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BA (Hons) Photography
At Arts University Bournemouth, the BA (Hons) Photography course offers a rigorous and expansive education designed to foster creative excellence and professional development. This programme is built on a foundation that recognises and nurtures the individual aspirations of each student, encouraging a journey that goes beyond traditional boundaries to explore new, often unpredictable, and challenging possibilities in photographic practice.
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W640 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W640 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
Featured quick links
Overview
World-leading photographers such as Giles Duley, Wolfgang Tillmans and Nick Knight started their careers at AUB.
BA (Hons) Photography course information
At the core of our BA (Hons) Photography course is a conceptually driven curriculum that actively responds to the expanded field of contemporary photography, enhanced by the rapid technological advances shaping the medium. Our approach is deeply rooted in the belief that photographers must not only master technical skills but also develop a robust understanding of the cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts that influence visual culture. To this end, you'll engage in experimental practices supported by rigorous research methods and theoretical discourses.
You'll be joining a course with an international reputation, a challenging curriculum, and inspiring teaching.
BA (Hons) Photography encourages students to engage with contemporary photography in an individually creative and experimental manner, supported by outstanding analogue and digital resources. This course is visually led, but you'll learn how to place your practice within a historical and contemporary context, and define its audience.
You'll be introduced to a range of technical processes, from 19th century alternative printing techniques in our traditional darkrooms to digital still and moving image capture, and post-production in our state-of-the-art lighting studios and digital suites. You'll also be able to borrow an extensive range of analogue and digital kit from our professional standard technical store.
You'll have access to unparalleled professional production facilities on campus, allowing you to create exhibition-ready work of the highest standard.
During your studies, you'll be engaged in specialist professional practice units, and will be able to use our extensive alumni and professional network to help plan your career or prepare you to undertake postgraduate study.
Placement year
All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.
If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.
Level 4 (first year)
In your first year, through group and individual learning, we'll introduce you to the technical skills, historical and contemporary practices and theoretical issues that are fundamental to photography. You'll work on a range of visual projects, develop your creativity and establish a strong grounding in photographic production. In support of this, a series of technical workshops will provide you with skills and working-knowledge of studio and darkroom practices, and digital image editing and printing.
Level 5 (second year)
In your second year, you'll begin to define your own practice and engage with more complex issues in art and photography, as you continue to take risks, experiment further and test out potential modes of display. Units of study are longer and more focused. During this time, you'll develop an understanding of the creative industries and start to consider future career directions.
Level 6 (third year)
In your final year you'll refine your practice and produce a substantial body of work for exhibition. The relationship between theory, practice and technical skills will be consolidated and your knowledge of professional practice deepened. With the opportunity to use our extensive alumni and professional network you'll be able to make informed choices in preparation for your future career.
Our BA (Hons) Photography students and graduates have gone on to win great things.
2024
- Winner | The Anne Corkett Prize for Photography – Ben Hubert
- Winner | Director of Schools Prize – Ben Hubert
- Runner-up | Ilford Photo International Student Photographer of the Year – Gracie Healey
- Shortlisted | Photo London x Hahnemühle Student Award (2024) – Ben Hubert
- Longlisted | Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize – Gracie Healey
- Longlisted | Bloomberg New Contemporaries – Luca Quinz
2023 — Winner | TGP Develop Collective – Kymara Akinpelumi
- Winners | EIZO Award winner(s)
- Winners | Portrait of Britain Awards
- Winners | South West Graduate Photography Prize
- Winner | Float Art Prize
- APHE Bursary
- Photograd mentorship
Student gallery
Looking for creative inspiration? Browse our gallery below to see the kind of projects that are students are involved with.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
Now that you've found the perfect course, it's time to apply.
Applications are open, and you've got until 29 January 2025 to submit your UCAS application. Check out our handy 'how to apply' guide and our portfolio top tips.
OPEN DAYS
Open Days are a great way to get a feel for undergraduate life at AUB. At an Open Day, you'll be able to explore the campus, talk to course teams and discover our industry-standard facilities.
Visit us on:
- 18 January 2025
AUB SHOWCASE
We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.
Explore the incredible work of our freshly graduated 'Class of 2024' in our online AUB Showcase.
Browse work by course, student or theme.
Meet the BA (Hons) Photography course team
PhD, PGCert, MA, BFA, FHEA
MA, PGCE, BA
MA, BA
MA, BA (Hons)
MA, BA
BA (Hons), PGCE, FHEA
MSc
MA, BA
Watch our course video
Course leader Simon Cunningham talks more about what you can expect from studying BA (Hons) Photography here at AUB.
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Application process
Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.
When applying through UCAS, use the institution code A66 for courses taught at Arts University Bournemouth. For courses based at Bournemouth and Poole College, use code B49. We'll then use your completed UCAS form to make decisions about your application. You can find out more on entry requirements in our apply section.
When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.
If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.
The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.
You may also choose to buy some items of personal equipment such as a laptop or tablet computer, but this is not required; desktop and laptop computers are available for you to use in common study areas, including a loan system in the Library.
If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
For the majority of our courses, we'll ask you to digitally submit a portfolio as part of the application process.
Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.
If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.
We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.
If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines.
This course will require you to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. If you're invited to one, you'll be given at least 10 days notice.
Studios and resources
Photography Studios
Photography and Commercial Photography students will have access to our seven photographic studios.
Photography Resources
In addition to our well-equipped photography studios, you'll also have access to industry-standard...
Digital SLRs
Digital SLRs are available to book out on location and to use within studios, including full-frame Nikon and Canon...
3D Workshop
Our 3D workshops with manual and digital manufacturing equipment and computers
Drawing Studio
Our iconic blue Drawing Studio is used by student from all courses and was designed by alumnus Sir Peter Cook...
Digital Suites
Our Digital Suites offer a digital post-production facility and digital teaching space.
The Library
The Library at AUB holds an excellent range of print and online collections
Lecture Theatres and Seminar Rooms
We have a number of lecture theatres and seminar rooms scattered around campus to assist students with their studies.
Central Media Store
The Central Media store houses a diverse array of equipment, offering students the means to craft and capture...
Innovation Studio
The Innovation Studio operates as a lab for creative technologies, a nucleus for start-ups and enterprises and an industry engagement hub.
Printroom
Our printmaking facilities are a hub of creativity on campus and have been inspiring students since 1964.
Letterpress and Bindery
The Letterpress and Bindery studio is a central resource, where students can learn and explore bookbinding and letterpress printing.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Honours study combines independent learning and taught sessions.
Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement, and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.
The course objectives are met by deploying a wide variety of teaching and learning methods including projects, lectures, seminars, group critiques and tutorials. In consultation with the Course Leader, staff are responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery according to subject matter and student experience.
The methods employed induct you to the disciplines required of a creative practitioner and promote the development of transferable and adaptable skills
The study time allocated to each unit in the course incorporates a balance of formal teaching, tutorial support and independent learning. The course is structured progressively to provide increased opportunities for independent learning as you reach the later stages of the course.
The progressive promotion of independent learning reflects your anticipated maturity as a student and allows you to direct your learning towards individual goals. The teaching in Level 4 is directed at providing you with the knowledge, concepts and skills to take increasing responsibility for the management of your own learning.
Teaching is directed at supporting individual engagement in learning, although there will be opportunities for you to work in teams to enable you to learn the value of peer co-operation.
Contact hours include all scheduled teaching sessions, but also supervised time in the workshop or studio. In line with national guidance, we include in our calculation of contact hours all the time which is scheduled in the studio for independent study which is also supported by staff (either academic staff, or technicians).
The information provided below gives the proportion of your study time which constitutes contact hours. Where there are optional routes through the course, we have used the figures for the most popular option.
For every unit of your course, we'll inform you of what you're expected to learn; what you have to submit; how your work will be assessed; and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through Unit Information, which is on your course blog.
You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any ten-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.
All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.
On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you'll be awarded the higher class of degree.
If you have joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.
For further information on assessment, progression, awards and classifications, please visit https://viewpoint.aub.ac.uk
What our BA (Hons) Photography graduates are doing
The expansive nature of the BA (Hons) Photography course means our graduates find employment in many areas of the creative industries worldwide.
The expansive nature of BA (Hons) Photography means graduates work in all kinds of roles, in many areas of the creative industries worldwide. Where will this course take you?
We're immensely proud of our alumni and their considerable achievements:
- Photographers and artists
- Freelance photographers (commercial, editorial, documentary, portraiture, still life, landscape, fashion, editorial, advertising, food, architecture, and interiors).
- Photographer’s assistants
- Photography studio managers
- Photographer’s agent
- Studio assistants
- Lighting technicians
- Digital operators
- Darkroom technicians and printers
- Creative retouchers
- CGI artists
- Art directors
- Creative producers
- Picture editors
- Picture librarians and researchers
- Postgraduate study
- Archivists
- Artist filmmakers and directors
- Artist assistants
- Curators and education curators
- Gallerists
- Gallery directors and managers
- Gallery education officers
- Fine art framers and fabricators
- Art handlers and art installation technicians
- Photography teachers, technicians, tutors, lecturers and course leaders in schools, colleges and universities.
Ibrahim Azab – BA (Hons) Photography
London-based artist and curator Ibrahim Azab shifts between sculpture, performance and photography. Ideas of process, perception...
Asano Tsutsumi – BA (Hons) Photography
After graduating from AUB, I returned to Japan and started an internship for Kyotographie, an international photography festival in Kyoto...
Webb Ellis – a BA (Hons) Photography duo
Caitlin and Andrew Webb-Ellis are a British/Canadian artist duo. Working primarily with moving images and sound, their process is fluid...
Thomas Brown – BA (Hons) Photography
Since graduating from AUB BA (Hons) Photography, Thomas Brown has been shooting and directing in London...
Ellen Stewart – BA (Hons) Photography
I’ve just graduated from the Arts University Bournemouth. The University itself has supplied me with the most valuable mentorship...
Trips and visits
As part of BA (Hons) Photography, you may also get the opportunity to take part in course trips, previous trips have included:
- Paris Photo
- New York
- London
- Berlin
- Moscow
- Kraków
- Amsterdam
*These trips are optional, and some may incur additional costs
At Arts University Bournemouth, you'll benefit from interactions with a diverse array of distinguished guest speakers and visitors from across the globe, enriching the learning experience with varied perspectives and expert insights. Some notable contributors over recent years include:
Aron Morel (Morel Books) | Aaron Schuman | Bruno Ceschel (Self Publish Be Happy) | Brendan Barry | Clare Strand | Craig Easton | Darren Harvey-Regan | Dominic Bell | Duncan Wooldridge | Emma Bowkett | Erin O’Keefe | Esther Teichmann | Eugenie Shinkle | Eva Stenram | Folium Publishing | Francesca Allen | Hannah Archambault | Hannah Hughes | Harold Offeh | Ibrahim Azab | Jake Elwes | Jennifer Martin | John Stezaker | Kate Steciw | Lisandro Suriel | Lorenzo Vittori | Lucy Soutter | Luis Juarez and Verónica Fieiras | Mark Neville | Mishka Henner | Peter Kennard | Rodrigo Orrantia | Silvia Rosi | Simon Roberts | Simone Mudde | Sian Davey | Spectrum Photographic | Tereza Cervenova | Tereza Zelenkova | The Forge | Thomas Brown | Tomoko Sawada | Witty Books | Wolfgang Tillmans | Yushi Li
Japan Now
Tomoko Sawada’s practice as a photographer and performance artist has made her one of the leading Japanese artists of her generation...
Gazer
As part of the University's programme of undergraduate London exhibition and show events, Level 6 BA (Hons) Photography students...
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