Award: Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate Art and Design (Photography)

UCAS Code: DSLR

Location of study: Kingston College Campus Creative Industries Centre 

Awarding body: Pearson.

Course duration: 1 year (full-time)

Academic year dates: September 2019 until July 2020 

Days of the week: You will be expected to attend for 2 days a week, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Work placements: There is no credited work placement built into this course.

Timetables: Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible.

Course leader: Maura Jamieson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   tel no. 02082683204 

At least 32 UCAS points from A Level or BTEC comparable qualifications

Mature students with relevant experience may also be considered. 

Submission of a portfolio of work is required.

Additional requirements

References from an official email address (ie. NOT Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) This can be from your previous institution if you were a student in the last 4 years or from a line manager if you are currently working.

Suitably qualified applicants will be invited to interview with a course tutor, where they will be required to further demonstrate their suitability for the course and given the opportunity to ask questions about the course.

International students must possess qualifications equivalent to Level 3 study in the UK to apply for HE courses. Please be aware that this may mean we suggest an alternative course for you.

Portfolios can be submitted electronically if required.

Skype interviews may be possible – please contact HE Admissions to arrange.

Audition via Skype or recorded video may be possible – please contact HE Admissions to arrange.

• Unit 1 Professional Development (Core, 15 credits): The aim of this unit is for students to begin to define areas for personal professional development, in the context of a growing awareness of the broad scope of the creative industries.
• Unit 2 Contextual Studies (Core, 15 credits): Students will be introduced to the theoretical methods with which to research and analyse works of art and design, helping them to understand the importance of being able to contextualise their own practice, as well as enhancing their understanding of the wider art and design landscape.
• Unit 3 Individual Project (Core, 15 credits): This unit is designed to develop the skills to apply creative practice in response to a theme and topics set by Pearson. Students will carry out and apply the knowledge and skills, developed through other areas of their studies, to complete and present an individual project.
• Unit 4 Techniques and Processes (Core, 15 credits): Through this unit students will explore the critical facets of art and design practice that will enable any project. Through the development of skills associated with brief analysis and writing, research, experimentation and testing, and presentation students will begin the process of establishing the grounding for future development of their own practice and further their study.
• Unit 10 Lighting for Photography (Specialist, 15 credits): Lighting is a key factor in creating a successful photographic image, and determines the brightness, tone, mood and atmosphere of a picture. Therefore, it is necessary to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best texture, vibrancy of colour and luminosity on your subjects.
• Unit 11 Photographic Practices (Specialist, 15 credits): This unit introduces students to the use of a range of photographic equipment, techniques and processes to underpin the creation of photographic meaning.
• Unit 26 Darkroom Techniques (Optional, 15 credits): This unit aims to equip students with skills, knowledge and understanding to create and manipulate analogue black and white images in the darkroom. It offers students the opportunity to recognise and achieve professional standards in technical application and in the quality of final print outcomes.
• Unit 31 Visual Narratives (Optional, 15 credits): Through practical experimentation students will explore pictorial storytelling, and the use of words and images to create a narrative, including ideas of voice, point of view, pace and balance between word/image, to developing an understanding of the underlying concepts and conventions related to narrative storytelling. 

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of lectures and practicals. In addition, you have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor. You will use industry-standard equipment and have access to labs and library facilities throughout your course.

Independent learning

When not attending lectures, seminars and other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including the library, the Undergraduate Centre, and our computer laboratories.

Assessment

The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Assessment methods include a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and exhibitions. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

All assessment are spread across the year to make the workload manageable. The course work will be based on a combination of practical and written contextual work.

Overall workload

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning, and assessment activity, While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.

Academic support

Our Academic Support Team provides help in the following areas:

• study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
• written English (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy)
• academic writing (including how to reference)
• research skills (in conjunction with the library)
• critical thinking and understanding arguments
• revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management).

Our Student Support Services help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Link

Teaching staff

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics, professional practitioners with industry experience, demonstrators and technical officers.

• UK/EU students: Full-time £4950
• Overseas/International students: £9000

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• BTEC registration fee

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees:

• additional printing over and above the annual allowance
• the cost of books and equipment that you might wish to purchase.

Inflation linked tuition fee rises: The College may decide to increase tuition fees year on year at a reasonable rate in line with inflation. Any increases would not exceed the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast for RPI-­‐X (the retail price index, excluding mortgage interest payments). This intention will be clearly advertised on the College’s promotional material.

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• annual printing allowance

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees:

• additional printing over and above the annual allowance
• the cost of books that you might wish to purchase.

Accommodation and living costs are not included in the fees: This information can be obtained from our Accommodation page.

Sources of financial support: You may be eligible to apply for additional support. Details can be obtained from our Money to Study page.

Bursaries, scholarships and prizes: The College also provides a number of scholarships and prizes for undergraduate students, for which you may be eligible to apply. Some of these are available to students on any course, and some have specific conditions. You can check your eligibility for these types of financial support, along with their value and application deadlines, at our Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes page.