The Open University and the Royal Photographic Society launch ‘photography bootcamp’ microcredential to develop budding professionals

05 March 2020, London, U.K: The Open University has launched a new microcredential called Digital Photography: Creating a Professional Portfolio, endorsed by The Royal Photographic Society (RPS), available to join now on FutureLearn.com.

According to a report from IbisWorld, the photography industry generated £2 billion in revenue in the UK last year and the demand for professional photography and digital imagery is expected to continue to increase.

The Digital Photography: Creating a Professional Portfolio microcredential aims to help learners to develop a high quality portfolio of professional work and equip them with key skills, including how to critically evaluate and edit images and how to communicate vision and intent. Learners will engage with both practical and theoretical work and will be able to share their work and receive feedback from a supportive online community. 

Learners that pass the final assessment will be awarded 10 UK credits at Undergraduate level from The Open University. The assessment will require learners to submit a panel of images in a genre of their choice and a written Statement of Intent as part of a cohesive portfolio of work. Learners will receive feedback from experienced professionals and will also be provided with guidance on how to prepare for the Royal Photographic Society assessment panel, should they wish to take their learning further. 

The microcredential closes for enrolment on 23 March and begins on 30 March. 

Stephen Peake, Senior Lecturer in Environment at The Open University and lead educator on the microcredential said: “Photographers grow in spurts. This exciting new course is designed to ignite the drive and imagination of good amateur photographers and takes them to the next level where they are able to skilfully deploy their visual and technical skills in service of their professional ambitions.”

Simon Nelson, Chief Executive of FutureLearn commented: “Microcredentials are accredited, online courses designed to help learners build specialised skills relevant to their career. This microcredential will allow photographers to take their skills to the next level and create a portfolio of work they can be proud of. Photography is an exciting and expanding industry and this microcredential is a great way for people to take that step up from a hobby to a more professional level.” 

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Notes to editor: 

Microcredentials are accredited, online courses designed to help learners build specialised skills relevant to their career. They provide the flexibility to learn alongside work and other commitments and can result in academic and professional credit to help learners advance in their careers.

About FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a leading social learning platform formed in December 2012 by The Open University and is now jointly owned by The Open University and The SEEK Group. FutureLearn has over 10 million people signed up worldwide. FutureLearn uses design, technology and partnerships to create enjoyable, credible and flexible online courses as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees that improve working lives. It partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, CIPD, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (HEE). It’s also involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education. 

About The Open University
The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK and a world leader in flexible distance learning. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the university was founded with a clear purpose: to open up education to all. Since beginning in 1969, the OU has taught more than two million students worldwide and has over 170,000 current students.

Over 75% of students are in full-time or part-time employment, and 78 FTSE 100 companies sponsored staff on OU modules in 17/18.

The OU has had a unique educational partnership with the BBC since 1971, collaborating on a range of content across TV, radio and digital channels/platforms. Each year the OU co-produces approximately 35 prime-time TV and radio series including, Hospital, Blue Planet, Inside the Foreign Office, Our Dementia Choir and 8 Days: To the Moon and Back. We achieved more than 351m viewing and listening events last year which prompted more than 8.9 million visitors in the year 2018/19­ to the OU’s free learning website, OpenLearn. 

For further information about OU co-productions please visit our website: http://www.open.ac.uk/