Bachelor of Photography

The Bachelor of Photography at Collarts is a three-year degree for people who want to make pictures for a living. You'll spend your time on the craft and the thinking behind it: camera work, lighting, editing, printing, and the ideas that turn a photo into a body of work. Expect studio units, theory units, and a lot of time actually shooting. The course covers commercial and editorial photography as well as documentary and fine art practice, so you finish with a portfolio that shows range rather than one narrow trick.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time and sit at level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. That means you complete a set number of units of study, each worth credit points, usually spread across two semesters a year or trimesters depending on the institution. Collarts runs its own calendar, so check the official course page for intake dates and unit sequence. Early units build technical skills and visual literacy. Later units push you into self-directed projects, and most photography degrees finish with a capstone project or major folio you present at the end of your final year. You may also have the option of an honours year afterwards, which adds a fourth year and a research component.

Skills you build

By the end you should be able to run a shoot from brief to delivery: plan it, light it, direct people, edit the files, and prepare them for print or screen. You'll learn to critique your own work and other people's, which matters more than any single piece of gear. You'll also pick up the business side, quoting, licensing, copyright, and how to pitch to clients or galleries. Work-integrated learning and industry placements are common in this field, often with studios, publications, agencies or arts organisations, and Collarts has industry connections in Melbourne's photography and creative sectors. Confirm placement requirements on the official page.

Who it suits

This degree suits school leavers with a folio and a serious interest in image-making, and also people changing careers who have been shooting on their own and want structure, feedback and a qualification. If you want to work as a photographer, a retoucher, a studio assistant or in visual content for brands, this is a direct route. International students should note that while you study in Australia on a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight once your course has started, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English proficiency is required, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the usual undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 105693D.

• Photographer, commercial, editorial, fashion, product, food, real estate or portrait work for studios, agencies and publications
• Documentary or fine art photographer, exhibitions, grants, publishing and gallery representation
• Photo editor or picture editor, newspapers, magazines, online publications and media organisations
• Retoucher or digital imaging specialist, advertising agencies, e-commerce and post-production houses
• Studio manager or assistant, commercial studios and rental facilities
• Visual content producer, in-house roles with brands, retailers and not-for-profits
• Freelance photographer, running your own practice, licensing images and taking on commissions

Australian employers in these areas include advertising and design agencies, media and publishing companies, e-commerce retailers, arts organisations, museums and galleries, and the growing network of independent studios in cities like Melbourne and Sydney.