Creative arts and design · Media and communication
Photography
BA
Overview
A photography degree develops a visual practice, technical control and a critical understanding of images. Many working photographers do not have a degree. Assistants, short courses and a portfolio are alternative routes. Students who choose the degree want time to build a body of work and to be taught how to talk about it. The course will not by itself find clients.
You want a sustained studio and critical education in photography.
Graphic design and journalism use images differently. Media studies is less practice-led.
People who like making images and revising a project over months.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Technique
- Visual research
- Short projects
Later years
- Personal practice
- Professional context
- Major project
Skills
Useful before you start
- Visual attention
- Willingness to shoot regularly
Developed during the degree
- Technical control
- Editing a series
- Critical writing
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Studio, Darkroom or digital workshops, Critiques.
Assessment often includes Portfolio, Projects, Written reflection.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | No typical A-level band is stored. Art or photography preparation helps. A portfolio is often more important than a named A level. |
| IB Diploma | No IB example is shown, because no typical A-level band is stored to compare. |
| American curriculum | No American example is shown, because no typical A-level band is stored to compare. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Art or photography preparation helps. A portfolio is often more important than a named A level.
Often recommended: Art and Design.
GCSE and IGCSE
English at GCSE or IGCSE is commonly expected. Other subject grades vary. No single national threshold is stored.
No grade band is stored. Offers are often portfolio-led and too varied to summarise fairly.
Other ways in
- A degree is not required to work as a photographer.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Photographer
Alternative route
One route. A degree is not essential. A portfolio is.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.