Course details

Summary

Studies in Photography begin with a comprehensive introduction to photographic principles, an exploration of photography as a device for communicating information, ideas and personal insights, and an introduction to the basic materials and processes of photographic practice.

Further studies involve an examination of the procedures which are distinctive to photography and how these procedures can be used for documentary and artistic expression.

Advanced studies are individually constructed; they focus on projects concerned with expressive aspects of the medium, and are encouraged to see their work and to examine it critically within its historical and sociological context.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a prestigious qualification that will give you a broad knowledge in visual arts, multimedia and design before you specialise in your studio subject of choice. The four-year degree makes use of purpose-built facilities and students enjoy being part of a supportive community of practitioners.

Qualification structure and duration

The Bachelor of Fine Arts requires a total of 480 points:

• Fine Arts Intermediate Year (120 points)
• your specialist studio subject (270 points)
• courses from the Bachelor of Arts or other degrees (including some compulsory Art History and Theory or Cinema Studies courses) (75 points).

Further study

• Postgraduate options include:
• Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours
• Master of Fine Arts
• Postgraduate Diploma in Art Curatorship

A UC Fine Arts degree is accepted as an entry qualification to postgraduate studies in other tertiary institutions in New Zealand and overseas. UC graduates have been accepted into the best graduate programmes in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, the United States and Australia.

Career opportunities

Photography students gain careers as professional artists, art gallery directors, photo-journalists, commercial photographers, consultants, art critics, art historians, lecturers and art teachers.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree.

Specific entry requirements

To apply for admission to the Intermediate Year (first year) of the BFA directly from school, you need to:

• achieve NCEA Level 3 Visual Arts in one or more subjects; and
• have at least 14 credits in each of two other NCEA Level 3 subjects (that are not practical art subjects) is also strongly recommended; or
• the equivalent standards in other qualification frameworks.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.