Overview
Our photography degree helps you explore the world of photography and its impact on society. Look at historical and contemporary uses of photography and develop advanced skills required for a competitive job market.
- Advanced Skill Development: Gain expertise in photographic production and a deep understanding of photography's historical and modern applications through our photography degree.
- Your Creative Practice: Build a professional portfolio while exploring various creative practices, including medium/large format cameras, self-publishing, audio and moving image production and 3D fabrication. Use this portfolio to launch your photography career.
- State-of-the-Art Facilities: Access one of London's largest darkrooms for analogue photography experimentation. Our photographic facilities are ideal for hands-on learning.
This course is in Clearing
Our LLM course is a top choice
UEL’s LLM programme has been recognised as a top choice in the latest PTES survey, achieving 1st place rankings for satisfaction, teaching and more.
Creating Culture & Artistic Practice with renowned artist, Keef Winter | Makers & Mavericks
Internationally celebrated artist and Head of Visual Arts at UEL, Keef Winter gives us his hot takes on performance art and breaks down his process of creating art that draws crowds around the globe.
What makes this course different

Student satisfaction
100% overall satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey

Annual newspaper publication
Be involved in producing interdisciplinary student-led publications.

Global photography optional module
A theory-into-practice module in your final year that focuses on cultural debate and diverse practices.
Course modules
The foundation year of the photography degree will give you a grounding in the basics of art and design, as well as covering mental wealth skills needed for your career.
In your first year, you will gain an understanding of the role of research in professional photography practice and in supporting the development of creative projects. You will experiment with ideas and explore a range of responses through projects designed to help you identify your strengths and begin to explore skills appropriate to working in the creative industries. Workshops and projects will include analogue and digital photographic techniques and processes, as well as studio and location lighting. The cross-disciplinary Professional Practice: Mental Wealth and Cultural Manoeuvres sessions will allow you to further develop your analytical skills and engagement with the creative industries. At each level, you will take a contextual studies module, gaining an appreciation of the role of photography in cultural development and the contribution of technological innovations to visual culture.
In the second year, a more experimental approach is taken, where you expand on the photographic skills and knowledge gained in the first year but with an emphasis on exploring areas beyond your usual practice. You will have opportunities for advanced image production and experimentation, refining your approach to photography and developing your style. Contextual studies and research-into-practice modules allow for cross-cluster fertilisation of ideas and will support your understanding of your photography practice. Working on cross-collaborative projects will help to develop your professional skills, especially in our flagship Mental Wealth module where you will take on the role of a 'producer'. Elective workshops and projects in both your first and second year of study include e.g., printmaking, 16mm film, art therapy, digital fabrication, InDesign, AR/VR and more, allowing you to develop extended skills for the 4iR (Fourth Industrial Revolution).
In your final year of study, you will produce an independent major project, proposed and owned by you, presented as a professional outcome at the degree showcase. The final Mental Wealth module will prepare you for gaining employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship or postgraduate study. Level 6 allows you to focus on your career ambition and develop a professional outcome to fulfil your aspirations as a professional photographer. The modules in level 6 are designed to be inclusive of each student's discipline and respond to differentiated assessment needs. You will have the option of working towards an Extended Research Project. This is a written project, allowing you to contextualise your practice through research into a subject of your choice. The Global Photography option module examines the emergence of globalisation as a fundamental force in reshaping the production, dissemination and reception of contemporary photography, focusing on cultural debates and diverse - and often non-western - practices in the expanded field. The photography research into the practice route is assessed as a new media project, responding to the expanded practices of photography and the development of new media as part of the photography discourse.
NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.
Download course specification
Your future career
We will prepare you for changes in digital technology and distribution in photography. You'll be ready for the opportunities presented in multi-disciplinary and expanded practice, aided by the high-quality moving image capabilities of the current DSLR cameras. This digital photography course ensures you're equipped with the latest skills to start a fantastic career.
Industry links
Well-known external creatives regularly visit the photography department to deliver talks and workshops, giving you insight into working in the industry.
Recent visitors have included: Emma Bowkett (Director of Photography FT Weekend Magazine), Mike Trow (previously a picture editor at British Vogue), Aron Mörel (Morel Books), Steve McLeod (Photographer and Director of Metro Imaging), Nick Dunmur (Association of Photographers), Hannah Watson (Director of TJ Boulting Gallery), Sabina Jaskot-Gill (Curator, Photographs, National Portraiture Gallery) Azeema Magazine.
Graduate employers
Our alumni have found success with their own studios: White Rabbit in Shoreditch and Espero Studios off Brick Lane were both set up by UEL Photography entrepreneurs.
Job roles
Many of our photography graduates have gone on to carve out successful careers that include:
- Documentary directors
- Studio and production managers
- Re-touchers and image makers
- Videographers
- Freelance camera operators
- Production assistants
- Producers
- Stylists
- Designers
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.
Further study
You could undertake further study in a similar area, making you more flexible in today's job market:

As a university committed to your career growth, we've curated dedicated Career Zones across all of our campuses with practical services tailored to your success. From internships, personalised coaching, and employability workshops to volunteering, mentoring, placements, and enterprise opportunities, we offer a diverse range of support."Rema Khatun
Career Zone
How you'll learn
Our innovative Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) approach enhances face-to-face learning by providing students with scheduled on-campus contact hours and additional learning opportunities. Through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), students can access course materials and resources beyond their scheduled hours. We offer access to industry-standard technology and specialised spaces to prepare students for their future careers. Dedicated time for activities and development, along with a holistic approach to learning, fosters academic, personal, and professional growth. Students benefit from career support through on-campus and virtual Career Zones, personalised support services, and a dedicated online portal, Track My Future (TMF).
Guided independent study
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This is a key part of university-level work. It will typically involve reading journal articles and books, preparing for seminars, preparing coursework assignments, and arranging independent skills practice sessions with your peers. In your final year, much of your independent study will be focused on your research project.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library, and Moodle.
Academic support
Students are supported with any academic or subject-related queries by an Academic Advisor, module leaders, and former and current UEL students.
If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, English, maths or statistics, our Academic Tutors offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments to help our students achieve their potential. You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.
Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need. UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).
Facilities
- Large professional advanced shoot studio with rigged lights
- Large immersive studio with continuous lights and green screen
- Black and white darkroom and film processing area
- Digital darkroom
- High-quality digital printer for portfolio and exhibition printing
- Large format printer for poster printing
- 3D Fabrication facility including 3D printers and laser cutters
- Photography store containing a wide range of equipment for loan including high-end DSLR cameras, medium and large format analogue cameras, Bowens and Pro-Foto portable lighting kits, Tascams and microphones (for audio), fig rigs, tripods and much more.
Workload
Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate percentages for this course are:
- Year 1: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
- Year 2: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
- Year 3: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
Your timetable
Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible.
Class sizes
The size of classes can vary depending on the nature of the course, module and activity. This can range from large groups in a lecture theatre setting, to smaller groups taking part in seminars and collaborative work.
How you'll be assessed
You'll be required to present work for assessment in the form of exhibition, portfolio presentation, oral presentation or in the form of an evaluative learning journal, report or essay.
The course includes 20-credit and 40-credit modules which are assessed at the end of each term. The marks from the second and third years are used to formulate your final degree award.
Feedback is provided within 15 working days in line with UEL's assessment and feedback policy.
Campus and facilities
Our campus and the surrounding area
Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well-equipped learning environment.
Join us and you'll be able to make the most of our facilities including contemporary lecture theatres and seminar rooms, art studios and exhibition spaces, audio and visual labs and a multimedia production centre.
Features include our 24/7 Docklands library, our £21m SportsDock centre, a campus shop and bookstore, the Children's Garden Nursery, cafés, eateries, a late bar, plus Student Union facilities, including a student lounge.
The University of East London is one of the few London universities to provide on-campus accommodation. Our Docklands Campus Student Village houses close to 1,200 students from around the world. We are well connected to central London and London City Airport is just across the water. We also run a free bus service that connects Docklands with Stratford campuses.
Who teaches this course
This course is delivered by School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
- Course leader
Dr Antigoni Memou
Department of Architecture & Visual Arts, School Of Arts And Creative Industries - Course leader
Adam Wiseman
Department of Architecture & Visual Arts, School Of Architecture, Computing And Engineering - Course leader
Dr Debra Benita Shaw
Department of Architecture & Visual Arts, School Of Architecture, Computing And Engineering - Course leader
Amanda Francis
Department of Architecture & Visual Arts, School Of Arts And Creative Industries - Course leader
Dr Keith Winter
Department of Architecture & Visual Arts, School Of Architecture, Computing And Engineering
What our students and staff say

The best institution I could attend. I know everyone, and everyone is really friendly and caring. The other day I thought, this is going to end; I was almost crying; it has been going great!
Danilo Zocatelli Cesco
BA (Hons) Photography

Studying at UEL has been the best decision I ever made. I was unsure if I would fit in as a mature student, but my age provided me with experience that was an advantage. I worked well with my fellow students and my lecturers. I have learned so much about photography, but also about subjects relating to photography like putting together books and curating exhibitions, which has and continues to benefit my career. Studying here has improved my knowledge and technical skills as well as my confidence, giving me contacts in the industry and a bunch of new, creative friends."
Karin Bultje
BA (Hons) Photography graduate