Why Study/Key Benefits

• The Bachelor of Design with Honours (Photography) is a four-year, research-led design qualification that combines practical photographic production with design theory, critical thinking and independent research.
• Students learn from practising and award-winning photographers and designers in a studio-focused environment.
• The Photography major provides access to professional cameras, specialist studios, digital suites, printers and technical support, as well as historical and wet-based photographic processes.
• Students work across both digital and analogue photography, while also exploring moving image, lighting, archives, photographic books and contemporary photographic practice.
• The fourth year becomes substantially more research-led, allowing students to develop a significant independent body of work and prepare for postgraduate research.
• Massey describes the degree as suitable for students who want hands-on studio learning and want to develop as innovative creative practitioners.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The Bachelor of Design with Honours is a four-part qualification. The first three parts build fundamental design and photography skills, while Part Four becomes substantially more research-led.

Part One – foundation

Photography students begin developing fundamental photographic and design skills. Current Photography courses include:

• 221157 Photography Studio 1.1: What is Photography? – 15 credits
  • Introduction to digital photographic image-making
  • Photography as a way of seeing and interpreting the world
  • Creative and analytical skills
  • Idea generation and practical project development
• 221158 Photography Studio 1.2: Introduction to the Darkroom – 15 credits
  • Analogue darkroom technologies
  • Wet-based photographic techniques
  • Experimentation with photographic materials
  • Contemporary applications of analogue processes.

Part Two – developing photographic practice

Current Photography courses include:

• 221263 Photography Studio 2.1: Attributes of Light – 15 credits
  • Conventional and experimental photographic lighting
  • Lighting studio and location-based practice
  • Photographic and moving-image work
• 221264 Photography Studio 2.2: Fact and Fantasy – 15 credits
  • Digital technologies and visual culture
  • Photoshop and related technologies
  • Photographic manipulation
  • Photography as visual language
• 221265 Photography Studio 2.3: The Living Archive – 15 credits
  • Photographic archives
  • Social, political, personal and historical uses of photography
  • Archival collection and management
  • Film scanning and creative use of archival material
• 221266 Photography Studio 2.4: Photography, Representation and the Gaze – 15 credits
  • Representation and agency
  • Ethical photographic practice
  • Contemporary photographic practice in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Te Tiriti, the gendered gaze and representation of people and whenua.

Part Three – advanced photographic practice

• 221358 Photography Studio 3.3: Extended Photographic Practice – 30 credits
  • Individual creative project
  • Advanced photographic concepts and processes
  • Professional and collaborative practice
  • Output strategies and transferable skills
• 221367 Photography Studio 3.1: The Photobook and Narrative – 15 credits
  • Photographic books
  • Visual narrative
  • Photobook construction and materiality
  • Book design, audience and production
• 221368 Photography Studio 3.2: Post Photography – 15 credits
  • Contemporary and historical photographic technologies
  • Digital and moving image
  • Lighting-studio practice
  • Analogue photography
  • Advanced analogue photography workshops.

Part Four – research and development

Students complete advanced 400-level study. Current Photography-related options include:

• 197753 Design Research Development – 30 credits
  • Development of processes and practices for a postgraduate research project
• 221453 Photography Research and Development – 30 credits
  • Research methods, practices and processes for photographic design
  • Application of research to photographic practice. 

Disciplines/Specialisations

The selected specialisation is:

• Photography – 165-credit major.

The Bachelor of Design with Honours currently provides majors/specialisations in:

• Concept Design
• Integrated Design
• Fashion Design
• Industrial Design
• Photography
• Spatial Design
• Textile Design
• Visual Communication Design
• Matauranga Toi Maori can engage with creative disciplines including Photography.

Programme Highlights

• NZQF level 8 undergraduate honours qualification.
• 480 credits over four years full-time.
• Wellington campus.
• Photography major worth 165 credits.
• Research-led fourth year.
• Professional photographic equipment and specialist studios.
• Digital photography and digital post-production.
• Analogue and wet-based photographic processes.
• Lighting and moving-image practice.
• Photographic archives and historical photographic technologies.
• Photobook and visual narrative development.
• Independent creative and research projects.
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary design study.
• Optional minor.
• Potential progression to Master of Design, Master of Fine Arts or PhD study.

Career Outcomes

Massey identifies Photography graduates as working in areas including:

• Advertising
• Fashion photography
• Corporate promotion
• Illustration
• Food photography
• Architectural photography
• Humanitarian photography
• Newspapers and magazines
• Online visual media
• Video design and moving-image work
• Medical documentation
• Scientific photography
• Forensic photography
• Archaeological photography
• Anthropological photography.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current qualification is 480 credits and four years full-time.
• Photography is currently a Wellington-campus specialisation.
• International students are accepted on campus in New Zealand.
• There are no additional Photography-specific admission requirements beyond Massey's university admission requirements.
• A Creative Review is encouraged after application and enrolment.
• Students must satisfy progression requirements before moving between parts of the qualification.
• To progress to Part Two, students must have passed 75 credits at 100 level, including at least 60 credits from Part One courses.
• To progress to Part Four, students must have achieved at least a B- weighted grade average across the highest-graded 75 credits at their highest year level of study.
• Course prerequisites apply throughout the Photography major.
• The programme page states that returning students may face changes to available majors, minors and courses under transitional provisions.
• Exact individual course availability for a particular semester: Not publicly specified – please confirm with IPU.

International Student Visa Requirements

Because the Photography Bachelor of Design with Honours is an on-campus Wellington programme, international students intending to study in New Zealand will normally need a New Zealand student visa.

For the Fee Paying Student Visa, Immigration New Zealand currently states:

• Applications are made online.
• Apply at least three months before planned travel.
• You need an offer of place from an approved education provider.
• You need evidence that tuition fees have been paid, will be paid, or are covered by an acceptable scholarship or other approved arrangement.
• You need sufficient funds for living costs or an acceptable sponsor.
• You must meet applicable health and character requirements.
• Appropriate insurance requirements apply.
• The visa can normally cover the period of study for which tuition has been paid, subject to visa conditions.
• Eligible students may work up to 25 hours per week while studying and full-time during holidays, depending on their individual visa conditions.