Close
This is a four-year version of our popular BA (Hons) Photography, Video and Digital Imaging course, with an integrated foundation year. 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.
Gain 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.
In the first year – the foundation year – you'll study five modules. After completion of this foundation year, you'll then move onto the Photography, Video and Digital Imaging honours degree course.
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.
Are you considering a creative career? Do you wonder what it’s really like to work in the creative industries? This sector can offer you an exciting and varied career, where no day is the same and creative thinking is actively encouraged. There are so many creative job roles up for grabs and there’s something to suit everyone’s career goals.
Learn more about careers in the creative industries.
By studying BA (Hons) Photography, Video and Digital Imaging or MA Visual Practice: Photography, you’ll have access to well-equipped photographic and studio facilities at the Northern Centre of Photography. Learn more about our photography facilities.
Learn more about our photography facilities
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you're perhaps a mature student who's been out of education for a period of time, or you've gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.
Eligible entry qualifications:
If you're unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us.
**If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number.
If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual fee for this course is £9,535 if you're from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.
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.
If you're a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student, you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.
Please note, this course isn't available to international students.
Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements, and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants 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 a commission through our Sunderland Creatives Agency. 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 culture 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.