MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies

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MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies

University of the Arts London (UAL)

United Kingdom, London

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Home/United Kingdom/London /University of the Arts London (UAL)/MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies

University of the Arts London (UAL)

United Kingdom , London

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Central Saint Martins

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2022

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 15,165 / year

Next Intake September-2022

MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies

About

Unlike many other photography courses, MA Contemporary Photography; Philosophies and Practices at Central Saint Martins is not committed to one notion of what photography is. Instead, it aims to provide you with the tools to locate your own practice within a broad range of contemporary art forms. On this course, you will nurture your practice by working with reference to a number of disciplines, including performance, installation, new media, fashion and site-specific work. You will explore the philosophy of the visual image as a melting pot of political, aesthetic and social concepts.

This course explores photography as a plural, transdisciplinary and multimedia global language. Situating photography at the core of contemporary visual art, the course integrates theory and practice. You will explore photography as a discipline which interlaces fine art, technology and new media. You will research photography as a universal language of contemporary cultures. These encompass the arts, the sciences and also the construction of personal identities. This course will provide you with the tools to work in fields related to artistic production and the extended creative industries.

A key objective of the course is to overcome the distinction between theory and practice and to offer an experience of deep integration of making and thinking. The course emphasises new media and post-internet approaches as the language of contemporary art practice. These are explored through theory seminars and workshops in physical computing, metadata, augmented reality and social media. The core activities of the course are the making, outward presentation and contextualisation of your work.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

An honours degree
Or An equivalent EU/international qualification.

AP(E)L â€“ Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

Related academic or work experience
The quality of the personal statement
A strong academic or other professional reference

Or a combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).

Selection criteria

We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:

The quality of your practice
Ability to devise and develop a self-directed programme of study
The ability to develop and contextualise work in written form
The ability to analyse and evaluate in both visual and oral terms
Eagerness to contribute to the learning environment at postgraduate level.

What we are looking for

We are seeking imaginative, resourceful individuals who are committed to exploring and developing a strong individual visual language.

English Program Requirements

All students need to show proof of their English language ability to enrol at UAL. Most students from outside the UK need to submit an English language test as proof of their language ability.

If you need help to reach the required language level, UAL's Language Centre offers a range of English courses and a Presessional course for students with a conditional or unconditional offer. Current students at UAL, progressing to the next level of university study (e.g. from Foundation to BA) can take UAL's Progress Test to achieve the IELTS score required for the next level.

To find out if you are exempt from English language testing, please read exemptions from language testing at the bottom of this page.

English language tests

Your English language requirement is generally expressed as an IELTS score but UAL accepts several other English language tests in addition to IELTS.

Where we state 'IELTS Academic for UKVI', you must provide a certificate for this test. IELTS Academic (not for UKVI) cannot be used to support a student visa application for these levels of study. The University does not accept IELTS General or IELTS General for UKVI for any level of course.

Please note that you must achieve the required language scores - overall and all 4 skills (unless the test provider exempts you from sitting a skill on the basis of disability) - from a single sitting of a test examination. We cannot accept a combination of 'best' scores from multiple test results.

Please note that if you take a Cambridge IGCSE exam, you must provide 2 documents:

The Certificate
The Certifying Statement for CEFR. You will need to request this and pay the fee.

Minimum IELTS scores

Our IELTS requirements vary depending on the course and level of study. The requirement for each course is shown on the individual course pages.

Jump to minimum scores for:

Courses that require IELTS 5.0
Courses that require IELTS 5.5
Courses that require IELTS 6.0
Courses that require IELTS 6.5
Courses that require IELTS 7.0
Courses that require IELTS 7.5

Career

Our postgraduate Art Programme offers valuable opportunities to build transferable professional knowledge and skills. The exchange of perspectives with others through shared units, reading groups and debates helps establish stimulating and productive networks.

The focus on proposing and developing a major independent programme of study is supported by a shared professional practice lecture series featuring guest speakers plus opportunities to attend symposia and critique work in progress across subject areas. The Postgraduate Art Programme has wide-ranging links with professional organisations, collections and galleries, and includes opportunities for interaction and networking according to your personal career direction.

MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies explores photography as a visual language feeding into a wide range of professional arenas and related disciplines. MA Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies graduates are equipped to work in the gallery world, fine art publishing, book publishing and advertising, in London and beyond. They may also progress academically to research (PhD study) and teaching. Equipped with industry and cultural knowledge, you'll leave us knowing your worth in the art and business worlds, at home in international gallery or commercial contexts and able to initiate substantial cultural projects.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 15,165

How to Apply

All applications will be considered by the course team who will consider key elements when making a decision on your suitability to join the course:

Firstly they will look at your qualifications and transcript (or projected results).
Secondly, they will review your personal statement, portfolio and study/project proposal.
There is no requirement for an academic or professional reference.

Required information for postgraduate course applications

Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following items and upload documents when completing the online application form:

Personal details (including full name; date of birth; nationality; permanent address and English language level)
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
CV
Personal statement

Please note: we will ask you for copies of certain documents (for example, English language qualification/certificate and copies of any previous UK study visas). Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.

You can only apply to the same course once per year. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn. Read the UAL international application advice for further information on how to apply.

Extra information required for applications to this course

Portfolio.
Video task.
Study / project proposal.

Start your application now

There are 2 ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course:

Through one of our official representatives in your country
By direct application

The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner. Read our Admissions Policy for details, including how to request a deferral and by when.

External Student Transfer Policy

If you are currently studying at another institution and have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at London College of Communication, you can apply to transfer.

The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible.

Further information about the external student transfer policy can be found on the Office for Students Information page.

CV

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If English is not your first language it is important that you also include in your CV details of your most recent English language test score.

Personal statement advice

You’ll be asked to complete a personal statement describing why you want to study on MA Photography.

Your personal statement should describe what you specialised in during your undergraduate course , why you now want to study on MA Photography at LCC, and what you are hoping to do after the course.

The majority of our students have studied either BA Photography or other lens-based/fine-art subjects before applying to our course.

If you didn’t previously undertake a BA Photography course, please explain why you feel that you meet the academic criteria needed for further study in this subject area.

Project proposal advice (250 words maximum)

Your Project Proposal should be a feasible, researched outline of the intended project you plan to photograph during your time on the course.

This should include how you plan to develop your project, and also provide a sense of subject matter, visual style, conceptual approach and associated research, as well as your existing knowledge of contemporary fine art photography.