Photography (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Southampton Solent University

The rising popularity of photography has seen a wealth of opportunity spring up for creative photographic practitioners. A degree in photography from Solent University will help position you at the cutting-edge of this medium, preparing you to enter the world of work with highly developed and refined creative and technical skills.

If you’re an experienced photographer, this one year degree will give you the opportunity to ‘top-up’ your existing skills and qualifications into a full honours degree, spending the year producing work for your portfolio.

Throughout the course you will be supported to develop your creative, imaginative and critical abilities – skills that are essential in a creative career. You’ll also explore a range of photographic subjects and will embed photographic skills through dynamic projects.

Solent’s experienced teaching team will guide you in creating a rich and varied professional portfolio, and will ensure that you have the creative freedom to make a portfolio that best represents your own unique style, while at the same time demonstrating that you are a competent, adaptable and employable practitioner.

Regular course lectures are supported by a programme of industry guest speakers, which in the past have included appearances from Richard Billingham, Catherine Yass, Charlotte Cotton, Ori Gersht, Brian Dillon, Peter Fraser, Dan Holdsworth, Chrystel Lebas, Jeremy Millar, Sophy Rickett, Margaret Salmon and Tom Hunter.

Your studies will take place in the multi-million pound Media Academy – featuring state-of-the-art teaching and photography facilities including digital and analogue studio spaces. You will also learn in the Photography Base Room – a dedicated, flexible teaching space.

Think a career as a photographer might be for you? With first-class facilities and a unique emphasis on freelance work, Solent University’s photography programme is a great first step towards your dream career.

Photography at Solent offers leading photography production and teaching facilities.

What does this course lead to?

Many graduates have gone on to work in commercial, editorial, fashion, portrait, documentary, photojournalism, landscape and fine art photography. Graduates also enter related fields, including post-production, museum and galleries, book and journal publication, picture editing, education (FE and HE) and have also gone on to postgraduate study.

Who is this course for?

This intensive one-year top-up programme is ideally suited to students who are qualified at a HND level and would like to upgrade to a full undergraduate honours degree.

Applicants should aspire for careers in editorial, fashion, promotional, freelance or fine art photography.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Accredited degree accelerated route.

Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.