Photography

This degree will help you prepare for work in the photographic, creative and media industries, or for self-employment as a photographer or artist.

Graduates have gone to work in a wide range of creative and photography and photography-related roles for businesses and clients on a freelance or employed basis. Many have they own creative or freelance projects alongside other work.

Dom Zalys runs his own creative agency, Dominkas and has worked with and photographed high profile clients including Stephen Hawking, Stephen Fry, and Malala Yousafzai, all over the world.

Mark Box works as Chief Cultural Heritage Photographer at the University of Cambridge and runs editorial project Human of Cambridge.

Catherine Bullen is an award-winning wildlife photographer, and Aliz Kovacs-Zoldi is a Writer at Amateur Photographer magazine.

Our supportive staff can help you find and take up formal or informal work placements that will help you establish your own professional network, including opportunities such as working for magazines, galleries and photographers. Our campus employment bureau can also help you find photographic jobs that fit around your studies.

Around ARU, you can also take advantage of many opportunities to use and promote your skills, such as working with staff and students to photograph their events.

As part of your course, you’ll also have opportunities to work on ‘live briefs’ set by local employers. For example, our students recently worked with the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA), creating a selection of images and objects to enhance the understanding of their photography collection in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opportunities to exhibit your work include the annual Free Range showcase in London. At the 2023 exhibition, two of our students, Mark Morgan and Erin Thorogood, were nominated 'Best in Show' by Amateur Photographer magazine. They follow in the footsteps of 2022 graduate Aliz Kovacs-Zoldi, who was selected as Student Photographer of the Year by the magazine.

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore an ARU Certificate for Professional Development, placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

A foundation year prepares you for the rest of your course, and focuses on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. We'll also start to look at some more subject-specific topics.

Your placement year is a chance to put everything you’ve learnt in Years 1 and 2 into practice. Spend up to nine months working for an organisation, developing your skills and gaining valuable work experience. Our Placements Team is here to help you secure a placement.

You’ll demonstrate your learning through both written and practical (portfolio) work, helping to prepare you for creating your own professional photography portfolio.

See our recommended materials and things you can do to prepare for the course.