Fees and key information

Course type
Undergraduate
UCAS code
W123
Entry requirements
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Why study this course?

Our Photography (including foundation year) BA (Hons) is a four-year degree that includes an intensive foundation year (Year 0), which will give you the chance to explore a range of creative approaches and build a substantial portfolio of work before you progress to your subsequent years of studying photography.

This is a great route into a photography degree, particularly if you don’t hold the necessary requirements to begin a three-year undergraduate photography degree. Visit londonmetarts.photography for a look at our students' work, exhibitions, publications and more.

Our Photography (including foundation year) BA degree is one of a number of art and photography courses in our School of Art, Architecture and Design with an excellent reputation.

Our Photography BA degree was awarded Photography Course of the Year 2022 by the Association of Photographers (AOP).

During your foundation year you’ll have the opportunity to explore a number of different artistic directions and gain a broad spectrum of creative skills before going on to specialise more specifically in photography at the end of your first year of study.

You'll begin your foundation year by undertaking a range of short and intensive studio workshops that will allow you to develop key photography skills and techniques, which will stand you in good stead for the rest of your degree. You’ll also develop a strong work ethic, which is essential when studying an art-related degree.

You will follow these intensive workshops with longer projects that will allow you to delve deeper into your own creative style and approach, strengthening your independence as an artist and photographer.

You will also look at creative practice from a contemporary, conceptual, cultural and historical context through lectures and seminars.

Feedback is essential to your development as a creative practitioner, so throughout the course there will be plenty of opportunities for your peers and tutors to critique your work. This will not only allow you to improve your artistic practice, but will also help you prepare for the exhibition at the end of the year, when your work will be on show to the general public.

After completing your foundation year, you will study the same modules and content as students enrolled on our Photography BA (Hons).

However, if you decide during your foundation year that you’d prefer to specialise in another art-related subject, there will be flexibility to do this.

Accredited by the AOP

Our Photography BA degree is accredited by the Association of Photographers (AOP) and was awarded Course of the Year 2022

Learn from industry experts

You’ll be supported by our team of experienced tutors, all of whom are active practitioners carrying out commissions and or regularly showcasing their work nationally and internationally

Learn the skills you need to reach your full potential

This four-year degree course includes an intensive foundation year (Year 0) which will provide you with the skills required for your subsequent three years of study

Student reviews

Our real, honest student reviews come from our own students – we collect some of these ourselves, but many are also collected through university comparison websites and other nationwide surveys.

Course details

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

  • at least one A level (or a minimum of 32 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Subsidiary/National/BTEC Extended Diploma)
  • English Language GCSE at grade C/4 or above or will need to take the University English test

You will need to attend an interview with your portfolio of creative work. We encourage applications from international/EU students with equivalent qualifications. We also accept mature students with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

If you live in the UK, you will be invited to a portfolio interview. If you live outside the UK you will be required to submit a small portfolio of work via email.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa (previously Tier 4) you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

You will be assessed via project work, essays and an individual portfolio.

Our Photography (including foundation year) BA degree opens up a wide range of careers on graduation. While many of our graduates go on to become freelance or in-house photographers, there are also opportunities in graphic design, illustration, digital marketing, video-editing and education.

This degree is also an excellent foundation for postgraduate study.

We currently have three locations in Holloway, Aldgate and Shoreditch. As we evolve as a University, we'll be reviewing the use of these spaces to ensure all our students have access to the facilities and study areas they need to succeed. This means the campus where this course is taught may change over time.

The experience of our students will always be our top priority and we'll notify applicants and students of any changes to their teaching location at the earliest opportunity.

If you study your undergraduate degree with us, as a graduate of London Met, you'll be entitled to a 20% discount on a postgraduate course if you continue your studies with us.
* exclusions apply

This is a four-year degree course with a built-in foundation year (Year 0). A foundation year in our School of Art, Architecture and Design is the starting point for many of our art, architecture and design students and acts as an introduction to the wide range of creative practices explored within the University. You may join us with a clear idea of the subject you intend to study or you may use it as an opportunity to explore a number of different directions or experiment with your creativity. A foundation year degree is also a great choice if you don't meet the necessary entry requirements for the standard undergraduate degree. You'll graduate with a full undergraduate degree with the same title and award as those who studied the three-year course.

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Follow our School of Art, Architecture and Design on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with everything that's happening in our creative community.

Discover Uni – key statistics about this course

Discover Uni is an official source of information about university and college courses across the UK. The widget below draws data from the corresponding course on the Discover Uni website, which is compiled from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges. If a course is taught both full-time and part-time, information for each mode of study will be displayed here.

How to apply

If you're a UK applicant wanting to study full-time starting in September, you must apply via UCAS unless otherwise specified. If you're an international applicant wanting to study full-time, you can choose to apply via UCAS or directly to the University.

If you're applying for part-time study, you should apply directly to the University. If you require a Student visa, please be aware that you will not be able to study as a part-time student at undergraduate level.

When to apply

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.

If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.

To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

Are you from outside the UK? Find out how to apply from your home country

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