This award-winning BA Photography programme offers the resources and opportunities to develop your practice through set assignments, self-initiated projects and through exposure to a range of different industry and academic contexts.
Our team has impressive professional expertise in areas including fashion, commercial, documentary, art practice and new digital imaging technologies.
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 and many others.
Every year, our students produce outstanding, industry-standard work. Why not join them?
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:
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.
Follow our Instagram account to keep up with live course updates and new student and alumni work.
Degree show magazine
Take a look at our 2022 degree show magazine to see a showcase of our students' work.
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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.
Year 1
Your first year consists of set projects designed to introduce students to a range of different photographic debates, genres and techniques. We'll introduce you to key areas of photographic discourse and developing your proficiency using photographic facilities. You will attend lectures, seminars and workshops and work in small groups for practice projects to allow for in-depth project-specific feedback.
Year 2
In your second year you will experiment and take control over the direction of both your practice and your academic research. You will explore key theorists relevant to photography debate and undertake a series of assignments designed to develop your skills in art, still life, commercial, fashion and documentary photography practices. Later in the year, you'll move on to self-initiated projects culminating in an in-depth research project proposal and a public end of year exhibition.
Year 3
By your final year, you will have chosen a pathway for your practice and will undertake a series of self-initiated projects supported by a tutor with expertise in your area of practice. These projects will build towards a final major practice project which you will exhibit at the public end-of-year degree show. Your practice will be supported by the development of a written research project and by assignments designed to prepare you for professional life after university.
Throughout the course we have a rolling programme of guest speakers, artist talks and portfolio reviews.
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 / Clare Strand / Kate Peters / Haley Morris Cafiero / Franklyn Rodgers / Polly Braden / Rhiannon Adam
This module will introduce the student to contemporary methods applied to photographic practice within the fields of fashion, documentary and the urban environment. This module aims to:
This module will introduce students to the photographic studio and digital darkroom. This module aims to:
This module aims to:
This module provides an introduction to the expanding and inter-disciplinary field of photography, focusing on London as its main site of exploration. This module aims to:
This module uses contemporary professional editorial photographic practice as a framework to explore specialist pathways in portraiture, fashion and fine art. This module aims to:
This module will explore ‘the other’ and our relationship with objects, environments and society. This module aims to:
This module explores the idea of identity as a conceptual framework in photographic and artistic practice. This module aims to:
This module takes an interdisciplinary approach to the critical study of historical and contemporary photographic practice. This module aims to:
This module will develop the knowledge and skills that are required to operate as an independent professional photographer. This module aims to:
In this module students will develop a self-initiated project proposal that consolidates their personal photographic direction and interests. This module aims to:
This module will develop the student’s ability to formulate and write a critically informed photographic project proposal. This module aims to:
This module facilitates students in developing an in-depth research project culminating in an extended written essay. This module aims to:
To find out more about this highly regarded course, please download the Photography BA Honours specification (PDF).
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.
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 figure or group photography applications. There are areas which can be used for three dimensional, portraiture, close up and macro photographic work. ‘Colorama’ systems are provided for easy change of background colour and effects. The professional level lighting equipment and lighting tracks available throughout the studio includes Bowens synchronised flash units. Canon EOS 5D Mk III full frame 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.
The digital darkroom is a state of the art digital photographic editing and output facility, which is probably the best of its kind in the UK. The area has over 56 calibrated Apple Macintosh-Pro workstations networked to a series of professional level Epson A2 photographic printers using the latest industry standard software and K3 pigment inks producing high quality prints. There are also five Hasselblad Flextight film scanners, two flat bed 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.
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.
Middlesex has one Black and White Darkroom with 15 enlargers and a print developing area. DeVere 504 enlargers with condenser, cold cathode and Ilford Multigrade heads are available. There are also and DeVere 203 enlargers and a number of Durst and Kaiser enlargers as well. Negatives from 35mmm to 5 x 4 can be printed. A separate darkroom for higher quality prints (eg black and white fibre based paper) is also available.
A range of cameras including 35mm, 645, 6x7 medium format as well as digital cameras (Canon 5D MkII, 5D MkIII and 650D) and 5x4 technical field cameras can be taken on location. In addition location lighting equipment kits can be borrowed.
Black and white darkroom
Dark room area
Digital darkroom suite for retouching, printing and scanning
Finishing area
Flextight scanners
Photography studio
The Kit Hub - camera and equipment booking
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.
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 Advice and Support service.
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our Careers & 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.
Our location in London helps us connect you with over 1,000 industry partners to develop your future employment prospects. And we have unique work and study opportunities at our campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. 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.
The fees below refer to the 2023/24 academic year:
Full-time: £9,250
Part-time: £77 per taught credit
Full-time students: £15,100
Part-time students: £126 per taught credit
The following course-related costs are included in the fees:
The following course-related costs are not included in the fees, and you may be required to purchase these to complete the course.
To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:
Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.
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 Students. 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.
Having studied an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art, Philippe has gained a diverse range of professional experience from working with commercial photographers and contemporary international artists. Additionally, he has acquired an advanced knowledge of digital imaging technology, techniques and printing. Philippe is currently completing a photographic portraiture commission and producing new photographic / video work in London.
Alison graduated from Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Art & Design with a BA Hons in Professional Media: Photography. She has worked in London since 2000 in the Fashion and Editorial Photography industry and for five years as first assistant to the fashion photographer Tim Walker. This role involved organising and handling photographic equipment and lighting during photo shoots, print production as well as co-ordinating the printing/framing and installation of his recent retrospective 'Pictures' at the Design Museum in London.
Gavin Fernandes graduated in BA Hons Graphic Design at Middlesex University and MA Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion. His visual narratives Monarchs of the East End and Empire Line were presented as solo exhibitions at Maison Des Arts de Creteil, Paris and Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, London in 2007, and at Maison Folie, Wazemmes, Lille, 2006.
Work from his master's degree was selected by The Photographers’ Gallery in London for their inaugural group show freshfacedandwildeyed08 in 2008. He has also exhibited in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Whitechapel Art Gallery; Institute of Contemporary Arts; Royal Academy of Arts; Barbican Centre; National Maritime Museum and Museum of London. In 2011 he exhibited at the Harris Museum, Preston, UK where his work was acquired into its Photography and New Media permanent collection.
His photographic work has been featured in the publications Dazed & Confused; i-D; Tank; The Observer; The Guardian and The Independent; and a portfolio of his images appeared as a dedicated chapter in the book British Asian Style: Fashion and Textiles/Past and Present by V&A Publishing, 2009. His research and professional practice unite his experiences of fashion direction and photography to interrogate socio-political themes around cultural identity; religion; feminine empowerment and gender.
Currently undertaking a practice-led PhD at London College of Communi- cation on the multi-model rhetoric of online disinformation. Also founder / curator of online contemporary photography platform XLVI Space.
Has recently exhibited work in Braga, Portugal, Paris and Arles, France and Bologna and Padua, Italy as well as in solo and group exhibitions across the UK. Recently shortlisted for the Images Vevey Prize 2021.
Graduated from Sunderland University with a degree in painting. In 1996, Scalo published Richard’s photographs taken of his own family in a book ‘Ray’s a Laugh’ with a short validation from the American photographer Rob- ert Frank. In 1997 Billingham was the first recipient of the Citibank Private Bank Photography Prize (now the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize) and included in a number of important group shows, most notably ‘Sensation’ at the Royal Academy, London. Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2001 for his photography and video work.
Awarded the Sargeant Fellowship at the British School at Rome in 2002. Spent next few years travelling and making a body of work called ‘Zoo’ Show of work in the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne in 2007- 8. Has lectured and taught in Yale, University of North Texas, the National Art School, Sydney and particularly values the exchange of ideas between teachers and students. Has been a part time senior lecturer on the BA Fine Art- Photography course at the University of Gloucester since 2006 and is cur- rently working on a number of photography and film projects. A recent film ‘Siberian Tiger’ was broadcast on Channel 4. Wrote and directed ‘Liaz and Ray’, a film based on his book ‘Ray’s a Laugh’. This was BAFTA nominated and also winner of the Lisbon and Estoril Juy Special Prize and awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno Film Festival 2018.
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.
Start: September 2023
Duration: 3 years full-time, Usually 6 years part-time
Code: P303
Start: September 2023
Duration: 3 years full-time
Code: WF30
Start: September 2023
Duration: 1 year full-time, + 3 years full-time
Code: See How to apply tab
