BA(Hons) Photography (with Foundation Year)

Study in a studio environment with professional-standard facilities and the focus on the real-world skills you need to succeed in your career.

Why study photography?

Images are everywhere. Studying photography enables you to understand the language of images and develop your 'visual voice' to communicate effectively and with confidence.

It helps you understand the contexts in which images exist and circulate, and locate opportunities to get your images published, exhibited and commissioned.

Becoming a photography professional opens doors to a wide range of careers within a global landscape of creative industries.

Why UWE Bristol?

BA(Hons) Photography is based in the city of Bristol, a vibrant arts and media community that will challenge and inspire you.

The course offers a vibrant, collaborative environment, modern facilities, supportive workshop instruction and expert input, all underpinned by theory and critique.

Study at Bower Ashton Studios, part of our City Campus, where exceptional facilities and resources include industry-standard digital media studios.

Explore traditional tools and the latest technology in our production and fabrication workshops. Develop your creativity and the high-level practical skills needed to become a successful photographer. Work across all areas of the discipline, from editorial and documentary to fashion, advertising and fine art.

We'll encourage you to transform your broad-based photographic practice into an individual visual style. On graduation, you'll have a unique and compelling body of work for the marketplace.

Work to briefs set and assessed by external individuals and organisations, including photographers, filmmakers, publishers, clothing labels, product designers, theatre groups, musicians and festivals. Build your CV with work experience, and access to job opportunities, throughout the course.

Our partnerships with Bristol Photography Festival and IC Visual Lab, two highly reputable Bristol-based photography organisations with national and international influence, will provide you with a wide range of work experience placements and live briefs to work on. You'll also have access to industry talks, events and opportunities to display your work at prestigious exhibitions and venues.

Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans across Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.

Attend talks from creative professionals and visit photographers' studios, agencies and picture libraries. Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Degree Show and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.

Hear from Photography graduate, Africa Barrero-Alexander, about their final year degree show project.

Take a look at our students' work:

• Lewis Khan's website
• Cian Oba-Smith's website
• UWE Bristol photohouse

Where can it take me?

Our graduates work in fields from editorial and fashion to movie stills and medical photography. Employers include the BBC, Sunday Times Magazine and the Tate.

Past students have assisted photographers such as Steve McCurry, Zed Nelson and Tim Walker, and have been published and exhibited in FT Weekend, Vogue Italia, Oh Comely, The Photographers Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the Tate.

Graduates have also established important collectives and exhibiting networks such as The Lost Light Recordings, Loupe Magazine and Splash and Grab.

Some graduates go on to further study at Master's level, including our own postgraduate MA Photography course.

The image above shows the fantastic work from one of our students (Megan Hart, 2023 Photography graduate).

Careers / Further study

Photography is largely a freelance practice and students with experience of live briefs are best placed to make a smooth transition to industry. Tailoring what and how you study, you can shape the course towards your chosen career path.

Our graduates work in fields including editorial, fashion, fine art, advertising, movie stills and medical photography for employers such as the BBC, Sunday Times Magazine, FT Weekend, the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery, French Connection, Prix de la Photographie Paris, We Folk, British Journal of Photography, the Department for Education and Aardman Animations.

Careers include:

• freelance photography (editorial, fashion, advertising, portraiture)
• photographer's assistant
• picture research
• photographer's agent
• studio work
• publishing
• teaching and art therapy
• arts and gallery administration
• further postgraduate study/academic research.

Award-winning careers service

Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.

Creating employable students

UWE Bristol places strong emphasis on employability and skills development at every level. Through work placements, volunteering, study abroad and initiatives nurturing talent and innovation, you'll have opportunities to gain valuable real world experience, allowing you to graduate with diverse career opportunities and a competitive place in the job market.

Visit our Employability pages to find out about careers, employers, real world experience and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

Be inspired

Watch Sarah's YouTube video about her passion for photography and the work opportunities she has found within the media.

Useful links

• Prospects - careers in the creative arts sector