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Join us at the Northern Centre of Photography and develop your photographic skills in state-of-the-art facilities. Be guided by our photographic experts and specialist technicians. Gain the confidence, knowledge and skills to start a successful career in the creative industries.
BA (Hons) Photography, Video and Digital Imaging provides you with the wide-ranging skills needed for success in today’s photographic industries and beyond. You’ll learn how to make high quality digital and traditional images in our professional photography studios, digital production suites and photographic darkrooms.
Learn how to tell compelling stories about the things that matter to you with guidance from our expert team of practising photographers. Develop your own distinct visual language and acquire the skills and contacts to get your work out into the world.
Our students have gone on to work in a whole range of areas such as medical, music, sports and events photography, working as studio and gallery assistants, curating, running commercial photography businesses, teaching, community and social work and publishing.
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This course is structured so that you'll explore different approaches and styles of photography and moving image to build your skills, your creative approaches, and understanding of the practice as you develop your own aesthetic and intellectual position as an image maker.
You'll have opportunities to experiment and challenge yourself, present your ideas to your peers, and test your work in the real world.
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you in studying with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
If you are studying an HND or Foundation Degree you may be able to enter stage two of our degree courses. For more information, please contact admissions@sunderland.ac.uk.
Part-time study
If you study this course on a part-time basis you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day and you will study alongside full-time students.
Portfolio and interview
We’re interested in your creative potential; please prepare a portfolio of work you have completed so far. This can be a physical portfolio (eg. a box of prints) or a digital version (eg. PowerPoint or PDF). We’re not looking for perfection as we appreciate you may still be developing work. We’d like to see:
We’ll also ask you to come to interview. This will allow us to get to know each other. We’re interested in your approach to your work, as well as your interests, influences, and experience.
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
Tuition fees for part-time students are £7,145 per 90 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Read more about EU fees and funding in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Graduates from this course are creative individuals who work in a broad range of careers. This may be in directly related areas such as the music and fashion press, medical, sports and event photography, as well as people-facing professions such as teaching and marketing. Graduates have also taken up internships using their creative and management skills and established their own small businesses, operating throughout the country.
With opportunities to meet and learn from many visiting international photographic practitioners, you'll be joining a centre of research and teaching excellence in the North of England. Part of a vibrant campus, we have links to major cultural and industry organisations and we host the North East Photography Network (NEPN), the region’s professional development agency for photography.
Through NEPN, you'll meet visiting photographers from around the UK and farther afield, and have opportunities to work alongside them, developing your contacts and industry experience.
Our course will take you places! We’ll help you find the right opportunities for a fulfilling career or further study. We give our students the chance to develop real-world experiences and build a professional CV. This could mean working collaboratively as part of a creative team, undertaking an internship or placement in business, or working on commissions. You’ll also find out about routes into teaching, and other postgraduate study.
Sunderland Culture is a collaboration between the University, council and the city’s key cultures organisations. This partnership brings big-name creatives in contemporary visual arts, glass, ceramics and performance to the city; showcases exciting local talent; and gives our students unique experiences including exceptional career-enhancing opportunities.
There are also opportunities to work on placements and commissions through our Sunderland Creatives Agency.
We welcome many professional photographers and image makers from around the world to the Northern Centre of Photography. You’ll get to meet and hear from many of them. Recent speakers have included Kuba Ryniewicz, Eva Vermandel, Krishna Sheth Gilston, Shahidul Alam, Paul Wenham-Clarke, Bart Pajak, John Kippin and Nicola Neate.
Creative Industries Week gives everyone in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries the opportunity to participate in a range of projects, workshops, talks, industry visits and career events. This exciting week encourages interdisciplinary working, broadens your experience, to build your confidence and help develop your career path.
Recently, students have benefited from zine making and micro-publishing workshops, had the chance to find out about photography and astronomy and explored innovative approaches to sustainable creativity.
My journey at Sunderland has been one of growth, self-discovery, and artistic fulfilment.
I'm now working in my dream job as a club photographer in football.
I absolutely loved the course and made some life-long friends.
