Develop your own ways of seeing with our well-connected, career-focused Photography BA. From day 1 you will begin to form your own digital photographic practice in the area of photography most relevant to your future career.

Approaching photography from all angles, you’ll study its history, theories and ethics. You’ll explore how the role of the image has evolved in the 21st century and develop your own distinct photographic identity.

You’ll develop skills to help you communicate your ideas, and build your professional practice centred around your passions. You’ll discover how to speak a visual language that’s understood by multiple creative industries.

Whatever your career aspirations, targeted modules build your professional skill set. Make the most of our well-established relationships with award-winning photographers and internationally known associate lecturers.

By the end of the course, you’ll know how it feels to be a working photographer in your chosen field.

Take a look at our students' work on Instagram

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Why Oxford Brookes University?

Real-life experience

You’ll build professional skills and a strong understanding of life within the creative industries by learning from expert practitioners.

Time to be heard

Master how to present your ideas, inspirations and images to fellow creatives within the professional creative industries.

Explore the world

Find yourself shooting on location in the UK and overseas, as well as in your own environment. There’s plenty to see beyond the studio.

Never miss a beat

We understand travel comes as part of the job, so when you’re away on assignment you can join modules via our online virtual classrooms.

Create your own practice

Our studios are open 24-hours a day during term-time.

Additional language modules

Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Accreditation(s)

This course is accredited by the Association of Photographers.

Course structure

Learning and teaching

Assessment

This course provides flexible bespoke learning to help you build transferable skills whether you’re preparing to shoot fashion, food or football.

Year 1 is your time to explore passions and interests away from photography. Could your future be in galleries, among magazine pages or catching the action from the touchline? We’ll give you a complete set of skills and insights to help you decide.

In Year 2 you will begin to specialise, evolving your interests and career trajectory. We’ll help you build your own website, and speak out on social media. A relevant work placement will set you firmly in the professional world.

Final year modules are designed for you to showcase your creative confidence and independence. In your final essay you’ll demonstrate your knowledge and ability at critical analysis. Your self-directed body of work will be exhibited at the end of year degree show, where you will launch your career.

See all this in action by visiting our student portfolio @photooxbrookes on Instagram.

The first year provides an opportunity to explore your passions and interests outside of photography. You will use your interests to identify an area of specialisation. This will provide you with the basic skills and insights fundamental to aspects of photographic practice and theory. You will have the opportunity to explore moving image creation, visual narrative, darkroom practice and digital workflow.

In the second year you will develop your specialisation, further evolving your own interests and career trajectory. You will create your own website, an online presence through social media channels and undertake a work placement within the creative industries.

Your final year is made-up of modules that encourage confidence and independence. It culminates with an in-depth critical analysis dissertation, and an opportunity to develop a self-directed body of work with which to showcase your development. An end of year degree show will allow you to present your portfolio to industry.

You are assessed on coursework only. This will include a final body of practical work and a dissertation.

Study modules

Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 12 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.

Select year

Year 3 (placement year)

Year 4 (or year 3 if no placement)

Compulsory modules

Photography Project 1: The self and the other

In this module, through a range of exciting workshops, seminars, group analysis discussions, tutorials and presentations, you’ll be introduced to the foundational digital skills for photographic practice. You’ll analyse studio-based portraiture to unfold the core ideas on the subject matter, learn studio-based lighting and how to use your camera to achieve professional results.

Professional Contexts 1: Exhibiting Photographs

This module introduces you to the fundamental, conceptual, communicative, contextual and technical elements of portrait photographs. You’ll add skills and knowledge to your skillset that will include composition, confidence, expectation, environment, dissemination, and exhibition of your work.

Histories and Theories 1: The politics and poetics of looking

In this module you will be introduced to key theoretical ideas that frame critical debates around making and viewing photographic images, stimulating discussions from historical and contemporary perspectives. You’ll boost both your academic and study skills, equipping you with foundational skills in research, critical thinking, academic writing and image analysis.

Photography Project 2: Location and environment

This module will equip with the required skills to achieve professional photographs of people and places. Building on the introductory skills you will have explored in Digital Workflow and The Portrait, you will develop your creative and technical capacities specific to making photographic work on location. In addition, you will learn about natural light and building a series of photographs.

Professional Contexts 2: The Photobook

In this module, you’ll learn how to build photographic narratives as you create your own personal photobook. Through a range of exciting workshops, seminars, group analysis discussions, tutorials and presentations from professional photographers, you’ll be introduced to the world of making, distributing and selling books and zines within the art book publishing environment.

Histories and Theories 2: Space, place and culture

This module will equip you with an understanding of the conceptualisation of space, place and culture within visual media. You’ll get to grips with the relationships surrounding these elements, and you’ll build on your foundational knowledge of your work in the Looking at People module.

Photography Project 3: Mediation and moving image

This module will introduce you to the creative possibilities of moving image creation. Whether it is using your smartphone or our professional filmmaking equipment you will have an opportunity to choose your own subject matter to create a short film. You’ll experience practical workshops, group discussions, and tutorials, led by professional filmmakers, and an end of module film show to showcase your work.

Professional Contexts 3: Photography and the Creative Industries

In this module you’ll focus on creating a professional practice including building a website, understanding copyright, utilising social media, connecting with industry and presenting your work. Professional photographers, art directors, and editors contribute to this module to ensure that you hear directly from those across the creative industries.

Professional Context 4: Professional Practice

In this module you’ll learn how to apply the skills you’ve learnt through practical work and lectures within a professional context. You’ll develop your abilities to build a professional photography practice and undertake a short period of work placement based on your personal interests and passions.

Histories and Theories 3: Media, culture and communication

This module focuses on notions of representation, political and the ethic dimensions of photography within media communication, with specific reference to the responsibilities a photographer must accept. This is considered alongside key media and cultural theories.

Photography project 4: Visual narratives and cultural contexts

At this stage you will be developing a critical and vocational awareness of visual narrative and cultural contexts in relation to your career expectations. You’ll explore the relationships between industry and photographic images, creating a contextually aware series of photographs, that will be the foundation for your Level 6 Final Major Project.

Professional Practice

You’ll be given the opportunity to apply all the knowledge you have obtained from your lectures within a professional context. Through client-led briefs and a work placement, you’ll elevate, frame and attune your professional practice to the commercial and creative demands of the creative industries.

Histories and Theories 4: Ethics, politics and visual narratives

This module will further explore the role that photography plays across different cultural contexts, and its relationships in how we experience photographs. You will be introduced to ideas from anthropology, ethnography and auto-ethnography, and engage in philosophical debates that shape and inform the stories that photographs tell.

Optional modules

Career Development Year

Elevate your professional profile and professional confidence through experiential learning opportunities. You’ll get the opportunity to engage with external organisations on work placements, internships and industry experiences or alternatively study abroad. You’ll be in charge of your own learning and self-direction through identifying opportunities that align to your professional ambitions.

Final Major Project

This module gives you the opportunity to undertake an intensive and extended period of self-directed, practice-based work as a foundation for your future career. You’ll compile your strongest work into a portfolio of original, professional photographic stills and/or moving image work that showcases your creative, professional and conceptual development during the course. This is your chance to frame your public-facing professional profile and career entrance strategies, culminating in an exciting end-of-year exhibition presentation.

Written Research Project

This module allows you to consolidate your critical, contextual and evaluative thinking within a supportive, structured environment in which to produce an extended piece of written research.

Independent Practice

In this module, you’ll be given the exciting challenge of undertaking a period of in-depth career-based research, and the development of your degree show. Throughout you will be in close contact with your tutors as you develop further ideas and outcomes for your exhibition and future employability.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Employers will recognise and value your industry knowledge and strong technical competence. Your specialisations and industry understanding will help you stand out from the crowd.

Having established your own creative practice, you’ll be a skilled visual communicator with your own voice and identity.

Take maximum advantage of the course’s strong links with local, national and global creative industries to boost your network further.

Many graduates establish themselves as self-employed photographers or go on to a range of careers within the creative industries. That extends to publishing, television, film, post-production, research and marketing.

Developing your career – either through professional practice or further study – could take you into roles including:

photographer

director of photography

cinematographer

publisher

creative director

art director

photo editor

documentary filmmaker

post-production

content strategist.

Student profiles

Kyria Dognon

"I would say the photography course here is quite different in a good way, because of its size and its real world applications.

Read more about Kyria

Laura Skog

"You have the privilege to learn from so many active, inspiring industry professionals, including the tutors and visiting speakers."

Read more about Laura

Our Staff

Grant Scott

Grant Scott, BA Photography Subject Coordinator, specialises in photography, the moving image, visual narrative and professional practices, and teaches across the course. He is a working photographer and has written three books on photography including 'The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography'. Grant is also the founder/ curator of www.unitednationsofphotography.com and the presenter/producer of the weekly podcast 'A Photographic Life'.

Read more about Grant

Related courses

Related course

UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Graphic Design

Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.

Standard offer

UCAS Tariff Points: 112

A Level: BBC

IB Points: 27

BTEC: DMM

Contextual offer

What is a contextual offer?

UCAS Tariff Points: 88

A Level: CCD

IB Points: 24

BTEC: MMM

Further offer details

We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.

Specific entry requirements

A Level: Grade B in Art and Design OR submission of a strong portfolio of work.

If your portfolio meets our requirements, then we will waive the Tariff Points condition and confirm your offer as unconditional, provided that there are no other outstanding conditions.

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Selection process

Applicants are offered places through:

A Level: Grade B in Art and Design OR

a portfolio review - see guidance below.

Portfolio guidance:

What are we looking for?

Your portfolio should introduce us to your work, passions and skills as a photographer. We want to see your interests outside of photography and how they inform what, where and who you photograph. Through your portfolio we encourage you to demonstrate your inspirations and what motivates you as a photographer. It is important that your portfolio contains a range of work including recent work for college / school and personal self-initiated images.

What do you need to include?

Your portfolio should feature between 10 - 15 photographic images that you feel represent who you are and what you like to photograph.

Your images should be formatted to fit pages which are all the same size.

Within your portfolio, you can also share with us other visual work that gives us insight into your creative background. For example, if you have any of the following, you could include a link to your Instagram page, YouTube account or examples of self-created video.

In addition to your portfolio of photographs you should include images of your workbook or sketchbook. These demonstrate your creative processes and show the research, reflection and analysis that is behind your photographs. They help us to understand your practice as a photographer.

You can present your portfolio as a PDF file or you can use an online service to put your portfolio together such as Issuu or a similar provider of your choice.

When putting your portfolio together, ensure that it is well organised and that your work is clearly labelled. The portfolio is all about you as a photographer, so give it the best possible chance of making a good impression.

English language requirements

Please see the University's standard English language requirements.

English requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

Credit transfer

Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.

Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.

Terms and conditions of enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

International qualifications and equivalences

Choose country

Bangladesh

Hong Kong

Indonesia

Kazakhstan

Lithuania

Malaysia

Pakistan

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

United States of America

Zimbabwe

Other countries

Application process

Full time Home (UK) applicants

Apply through UCAS

Part time Home (UK) applicants

Apply direct to the University

International applicants

Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS

Please see the fees note

Home (UK) full time

Home (UK) part time

£1,220 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

International full time

International sandwich (placement)

£1,255 per single module

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.

For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs

that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Compulsory costs

Amount (£)

Degree Show Presentation

About £100

Website domain name

From £6 per month

Website hosting

From £16 per month

Optional costs

Whilst it is not a course requirement to have your own laptop / computer, if you do choose to do so you may wish to install Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, etc). Student discounts are available for this.

Typically £16 per month

You will have the opportunity to go on a photography field trip to Paris.

About £350

It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.

From £30

You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.

£20-60 per book

Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)

£107-301 per week

Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)

£139-248 per week

Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.

Typically £0-200

Fines are payable on items returned late although we will give you 5 days to return an item before fines are payable. Find out more about how to borrow and return items.

£1 per book

Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes with single bus fares in the UK currently capped at £3. Oxford Brookes has committed to offering heavily discounted bus travel for students for at least three years from July 2026 with further information on our Travel webpages.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Job interview attendance funds from the Journalists' Charity

£2,000 International Student Scholarship September entry

Oxford Brookes Bursary for students starting 2024-25 or earlier

Undergraduate maintenance loans for part-time UK students

Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students

Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students

Oxford Brookes Bursary for Students starting 2025/26 or later

20% Alumni Discount Scheme

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Programme changes:

On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been

published on the website. For more information, please visit our

changes to programmes page.

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