It would be altogether less dishonest if the whole process could be split between arts-based degrees and industry-specific vocational courses. In practical terms, the BA/HND or FDa split is supposed to achieve that, but in reality there is very little difference. An additional history or critical analysis module in the BA maybe, but that’s it. And no socio-economic or industry awareness theory, at least not where I was. Unless someone had read a column in the redtop BJP or whatever. Dismal really.

What is worrying is that courses and their resources are micromanaged by technicians who have very little intellectual grasp of conceptual photography or what would make a good editorial or documentary piece, and whose technical skills are limited to an efficacy with whatever version of photoshop they happen to have installed to scrub away the inevitable dust spots integral to digital processing.

I agree, few staff seem to think they have any influence over well, anything except who gets or doesn’t get to hire out their lighting set. “The industry is just like that” was the excuse for rampant upskirt sexism in the studios, and the struggle all the young people were having to get paid placements. Gruesome, really.

There’s another couple of posts in my head around surviving one’s photography degree course which might make more of these issues you raise, and I agree none of it makes very comfortable reading.

And I agree completely about the Redeye Symposium. I also enjoyed it, very much, but came away thinking wtf was that all for. The closing speaker just took the metaphorical biscuit, really. Or the urine, if one wants to get down to it. Having the contacts to ring up the Cube, or Saatchi or whomever, is completely outside the reach of most of the jobbing photographers in the room. Actually, didn’t whoever it was ring her? I don’t think it’s at all inspiring to hear how she stood in a poverty stricken war zone making massive prints for her collectors in the fine art world. Made me feel ashamed.

Yes. What does happen next?

I started my course full of enthusiam and this steadily waned as time went by. Its not photography in itself, for I love photography and during my course my appreciation deepened.

Truthfully I now view the whole photography degree world with some suspicion. On the lecturing side the degree world provides some photographers with a way of earning a living and still be associated ish with photography. Its a world where getting you signed up (to help secure their department’s funding for the next year) takes all precendence over any honest appraisal about the highly limited opportunities and the dire state of the some of the ‘market’.

Its a bit dog eat dog really – or least it probably will be. Deep down most of these lecturers must suspect that its a bubble waiting to burst. Selling unfulfillable expectations to large numbers of (paying) customers is all too New Labour. In fact the only thing that kept the bubble going this far is that it is the student who is paying.

But the thing that angered me above all else as I worked through the course briefs and began to assimulate what was going on around me , was the complete air of resignation among the teaching staff. Wry smiles announcing the demise of editorial, a shrug of the shoulders and open raised palms the death of the photo library. As though none of this was of their doing, as though they stand aloof from the world around them, insulated in their (for the time being) towers from where they observe the collapse of all the old structures. As though they were in every way absolved from any responsibility for their profession or their ‘apprentices’.

And I wonder if this is symptomatic of a wider malaise within the photography community where there seems to be a lack of organisation. I mean, I really enjoyed listening to the debates at The National Photography Symposium, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was gesturing and tokenism. Tick the box been there done that.

What happens next I thought? Does everyone wait until the next one?

You’re spot on about interviewing the institution. I’d like to see real results. Where are your students a year on, 5 years on. I don’t think they keep any outcome stats.

If there was anything I’d add it’d be a reminder to applicants that the interview is also a chance to interview the institution, particularly if its open-day left you with questions.