended online and face-to-face learning. Certain modules have to be by attendance at University where they involve the use of the studio or darkrooms others can be delivered more flexibly by lectures delivered online as podcasts or screen casts followed by focussed face-to-face discussions around the topics raised.
The key features are:
Work based learning designed for those students not currently in employment who need the work placement experience to further their career and for anyone who is working; as a freelance photographer, employed either full-time or part-time as a photographer or with photography as one of your roles in your employment for you to capture your ongoing everyday learning experience.
The ‘Professional Project’ and ‘Research and Work Based Practice’ modules are positioned so that you have undertaken sufficient work in photography to enable you to start planning on using your skills in client based projects.
The balance and integration of academic, practical and vocational skills, for example the ‘Visual Communication in Applied Photography’ module looks at how theoretical study can directly influence personal practice.
Inclusion of specific learning opportunities and materials to support your personal development integrated into modules at Level 4 and with the ‘Professional Practice’ and ‘Portfolio Development’ modules at Level 5.
Links between modules at Level 4 and Level 5 that support progression: ‘Photographic Practices’ to ‘Advanced Digital Photography’ similarly ‘Visual Communications in Applied Photography’ and ‘Photographic Theory and Practice’ that are integrated as ‘Research and Work Based Practice’ at Level 5.
Key work based learning modules and elements within modules, level 4 & 5, comprising 25% of the programme.
Status: Final – Subject to Approval / Page 4 of 15 / 23/05/14 DBStatus: Final – Subject to Approval / Page 4 of 15 / 23/05/14 DB
The module learning outcomes directly relate to the programme learning outcomes at both Level 4 and Level 5 for example;
The practical subject specific skill of being able to:
- Manage the digital workflow from camera to computer to client.
This is covered by the following module and learning outcomes:
Photographic Practices at Level 4
- Understand the value of a digital workflow in your photographic practice.
As well as the Advanced Digital Photography and Portfolio Development modules at level 5.
Programme structure
Level 4 (120 Credit Points)
Semester 1 (Autumn)
/ Semester 2 (Spring)Visual Communication in Applied Photography
Prescribed
40 Credits
Photography Theory and Practice
Prescribed
20 Credits / Professional Project
Prescribed
20 Credits
Photographic Practices
Prescribed
20 Credits / Studio Practice
Prescribed
20 Credits
Level 5 (120 Credit Points)
Semester 1 (Autumn)
/ Semester 2 (Spring)Research and Work Based Practice
Prescribed
40 Credits
Advanced Digital Photography
Prescribed
20 Credits / Professional Practice
Prescribed
20 Credits
Applied Photographic Techniques
Prescribed
20 Credits / Portfolio Development
Prescribed
20 Credits
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING (PDP)
Choice in your photographic direction is supported not only through negotiated modules but also through the Personal Development Planning strands at Level 4 and Level 5 towards your development as a Professional Practitioner whether freelance or employed.
Level 4 Modules allow you to integrate the acquisition of new knowledge and practical skills with the development of reflective thinking, time management, self-evaluation through a mix of group and individual projects with a range of assessments including; reflective writing, personal action plans and portfolio development.
At Level 5 a more independent approach to your learning is expected where you will be introduced to employment related skills, this is achieved by tutorials, group work, lectures, critiques and use of reflective journals, presentations and self-evaluation. Undertaking professional projects for clients supports your development of business and communication skills in the real world as well as modules like ‘Professional Practice’, which look at your development as a professional practitioner including business planning and marketing.
So as part of your responsibility for your own learning we would expect sufficient notice so we can fully support you if you need to arrange for time away from your usual class sessions for client based work. If this were a regular occurrence it would need to be addressed within your PDP and if photography related it could support your module work e.g. ‘Professional Project’ or ‘Research and Work Based Practice’ but this needs to be planned in advance not in retrospect.
SECTION FIVE: PROGRAMME DELIVERY
LEARNING AND TEACHING
The learning, teaching and assessment in this programme is designed to support you as a learner through a wide range of learning opportunities from lectures online and face-to-face, tutorial support for hands-on development of practical skills and to support the development of critical thinking and problem solving.