Photography

During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.

You’ll be introduced to various types of media, both in theory and practice, and will develop an understanding of the skills and concepts required by the creative industries. You’ll explore historical approaches towards images and the social power they embody and will undertake an individual or group project to produce work that reflects the culture of 'image'.

Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Photography BA (Hons) degree.

The emphasis of our Photography degree is based around your creative development and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

You will study the key legal and ethical aspects of photography, applying these to your professional and photographic practice.

We have fully equipped on-campus studios and darkroom facilities and offer all students free-of-charge loan of professional photography equipment and resources as well as access to our Mac computer suite, so you’ll have all you need to continue to develop your photography skills and experience.

During your degree, you will work towards a final year portfolio and exhibition. You will also complete professional work placements which form an integral part of your curriculum.

In your final year, you can extend your professional understanding of the discipline and build your portfolio through an additional longer term placement in the creative industries.

Through professional practices and guidance workshops and collaborations with organisations such as the National Media and Science Museum, you’ll learn how to seek out suitable career opportunities. You’ll also undertake photographic projects in the community, enabling you to develop your communication skills and build knowledge, contacts and networks for your future career. 

Why study with us?

• Build your self-confidence, academic skills and core subject knowledge in preparation for progression onto degree-level study.
• You will develop a wide range of creative, analytical, visual and technical skills.
• You will be taught by experts from the field of photography and will have the opportunity to complete creative industry work placements as part of your degree.
• You will have access to a wide range of digital and analogue photography equipment from our Media Centre.
• We will give you guidance and support to produce, exhibit, print and promote your own work.

Specialist facilities

You’ll have access to industry-standard spaces and equipment including production rooms, Mac and PC editing suites and TV, radio and photography studios. These specialist facilities will enable you to develop your practical and technical skills, produce a portfolio of professional work across different media platforms and prepare you for your graduate career in the industry.

Explore our facilities

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Modules by Year

Foundation Year

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence
  We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations. You'll learn how to manage your time, how to prioritise and how to manage stress, and you’ll become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.
• Project
  You’ll study an area of interest related to your chosen degree. You’ll work individually on your project, whether that's a written report, a presentation and oral examination, a film or a series of blog posts. You’ll undertake problem-solving learning, and formative feedback and support will be provided throughout, helping develop your self-confidence.
• Communication: Introduction to Modern Media
  This module will introduce you to various types of media, both in theory and practice. You’ll explore the role of 'story' in film and television, radio and the web that engages with audiences. You’ll develop an understanding of narrative structure, character development and idea generation, as well as understanding the skills and concepts required by the creative industries through lectures, workshops and practical exercises.
• Image: Introduction to the Humanities
  This module explores a range of historical approaches towards images and the social power they embody. From religious icons to celebrity glamour, fine art to selfies, you will develop an understanding of what humans have done and can do with images to shape attitudes and beliefs. As well as seminars, short lectures and workshops, you'll undertake an individual or group project to produce work that reflects the culture of 'image'.

Year 1

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Professional Development
• Studio Practice
• Aesthetics of the Image
• Photographic Practice 1

Year 2

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Professional Placement
• Contextualising Practice
• Photographic Practice 2
• Collaborative Photography
• Curating Photographs

Year 3

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Professional Project
• Research Project
• Exhibition
• Contemporary Photography

Professional work placements

Experience matters. That's why we include professional work placements with every undergraduate degree.

How does it work?

Careers and Placements will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.

During your placement, you will have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.

We will work with you to find placements that match your career aspirations, using our extensive links with organisations in the creative industries and photographic sector. Placement opportunities include working with industry photographers, studios, gallery assistants/curators, and marketing and design companies to help you discover the skills required to work in the photography industry and the professional sector.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Professional Work Placements

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

• high quality teaching
• an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
• a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

• Student Involvement and Engagement
• Inclusion
• Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
• Digital Literacy and Skills
• Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

• Personalised support
• Expert lecturers
• Strong connections with employers
• An international outlook
• Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Programme delivery

Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

1. Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
2.  Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
3. Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.

Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, including the recently introduced T Levels, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

Applications are welcome from mature students with few or no formal qualifications.

Any previous relevant work experience and learning will be assessed and, where appropriate, accredited as part of the application process.

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2023/2024.

Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.

Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.

Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.

Additional costs

We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:

• Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
• On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
• You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
• The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.

For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.

On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.

You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.

Although the main UCAS deadline has passed, you can still apply until 30 June if you haven't applied yet or haven't used all five choices on UCAS.

Alternatively, if you've used all your five choices, but received no offers or declined your offers, you may be eligible to add another choice through UCAS Extra. UCAS will send you information on UCAS Extra if you're eligible.

UCAS Extra opens on Thursday 23 February 2023 and closes on Tuesday 4 July 2023.

There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:

• call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
• email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk 

Apply now

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

You’ll be well-prepared for a career in professional photography, photojournalism, the gallery and museum heritage sector, PR and event management, as well as a range of other professional careers.

After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Careers