Photography with Foundation BA Honours

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Course Overview

Attendance

UK Fees £9,250 *
International Fees £15,400 *
Duration 4 or 5 years

* Price per academic year

Course summary

Our degree courses with Foundation year offer the opportunity to prepare you for advanced study before you progress on to a full honours degree at the University of Westminster. Whether you do not feel ready for degree-level study, don’t have the right qualifications, want to change your subject specialism or return to study after an absence from education, we aim to encourage a broad range of students to undertake our Foundation year in order to progress on to their full honours degree with us.

Our Foundation year in Art and Design is designed to provide you with an introduction to our range of subject areas, and to prepare you for the discipline of your choice. It will give you the opportunity to explore new ideas, opening up new perspectives on the key debates within the field. It begins in the first semester with the development of fundamental art and design skills, as well as practical exploration across all of the disciplines in our Art and Design Foundation programme. In the second semester you are encouraged to specialise in your own discipline and are supported at this stage by tutors from your host course. You will also benefit from workshops in our high-end facilities, and from working with leading academics who will encourage you to become a confident and creative thinker. Your practical development is accompanied by modules in both semesters on foundational academic skills – skills that will be essential as you progress to your chosen full degree.

On successful completion of the Foundation year, you'll be able to move on to study for the Photography BA Honours degree over a further three years of study.

Our Photography BA is a long-established course with an excellent international reputation for academic and practical teaching. The course builds upon the success and legacy of photography as a discipline at Westminster, whilst implementing an updated and innovative curriculum, which explores and productively engages with emerging digital technologies and commercial practices.

You’ll explore photography and digital imaging technologies across a wide range of specialisms, critical thinking and partnerships with industry and employers. Upon graduation, as a contemporary image maker, you’ll be equipped with a very attractive profile to compete in a fast-growing creative industry. 

The course promotes experimentation and invites you to shape your own learning. This will allow you to develop a strong individual creative voice and vision, underpinned by critical and contextual understanding, alongside professional level photographic skills, to produce work that is distinctive and innovative. 

We provide career enhancement opportunities that will allow you to flourish well beyond graduation, whether that is in the art world, in photographic creative industries, in fashion, digital and virtual environments, or in a commercial setting. You’ll gain practical experience through regular contact with industry professionals, guest talks by industry experts, participation in mentorship programs, and field trips to photography-related spaces. You’ll also have the opportunity to take an optional year-long paid internship or placement between years 2 and 3 of this course. This experience will enable you to develop your professional skills and gain industry exposure well before you graduate. 

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 Central London, a global hub for the media and cultural industries
  • Cutting-edge facilities: Our large photography and emerging media facilities provide you with everything you need to explore innovative practices 
  • Develop your creative production skills – work across a range of photographic mediums 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 history. 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

Course structure

The Photography BA and Fashion Photography BA begin with a shared first year, before branching into specialised pathways. These pathways, along with a variety of optional modules, provide you with the opportunity to customise your degree and expertise according to your interests and career objectives.

You can also choose to study an Elective, a selection of modules from across the whole University curriculum, which will allow you to enrich your academic journey.  

You may choose to take an optional year-long paid internship or placement between years 2 and 3 or study abroad with one of our overseas exchange partners.

The following subjects are indicative of what you’ll study on this course.

Subjects of study include (across 5 core modules):

  • Introduction to Academic Practice
  • Critical Thinking for Academic and Professional Development
  • Art and Design Explorations
  • Making and Modelling
  • Seeing and Doing

There are no optional or elective modules offered at Level 3, as the focus is on the development of key academic skills through a broad understanding of Media and Design

Credit Level 3

You are provided with an intensive grounding in the key photographic techniques, theories and concepts, forming the basis for later learning. Students are given the option to reconsider their chosen pathway at the end of the first year (Photography BA / Fashion Photography BA). 

Subjects of study include:

  • Constructing Photographs
  • Creativity and Collaboration
  • Photography: Image and Idea
  • Expanded and Immersive Photography

You’ll also have the opportunity to take one option module from: Fashion Photography and the Street; Photography in the Street: Documentary. You may also choose a foreign language as your option module.

Credit Level 4

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 (photograms) and alternative photographic processes. Students are offered options in work placements, group exhibitions, study abroad and collaborative interdisciplinary modules.

Subjects of study include:

  • Developing a Photographic Voice
  • The Self-Directed Brief
  • Work-Based and Placement Learning

You’ll also have the opportunity to take two option modules from: Collaborative Practices; The Networked Photograph; CGI and Photography; Photobooks, Magazines and Zines; Videography. You may also choose a foreign language as your option module.

Credit Level 5

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 Photography with Professional Experience BA Honours.

You’ll focus on the production of two major pieces of self-directed visual and written work. You’ll work independently, supported by workshops, work reviews, individual and group tutorials, to produce a Research Project and a Major Photographic Project for public exhibition. The course continues to support you in preparing for your career after graduation.

Subjects of study include:

  • Photography Major Project Research
  • Photography Final Project
  • Research Essay
  • Professional Futures

You’ll also have the opportunity to take one option module, either Professional Futures or you may also choose a foreign language. 

Credit Level 6

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Programme specification

For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).

To request an accessible version please email [email protected]

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Get in touch

Contact us for general course enquiries:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm GMT)

[email protected]

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Join us at an open day online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.

Careers

Graduates from the Photography BA are equipped to play a vital role in the various photographic industries, having developed practical, conceptual and theoretical skills to become independent thinkers, adaptable and flexible in their skills and with a sound understanding of the industry, its conventions, histories and future 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, technology and creative sectors, as designers, creative producers, magazine editors, museum and gallery curators, picture editors and researchers, teachers, and writers. Many also go on to postgraduate study.

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.

3,000

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 the 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:

  • Commercial photographer  
  • Photojournalist 
  • Photographic artist 
  • Art director  
  • Post-production  
  • Videographer  
  • Studio manager  
  • Digital content creator  
  • Media & advertising professional 
  • Social media specialist 
  • Digital marketing producer  
  • Photography retoucher 
  • Magazine editor 
  • Museum and gallery curator 
  • 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

Graduate success

Many of our course graduates are successful international photographers, including:

  • Marcus Bohr - Since completing his PhD at Westminster, Marcus has embarked on a Visiting Fellowship at the Australian National University in Canberra
  • Pio De Rose - Based in Italy, Pio’s work has been published in various magazines including Vanity Fair (Italy) and Æ – Another Escap
  • Alessandra Chila - Based in London, Alessandra has worked as a fine art documentary and still life photographer
  • Eleanor Farmer - Eleanor gained a role as Multimedia Project Manager at Oxfam, commissioning story-gathering assignments
  • Ilan Godfrey - In 2012 Ilan was awarded the Ernest Cole Award for his work ‘Legacy of the Mine’ which was published simultaneously in the UK and South Africain 2013
  • Laura Guy - Laura went on to undertake doctoral research at Manchester School of Art
  • Espen Haslene - Espen is the creator of TUNDRA, a company producing illustration, animation and video for cinema and television
  • Nicole Heiniger - Nicole is based in São Paulo, where she's worked on portraiture, beauty, advertising and high-end fashion photography
  • Constanza Isaza - Constanza has participated in various group exhibitions and a solo exhibition in Medellín, Colombia. She also participated in artist residency programmes in Italy, Canada and the USA
  • Holly Birtles - In 2011 Holly completed an MFA at The Slade School of Fine Art, which was the beginning of her ongoing project photographing and defacing portraits of operatic singers
  • Jason Larkin - Jason has been widely published (including in the New York Times Magazine, the Monocle, and the National Geographic), and has collected a number of awards
  • Isabelle Lesser - Isabelle is based in Phnom Penh where she has set up Asia Motion, Cambodia’s first photographic and video agency
  • Sam Mellish - Sam has worked as a commercial, editorial and documentary photographer based in London. His clients include Red Bull and Vans
  • Kit Oates - Kit went on to be a portrait and commercial photographer for magazines, NGOs and businesses, including Comic Relief, Salvation Army, and the Guardian/Observer
  • Peter Watkins - Peter is a photographer living and working in London. He studied an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art
  • Chu Yinhua - Chu uses photography to explore different ways of seeing, treating the photographic image as a fragment frozen and extracted from the flow of time. Her work has been published in magazines and exhibited internationally
  • Tereza Zelenkova - Tereza’s work is now in the Fotomuseum Winterthur and the Saatchi Gallery collections
  • Jessica Klewicki Glynn - Jessica is an American photographer specialising in interior design and architectural photography
  • Jan Stradtmann - Jan is a German photographic artist currently working in Berlin
  • Stella Baraklianou - Stella has worked as a photographic artist and lecturer in photography at the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield
  • Tina Remiz - Tina is a freelance photographer and journalist, specialising in reportage and portraiture

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 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.

Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.

Students working and studying internationally

Course Leaders

Photograph of Paula Gortazar's profile photo

We provide an inspiring environment for students to develop their personal, artistic vision. With expert support, you can explore innovative practices using our cutting-edge facilities.

Dr Paula Gortazar

Senior Lecturer

Dr. Paula Gortázar is a photography researcher and visual artist. After completing a double degree in Law and Economics, followed by an MA in Photographic Studies, she obtained a fully-funded Doctoral Scholarship to study a PhD in Photography at the University of Westminster. Her research practice investigates the recent developments of AI systems and expanded reality technologies.

Paula’s work has been published in academic journals, including Photography and Culture, Third Text and Fotocinema. Her artistic practice has been exhibited across the world in venues like The Photographers’ Gallery, and published in different international media, such as EXIT magazine and The British Journal of Photography. She contributes as an independent writer for Source Photographic Review and C4 Journal.

See full profileSee full profile of Dr Paula Gortazar

Peter Dukes

Principal Lecturer

Peter Dukes is a Principal Lecturer in Westminster School of Arts, University of Westminster, and a course leader for the Art and Design Foundation year. He studied Fine Art at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art, and was Course Leader for BA Contemporary Media Practice from 2006 to 2016. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is currently School Senior Tutor for Westminster School of Arts.

His work engages with a variety of media and is interdisciplinary in nature, spanning visual arts and literature. He has shown nationally and internationally in a visual arts context, published work in literary magazines, as well as creating online moving image, textual and interactive media art.

See full profileSee full profile of Peter Dukes
Peter Dukes profile's profile photo

Our Foundation programme challenges you to develop your creative skills across all of our disciplines, helping you gain the confidence and experience to succeed on your chosen degree.

Why study this course?

Fantastic London 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.

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.

Facilities

The luxuriously appointed photography area – with its suite of studios, dark rooms, print and finishing facilities and its extensive range of equipment – now includes an expanded digital suite and has invested in new high-end equipment for digital imaging.

Virtual tour

Take a virtual tour of G-Block: photography, dark rooms and digital printing.

Entry Requirements

  • A Levels – DD (48 UCAS Tariff points)
  • T levels – 48 UCAS Tariff points
  • International Baccalaureate – 48 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by case basis
  • BTEC Extended Diploma – PPP 
  • BTEC Diploma – MP 
  • Access – 48 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course

In addition to one of the above, you should have: 

GCSE English Language grade 4/C - IB grade 4 Higher level, GCSE Maths Pass - IB Pass

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.

You will be required to submit a portfolio of 10 to 15 images of art and design work to reflect your course of interest. This might include drawing and painting, graphic design, illustration, photography, printmaking and digital prints, sculpture and 3D work, installations, animations or video. Video and animation files may need to be uploaded to YouTube or a similar online platform, and then embedded in your portfolio website or with links also provided. There should be a maximum of three video files, each no longer than three minutes duration.

We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combinations of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.

View more information about our entry requirements and the application process

  • International Baccalaureate – 48 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by case basis

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.

You will be required to submit a portfolio of 10 to 15 images of art and design work to reflect your course of interest. This might include drawing and painting, graphic design, illustration, photography, printmaking and digital prints, sculpture and 3D work, installations, animations or video. Video and animation files may need to be uploaded to YouTube or a similar online platform, and then embedded in your portfolio website or with links also provided. There should be a maximum of three video files, each no longer than three minutes duration.

More information

 

What our students say

Angela Crosti

Photography BA - 2022

The University of Westminster can open many doors for you. You are supported throughout your years of studying as well as once you have graduated.  The tutors are always available to help you, the facilities are incredible, the library offers one of the best and more comprehensive collections of sources. All these aspects make it very difficult to leave this environment once you graduate!

Beth Theobald

Photography BA - 2022

The University of Westminster has opened my eyes to so many possibilities and different career paths that I can take. The current climate crisis and the need for long-term change were the key drivers behind my project, which was presented at the University of Westminster Degree Shows.

Westminster Degree Shows

The Westminster Degree Shows are an annual collection that showcases the creativity, vibrancy and artistic talent of our undergraduate arts courses. You can see the latest online collection on Westminster Degree Shows.

Banner text: Westminster Degree Shows 2023

Learn new skills

Learn a new language

From Arabic to Spanish, you can learn a new language alongside your degree with our Polylang programme

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Our award-winning Creative Enterprise Centre offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your startup projects. 

Gain extra qualifications

We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Fees and Funding

UK tuition fee: £9,250 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Funding

As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.

Find out about undergraduate student funding options.

Scholarships

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.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

International tuition fee: £15,400 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme

If you are an international student accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2024 or September 2025 at level 3 (Foundation) or level 4 (first year) on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.

International student funding

Find out about funding for international students.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

Teaching and Assessment

Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable.  Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.

How you'll be taught

Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:

  • Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
  • Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
  • Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
F
24%76%
1
24%76%
2
24%76%
P
4%6%90%
3
19%81%
Scheduled hoursIndependent studyPlacement

How you'll be assessed

Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.

Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:

  • Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts  
  • Written exams: end of semester exams 
  • Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
     
Year
F
17%83%
1
100%
2
6%94%
P
100%
3
100%
PracticalCoursework

Data from the academic year 2023/24

Supporting you

Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.

  • Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
  • Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
  • Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
  • Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more

Visit our student hub

Course location

Harrow is our creative and cultural hub, home to most of our arts, media and digital courses. It houses state-of-the-art facilities for every discipline, including project and gallery spaces, film studios, creative labs, collaborative learning spaces, and the Westminster Enterprise Network.

Harrow Campus is based in north-west London, just 20 minutes from the city centre by train.

For more details, visit our Harrow Campus page.

Contact us

Call our dedicated team on:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

[email protected]

Start live chat

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

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