BA (Hons) Photography

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.

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.

Students on BA (Hons) Photography have the chance to broaden their horizons through exciting exchange and international summer programmes. These opportunities allow you to study abroad at one of our brilliant partner institutions, experience different cultures, and enhance your academic journey.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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