Photography BA Honours
University of Westminster
Key Information
Select location
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 15,400 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* international | UK: £9,250
Introduction
Our Photography BA course is a long-established course with an excellent international reputation for its academic and practical teaching. This reputation is reflected in high application rates, a distinguished record of graduate employment in the industries it serves, and in the publication, production and teaching profile of its staff and graduates.
Our course will enable you to develop your creative production skills across a range of photographic and lens-based media, to establish a critically engaged and self-reflective creative practice. It will equip you with the skills to adapt to creative opportunities, participate in contemporary cultural debates, and increase your awareness of the political, ethical and aesthetic implications of your work. You’ll learn to form independent, informed opinions of your own work and that of others.
Our course is renowned for its distinctive philosophy, which aims to provide a holistic photographic education. It combines high levels of technical and visual photographic skills with excellent visual literacy and a critical awareness of visual culture alongside solid professional practice.
You’ll also explore a wide range of relevant contemporary theories and debates designed both to stimulate a critically engaged practice and to better prepare you for a range of related careers.
The course is part of the University's College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries, based at our state-of-the-art Harrow Campus – a cutting-edge creative hub.
Top reasons to study with us
- Fantastic location - you'll enjoy all the benefits of studying at our Harrow Campus – just a 20-minute tube ride from London, a global hub for the media and cultural industries.
- Develop your creative production skills – work across a range of photographic and lens-based media to establish a critically engaged and self-reflective creative practice.
- Learn from high-profile experts in photography theory and practice dedicated to photographic education.
- Photographic pioneers – photographic education at the University of Westminster has a unique depth of tradition. Classes in photography were taught at the Polytechnic Institution, the forerunner of our University, from 1852, and the School of Photography was established in 1883.
Why study this course?
- Fantastic London location1
You'll enjoy all the benefits of studying at our Harrow Campus – just a 20-minute tube ride from London, a global hub for the media and cultural industries. - Develop your creative production skills
Work across a range of photographic and lens-based media to establish a critically engaged and self-reflective creative practice. - Specialist facilities
You'll have access to a suite of studios, dark rooms, print and finishing facilities and an extensive range of high-end digital imaging equipment.
Career Opportunities
Many of our graduates go on to work as photographers and photographic artists, but equally, they pursue a range of careers within the broader photographic and creative sectors, as designers, historians, magazine editors, museum and gallery curators, picture editors and researchers, teachers, and writers. Many also go on to postgraduate study.
With a growing global network of 3,000 employers, our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you in achieving your full potential.
- Transferable skills
You'll gain the knowledge and experience to work in roles such as magazine editor, museum and gallery curator, picture editor, teacher and lecturer. - Industry links
We have industry links with impressive galleries and organisations, including The World Photography Organisation, The Photographers' Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. - Employers around the world
The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
Industry partners
We have strong links within the photographic and creative sector in London and beyond, and the majority of our teaching staff are active practitioners across different sectors.
We also have close relationships with our alumni and use these links to organise guest talks, work placements and job opportunities for our students.
Our industry partners range from The World Photography Organisation, The Photographers' Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum to well-established practitioners like Nadav Kander, Sarah Pickering, Broomberg & Chanarin and many more.
Previous guest speakers have included:
- Amak Mahmoodian
- Annette Kuhn
- Broomberg & Chanarin
- Clare Grafik
- Darren Harvey-Regan
- Jananne Al-Ani
- Lisa Barnard
- Max Pinckers
- Poulomi Basu
- Rut Blees Luxemburg
- Simon Norfolk Sian Bonnell
- Trish Morrissey
- Zelda Cheatle
Job roles
This course will prepare you for roles such as:
- Magazine editor
- Museum and gallery curator
- Photographer
- Photographic artist
- Picture editor
- Picture researcher
- Teacher and lecturer
Graduate employment
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:
- Autograph, London
- Lux Darkroom
- Oxfam
- Pinewood Studios
- Tate Modern
Graduates have found work placements and assisting opportunities at organisations including:
- Sunday Times Magazine | NME | BBC | Dazed & Confused
- Victoria and Albert Museum | The Photographers' Gallery
- Sony | Pureland Design | Next Level
- Sian Bonnell | Broomberg & Chanarin | Tom Hunter
- Nadav Kander | Perou | Sarah Pickering | Jurgen Teller | Massimo Vitali
- Millennium Images | The World Photography Organisation
Admissions
Curriculum
Project-based modules are designed to equip students with the techniques and skills of a variety of digital and analogue photographic media, including moving images.
Alongside this, modules with written outcomes reflect on the history and criticism of photography, drawing on a number of related fields, including art history, media and cultural theory, and sociology. We celebrate a continual emphasis on personal and professional development throughout the course.
Teaching includes lectures, seminars, workshops, supervised use of facilities, visiting speakers, work reviews, group or individual tutorials and independent study.
You can also apply to study part of Level 5 abroad with one of our overseas exchange partners.
The following subjects are indicative of what you will study in this course.
Year 1
You are provided with an intensive grounding in the key photographic techniques, theories and concepts, forming the basis for later learning.
Subjects of study include:
- Photography: Identity and Place
- Photography: Stranger Than Fiction
- Photography and Its Origins
- Photography in the Post-War Era
- Photography: Enquiries and Responses
- Creativity and Collaboration
Credit Level 4
Year 2
You are encouraged to push the boundaries of your own photographic practice, and experiment and explore new ways of working, including video and emerging technologies, camera-less photography and alternative photographic processes. You will also produce project work for specific contexts such as the gallery, magazine, photobook or the screen. Students are offered options in work placements, group exhibitions, study abroad and collaborative interdisciplinary modules.
Subjects of study include:
- Photography Beyond the Frame
- Photography in Context
- The Critical Image
- The Photographic Voice
- Work-Based and Placement Learning
Credit Level 5
Placement Year
Between Years 2 and 3, you may undertake an optional year-long placement. If you take advantage of this option, you'll undertake an additional year-long Industry Placement Year module running parallel to your work placement, and your final degree award will be BA Honours Photography with Professional Experience.
Year 3
You will focus on the production of two major pieces of self-directed visual and written work. You will work independently, supported by workshops, work reviews, and individual and group tutorials, to produce a Research Project and a Major Photographic Project for public exhibition. Professional development continues to support you in preparing for your careers after graduation.
Subjects of study include:
- Photography Major Project 1 – Enquiry and Development
- Photography Major Project 2 – Realisation and Refinement
- Research Project
- Professional Futures
Credit Level 6
International Opportunities
Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.
Opportunities could include:
- Taking part in a semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
- Attending an international summer school or field trip
- Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.
Gallery
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
English Language Requirements
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