Performing Arts & Photography
BA (Hons) Professional Photography
Campus Sighthill Campus
Qualification SCQF Level 10
Study mode Full time
Duration 41 weeks
Start date
Aug 2023
Course enquiry form
Course overview
Our BA (Hons) Professional Photography one-year top-up degree is unique to Scotland. The degree is taught at Edinburgh College and validated by Kingston University London. It is delivered in only one academic year and is open to applications who are progressing from a two-year HND in Photography. The course is designed to enable you to further develop your skills in contemporary and commissioned photography, preparing you for a future career within the Creative Industries.
You will develop your creative potential as you immerse yourself in the art of professional photography and learn the wealth of skills needed to enter this fast-paced and competitive industry. This course is industry-linked and holds accreditation by the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and is endorsed by the Association of Photographers.
You will be taught by highly qualified and experienced lecturers in state-of-the-art Edinburgh College photography studios including a drive-in facility suitable for shooting vehicles, advertising, and fashion. The equipment store contains an extensive range of industry-standard equipment available for loan including top-of-the-range cameras, lenses, and lighting. In-house colour-managed printing is available from our new Focal Point, a purpose-built digital printing and retouching lab. You will receive guest lectures from professionals in the industry, here you will make essential industry connections for your future career.
Our ethos combines creativity and technical excellence to succeed in an ever-changing industry. This course is benchmarked by the achievements of our graduates, many of whom are multi-award winners in national and international photography competitions. Our successful graduates become employed, self-employed or progress on to postgraduate study.
Please see the Information on Tests/Auditions/Interview Requirements below. And contact Jon.Lee@edinburghcollege.ac.uk should you have any further questions.
Examples of past students' work can be found on Edinburgh College Photography.
What you will learn- Final Major Project: Module Leader, Jon Lee
- Photography in Context: Module Leader, Raymond Keith
- Professional Futures: Module Leader, Alan McCredie
How the course is assessed
- This course is assessed by continual assessment through set course modules
- You will undertake a range of practical assignment briefs and concentrate on developing a body of work that will showcase your creative and technical skills
- Contribution to individual tutorials, group tutorials and seminars
- A final developed portfolio of work, written essays, and reports
Number of days per week
- 3 days per week
Entry requirements
- HND Photography with an A or B pass in Graded Unit 2 or an international equivalent
- A portfolio of work
- A successful interview
Information on Tests / Auditions / Interview Requirements
Portfolio Submission Instructions 2023
Once you have submitted your application the next stage of the application process is to send a link to your portfolio images and written personal statement.
Portfolio submission must be sent electronically by Monday 20th March (see below).
Please send in a portfolio of 15 digital images and a written personal statement of intention using the digital sharing service Transfer Now: https://www.transfernow.net/en adding jon.lee@edinburghcollege.ac.uk and CRI@edinburghcollege.ac.uk as recipients.
Portfolio Guidance
Your digital portfolio should be a selection of your most creative photographic work and consist of work which reflects your intended specialism i.e., fashion, advertising, photojournalism, documentary etc., and/or images from personal projects.
These images can come from individual Units and/or work made from Graded Unit 2. It is important you name your files “yourname_image1.jpg”, “yourname_image2.jpg” etc as we will be receiving many files and need to keep track of them. Images to be sent will be 300ppi and saved as jpg.
Personal Statement Guidance
You must submit a short and concise statement (Word doc – one side of A4 only) that outlines:
- What specialism of photography do you intend to further develop on the BA (Hons) course?
- Your approach to making photographic work
- How you will contribute to it
- Your ambitions for your photography
- References to photographers and artists that provide inspiration
- Why this Edinburgh College course will benefit you
Timescale
Send Portfolio submission and personal statement before Monday 20th March 2023.
English Proficiency requirements
English Proficiency Requirements IELTS 6.0 are required if English is not your first language. Further information regarding IELTS levels and certification is available from our admissions team
English Proficiency Requirements English Proficiency Requirements IELTS 6 are required if English is not your first language. Further information regarding IELTS levels and certification is available from our admissions team.Progression and Articulation Routes
- Further study at postgraduate level
Career options
Freelance employment in:
- Fashion photographer
- Advertising photographer
- Corporate photographer
- Documentary photographer
- Photojournalist photographer
- Forensics / Medical photographer
- Image editing/retoucher
- Assisting / Digi Tech
- Photographic production
- Picture Editor
Study Options
| Campus | Study mode | Start date | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sighthill Campus | Full time | 28/08/23 | 41 Weeks |
