MA in Professional Photography

Program Overview

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Professional Photography MA

Overview

You’ll join an online course that will equip you with the confidence and ability to progress your personal professional photographic practice, with creativity, intellectual rigour, and ethical practice at its heart. You will also work with online platforms to establish a presence within professional fields, supporting your career aspirations.

This online-only course will enable you to pursue projects globally, regionally or locally, responding to issues you most care about, whilst receiving valuable mentorship from industry professionals.

You’ll cover a compact structure of 5 compulsory online modules using interactive features of the virtual learning environment (VLE). All modules aim to enhance your knowledge, skills and critical abilities, while supporting your individual practice.

Your course will follow our established campus-based MA arts degrees and meet employers' needs within the creative industries.

Why Oxford Brookes University?

• An international professional teaching team
• A bespoke learning journey
• Career focused
• Weekly formative feedback
• Innovative online teaching strategies

Course Details

Course Structure

In Semester 1, you will be introduced to the Exploratory Photography Project module that introduces the concept of a personally instigated body of work, and a Histories, Theories and Ethics module where you’ll explore the history of the medium alongside relevant critical theory. These will include practical workshops, guest talks, and lectures, designed to build your creative output, professional self-awareness, critical awareness, and communication skills.

In Semester 2, you will explore the professional environment of the creative industries relating to photography within the Professional Practice module and undertake a Research and Context module in which you will complete your final dissertation. These will support you in considering research as a fundamental aspect of contemporary photography in both academic and industry contexts.

In Semester 3, you’ll complete your self-initiated Major Photography Project. You’ll explore multiple outputs including both still and moving-image creation, the self-published book, the exhibition portfolio, and the commissioned portfolio.

Learning and Teaching

This course is usually studied over 12 months. However, a part-time option is available to complete the course over 24 months to achieve the necessary credits.

As a full-time student, you will take 5 core compulsory modules covering:

• Exploring the Photographic Project
• Professional Practice
• Critical Theory: Histories, Theories, Context and Ethics
• Critical Theory: Final Dissertation
• Final Major Project

Students on this course will also be taught by Associate Lecturers and working professional photographers.

Assessment

Your assessments will be diverse, and will support different learning styles - you’ll have a real opportunity to showcase your strengths. Your learning may be assessed by a combination of individual or group coursework, examinations, and presentations. The assessment methods chosen will be based on your learning needs, individual aims and the academic standards expected for the course.

Careers

After successfully completing this postgraduate degree, you’ll be prepared for a wide choice of career options in the rapidly transforming media industry and creative industries.

You can use the qualification as a gateway into a wide range of careers, such as:

• Professional photographer
• Director of photography
• Cinematographer
• Publisher
• Creative director
• Art director
• Photo editor
• Curator
• Documentary filmmaker
• Post-production
• Content strategist
• Researcher
• Digital marketing and advertising
• Marketing communications
• Social media management
• Web content management
• Teaching and education
• Media research
• Digital strategist
• Brand marketing consultant

Entry Requirements

Specific Entry Requirements

We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, international students, and from mature students.

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Selection Process

Applicants should have at least an upper second class (2.1) honours degree in a relevant subject or relevant equivalent industry experience. Relevant subjects include (but are not limited to) photography, fine art, graphics, video, film-making, music, media studies, media production, architecture, creative writing, journalism, and media communications. Subjects that underpin a specialist area of visual storytelling, including an interest in popular culture, fashion, social, economic and political issues, sports, food, the built environment, music, drama, dance, and contemporary art practice also offer an excellent foundation for this postgraduate degree.

• If applicants do not have the required academic qualification, but have alternative qualifications or significant experience in a relevant field, we will be happy to consider applications.
• We will consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated instead of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• All applicants will be required to attend an interview and provide a digital portfolio of appropriate work. The portfolio should consist of photographic stills with an emphasis on personal work and examples of academic or professional written work if available.

You must submit a digital portfolio of 15 photographic images and a personal statement. Your personal statement should explain why you want to study on the programme and your particular area of interest in photography. All applicants will undertake an interview in which their portfolio and statement will be used as a starting point for further discussion.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose home language is not English must demonstrate that their level of reading, written and spoken English is appropriate for study at postgraduate level. This may be demonstrated through attaining one of the following qualifications:

• British Council IELTS: Level 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each component.
• Recognised and approved equivalent qualification

We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK. Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master’s course. If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.

Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.

Tuition Fees

2025 / 26

• Home (UK) distance learning full time: £9,600
• Home (UK) distance learning part time: £4,800
• International distance learning full time: £18,200
• International distance learning part time: £9,100

2026 / 27

• Home (UK) distance learning full time: £9,950
• Home (UK) distance learning part time: £4,975
• International distance learning full time: £18,900
• International distance learning part time: £9,450

How and When to Pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.

For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Financial Support and Scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.