Course summary

Explore and experiment with photographic practices and learn how to create images that tell compelling stories, whatever your creative ambitions. Whether your dream is to be a fashion or fine art photographer, or a photojournalist, on this course you’ll develop skills in professional photography, multimedia, critical communication and exhibition. In our comprehensive, specialist photographic facilities, you’ll learn from expert, dedicated tutors who will help you refine your photographic style and voice while giving you plenty of space and time to experiment with practices and media. Study on a course that scored 90% for Learning Resources in the National Student Survey 2023. Develop skills in professional photography, multimedia, critical communication and exhibition. Take part in field trips and experience photographing different locations such as Venice and Prague. Explore aspects of career management such as rights issues, project management and self-promotion through social media. Careers This degree will help you prepare for work in the photographic, creative and media industries, or for self-employment as a photographer or artist. Our graduates have gone to work in a wide range of creative and photography and photography-related roles for businesses and clients on a freelance or employed basis. Many have they own creative or freelance projects alongside other work. Dom Zalys runs his own creative agency, Dominkas and has worked with and photographed high profile clients including Stephen Hawking, Stephen Fry, and Malala Yousafzai, all over the world. Mark Box works as Chief Cultural Heritage Photographer at the University of Cambridge and runs editorial project Human of Cambridge. Catherine Bullen is an award-winning wildlife photographer, and Aliz Kovacs-Zoldi is a Writer at Amateur Photographer magazine. As well as developing the specialist skills you need to succeed as a photographer or artist, on this course you’ll learn to adopt a professional approach to your work. We'll cover aspects of career management such as rights issues, project management, and self-promotion through social media. Our supportive staff can help you find and take up formal or informal work placements that will help you establish your own professional network, including opportunities such as working for magazines, galleries and photographers. Our campus employment bureau can also help you find photographic jobs that fit around your studies. Around ARU, you can also take advantage of many opportunities to use and promote your skills, such as working with staff and students to photograph their events. As part of your course, you’ll also have opportunities to work on ‘live briefs’ set by local employers. For example, our students recently worked with the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA), creating a selection of images and objects to enhance the understanding of their photography collection in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. Opportunities to exhibit your work include the annual Free Range showcase in London. At the 2023 exhibition, two of our students, Mark Morgan and Erin Thorogood, were nominated 'Best in Show' by Amateur Photographer magazine. You’ll also have opportunities to showcase your work to industry reps and the wider public at exhibitions. Teaching We’ll start by introducing you to the practical and theoretical skills you need to develop critical photographic projects, as well as the fundamentals of photographic visual language, research and theory. You’ll continue to build your skills and knowledge in these areas in years 2 and 3, while refining and establishing your photographic style by working on projects and exhibiting your work. In Year 3, you’ll complete a Major Project, and either an independent research project or 100 hours of work experience, pulling together all the skills and knowledge you’ve gained.