BA (Hons) Photography at University of Plymouth

Course Details

Join our course to develop your passion for photography. On BA (Hons) Photography you will make, use and analyse images, engaging directly with the world around you while exploring the medium’s endless potential. You will develop a clear understanding of photography in its wider cultural, historical and professional context. Our high profile teaching team, purpose-built environment and excellent facilities will enable you to evolve your own unique style and personal visual language.

During the course, you will also have the opportunity to broaden your understanding of photographic practice in other cultures - our international opportunities include a residential field trip to Europe in year one and rich opportunities for studying abroad in countries like Germany, Romania, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia, France, Slovakia, Norway, New Zealand and the USA in year two.

Key features

• Experiment - a key feature of our course is the space to experiment. During the three years there is a great deal of focus on the way you develop your photography, both in practice, and in ideas.
• Document - a growing aspect of the course, in response to contemporary practice, is the importance of the photographic document. This includes opportunities to develop as a contemporary documentary practitioner.
• Collaborate - a valuable skill for any creative practitioner, collaboration is sewn throughout our course including short studio projects, group presentations, a collaborative practice module, and our unique Set Construction Project that allows you to work collaboratively and develop the skills to build, style and photograph your own studio sets.
• Think differently - an important aspect of our course is the development of you as a critically aware contemporary photographer. This means that you can move between ways of working that span the commercial and artistic worlds. The life of a contemporary practitioner is a varied and multi-faceted affair, and the skills taught on this course help you to navigate this exciting world.
• Plymouth - take advantage of our stunning location in the South West. This natural resource will inspire your creative practice with its rural and city landscapes, brooding moors and dramatic coastline.
• Explore - broaden your understanding of photographic practice in other cultures - our international opportunities include a residential field trip to Europe in year 1 and rich opportunities for studying abroad in countries like Germany, Romania, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia, France, Slovakia, Norway, New Zealand and the USA in year 2.
• Facilities - achieve your creative goals with our excellent facilities and resources, including a custom-built analogue and digital resource and an extensive Artist Book Collection. Be free to work when the inspiration takes you with our resources open from 8am to midnight, seven days a week and throughout the holidays.
• Visitors - deepen your understanding of the subject with our lively visiting speaker series, featuring well-known practitioners and former students talking about their work and career paths. Past speakers have included: Brett Rogers, Director of the Photographers Gallery; celebrated documentary photographer Ed Clark; image makers Anna Fox, Simon Roberts, Charlotte Dumas, Ori Gersht, Martin Parr, Mark Power, David Goldblatt, Laura Pannack and more.
  We also work with Specialist Professional Practice visitors who create clear links between the creative practice of the course, and professional outlets in the future.
• The future - follow in the footsteps of our impressive, prizewinning photography students, including graduate David Hedges, a press photographer who recently won two major awards for his images and video work; Anna Jay, prize winning art director for The Debrief; or Louis Little assistant to Martin Parr.
• Unistats - 86 per cent students agreed staff were good at explaining things; 85 per cent of students agreed staff made the subject interesting and 81 per cent of students were satisfied overall (source: 2018 NSS survey results available on Unistats*).