Postgraduate Diploma in Photography

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to equip learners with a research orientation to specialise in the broader context of media production practice. The qualification serves to equip learners with specialised practice-based research knowledge and skills grounded in the principles of narrative media production. Learners are guided towards becoming able to engage independently in a systematic survey of current thinking, practice and research methods that relate to photography and media production.

Rationale

The curriculum design of the Postgraduate Diploma in Photography aims to give the learner enhanced skills and specialised knowledge and research understanding within photography and media production. This qualification provides vertical and horizontal articulation pathways to prospective students. Vertical articulation will be possible into a relevant Master's Degree on National Qualifications Framework (NQF) 9. Horizontal articulation will be possible into a relevant Bachelors Honours Degree at NQF 8. This qualification also introduces the student to basic research methodologies relevant to photography and media production. This qualification offers opportunity for further specialisation in a chosen direction of photographic or media production practice, supported with more in-depth theoretical knowledge and research acumen.

This qualification will allow learners to develop their practice into new directions, driven by drastic technological advances, which will lead to further mastery on Masters (NQF Level 9) qualifications. These specialist directions will involve visual communication products that are inclusive of stills photography, audio and motion recording. Advice from advisory board meetings as well as bench marking done with national and international institutions identified this course as a niche within the South African context.

Prospective learners will be able to articulate not only from the current media oriented photography programme, but also from other appropriate media related qualifications such as graphic design, multimedia, film and video studies etc. The current socio economic demands from the broader creative and media industries require entrepreneurial one-man service suppliers that can operate in any geographic region.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The details of the RPL policy are as follows

• Credits are awarded for relevant, approved prior learning (RPL).
• Only then may the learner continue with full registration.
• If the RPL is awarded, an exemption form is completed and the candidate may continue with full registration.

Entry Requirements

The entry requirements to this qualification is

• Advanced Diploma in Photography/Media Production/Film and Video Production/Graphic Design, Level 7.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits

• Social Research Principles and Procedures, 20 Credits.
• Theoretical perspectives on Photography and Media practice, 20 Credits.
• Information Literacy and Academic Writing Skills, 10 Credits.
• Research Proposal Development, 25 Credits.
• Practice-based Project Planning, 20 Credits.
• Practice-based Project Execution, 25 Credits.

1. Apply the basic philosophical underpinnings that guide research and knowledge production.
2. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of research principles and procedures in order to plan and conduct a research-oriented project within the photography and media production domain knowledge base.
3. Apply philosophical understanding and knowledge of research methodologies and principles.
4. Investigate and discover professional solutions to unfamiliar problems in personal creative expression or commercial application of audio and visual media.
5. Collect, process and manage information, from a variety of sources on production methods, techniques, and visual or audio strategies that can enhance personal expression.
6. Articulate creative insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems developed in the creative processes involved in media production, within the academic context.
7. Demonstrate discipline and accountability through proper pre-planning, execution and finishing of theoretical and practice based tasks and learning processes.
8. Express confidence through critical reflection by following established conventions in theory and practice in order to repurpose these conventions for personalised learning and growth.
9. Demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions from theoretical and practical investigations.

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of objectivist and subjectivist research worlds.
• Articulate and justify worldview and philosophical stance in relation to knowledge.
• Demonstrate foundational knowledge of a variety of research methods.
• Conceptualise the concept of data, specifically within a practice-based, and people-oriented qualitative research paradigm.
• Demonstrate familiarity with various theoretical perspectives on photography and media practice.
• Source and examine relevant examples of where these perspectives inform photographic and media practice and criticism.
• Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of perspectives from which to approach creative practice, and to see how their own perspective impacts creative practice on various levels.
• Demonstrate basic understanding of a few key critical perspectives on technologies and creative practice such as feminism and the politics of representation, Post-structuralism, Semiotics.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Post phenomenological perspectives on technologies and new materialist thinking.
• Applying tools that aid writing about practice such as Semiotic analysis and discussion; phenomenological description.
• Discovering, accessing, organising and evaluate information sources.
• Apply ethical and fair use of information.
• Apply referencing techniques and principles.
• Demonstrate the skill to structure logical arguments within a creative environment.
• Demonstrate the skills to write about their own practice in relation to relevant theory.
• Apply research methods, approaches and principles.
• Identify a problem within creative practice.
• Provide background information to a creative problem.
• Motivate the need for exploration of identified problem through reference to theoretical and audio-visual sources.
• Plan effectively for solving problems within creative practice.
• Investigate theoretical and audio-visual sources to motivate planning decisions.
• Test and modify planning through practical experimentation and documentation and reflection.
• Investigate a problem.
• Reflect on practice and creative processes.
• Document experimentation and final execution in written and other media.
• Produce a well-crafted audio-visual production.

Integrated Assessment

In this qualification, learners must demonstrate practical and reflective competencies. A combination of Formative and Summative Assessment is applied; feedback will be provided. Formative Assessment includes presentations, case studies, class and group discussions, debates, tests, experiential exercises, assignments and self-assessments. The Summative Assessments include the submission of an integrated portfolio, which are moderated externally.

Outcomes and assessment criteria are communicated to learners in writing in their learner guides, according to level descriptors provided by Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and relevant rubrics. One-on-one consultation sessions are also available for students.