Photography BA Honours

Why choose Photography BA Honours at Middlesex?

Our team has impressive professional expertise in areas including fashion, commercial, documentary, art practice and new digital imaging technologies.

100% Overall Student Satisfaction, NSS 2024

What you will gain

Many Middlesex photography graduates have received industry recognition for their work.

Graduates have gone on to work with Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Dazed, Arena Homme, FT Weekend, Telegraph Magazine, The Observer, Puma, Disney, Diesel, Gymshark, Wallpaper, British Vogue and many others.

Every year, our students produce outstanding, industry-standard work. Why not join them?

Our academic and technical staff have a wealth of experience delivering professional, creative and technical education that prepares our students for success in global careers.

What you will learn

All of our staff are specialists in the field who will help you develop and refine your creative voice.

You'll be offered resources and opportunities to develop your practice through set assignments, self-initiated projects and exposure to a range of different industry and academic contexts.

Our photographic facilities are among the best in the country and you'll have access to cutting-edge image-making and printing technologies. You'll be able to:

• Use our high-tech facilities including digital media studios, cameras, lighting equipment, darkrooms and an extensive library
• Get real-world experience through a professional practice module and work placement in your third year
• Benefit from a course with strong industry links
• Enjoy field trips to exhibitions, galleries and international photo festivals and fairs
• Attend exciting events including artist talks and symposiums
• Produce your own exhibitions, books and catalogues
• Use our library and IT facilities, including access to magazine collections, when it suits you. They're open 24/7.

Degree show

The photography work that our students create is of an exceptional standard. Each year, our final year students, some of whom are award winners, exhibit their work at our Hendon Show.

Instagram

Follow our Instagram account to keep up with live course updates and new student and alumni work.

Part-time study

Study at your own pace alongside work and other commitments and get the skills and knowledge you need to progress in your career.

When choosing a part-time course, you will study the same modules as the full-time course but over a longer period.

Find out more about the many benefits of studying part-time at Middlesex University.

About your course

Throughout the degree, you will be encouraged to think critically about your own and other practitioners’ work and will develop technical skills whilst also building an awareness of visual languages. You will have the opportunity to apply these skills to a range of practice-based and written assignments with weekly support through feedback sessions and end-of-project critiques with your lecturers and peers.

As you move through the course you are given more agency to respond to the project briefs in your own way using the techniques and genres of photography you are personally keen to improve on.

Industry connections

Throughout the course we have a rolling programme of guest speakers, artist talks and portfolio reviews.

Past speakers and reviewers include:

• Martin Barnes: V&A Lead curator of photography
• Emma Bowkett: Director of photography FT Weekend Magazine 
• Bridget Coaker: Picture editor at the Guardian and Observer & Director at Troika Editions
• James Gerrard-Jones: Director at Wyatt-Clarke & Jones
• Laura Noble: Gallerist and Author
• Zelda Cheatle: Photography specialist, curator, editor, gallerist and consultant
• Susanna Brown: V&A curator of photographs
• Emma Morris: Executive director of Towner Gallery
• David Burkett: Director of DMB agency
• Shirley Read: Independent curator based in London
• Helen Trompeteler: London based writer and curator of photographs
• Monica Allende: Independent photo editor and cultural producer
• Bruno Ceschel: Founder of Self Publish Be Happy
• Louise Fedotov-Clements: Artistic Director, Photoworks
• David Campany: Writer, Curator, Artist
• Francis Atterbury: Book designer, director of Hurtwood Press
• Shoair Mavlian: Director of The Photographers Gallery
• Max Ferguson: Photo Editor Granta Magazine, Editor Splash and Grab Magazine
• Hannah Watson: Director TJ Boulting Gallery, Trolley Books
• Marcus Agerman Ross: Freelance Creative Director

Past artist talks include:

Martin Parr / Tim Walker / Jem Southam / John Davies / Hin Chua / Simon Roberts / Bettina Von Zwehl / John Blakemore / Rut Blees Luxemburg / Julian Germain / Gareth McConnell / Julian Calder / Tom Hunter / Jack Latham / Lydia Goldblatt / Joanna Piotrowska / EJ Major / Jamie Hawkesworth / Eva Vermandel / Brian Griffin / Alan Powdrill / Trevor Appleson / Brian Harris / Kate Peters / Tom Wood / Edgar Martins / Spencer Murphy / Cian Oba Smith / Silvia Rossi / Kalpesh Lathigra / Richard Billingham / John Tonks / Clare Strand / Kate Peters / Haley Morris Cafiero / Franklyn Rodgers / Polly Braden / Rhiannon Adam / Cole Flynn Quirke / Jasper Goodall / Joanne Coates.

To find out more about this course please download the Photography BA Honours specification (PDF).

To find out more about this course, please download the Photography BA Honours specification (PDF).

Photography facilities

Baserooms

There are two base rooms for use by BA Photography students each equipped with visual aids and tables used for tutorials, seminars and critiques as well as for lectures by visiting speakers.

Photographic Studios

The Photographic studios in the basement of the grove building offer a variety of spaces for photographing at different scales. The infinity cove is used for a wide range of portrait and full length shoots. There are areas which can be used for portraiture, close up and macro photographic work. The professional level lighting equipment and lighting tracks available throughout the studio includes Profoto synchronised flash units. Canon R3 full frame mirrorless digital cameras with a range of lenses are available for use in the studio, as well as a Hasselblad film camera with a wide range of lenses and backs. Phase One equipment is also available.

Digital Darkroom

The digital darkroom is a state-of-the-art digital photographic post-production and printing facility. The area has 50 calibrated Apple Macintosh-Pro workstations networked to a series of professional level Epson photographic printers producing professional quality prints. There are also five Hasselblad Flextight film scanners, two flatbed scanners offering scans up to A3 and a daylight-viewing booth. All the workstations and printers are calibrated and colour managed. The area is staffed with expert specialist technicians who work with students to help them achieve their creative goals.

Colour Darkroom

For colour, we have a number of individual booths each light tight and equipped with newly serviced DeVere 504 colour enlargers, Kaiser and Durst colour enlargers. A Colenta RA480 (800mm) colour printer is installed in the darkroom.

Black and White Darkrooms

Middlesex has one Black and White Darkroom with 15 enlargers and a print developing area. Negatives from 35mmm to 5 x 4 can be printed. A separate private darkroom for large format, bespoke and alternative process is also available to students.

Equipment loan

A range of cameras including 35mm, medium and large format film cameras as well as DSLR, mirrorless and medium format digital cameras can be taken on location. In addition, location lighting equipment kits can be borrowed.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

Careers

How can a photography degree support your career?

This degree will prepare you for a successful career in creative industries. Our students go on to fill a range of roles in the photographic industry and beyond.

We have alumni working as freelance commercial photographers, editorial photographers, and photographers working with still life and e-commerce. We also have former students with successful art practices who exhibit internationally and gain public funding and commissions to support their art practice.

Some of our alumni have gone on to curate exhibitions, work in publicly funded and commercial galleries or have secured positions as photo editors at national and international publications. Many of our students choose to assist professional photographers after university before going on to establish their own commercial practice or manage commercial studio spaces.

Many of our students take up post-graduate study after their BA degree – undertaking MA or MFA degrees and PhDs. Some of our alumni are now pursuing academic careers as either technicians or lecturers on photography courses at Middlesex or elsewhere.

Transferable skills

Many of the skills you learn throughout the BA Photography degree are transferable to other industries and help students achieve employment in many fields. Employers across the board look for skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal relations, time and finance management, all of which are embedded into our BA Photography degree.

Meeting employer demand

• There are agencies and studios that employ photographers but most photographic practitioners are self-employed or work in small groups.
• Photographers compete for work from a wide range of clients from Fashion magazines to picture agencies. Clients are looking for a personal vision. We encourage students to develop a strong personal language, together with a highly professional and responsible approach.
• To meet this demand, students are encouraged to develop a strong technical understanding. Workshops and a range of projects in level one emphasize different technical outcomes. This forms a strong foundation so that students begin to develop an individual approach. Further projects encouraging a creative approach and acquisition of further technical skills take place at level five.

Student success

• Royal Photographic Society Hood Medal
• Sony World Photography Student Focus Award solo winner
• Several winners of the D&AD Yellow Pencil over a period of several years
• Joint first prize-winner in the Onward Compe award
• Magenta Foundation prize winner
• Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize – Students and staff exhibited 15 times since 2007
• Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize – John Kobal Award
• Paris Photo Carte Blanche award
• Daniel Blau award x3
• Palm Photo Prize x3
• Magnum 30 under 30
• Mack First Book Award (4 nominations and 1 shortlisted)
• Royal Photographic Society Under 30’s gold award
• Free Range Award – best university x 2
• Free Range Award – best individual x3
• FOAM Paul Huf Award
• Magenta Foundation prize winner
• Grand Prix Images Vevey Award (shortlisted)
• FOAM Paul Huff award (nominations x2)
• Paris Photo Jeunes Talents award.

Clients and companies that recent graduates have work for include FT Weekend Magazine; The Guardian; Wallpaper Magazine; AirBnB; Vivienne Westwood; Channel 4; Disney and the V&A Museum. Alumni have also had their works exhibited in major national and international exhibitions including Paris Photo, The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery and Jerwood Gallery. 

MDXworks

Our Careers and Employability Service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

Placements 

Placement opportunities are available as part of modules PHO2130 Professional Alignment and PHO3130 Professional Toolkit. You can incorporate work experience into your second or third-year assessment. This can be in the form of instigating an internship opportunity, either independently or engaging with MDXWorks to do so. You can also establish a mentorship or engage in the form of correspondence with an industry professional or alumni.   
 
The building of a 'professional toolkit' serves as a personal journal documenting templated activities and tasks related to employability. 

Fees

The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year:

UK students¹

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students²

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• Get free access to the resources, learning materials and software.
• All printing and copying required for your study
• Self-service laptops available for loan for a maximum of 24 hours
• Audio-visual equipment available for loan, including digital stills cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio recorders.
• Credit is given for specialist printing in the Digital Darkroom up to a certain amount for each year of the programme
• Film and paper is provided for certain projects in your first year
• Entrance fees to some exhibitions

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees, and you may be required to purchase these to complete the course.

• Additional film for projects
• Colour film processing
• Travel for some projects and to exhibitions
• Optional Field Trips
• Camera equipment
• Any additional books you wish to purchase
• Portfolio boxes
• Framing and mounting at the final degree show – we also cover the cost of degree show exhibition printing for all students).

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

• MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
• Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
• Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Student profile

Sandra Mickewicz

Sandra graduated from the BA Photography course in 2018 and has since gone on to establish herself both as an artist and an editorial photographer shooting for The New Yorker and The Financial Times.

Her personal work focusses on difficult to access communities; her most recent project being a long-term documentary series on the traveller communities of the UK. Her work is currently being exhibited in a landmark touring exhibition of British documentary photography from the 1960s to present day titled, Facing Britain, alongside photographers such as Martin Parr, Anna Fox and Tom Wood.

Sandra has also won and been shortlisted for a number of prestigious photography awards such as the British Journal of Photography Portrait of Britain 2019 and 2020, and the Bar Tur Photo Award 2020.

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.