This programme is designed to help you develop the confidence and skills to operate in a higher level job, or profession, where you can make decisions, solve problems and be in control of creative output. It is also aimed at those who would like to start their own business or develop their own individual area of practice through a more in-depth study of photography. The qualification is taught at North Kent College's Tonbridge campus in Tonbridge but is awarded and quality assured by the University of Kent.
This course is open to students who have completed a qualifying programme (HND/FDA) at North Kent College.
Although this programme offers a natural progression route from the HND in Photography at North Kent College's Tonbridge campus, we also welcome and encourage applications from students who have achieved a HND or foundation degree in photography or a related subject at another college or university. It will enable you to convert your Level 5 HND or Foundation Degree qualification into a Level 6 Bachelor's degree with this one year programme.
The programme supports the use of a wide range of photographic, lens-based, techniques and approaches to produce creative imagery and you will be encouraged to develop professional practice to a very high standard in your chosen area.
The programme has a strong emphasis on individual and professional development and you will be encouraged to achieve a high standard in all areas and supported to make work of high conceptual and technical quality.
The teaching team are qualified and experienced in a range of theoretical, conceptual and practical aspects of the subject to facilitate and support individual student projects. You will be offered one-to-one tutorial support on a regular basis, and support from a technician and the Learning Resource Centre is available during self-directed study.
The College’s location near the mainline train station in Tonbridge facilitates trips to and from London.
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We understand that applying for university can be stressful, especially when you are also studying for exams. Choose Kent as your firm choice on UCAS and we will guarantee you a place, even if you narrowly miss your offer (for example, by 1 A Level grade)*.
*exceptions apply. Please note that we are unable to offer The Kent Guarantee to those who have already been given a reduced or contextual offer.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. All applications are assessed on an individual basis but some of our typical requirements are listed below. Students offering qualifications not listed are welcome to contact our Admissions Team for further advice. Please also see our general entry requirements.
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The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Applicants should hold a Foundation Degree or HND in photography or a related discipline at Merit or Distinction level.
The College will also consider applicants who have completed 240 credits in a degree programme in photography or a related discipline with achievement equivalent to a Merit profile in a Foundation Degree or HND.
International students cannot be admitted to this programme at this time due to visa restrictions.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you do not meet our English language requirements, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
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Duration: 1 year full time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
You study the following three modules:
Assignments include:
You will be required to choose module options which total 120 credits.
Fees are set by North Kent College. You may want to take some time to read through the information about funding available in the Financial Support for Higher Education Students section.
A materials fee is payable for each year of the programme to cover the cost of equipment maintenance and the supply of basic materials, including film stock, chemicals and printer ink. This fee is currently set at £50 per year.
You will need to budget for the cost of photographic materials, presentation and framing. The scale of this cost will greatly depend on the nature of your work and how it is presented, since some production and mounting methods incur a greater cost than others. As a guide, the College estimates an average cost of £500, although some students will spend more than this whilst others will spend substantially less.
Trips to London galleries and events are an integral part of the programme and the College will organise one trip during the course of the year. We advise you to budget approximately £50 for this trip to cover travel and admission costs. See also 'equipment needed' under the 'teaching and assessment' section.
Contact North Kent College for more information about accommodation and living costs.
For more information about funding, please see the North Kent College website.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsTeaching is delivered through a series of lectures, seminars, discussions, group work/exhibition planning, tutorials and workshops.
The programme typically involves an average of 12 timetabled hours over two to three days per week during term time.
This is a full-time programme and you will be expected to dedicate approximately 24 hours per week to self-directed study to carry out research and assignment work outside of timetabled classes.
You will be encouraged to work in the College outside of timetabled classes, when there will be support available from photographic technicians and Learning Resource Centre staff.
Work is assessed by assignment and presented at group critique on a continuous basis throughout the programme. You will be required to present your work in a professional manner and to field questions from your tutors and colleagues on the programme.
Photographic equipment is available to borrow from the College. However, at this level of study you will be expected to have your own basic equipment that you like to use.
A reading list will be available before the start of the programme. An introduction to the dissertation will be sent to you during the July before entry to enable you to begin background reading and research in a proposed topic.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain a knowledge and understanding of:
You gain the following intellectual skills:
You gain the following subject-specific skills:
You gain the following transferable skills:
You will develop a strong foundation of technical skills, knowledge and creative approaches required for employment or progression to postgraduate study in the areas of photography, and other related subjects.
Some graduates of this programme have progressed to postgraduate study and teacher training, whilst others have embarked on careers such as medical photographer, freelance/agency photographer, gallery creative director, gallery owner/assistant and roles in photography businesses.
We're unable to take applications for this course at the moment. Please check back soon or search for another course.
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For enquiries, please contact North Kent College
T: 0845 2078220
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk