Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Photography

Overview

At Edinburgh Napier University, we teach to a high technical standard, facilitating the translation of ideas through the art and craft of photography. The BA (Hons) Photography is industry-facing and provides the professional, technical, contextual, and creative skills necessary for a career as a photographer.

Mode of Study

• Full-time

Duration

• 4 years

Start Date

• September

UCAS Code

• W640

Course Details

What You Study

Year 1

• Key technical concepts of photography
• Creative techniques of photography
• Research and communication skills
• Introduction to the histories of photography

Year 2

• Studio and environmental portraiture
• Still life
• Constructed photography
• Editorial
• Landscape
• Histories and theories of photography

Year 3

• Individually tailored photography projects to specific briefs
• Advanced methodologies relevant to photography
• Exhibiting, presenting, printing, and digital distribution
• Critical and analytical skills required to support research
• International exchange opportunities

Year 4

• Research, develop, and produce a body of photographic work
• Bespoke portfolio
• Dissertation
• Engage with core professional development skills required for your future career

How You'll Be Taught

• Academic modules are taught through a combination of formal and active lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials
• Practical modules combine these methods with workshops, demonstrations, exercises, film screenings, presentations, and supervised sessions

Assessments

• Submission of creative practical work
• Supporting documentation and essay assignments
• Technical and creative workbooks, workshop journals, production and project dossiers, and case studies
• Personal development and engagement through technical exercises, oral presentations, and participation in group critiques

Work Placement

• Students have the opportunity to undertake a placement as part of the Design and Media Work-based Learning module

Study Abroad

• Excellent international exchange links with universities worldwide, including:
  • Ryerson University Toronto, Canada
  • University of Applied Sciences Europe, Berlin, Germany
  • Minerva Academie, Groningen, Netherlands
  • Dun Laoghaire Institute of Arts Design & Technology, Dublin, Ireland
  • Ontario College of Art & Design, Toronto, Canada

Popular Modules

Year 1

• Photographic Reading and Writing
• Creative Practice 1
• Workflow and Creative Camera techniques
• Histories 1: Photography
• Applied Camera Techniques
• Creative Practice 2

Year 2

• Histories 2
• Photography
• Photo: Studio
• Photo: Landscape
• Theory for Photo Practice
• Sequences and Seriality
• Photo: Constructed

Year 3

• Editorial and Documentary Photography
• Collaboration and Investigation: Site and Context
• The Image and The Archive
• Scoping Industry
• Globalising Feminism
• Photo Practice 3

Year 4

• Project Preparation Photography
• Dissertation Photography
• Professional Development Photography
• Portfolio Photography
• Final Project Photography

Entry Requirements

Standard and Minimum Qualifications

• Our entry requirements indicate both Standard and Minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students
• Competition for places varies from year to year, and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications

Year 1

Minimum Year 1

• SQA Higher: BBBC
• A Level: CCC
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H2, H3, H3, H3 at HL
• HNC: Pass HNC in an accepted subject with grade B in the graded unit
• BTEC (QCF) Extended Diploma Level 3: Minimum grades MMM (Merit, Merit, Merit) in a related subject
• BTEC (QCF) National Diploma Level 3: Minimum grades DD (Distinction, Distinction) in a related subject
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: Award of Diploma with 27 points overall including three HL subjects with grades 6,5,4
• T Level: Grade Merit

Year 2

Minimum Year 2

• HND: Pass HND in an accepted subject with grade B at SCQF Level 8 in all graded units

English Language

• If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply

International Students

• We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications
• Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses

Admissions Policies

• We're committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study
• Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees for 2024/25

• Students from Scotland: £1,820
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,250
• Overseas and EU students: £19,340

Tuition Fees for 2025/26

• Students from Scotland: £1,820
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• Overseas and EU students: £20,310

Careers

Career Opportunities

• You'll be prepared for a position in the highly competitive media and creative industries in Scotland and around the world
• Graduates enter the fields of freelance photography, including advertising, architectural, commercial, editorial, fashion, photojournalism, and social photography
• You could engage with public relations, act as a picture editor, work as a curator, pursue roles in creative agencies, or give back through the widening areas of visual education