80033 Professional Studies: Curating the Image
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksDescription
Consistent with the UTS model of global practice-oriented learning, this subject introduces students to skills, resources and strategies essential to the professional practice of photography. The subject equips students with information on professional conduct, management and planning, preparation for and modes of employment, client–creative professional relationships and key organisations and structures in the industry. Assessments allow students to develop a vocational vision for the future, with a special focus on articulating their professional practice goals and achievements and concerns in written and oral tasks.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Take autonomous responsibility for their actions and decisions in a vocational context |
|---|---|
| 2. | Effectively develop means to communicate in a university and vocational setting. |
| 3. | Understand the importance of working co-operatively and professionally as part of a team, taking a leadership role when required, and constructively contributing to peer learning wherever possible |
| 4. | Position ones professional practice in a wider disciplinary context, locally and globally. |
| 5. | Engage in learning activities initiated by others and an ability to independently reflect and engage in self directed learning and self critique. |
| 6. | Source, evaluate and utilise appropriate academic and professional references |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Ability to take autonomous responsibility for actions and decisions (A.1)
- Ability to work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning (C.1)
- Ability to communicate ideas effectively in a variety of ways, including oral, written and visual (C.2)
- Ability to engage in and contribute to studio discussion (C.3)
- Ability to produce inspirational responses that exemplify integration of learning experiences (I.4)
- Ability to position work within an extended disciplinary context (P.5)
- Ability to source, evaluate and utilise appropriate academic and professional references (R.1)
- Ability to independently select and apply appropriate research methodologies to carry out investigative study (R.2)
- Ability to reflect and engage in self-critique and critical thinking (R.5)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is delivered through a series of interactive lecture sessions from staff and industry experts, as well as tutorials. All content relates to photographic practices in an industry context. The subject makes use of learning strategies based on self-directed research and problem-based learning. It involves students researching and developing their own solutions to professional problems. The subject also integrates collaborative learning in small groups and is practice oriented.
Prior to each lecture session and tutorial, students will be required to review relevant online material and prepare questions for the mentor relating to the weekly lecture content and the professional practice assessment tasks they are working towards. Studios will centre on feedback from the development of assessment tasks and activities that engage collaborative learning. It is the students responsibility to record any feedback given during studio sessions or meetings. This will assist in how iterative development can be accessed and ultimately assessed. Grades, marks and feedback on final design submissions will be provided through Review.
Each teaching and learning activity in the subject and all assessment tasks are designed in order to prepare students for working in an industry context. Cultivating practices like self directed research that are required in vocational settings, the subject introduces students with tools for establishing and maintaining Independent Practice in the real-world. Problems posed are those that mimic those posed in vocational contexts so the development of solutions allow students to test their ideas, strengths and potential contributions to industry in a supportive class environment.
Content (topics)
This subject content includes
- Contextualising interactive lecture sessions that address issues relevant to professional photographic practice, such as the management of funding and expenses, tax, publications, exhibition opportunities, and copyright
- Guided research into professional practice areas that allows students to initiate a well developed sense of their industry contexts
- Assessment and in-class tasks that make use of individual and collaborative learning strategies, integrating independent research with peer group knowledge exchanges
- Outcomes that are discussed, developed and assessed in a collaborative environment
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Professional Practice Presentation
| Intent: | See assessment task sheet for details |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 5 and 6 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, C.3, I.4, R.2 and R.5 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
Assessment task 2: Engaged Practice Project
| Intent: | See assessment task sheet for details |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.1, C.1, C.2, P.5 and R.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.