Courses

BA (Hons) Photography

This course takes place at UCS Ipswich and requires 240 tariff points for 2011. Applicants will be expected to attend an interview with a portfolio. The course is three years full-time and up to nine years part-time.
The course consists of critical theory and practise taught by photographers and lecturers in the field, who encourage research and experimentation, whilst learning new skills that will be used in their careers and explore photography in old and new media.
Throughout the first year students learn technical and critical skills. They also get introduced to cultural, historical, theoretical and political debates surrounding lens based media. They also learnt the differences between digital and analogue photography, whilst genres are explored on location or in the studio.
The second year they improve their technical and contextual skills to give them a better knowledge and understanding. Students are expected to branch out and take risks, where new methods are introduced. Contacts are given via work placements, visiting lectures, field trips and exhibition trips.
Between year 2 and 3 there is an opportunity to pursue a work placement. In the module "Professional Practise" they will be introduced to industry links and methods that prepare them for the placements.
The final year enables students to establish their own style and direction. Critical professional debate about visual culture is strongly encouraged. Ways of distribution is explored and applied in the creative, media and arts industry. Entrepreneurship is also explored. By the end of the year students will be independent and confident practitioners who will hit the ground running.
The course is assessed via practical projects, portfolios, essays, exhibitions and seminar presentations.
There are a number of career opportunities including various photography genres, such as nature, fashion, portraiture, music, etc. Also are fine art practise, picture research, editing, gallery or project management, technical support and PR.

BA (Hons) Film

This course takes place at UCS Ipswich and requires 200 tariff points for 2011.The course is 3 years full-time and up to 9 years part-time.
The course itself is a mixture of practise and theory, and has a creative focus throughout. Each semester students will have a mixture of screen writing, film theory and video production modules which are made to build upon each other, helping students to gain a wide range of skills, including conceptual, creative, practical, technical and critical.
In the first year students are introduced to practical and technical approaches to work. They begin to explore practical and technical skills and are encouraged to start a portfolio. First year modules include film studies, video practise and production, developing screen ideas and creative and professional development.
The second year is all about developing the skills that they have already started, such as critical and analytical skills, conceptual and visual creativity. This results in short films from "ideas led" filmmaking. Second year modules include film, world cinema, video practise and production, screenwriting, and avant-garde and the experimental film.
In the final year the focus is on negotiated elements of work including disseration or research project, and an independent video project where students make a short film in the genre of their choice. Third year modules include dissertation, video practise and production, professional practise and cityscapes.
The professional practise module allows students to undertake a work placement, which is an important part of the three years of study. Students also get the opportunity to work with artists and professional practitioners, where they participate in master classes and residencies.
Students are assessed via essays, practical projects, portfolios, project briefs and seminar presentations.
Careers after this include film and video production, screenwriting, teaching, journalism and creative practise.