phd photography london

School of Arts

The Westminster School of Arts is home to the Centre for Research and Education in Art and Media (CREAM) , one of the most successful and highly rated Arts research centres in the UK. In the Research Exercise Framework 2014 CREAM achieved the highest ranking of any institution for a broad range of art and design research, with 45% of its research judged to be ‘world-leading’ and 63% deemed to be ‘world-leading’ in its impact.

CREAM has a portfolio of research across the disciplines of ceramics, visual arts, photography, film, experimental media, music and fashion. CREAM has 30 researchers and over 50 PhD students and is London’s leading research centre in visual and media arts, design and music and one of the top 6 such centres in the UK. Approximately half of CREAM PhD students are undertaking practice-based degrees.

As a CREAM doctoral researcher, you will join and participate in a lively programme of seminars and visiting speakers, ground-breaking conferences and symposia in collaboration with other institutions. CREAM has been a key participant in debates on practice-based research in audio-visual media and was a founding member of the AHRC-funded initiative, AVPhD.

How to apply

The Director of the CREAM PhD programme is  Dr Ozlem Koksal  who can be contacted by email at  [email protected] .

You can find more information about study options on our Mode of study page .

PhD via MPhil 

The majority of students will apply via the PhD via MPhil route. You can read more about the application process and entry requirements on our  How to apply page .

Distance Learning

If you intend to apply for a research degree by distance-learning, you will need to demonstrate that you have appropriate local support for the duration of registration – please refer to the information on our  Distance learning page .

PhD by published work

If you intend to apply for a PhD by Published Work please refer to the information  on our PhD by published work page  as the application process differs from the normal MPhil/PhD. Before applying, you should first make contact with the relevant academic for an informal discussion of your publications. You should only submit a formal application at this stage.

Apply for the following subjects

Apply to our research degrees using the links below. 

• Creative Media    
• Film    
• Music    
• Photography    
• Visual Arts

You'll be able to select your subject area in the 'Supporting Information' section of the application form. 

September 2024 start

January 2025 start, studentships.

The Graduate School and each of the academic schools at the University of Westminster are committed to doctoral programmes which encourage and make possible excellent research. As part of this, we are committed to offering a range of studentships. 

Find out about current studentships being offered across the university on our Studentships page.

Research centres and groups

• Centre for Research and Education in Art and Media (CREAM)

Related Pages

Fees and funding.

How much will it cost to study a research degree?

Research degree videos

Find out about the application process for our various PhD programmes on our YouTube channel.

Research degree by distance learning

Find out about Research Degree distance learning options at the University of Westminster.

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• Staff & students

MA Photography & Urban Cultures

Course information.

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

Course overview

Explore the creative interplay between urban theory and the visual representation of urban cultures and places. 

Why study MA Photography and Urban Cultures at Goldsmiths

• Developed by the Centre for Urban and Community Research , the degree encourages creative interplay between practice and theory – you’ll develop your practical photography skills and examine key ideas and debates in the representation and evocation of contemporary city life.
• You'll have the chance to consider cutting-edge debates in cultural and social theory in a research setting that actively encourages the development of photographic practice.
• If you are already a working photographer, visual artist or media practitioner, this programme gives you space to reflect critically on your practice.
• For those with a background in sociology, urban and cultural geography, cultural studies or anthropology, the degree provides an opportunity to combine visual forms of representation with standard forms of research techniques in investigating urban life and the physical environments of the city.
• The programme aims to link directly to professional research outcomes, and many graduates have secured employment within urban research, ethnography, teaching, curatorial and arts practice, human rights, and architectural research.
• You'll be joining our world-leading Department of Sociology . We've been rated top 10 in the UK for sociology by QS World University Rankings 2023.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Simon Rowe (Programme Convenor) or the Postgraduate Programmes Officer .

What you'll study

Compulsory modules.

As well as these modules, you will complete a Dissertation and Major Visual Project (60 credits).

The Dissertation can comprise two parts: a portfolio and a 5-6,000-word Dissertation, or you may submit a 10-12,000-word written Dissertation. The Dissertation will consist of: an account of the rationale of the photographic project; a critical evaluation of photographic practice and issues of reflectivity and knowledge production. In combination with the written part, you will be expected to provide evidence of a sustained and coherent body of photographic work focusing on an aspect of urban culture for assessment. Previously, work from Final Visual Projects has been shown on a virtual gallery space linked to the CUCR website.

The assessment consists of coursework, extended essays, reports, presentations, practice-based projects or essays/logs, group projects, and reflective essays.

Download the programme specification .

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject. You will also need to demonstrate proficiency in photographic practice, including familiarity with a 35mm camera and photographic printing. 

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification ) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study .

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees.

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

• Home - full-time: £12520
• Home - part-time: £6260
• International - full-time: £22640

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office , who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment .

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page .

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities . If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

• Details of  your academic qualifications
• The  email address of your referee  who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
• Copies of  your educational transcripts   or certificates
• A  personal statement  – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online.  Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement
• An edited  portfolio of visual images  (as a PowerPoint or PDF file of prints)
• If available, an electronic copy of  your educational transcript  (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an earlier application deadline.

Selection process

As part of the selction process, you may be offered an informal interview with the Programme Convenor.

Find out more about applying .

Workshop tutors include: 

Laura Cuch is a documentary and fine art photographer. She completed an MA in Photography and Urban Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2006 and currently teaches on the Goldsmiths based International Urban Photography Summer School (iUPSS) and on the MA PUC combined with being a visiting researcher in the Anthropology department at Goldsmiths. She has exhibited internationally at Descubrimientos - PhotoEspaña 09, Centro Cultural Blanquerna, Arts Santa Mònica, H2O Gallery, Sala d’Art Jove, Talent Latent/Scan09, Espai Cavallers 31-33 and Emergent09, and has also taken part in group shows in London at the Rich Mix Centre, Photofusion, The Viewfinder Gallery and City University. Her work has been published in Le Monde, Barcelona Metròpolis, El Súmmum, Street Signs and London Independent Photography.  www.lauracuch.com

Simon Rowe is a visual artist, researcher and photography tutor working mainly with photography and video. He is also a partner in CACAO, an evolving collective of creative artists, social researchers, and educators. Simon holds an MA in Photography and Urban Cultures from Goldsmiths (2007) and is Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Urban and Community Research. Simon currently holds a part-time position at Goldsmiths as a Visiting Tutor in the Department of Sociology on the MA in Photography and Urban Cultures. Simon’s work has been exhibited in venues in London including Limelight Gallery, International Planned Parenthood Foundation, Stark Gallery, Photofusion, and also at Gallery Hunchentoot, Berlin. From Dec – March 2011 he exhibited a selection of images from his photographic project entitled Wandering Still at the CUCR offices in Laurie Grove, New Cross London.

Britt Hatzius

Britt Hatzius is a visual artist whose practice encompasses photography, film, video and sound. She originally trained as an artist at Chelsea College of Art and Goldsmiths where she completed her MA in Photography and Urban Cultures. Britt teaches on the MA PUC course and PhD in Visual Sociology. She has extensive experience of working with urban ethnographers and researchers, is part of Studio INCITE , and has coordinated various visual research aspects of numerous international projects based at Goldsmiths. She is the former editor of London Independent Photography (LIP) magazine and currently edits the CUCR’s journal Street Signs. www.britthatzius.co.uk  

Peter Coles

Peter Coles is a fine-art photographer, translator and editor and has been a Visiting Fellow in the [Centre for] Urban and Community Research at Goldsmiths since 2007. After completing a doctorate in psychology at Wolfson College Oxford, Peter worked for 20 years as a journalist and photographer, based in Paris, publishing in international journals and magazines. As a staff editor and photographer at UNESCO, he travelled widely, specializing in urban ecology, indigenous peoples and small islands. During his years in Paris, he completed a major body of photographs, 'Paris Traces', on abandoned objects, which has been exhibited in Paris, London, Rome, and New York. Since returning to London in 2006 his interests have focused on the urban biosphere. In 2016, he collaborated with the Conservation Foundation to set up Morus Londinium (supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund) to research, preserve and raise awareness of the cultural heritage of London’s historic mulberry trees, winning a European Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in 2021. His book, 'Mulberry', is published by Reaktion Books (2019).

Suggested reading

Suggested preliminary reading:

Susan Sontag (1977) On Photography. Penguin.

Sontag’s book is considered both controversial and insightful. She brings to the process of analysis a literary sensibility that doesn’t always sit easily with the practice of image-making. The essay In Plato’s Cave (chapter 1), is particularly relevant to a debate about the nature of photographic realism and visual epistemology.

Roland Barthes (1983) Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography, London, Vintage.

Barthes is best known for his extensive theoretical work around the nature of sign systems (semiotics), ideology and myth. In this beautifully written book, the author re-evaluates his relationship with photography through the autobiographical examination of a family photograph.

A.D. Coleman (1978) Depth of Field: Essays on Photography, Mass Media, and Lens Culture. University of New Mexico Press.

Coleman’s essays touch on ethical debates around street photography (chapter 10), and what he terms ‘the destruction business’ of art criticism (chapter 1).

Graham Clarke (1997) The Photograph. Oxford University Press.

Clarke’s book provides a useful overview of photography from a history of art/visual culture perspective. He covers a wide range of subjects including, what is a photograph? (chapter 1), how do we read photographs? (chapter 2), the city and portraiture (chapters 5 and 6), and the body (chapter 7). There is also a good discussion on the history and theory of documentary photography (chapter 8). This book is very introductory reader.

Sarah Pink (2001) Doing Visual Ethnography. Sage.

Pink’s book is a very good introduction to some of the key debates within visual sociology and anthropology. Her interdisciplinary book covers a wide range of theoretical and methodological issues, and it is recommended that you read the introduction and chapters 1 and 3 which focus on the relationship between ethnography and photography.

Les Back (2007) The Art of Listening. Berg

Back’s approach to visual image-making is based on listening to both photographers and those being photographed. Rather than taking a traditional art historical position of the informed, impartial and expert observer; Back is interested to learn about how photographers interact with their social environments, and how subjects negotiate and establish photographic agency. Chapter 4, (Listening with the Eye) provides a good discussion about an extended photographic encounter in London’s East End.

Caroline Knowles  and Paul Sweetman (2004) Picturing the Social Landscape: Visual Methods and the Sociological Imagination. Routledge.

This is a very accessible and relevant text that introduces key concepts around photography, visual methods and the sociological imagination. The introductory chapter by Knowles and afterword by Howard Becker focus on the methodological position of photography and its claim to evidentiality. 20 

Gillian Rose (2012) Visual Methods: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Methods. Sage.

Rose’s book focuses on a critical examination of how photography contributes towards researching societies and cultures. It is a useful introduction to research methods with discussions around photo-elicitation, aesthetics and ethics (chapters 4, 11 and 12). It is helpful to refer to this book in conjunction with Back, Knowles and Pink for a grounding in wider debates within ethnography and qualitative social science.  

Student work

Gasket is a photographic collective formed of four Goldsmiths alumni. They have used their experiences on the programme to form a group which has led to various exhibitions, events and workshops around the UK.

This MA develops skills in urban photography, visual ethnography and urban research, communications for urban planning, community arts and visual arts practice.

Graduates of the programme have progressed to the following areas and careers:

• Doctoral studies
• public relations
• urban planning
• advertising
• community arts education
• social research

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths .

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The Professional Doctorate in Fine Art has been running at UEL for over 20 years. It is designed for artists working across a range of media and methodologies who wish to make their practice the basis for doctoral study. 

Unlike a PhD, an exhibition of artworks replaces the thesis as the main evidence of research, supported by a 15,000 - 20,000-word written report.  The programme is designed for artists from the UK and abroad and is undertaken 3 years full-time and 5 years part-time. 

Students are engaged in any of the forms of contemporary art, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, installation, photography, text-based and digital work.  They arrive with a creative practice to be analysed and developed rather than a research question or a project to be carried out. Work-in-progress seminars are the backbone of the programme, building critical, creative and presentational skills and peer support. 

Along with twice-yearly exhibitions within and outside of the University, students are given the support to develop their creative practice, professional practice and theoretical research to a doctoral standard. 

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Professional Doctorate

Entry requirements, academic requirements, accepted qualifications.

Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Fine Art or a related discipline, an established creative and professional practice and excellent knowledge of contemporary art.

International Qualifications

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit our International page for full details.

English Language requirements

Overall IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening (or recognised equivalent). If you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English course.

The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week and an 10-week pre-sessional course.

Portfolio requirements

A portfolio is required and should be relevant to this course. It should include a wide range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence and understanding of the subject area.

Refer to our Portfolio page for further information.

An interview is required with a member of the academic teaching team.

Further information will be provide on receipt of an application.

Mature applicants and those without formal qualifications

As an inclusive university, we recognise those who have been out of education for some time may not have the formal qualifications usually required. We welcome applications from those who can demonstrate their enthusiasm and commitment to study and have the relevant life/work experience that equips them to succeed on the course. We will assess this from the information provided in your application or may request additional information such as a CV or attendance at an interview. Please note that some courses require applicants to meet the entry requirements outlined.

Admissions policy / Terms of Admittance

We are committed to fair admissions and access by recruiting students regardless of their social, cultural or economic background. Our admissions policy sets out the principles and procedures we use to admit new students for all courses offered by the university and its partners.

Further advice and guidance

You can speak to a member of our Applicant Enquiries team on +44 (0)20 8223 3333, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Alternatively, you can visit our Information, Advice and Guidance centre.

Prof Doc Fine Art

Prof doc fine art, home applicant, full time.

• Home Applicant
• Full time, 3 years
• 6020 Per year Pound 6020 Per year

Prof Doc Fine Art, home applicant, part time

• Part time, 5 years
• 3010 Per year Pound 3010 Per year

Prof Doc Fine Art, international applicant, full time

• International Applicant
• 16100 Per year Pound 16100 Per year

Prof Doc Fine Art, international applicant, part time

• 8050 Per year Pound 8050 Per year

Fees, funding and additional costs

EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals starting a course from September 2021, will no longer be eligible for Home fees. However, such nationals benefitting from Settled Status or Citizens' Rights may become eligible for Home fees as and when the UK Government confirms any new fee regulations. Further information can be found at UKCISA .

Tuition fees are subject to annual change. Fees for future years will be published in due course.

Home students

Postgraduate loans scheme.

£10,280 to fund your Masters Programme under the Postgraduate Loans (PGL) scheme

Postgraduate Loans (PGL)

The Postgraduate Loan (PGL) provide non-means-tested loans of up to £10,906 to taught and research masters students.  It will be paid to students as a contribution towards tuition fees, living costs and other course costs. Applications are made directly through  Student Finance England  

Eligibility

Whether you qualify depends on: •    if you've studied a postgraduate course before •    your course •    your age •    your nationality or residency status

Full eligibility can be found on the Government's Postgraduate Loan webpage .

Please take a look at the  Postgraduate Loans  for an overview of the new funding.

Postgraduate Scholarship

Apply for a 50 per cent discount on your tuition fees! You can get a 50 per cent discount on course fees through a UEL Postgraduate Scholarship. The scholarship is open to full-time and part-time UK and EU students of taught postgraduate courses. *Exclusions apply.

Find out more about full eligibility criteria and how to apply .

Terms and conditions apply.

Our scholarships and bursaries can help you

How we can help you

Did you know that with a postgraduate qualification, you can expect to earn more than someone who only holds an undergraduate degree?

If you want to build new skills, change career paths, or further your career prospects, a postgraduate degree can help you. Our range of scholarships and bursaries will make financing your education that much easier. Below is some of the funding available to support you in your studies:

• Alumni Discount   - up to 15% fee waiver *exclusions apply. Please see the Alumni Discount page  for information.
• Early Payment Discount  - 5% fee waiver
• Asylum Seekers scholarship   - 100% fee waiver
• Civic Engagement - £1,000
• Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
• Sport Scholarships   - Up to £6,000

How to pay your fees

There are a number of ways you can pay your fees to UEL

• Online payment facilities
• By telephone
• In person at our Docklands or Stratford campus
• Bank transfer

Full information on making payments can be found  on our Finance page .

If you wish to discuss payments to the University, please contact our Income Team on 020 8223 2974 or you can email  [email protected]

Ideas for funding your postgraduate study

Below are some ideas on how to fund your postgraduate study:

•     Apply for a  Postgraduate Loan  
•     Take advantage of  UEL scholarships and bursaries
•     Ask your employer to sponsor your study
•     Study part-time so you can work at the same time (applicable to courses that have a part-time mode)
•     Look at  UK Research and Innovation funding options

The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you're a student at the University of East London. We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement. Live chat: Click the live chat icon in the bottom left of the screen Phone: 020 8223 4444

International students

Living costs for international students.

As part of the Tier 4 student visa requirements, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) estimate that you will need £1,265* per month to cover your living costs. It includes expenses for accommodation, food and drink, travel within London, textbooks, entertainment, clothing, toiletries and laundry. Most Tier 4 students are required to show they have sufficient funds to cover the first nine months of the course before they start - a total of £11,385 - in addition to the tuition fees. You can find more information about the specific requirements of the Tier 4 student visa. The amount that you will spend can vary depending on your lifestyle. The UKCISA International Student Calculator can help you plan and manage your money.

* Please note the Immigration Rules are subject to change and this figure is likely to be increased by UKVI year on year. Please therefore check our ISA page for more information at the time of preparing your visa application.

How to pay your fees - international students

Deposits and paying by instalments International students are required to pay a  deposit  before being issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). Your remaining balance will be paid in five monthly instalments over your first term. The first of these instalments must be paid when completing your enrolment on arrival at UEL. Please follow the payment instructions on our Make a Payment page . After the required payment has been made, you will be asked to complete the online International Student Reply Form to confirm your acceptance of our offer and of our terms of admittance and fee policy.

Our International team at UEL are available for advice and guidance on studying in London, fees, scholarships and visa requirements. Email:  [email protected]

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to, or be required to, buy your own copy of key textbooks.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences.

Free WiFi is available on each of our campuses.

In the majority of cases, coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Travel costs are not included but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses and halls of residence.

For this course, you will be:

• involved in processes of making, as a means of exploration, experimentation, and understanding your practice, by using a diverse range of media and materials
• required to purchase your own copy of books, for required reading
• required to produce physical artefacts for assessment 
• able to participate in optional study visits and/or field trips

However, over and above this you may incur extra costs associated with your studies, which you will need to plan for. 

To help you budget, the information below indicates what activities and materials are not covered by your tuition fees:

• personal laptops and other personal devices 
• personal copies of books 
• optional study visits and field trips (and any associated visa costs)
• printing costs
• your own chosen materials and equipment
• costs of participating in external events, exhibitions, performances etc.

The costs vary every year and with every student, according to the intentions for the type of work they wish to do. Attainment at assessment is not dependent upon the costs of materials chosen.

Learn about applying

Important information about your application, uk full-time starting sept.

How to apply Apply directly to UEL by clicking on the apply button. For further information read our  Guide to Applying . When to apply Places on many courses are limited and allocated on a first-come first-served basis. We advise you to apply as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of receiving an offer. Advice and guidance Our  Information, Advice and Guidance team  provide impartial advice on courses, entry requirements, pre-entry and access programmes in person and via the telephone. +44 (0)20 8223 4354 Already applied? You can track the progress of your application by contacting our Applicant Engagement team on +44 (0)20 8223 3333 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm). Read our  guide to applying  for further information. Need help? Contact our Applicant Engagement team (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) +44 (0)20 8223 3333

UK Part-time starting Sept

How to apply Apply directly to UEL by clicking on the apply button. For further information read our  Guide to Applying . When to apply Places on many courses are limited and allocated on a first-come first-served basis. We advise you to apply as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of receiving an offer. Advice and guidance Our  Information, Advice and Guidance team  provide impartial advice on courses, entry requirements, pre-entry and access programmes in person and via the telephone. +44 (0)20 8223 4354 Already applied? You can track the progress of your application by contacting our Applicant Engagement team on +44 (0)20 8223 3333 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm). Read our  guide to applying  for further information. Need help? Contact our applicant engagement team (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) +44 (0)20 8223 3333

International Full-time starting Sept

Submitting your application please read and consider the entry and visa requirements for this course before you submit your application. for more information please visit our  international student advice pages .  .

How to Apply We accept direct applications for international students. The easiest way to apply is directly to UEL by clicking on the red apply button. Please be sure to  watch our videos  on the application process.

When to Apply Please ensure that you refer to the international admissions deadline . We advise you to apply as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of receiving an offer.

International students who reside overseas Please ensure that you have read and considered the entry requirements for this course before you submit your application. Our enquiries team can provide advice if you are unsure if you are qualified for entry or have any other questions. Please be sure to read about the  Tier 4 visa requirements .

Advice and guidance Our  Information, Advice and Guidance team  provide impartial advice on courses, entry requirements, pre-entry and access programmes in person and via the telephone.

+44 (0)20 8223 4354 Need help? Contact our applicant engagement team (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm)

+44 (0)20 8223 3333

About our foundation years

Our Foundation Year courses are perfect for you if you... 

• are returning to education after a long time, or you don't have the qualifications for direct entry into our degree programmes
• are thinking of re-training and would like an introduction to the area
• are an international student wanting an additional year to adapt to the UK academic system
• are still evaluating which degree pathway at UEL is the right one for you

Please note: Foundation years can only be studied full-time. However, you can transfer to part-time delivery once you have completed your foundation year. Please apply to the full-time option if you wish to study in this way.

What makes this course different

Industry experts

You will study on an increasingly prestigious course under the supervision of some of the country leading fine artists and theorists including Michael Pinsky, Debra Benita Shaw and Karen Raney.

Career prospects

Our doctorate has helped develop the work of internationally acclaimed artists such as Max Hattler, the renowned audio-visual artist and animator.

Work exposure

You will have excellent opportunities to exhibit your work and take advantage of our close relationships with many galleries and our regular engagement with professional venues and practices.

Accreditation

Course modules, research methodologies and professional development.

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

PDF, 131.1kb

What we're researching

We have maintained an international reputation for artistic innovation and research excellence, due in large part to the work of our high-profile art practitioners and researchers in related fields.

Reader Michael Pinsky is a British artist whose international projects have created innovative and challenging works in galleries and public spaces. He has undertaken many residencies that explore issues which shape and influence the use of our public realm.

Taking the combined roles of artist, urban planner, activist, researcher, and resident, he starts residencies and commissions without a specified agenda, working with local people and resources, allowing the physical, social and political environment to define his working methodology. His work has been shown at TATE Britain; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chengdu; Saatchi Gallery; Victoria and Albert Museum; Institute for Contemporary Art, London; La Villette, Paris; BALTIC, Gateshead; Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow; Modern Art Oxford, Milton Keynes Gallery, Cornerhouse, Manchester; Liverpool Biennial, Centre de Création Contemporaine, Tours; Armory Center of the Arts, Los Angeles and the Rotterdam International Architectural Biennial. His most recent solo exhibition was at Somerset House, London.

DFA Programme Leader Karen Raney is an academic, former editor, painter and writer whose novel  All the Water in the World  was published in the US and UK, translated into five languages, and was shortlisted for a Costa Book Award 2020. She was the winner of the 2017 Pat Kavanagh Literary Prize. From 2000-2015 she was editor of Engage Journal of International Visual Art and Gallery Education. Her academic research includes theories of creativity, contemporary art, gallery education, fictional representations of death, and art practice as research.

Debra Benita Shaw is a Reader in Cultural Theory and co-director of the Centre for Cultural Studies Research. She is known internationally as a critical posthumanist interested in urban studies, feminism and science fiction criticism, and has gained considerable recognition in the fields of architecture and critical geography. Her textbook,  Technoculture: The Key Concepts  (2009) is used in science and technology studies courses around the world and she is regularly invited to address symposia on approaches to urban change, posthuman theory and literary criticism. With Jeremy Gilbert, she organises the yearly seminar series Culture, Power & Politics. Senior lecturer Antigoni Memou is the author of  Photography and Social Movements  (2013). She has published in the academic journals Third Text, Photographies, Philosophy of Photography and Ephemera and has presented her research at numerous international academic conferences.

Her research includes the history and theory of photography; the politics of contemporary art; digital image and social media; visual activism and tactical media; art institutions and issues in contemporary display; Latin American photographic practices; the impact of globalisation on art, photography and culture; cultural and critical theory; cross-disciplinary approaches to art history.

Making a difference

UEL is one of the UK's leading modern research universities. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF), 92 per cent of UEL's overall research was rated as world-leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised.

Your future career

The Doctorate in Fine Art (DFA) leads to employment outcomes by requiring students to engage with the art industry of galleries, critics, publications, and artist-run spaces outside of the University. 

The 60-credit taught module in year 1 includes seminars in art writing and publication, funding and exhibiting.

Many doctoral students are already in employment as academics, teachers, curators or artists, and the DFA often leads to an extension of their professional roles or to new employment. 

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal .

The course had an immensely positive impact on my art practice and professional outlook. It provided me with critical context and support, which led to the creation of a new body of work, progressing from short film towards installation-based works including multi-screen setups and a water screen. The Doctorate has helped me steer my entire artistic practice towards a more considered, grounded, and unified expression, a solid foundation on which to build in years to come."

world-renowned animator, Doctorate in Fine Art at UEL

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

Our dedicated and award-winning team provide you with careers and employability resources, including:

• Online jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work.
• Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts 
• 1-2-1 career coaching services 
• Careers workshops and employer events 
• Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme which issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you’ve mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top

• Enterprise and entrepreneurship support 
• We are ranked 6th for graduate start-ups 
• Networking and visits to leading organisations 
• Support in starting a new business, freelancing and self-employment 
• London on our doorstep

What you'll learn

The Professional Doctorate in Fine Art is practice-based and industry-facing, attracting mid-career artists and artist-academics.  The DFA aligns with the institutional vision to bridge the divide between industry and academia.  Its success as the UK's longest-running and largest DFA is evidence of the viability and relevance of its model. The academic rationale for the DFA stems from debate since the 1990s about the status of art practice as research.  Practice is put at the centre of doctoral study, fed by research into contemporary art and theory, and professional exhibiting and curating. 

Employability outcomes are strong, with graduates progressing to be artists or artist-academics in the UK and internationally.  The DFA also serves as professional development for qualified UEL staff who wish to develop their art practice and critical analysis and enrich their teaching. 

The re-validation of this programme proposes a simplified modular structure that more closely represents the Doctorate as it has been refined over many years.  Removal of level 7 modules and making all credits D-level (8) is essential both to accurately reflect the level of study being undertaken and to ensure that students are eligible for new government postgraduate loans.   

The DFA leads the way in UEL in creative practice doctorates and will inform and share resources and teaching with other doctorates undergoing validation - Performing Arts, Film, Fashion, Creative Writing in ACI, and Art and Architecture in ACE. 

How you'll learn

This programme is the UK's longest-running Professional Doctorate in Fine Art and is equivalent to a PhD. The full-time model is three years, part-time is five years.  The doctoral programme has three strands - creative practice, professional practice and theoretical research - and it is designed to follow, within academic parameters, the organic, foraging, unpredictable nature of art practice. 

This distinguishes it from the more academic fine art PhDs. For our students, the proposal is not a project outline to be carried out, but a starting point from which their work can, and does, move in unforeseen directions.  Students are supervised by the programme team and by dedicated supervisors drawn from art and design and related areas, who have relevant research and expertise.

Guided independent study 

After writing and registering their proposal, students work with allocated supervisors, and a core staff team provides continuity and integration. A strong group dynamic and exhibition culture are central to the programme. Work in progress is aired through regular seminars attended by all year groups. Interim shows take place each year, with critics, curators and artists from outside the university invited in to critique the work.  Students are encouraged to seek out and curate their own external exhibitions. 

Academic support 

Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support 

Dedicated personal tutor

As a researcher, your personal tutors are the programme team and two, or sometimes three, doctoral supervisors.

Six work-in-progress seminars are scheduled per semester, with individual tutorials and feedback sessions in addition.  The first semester of the programme is devoted to writing the doctoral proposal, supported by the programme team.  All students exhibit their work at the yearly showcase exhibition.

Your timetable 

A detailed timetable is given out to incoming students prior to the start of the term and is explained fully during induction.  Thursday is the day when DFA seminars and proposal tutorials take place.  Supervision can be arranged individually on other days.

Class sizes

There are between 20 and 30 researchers on the Doctorate Fine Art across all years.  Work-in-progress seminars are attended by all year groups.  Supervisory tutorials are individual.

How you will be assessed

Annual written reviews serve as an ongoing record of doctoral work and research, and are the basis on which students pass and progress to the next year of the programme, through an annual review panel decision. The doctorate itself is awarded on the basis of the written report that accompanies the viva voce examination, and the final major showcase of work.

Detailed feedback is given, verbally and in writing, on drafts of proposals, reviews and reports.  Feedback on creative practice is continuous through the supervision process.

Campus and facilities

Our campus and the surrounding area.

Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well-equipped learning environment.

Join us and you'll be able to make the most of our facilities including contemporary lecture theatres and seminar rooms, art studios and exhibition spaces, audio and visual labs and a multimedia production centre.

Features include our 24/7 Docklands library, our £21m SportsDock centre, a campus shop and bookstore, the Children's Garden Nursery, cafés, eateries, a late bar, plus Student Union facilities, including a student lounge.   University of East London is one of the few London universities to provide on campus accommodation. Our Docklands Campus Student Village houses close to 1,200 students from around the world. We are well connected to central London and London City Airport is just across the water. We also run a free bus service that connects Docklands with Stratford campuses.

Who teaches this course

This course is delivered by School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

Karen J Raney

Dr Debra Benita Shaw

Dr Antigoni Memou

Dr Michael Pinsky

Christian Groothuizen

Dr Keith Winter

Dr Sharone Lifschitz

Dr Garry Doherty

Related courses

This course is part of the Visual Arts subject area.

MA Fine Art

Elevate your artistic vision with a Master's in Fine Art at University of East London. Unleash your creativity through our advanced fine art program.

MA Filmmaking

Master the art of filmmaking at the University of East London. Elevate your skills with our specialised master's programme in filmmaking.

Architecture, Computing and Engineering MPhil PhD

ACE has strong research expertise in urban sustainability, cyber-security and big data studies. We're world leaders in environmental protection studies.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS Modal

Terms of Admittance to the University of East London

The Terms of Admittance govern your contractual relationship with the University of East London ("UEL"). A contract between you, the Student, and us, UEL, is entered into once you accept an offer of a place on a programme at UEL and this contract is subject to consumer protection legislation. You are entitled to cancel this contract within 14 days of enrolment onto your programme.

1) Student enrolment

Enrolment at UEL is the process whereby you officially become a UEL student. The enrolment process requires you to:

• Ensure that we are holding the correct personal details for you
• Agree to abide by our regulations and policies
• Pay your tuition fees/confirm who is paying your tuition fees

You are expected to enrol by the first day of your academic year (click on "Discover") which will be notified to you in your enrolment instructions. Failure to enrol by the deadline contained in our Fees Policy (for most students by the end of the second week of teaching) may lead to the cancellation of student status and all rights attached to that status, including attendance and use of UEL's facilities. If you do not complete the formal process of enrolment but, by your actions, are deemed to be undertaking activities compatible with the status of an enrolled student, UEL will formally enrol you and charge the relevant tuition fee. Such activities would include attendance in classes, use of online learning materials, submission of work and frequent use of a student ID card to gain access to university buildings and facilities. Late enrolment charges may be applied if you do not complete your enrolment by the relevant deadline.

2) Tuition fees

Your tuition fee is determined by:

• the programme you are studying;
• if you are studying full or part-time;
• whether you are a UK/EU or International student; and when you started your studies with us.

We will tell you the tuition fee that you are due to pay when we send you an offer as well as confirm any additional costs that will be incurred, such as bench fees or exceptional overseas study trips. Unregulated tuition fees (where the UK government has not set a maximum fee to be charged) are generally charged annually and may increase each year you are on the programme. Any annual increase will be limited to a maximum of 5% of the previous year's fee. Regulated tuition fees (where the UK government has set a maximum fee to be charged) may also be subject to an annual increase. Any annual increase will be in line with the increase determined by the UK government. You will be notified of any increases in tuition fees at re-enrolment in the programme. Further information on tuition fees and payment options is contained in our Fees Policy .

3) Student ID Cards

To produce an ID card, we need a recent photograph of you that is not obscured and is a true likeness. We will either ask you to send us/upload a photograph in advance of enrolment or take one of you at the point of enrolment. The photograph will be held on our student records system for identification purposes by administrative, academic and security/reception staff. By accepting these Terms of Admittance you are confirming that you agree to your photograph being used in this way. If you object to your photograph being used in this way please contact the University Secretary via email at gov&[email protected] . You are required to provide proof of your identity at initial enrolment and prior to the issue of your UEL student ID card. This is usually a full and valid passport but instead of this you may bring two of the following:

• A (full or provisional) driving licence showing current address
• An international driving licence
• An original birth certificate (in English)
• A debit or credit card (one only)
• A benefit book or benefit award letter (dated within the last 3 months)
• An Armed Forces Identity card
• A police warrant card

You are required to carry and display your student ID card whilst on UEL premises and must keep it safe so that it is not misused by others.

4) Proof of qualifications

You are required to produce evidence of having satisfied the entry requirements for your programme. Such evidence must be in the form of the original certificates or certified notification of results from the examining body. All qualifications must be in English or supported by an official certified translation. If you fail to provide evidence of having satisfied the requirements for the programme you are liable to be withdrawn from the programme.

5) Non-academic entry requirements

You may need to demonstrate that you have met non-academic entry requirements prior to enrolment by providing additional information to UEL. For example, if you:-

• are under 18 years of age at the time of initial enrolment,
• are applying to a programme that requires health clearance for study as stated in the programme specification,
• have declared a relevant criminal conviction,
• will be studying a programme that involves contact with children and/or vulnerable adults or leads to membership in a professional body that deals with children and/or vulnerable adults.

You will not be permitted to enrol and any offer will be withdrawn if UEL deems that you are unsuitable for study following assessment of this additional information in line with published policies. These policies will be provided to you when the additional information is requested.

6) Criminal convictions

UEL has a responsibility to safeguard staff, students and the wider community. You are required to inform UEL of any relevant criminal convictions you have and provide further information relating to these as requested. This includes any relevant criminal convictions received whilst studying at UEL. UEL will assess all information received in line with published policies and may remove you from a programme if the conviction makes you unsuitable for study in UEL's opinion. Failure to declare a relevant criminal conviction or provide further information about you may result in expulsion from UEL.

7) Providing false information to UEL

If you are discovered to have falsified or misrepresented information presented to UEL at application, enrolment or during your studies, you may be expelled from UEL.

8) Continued enrolment and student status

You are expected to abide by all UEL policies and regulations, both those in force at the time of first and subsequent enrolment and as later revised and published from time to time. UEL reserves the right to make reasonable changes to its policies and regulations and any substantial amendments will be brought to your attention. You are also required to take personal responsibility for your studies; this includes undertaking all studies in support of your programme as prescribed by UEL. Key policies include: Manual of General Regulations This describes the general regulatory framework of UEL and gives information about how UEL confers its degrees, diplomas and certificates. It includes important information about academic performance requirements for continued study. Engagement Attendance Policy This outlines UEL's expectations of students in relation to attendance on and engagement with taught programmes. These students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and engage fully with learning materials and resources provided to them - failure to do so may result in withdrawal from module(s) and/or the programme. Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Degrees The purpose of this code is to provide a framework for the successful organisation and implementation of good practice in all matters relating to postgraduate research degrees at UEL. It aims to ensure that all students are effectively supported and supervised so that the full scope and potential of their research is realised; that their thesis is submitted within regulatory periods and that they complete their programme with a suitable and sufficient portfolio of research and employment-related skills and competencies. Health and Safety Policy This describes the structures and processes by which UEL protects the health and safety of its staff, students and visitors. It confirms that students will receive sufficient information, instruction and induction in relation to health and safety. All students should take reasonable care of their health and safety. They must abide by UEL’s rules and regulations and cooperate with supervisors to enable them to fulfil their obligations. Students must not interfere intentionally, or recklessly misuse anything provided for health and safety. UEL has consulted with its students and staff and has adopted a No Smoking Policy to safeguard the health and well-being of its community. Students are required to comply with this policy which restricts smoking to designated shelters and prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes within any UEL building or near building entrances. For further information on our Healthy Campus initiatives and support please visit the Health and Safety pages . Student Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures (incorporating the student code of conduct) This code is more than a list of things that we should and should not do: it reminds us that we should always consider how our behaviour affects others. The code applies:

• to all students;
• at all sites throughout our estate, and;
• when we represent UEL on business beyond our campus, both in real (face-to-face) and virtual environments.

And outlines expectations of students:

• verbal and physical behaviour should always be polite and respectful;
• behaviour should not impair the engagement, learning or participation of others;
• anti-social behaviour by individuals and groups will not be tolerated.

9) Changes to scheduled programmes

UEL will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the programme of study that you have accepted will conform to the programme specification published on our website and will ensure that the necessary resources required to enable you to meet the required learning outcomes and pass the relevant assessments are available. In order to ensure that our programmes are current and relevant, they are subject to regular review. From time to time, to ensure the maintenance of academic standards and/or compliance with professional body requirements, it may be necessary to amend a module or make adjustments to programme content. Major changes to programmes that in the reasonable opinion of UEL, will have a significant impact on students will involve consultation with students already enrolled on the programme when the changes are proposed. Once any changes are confirmed, UEL will notify all students and applicants of the changes. When UEL reasonably considers that the change may only impact one or more cohorts on the relevant programme, UEL may decide to only consult with the relevant cohort. In the event that we discontinue a programme, we will normally permit existing students to complete the programme within the typical duration of study. In these circumstances, UEL will use reasonable endeavours to continue the programme for existing students without making major changes. If this is not possible, we will support students in changing to another UEL programme on which a place is available, and for which the student is suitably qualified, or assist with transfer to another HEI to complete the programme elsewhere.

10) Changes to these terms

We may change these terms from time to time where, in UEL's opinion, it will assist in the proper delivery of any programme of study or in order to:- (a) Comply with any changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements; (b) Implement legal advice, national guidance or good practice; (c) Provide for new or improved delivery of any programme of study; (d) Reflect market practice; (e) In our opinion make them clearer or more favourable to you; (f) Rectify any error or mistake; or (g) Incorporate existing arrangements or practices. No variation or amendment to these Terms of Admittance may be made without our prior written agreement. In the event that we agree to transfer you to an alternative programme of study, the transfer will be considered to be a variation to the Terms of Admittance, which shall otherwise remain in full force and existence. If we revise the Terms of Admittance, we will publish the amended Terms of Admittance by such means as we consider reasonably appropriate. We will use reasonable endeavours to give you notice of any changes before they take effect.

11) Data Protection

UEL is committed to adhering to its obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and will act as a Data Controller when it processes your personal data. You can find our registration to the Data controller register on ico.org.uk . UEL processes your personal data to fulfil its contractual and legal obligations to students. Personal data that we process about you includes:

• Your contact details and other information submitted during the application and enrolment processes;
• Details of courses, modules, timetables and room bookings, assessment marks and examinations related to your study;
• Financial and personal information collected for the purposes of administering fees and charges, loans, grants, scholarships and hardship funds;
• Photographs, and video recordings for the purpose of recording lectures, student assessments and examinations and for the purposes of university promotion that is in our legitimate interest but still fair to you;
• Information about your engagement with the University such as attendance data and use of electronic services such as Moodle, Civitas and YourTutor;
• Contact details for next of kin to be used in an emergency;
• Details of those with looked-after status or those who have left the care system for the provision of support;
• Information related to the prevention and detection of crime and the safety and security of staff and students, including, but not limited to, CCTV recording and data relating to breaches of University regulations;

This is not an exhaustive list, for further information please refer to our fair processing notice pages on uel.ac.uk. In all of its data processing activities, UEL is committed to ensuring that the personal data it collects stores and uses will be processed in line with the data protection principles which can be summarised as:

• Being processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner;
• Collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes;
• Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary;
• Accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date;
• Kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary;
• Processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal information;
• Be accountable for, and be able to demonstrate compliance with, the six principles above.

Student Responsibilities You must ensure that:

• All personal data provided to UEL is accurate and up-to-date. You must ensure that changes of address etc. are notified to the Student Hub.
• Students who use UEL's computing facilities may process personal data as part of their studies. If the processing of personal data takes place, students must take responsibility for that processing activity to ensure that it is in line with the data protection principles above.
• Students who are undertaking research projects using personal data must ensure that:
• The research subject is informed of the nature of the research and is given a copy of UEL's Fair Processing Notice and this Data Protection Policy.

12) Legal basis for use of data

By agreeing to these Terms of Admittance and enrolling at UEL, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of a contract for the use of your personal data relating to your enrolment, and if appropriate, registration and ongoing participation in a programme of study. Your personal or special category data will be collected, processed, published and used by UEL, its online learning and teaching services and/or its partners and agents in ways which support the effective management of UEL and your programme of study, to allow for the delivery of bursary schemes and to support improvements to student experience and progression, and are consistent with: The terms of the Data Protection Act 2018; Any notification submitted to the Information Commissioner in accordance with this legislation; and compliance with any other relevant legislation. You have fundamental rights associated with how organisations use your personal data. Further information on data protection and use of your personal data can be found in our Data Protection Policy and on uel.ac.uk.

13) Intellectual property

You are entitled to the intellectual property rights created during your time studying at UEL that would belong to you under the applicable law. There are some programmes where the assignment of certain types of intellectual property to UEL is appropriate. UEL will require the assignment to it of intellectual property rights relating to postgraduate research that is part of an ongoing research programme. Where the nature of the research programme means that some assignment of intellectual property rights to UEL is appropriate, we will take what steps that we can to ensure that your interests are protected. UEL will take reasonable endeavours to ensure:-

• the scope of the assignment is narrow, and is restricted to what is necessary, for example, to protect UEL’s legitimate interests in the intellectual property created as party to a research programme;
• the application of the assignment is clearly defined so that it is clear to you in which circumstances the assignment will apply;
• where the assignment of the intellectual property is appropriate in the circumstances, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the rights of the parties are evenly balanced (for example, your work being acknowledged in a publication and, where appropriate, subject to an appropriate revenue sharing scheme)
• where UEL claims ownership of intellectual property rights in relation to a taught programme of study, such treatment of those rights will be made clear in the published information relating to that programme.

14) How we communicate with you

UEL will communicate with you via a variety of channels, including postal letters, e-mail, SMS text messages and online notices. To enable this, we request that you provide us with your e-mail address, postal address, and contact telephone number when you first enrol. Throughout your studies, it is important that you keep your contact details up to date. You can view and edit this information by logging into our student portal, UEL Direct at https://uel.ac.uk/Direct . We will create a UEL e-mail account for you after you enrol. Your e-mail address will be your student number, prefixed with a ‘u’ and followed by ‘@uel.ac.uk’ – e.g.: [email protected]. UEL will use this e-mail address to communicate with you and it is important that you regularly check and manage this mailbox for important updates and information. You can access your email account, plus information about our services, news and events by logging into our Intranet, intranet.uel.ac.uk. At the login screen, enter your email address (as above) and password. Your default UEL password will be your date of birth, formulated as DD-MMM-YY, e.g. 31-jan-84. Your UEL email account and associated UEL IT accounts will be deleted not more than 6 months after you graduate or withdraw from your programme of study (if earlier).  

15)University of East London Students' Union

The University of East London Students' Union (UELSU) represents students at UEL. By enrolling at UEL you are automatically granted membership of both UELSU and the National Union of Students (NUS). If you wish to opt-out from this membership, please inform UELSU in writing at either [email protected]  or by writing to Chief Executive, UELSU, University of East London, Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London E16 2RD. UELSU provides a range of services and support to students and can provide advice and representation on any matter affecting the contract between you and UEL. For further information on this support, please visit www.uelunion.org

16) Students studying at partner institutions

If you are undertaking a programme of study at a partner institution you will need to generally abide by the above terms and also those of the partner institution. Further information and support in understanding these terms is available from the Academic Partnership Office -  [email protected] .

17) International students - additional responsibilities

All international students must also comply with UK Visa and Immigration requirements. All international students are required to hold a valid visa which permits study in the UK or hold a Tier 4 visa/have applied for a Tier 4 visa with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies issued by UEL. Students who are being sponsored under a Tier 4 student visa must also understand and comply with the responsibilities of their student visa and cooperate with UEL in fulfilling our Tier 4 duties .

18) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

UEL is committed to working together to build a learning community founded on equality of opportunity – a learning community which celebrates the rich diversity of our student and staff populations and one in which discriminatory behaviour is challenged and not tolerated within our community. Within the spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise fair treatment and equality of opportunity for all regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability or religion/belief (or lack of). In pursuing this aim, we want our community to value and to be at ease with its own diversity and to reflect the needs of the wider community within which we operate. For further information on this inclusive approach to education please visit our Student Policies page .

19) Complaints

We welcome feedback on our programmes and services and facilitate this in a variety of ways, including programme committees, module evaluation forms and surveys. However, if you are dissatisfied with a particular service or programme or the manner in which it has been delivered, you must let the person responsible for that service know as we will always try to resolve matters at the earliest opportunity via informal conciliation. If you are unsure who to approach, please e-mail The Hub who will be able to direct your concerns appropriately. If you remain dissatisfied with a service or programme, or the manner in which it is delivered, you should refer to our formal complaints procedure to have the matter formally addressed. In addition, once you have enrolled on your programme, you will also have access to the Advice and Information Service offered by UELSU. This access is not available to students studying at partner institutions.

20) Cancellation

If you wish to cancel this contract within 14 days of enrolment in your programme, you must do so in writing. Any fees that you have paid will be refunded – please see the Fees Policy for further information on obtaining a refund.

21) Further guidance

If any of the information in these Terms of Admittance or related policies is unclear or if you have any questions, please contact The Hub for guidance on +44 (0) 208 223 4444 .

22) Right to advice

This is a consumer contract and you are able to obtain independent advice in relation to its terms and conditions from UELSU as well as your local Citizens Advice Bureau.  

23) General

Neither you nor UEL will be liable for failure to perform their obligations under these Terms of Admittance if such failure arises from unforeseeable events, circumstances or causes outside of that party's reasonable control. Examples of such events include, but are not limited to, war, terrorism, industrial disputes, natural disasters, fire and national emergencies. Only you and UEL are parties to these Terms of Admittance. No other person shall have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of these Terms of Admittance. Failure or delay by you or UEL to exercise any right or remedy provided under this contract shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor shall it prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. No single or partial exercise of such right or remedy shall prevent or restrict the further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. These Terms of Admittance are governed by the law of England and Wales and you and UEL agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

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Course type

Qualification, university name, postgraduate photography.

56 degrees at 37 universities in the UK.

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Photography MA

Middlesex university.

Our practice and research-based course will challenge you to explore, question and evolve as a photographer. The course provides you with Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £10,500 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £5,250 per year (UK)

MA Photography

University for the creative arts.

Photography at UCA Enhance your skills, broaden your scope and refine your style as a photographer on our MA Photography degree course at Read more...

Manchester Metropolitan University

The School of Digital Art's (SODA) MA Photography course provides a dynamic opportunity for you to test, push and extend the current Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,000 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £5,502 per year (UK)

University of Gloucestershire

What is Photography MA This postgraduate course supports and challenges your ideas, creativity and ambitions. Whatever your previous Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £8,075 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £8,075 per year (UK)

Expanded Photography MA

University of westminster, london.

Course summary The Expanded Photography MA embraces photography as an expanded field, encompassing specialisms such as virtual Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,500 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time day degree: £5,850 per year (UK)

Bristol, University of the West of England

Art and industry combine on this innovative, practice-based postgraduate course, designed to develop your creative promise, deepen your Read more...

• 15 months Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK)

MA Fashion Photography

University of the arts london.

The course situates fashion photography within a range of social, cultural and theoretical models of practice and dissemination. The MA Read more...

• 12 months Full time degree: £13,330 per year (UK)

Fine Art (Photography) MA

Bath spa university.

Explore your creative potential and achieve professional outcomes, alongside painters and sculptors, curators and designers. Learn from Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,520 per year (UK)

Arts University Bournemouth

The MA Photography course is the perfect springboard for ambitious photographers wishing to become practitioners at the forefront of the Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £4,500 per year (UK)

Kingston University

On this MA Photography degree you will embark on a fascinating journey of visual experimentation and theoretical contextualisation in Read more...

• 17 months Full time degree: £12,900 per year (UK)

Coventry University

The MA Photography course at Coventry University offers an exciting opportunity for emerging practitioners in the field of photography Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,200 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree

Photographic History MA

De montfort university.

Join our online time-flexible distance learning programme to learn about photography’s relationship with politics, science, technology, and Read more...

• 1 year Online degree: £9,435 per year (UK)
• 2 years Online degree

University of Plymouth

Our MA Photography programme engages with contemporary practices in image-making, writing and curating through eco-critical and post-human Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,500 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £4,770 per year (UK)

MA Socially Engaged Photography

University of salford.

INTRODUCTION Photography has become the most pervasive medium through which individuals share their lives on a daily basis. This new Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £8,820 per year (UK)

MPhil/PhD (Communication Design & Photography)

University of south wales.

A PhD is a doctoral degree based on a significant and original individual research project which culminates in an in-depth thesis (or Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,716 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,358 per year (UK)

University of Central Lancashire

The MA Photography programme offers an in-depth, creative and socially engaged postgraduate level education in the practices of Read more...

University of Portsmouth

This MA Photography course will build upon your existing skills and passion for photography and visual arts, supporting you as you Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £8,900 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £2,970 per year (UK)

Nottingham Trent University

Our MA Photography is a practice-based course that aims to develop highly flexible, creative, and critical professionals able to respond Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,700 per year (UK)

University of Brighton

Intro Photography at Brighton is taught within the context of the fine arts and oriented around the development of individual projects. The Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,450 per year (UK)

Sheffield Hallam University

Course summary Advance your skills in modern photography Experiment with industry-standard equipment Take on an individual project Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £10,310 per year (UK)

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AUD 87,009 ? GBP  46,560 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

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London , United Kingdom

THE world university rank:  801

AUD 105,473 ? GBP  56,440 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

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AUD 26,368 ? GBP  14,110 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

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Cardiff , United Kingdom

THE world university rank:  1001

AUD 85,776 ? GBP  45,900 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

PhD Art History - Photography, film and spectatorship

Nottingham , United Kingdom

THE world university rank:  130

AUD 120,535 ? GBP  64,500 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

PhD Global Photographies

AUD 93,662 ? GBP  50,120 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

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Cheltenham , United Kingdom

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Research degrees with the London School of Film, Media and Design

Research specialisms.

The London School of Film, Media and Design offers a PhD within the areas of expertise of the School’s teaching staff.  The combination of theoretical and practical research specialisms in the department means we are able and happy to support PhD work. 

Current research areas

We are currently seeking applications for PhDs in the following broad fields and areas:

• adaptation studies, film studies, genre studies, genre theory, popular fiction
• creative writing, screenwriting
• filmmaking, film theory, film and philosophy, screen studies
• gender, technology and work
• media arts, art and design history, cultural history, communication design, design and visual literacies
• media history and theory, media archaeology, gallery and museum studies
• media studies, media transformations, branding, public relations, television, news and journalism
• modern literature, literary theory, literature and philosophy
• photography history and theory, media and photography practice, photography and philosophy, literature and photography
• rethinking the image

Below are some of the areas covered by the research specialisms of our teaching staff:

Adaptation and popular British genre fiction

This PhD project with  Professor Jeremy Strong  will take as its subject a range of British written and screen texts from the overlapping genres of adventure and the thriller, including novels (and their adaptations) by Haggard, Buchan, Hope, Childers, Charteris, Household, Ambler, Fleming, 'Sapper' and Greene.

Its object is to understand and frame these works in a national/historical context – spanning the late peak of Empire to its fall – and in terms of reading tastes, filmmaking practices and film-going choices. Methodologically, a variety of approaches could be brought to bear, and the eventual choice (or combination) will be in part determined by the skillset of the successful applicant. However, likely avenues include:

• archival study of relevant publishing and production materials
• analysis of contemporary reviews, criticism, and popular responses – including book sales data and box office information
• application of Adaptation Studies’ theoretical approaches to the corpus
• typological analysis of the evolving characteristics of the British hero

The intermediality of art cinema

Despite a broad turn towards intermediality and attention to questions of ‘convergence’ in cinema, screen and media studies, modern and contemporary art cinemas still largely tend to be considered as more or less autonomous entities, whether as the body of work of a given director or auteur, the product of a nation, movement or tendency (as with, lately, so-called ‘slow cinema’).

If other forms or arts are invoked, these tend to be forms such as literature, or more traditional fine art disciplines such as painting or sculpture. Proposals are invited for research projects (working with  Dr Matilde Nardelli  and  Professor Garin Dowd ) seeking to explore modern or contemporary art cinema’s often overlooked status and circulation as itself a mass medium (albeit with a smaller, more selected yield), and/or its relation to, and circulation through, mass media forms such as photography, television, print and online media – which may in fact often even constitute the main forms of a given film’s visibility and cultural circulation.

Media transformations

This is an open call for a number of PhD students interested in examining transformations in media, particularly the relationship between media content and present and ongoing technological innovation and transformation.

This could include:

• public relations management of 'extreme' events across media ( Dr Sumaya Alnahed )
• the intersections of geopolitical change with changes in the media landscape (such as the shifting relationship between social media and 'mainstream' media) ( Dr Sumaya Alnahed )
• the adaptation and reworking of content and narratives across diverse media platforms ( Professor Jeremy Strong ,  Professor Garin Dowd )
• changing representations and experiences of space and place in the context of globalised media ( Professor Garin Dowd )
• the reinvention of cinema in the context of new distribution and production technologies
• transformations in sexual practices and pornography in emergent media contexts ( Professor Helen Hester )

Modern European cinema, landscape and environmental awareness

This project with  Dr Matilde Nardelli  will entail research into the role of modern (or post-1945) European cinema in the emergence of so-called modern environmental consciousness and ecological thinking in the second half of the last century, in the wake of rapid industrialisation, consumer booms and processes of de- and recolonisation. In this period cinema has operated as an agent of testimony to the catastrophic ravages of the Second World War and as a mode of interrogating the nuclear threat during the Cold War era. With its capacity to document the material world and its ability to ‘preserve’ that world either in its given status (untarnished or otherwise) or in its progressive degradation (or amelioration), the cinematographic image has functioned, sometimes with and often without the intentionality of the filmmaker(s), as a record of a changing world. Post 1945-cinema, moreover, has operated in parallel with the very globalisation in which it is inescapably implicated, while simultaneously it (globalisation) is also is the primary agential force in environmental disaster and ecological degradation.

The project will develop a critical perspective and propose a new theoretical framework to contribute to this debate. It will combine a broad range of examples or focus on particular directors, or on a national or regionally identified cinema and will propose a framework conducive to its chosen remit.

Practice, theory and philosophy in film, photographic and screen arts

This is a call for a number of PhD students interested in examining points of intersection between film and screen theory and film and artist film practices.

Projects could focus on the moving image in all or some aspects of film studies, filmmaking, film theory, screen studies and gallery/museum studies ( Dr Matilde Nardelli ).

Specific focus might be brought to bear on some of the following:

• thought and theorisation as immanent to cinema and/or screen arts ( Professor Garin Dowd )
• genealogies of film practice as theory
• intersections of filmmaking and theory in specific directors ( Professor Jeremy Strong ,  Professor Garin Dowd ,  Dr Matilde Nardelli ,  Professor Helen Hester )
• film and photographic philosophical approaches to practices of theorisation ( Professor Garin Dowd ,  Dr Junko Theresa Mikuriya )
• institutional critique in gallery-installed moving image art works ( Dr Matilde Nardelli )

The combination of theoretical and practical research specialisms in the School means we are able and happy to support either written or practice-based PhD work, which could include film or exhibition practice.

Proposals in other areas of research are welcomed including advertising, graphic communication, public relations and museum studies; media and the Middle East; photography history and theory, new media and new media theory, critical and cultural theory; technologies, sex and gender; media archaeology; adaptation (novel-to-film and other forms of inter-medial and trans-medial traffic); genre studies and genre theory.

Promotional cultures

This call for MPhil/PhD applications relates to an ongoing research initiative at the University of West London, led by  Associate Professor Dennis Olsen , exploring the representation of older adults and ageing in promotional communications. The overarching objective is to facilitate meaningful change within the creative industries regarding age diversity, equity and inclusion, thus shaping future promotional cultures. Research produced as part of this initiative so far has focused on the UK, Germany and Australia.

Applications are invited which offer fresh insight into this socio-politically relevant topic via:

• intercultural/cross-country media investigations in under-researched countries (any rationale in terms of country selection should be informed by, eg, socio-demographic factors and accessibility); 
• collaborative approaches in order to include creators (eg communications agencies, brands, casting agencies) and/or regulators (eg professional bodies) and/or older adults themselves as part of the discourse in the UK.

Rethinking the image

This is an open call for PhD students interested in working in the broad fields of interest of several researchers in the school ( Professor Garin Dowd ,  Dr Matilde Nardelli ,  Dr Junko Theresa Mikuriya ,  Professor Helen Hester ).

This call relates to the interrelations between the still and moving image, live and recorded images, sound and the screen, the idea of photography that has shaped its technological development, and how theoretical debates in photography or in relation to images more broadly can be reappraised in the current social, cultural and technological context.

This call also relates to film spectatorship studies in fiction and documentary, accommodating approaches as diverse as cognitive theory, phenomenology and affect theory in the pursuit of exploring the link between film text, audience experience and viewing context.

The combination of theoretical and practical research specialisms in the department means we are able and happy to support either written or practice-based PhD work, including in film, television, photography and media arts.

Samuel Beckett in the 21st century

What are the main currents to have emerged and how do these relate to previous approaches to his work? In the recent responses of several commentators to trends within the humanities centring on such concepts as the anthropocene and the posthuman, is one in the presence of theoretical innovation or the conceptual repackaging of earlier models of thinking about Beckett?

Is the upsurge of work with an archival foundation indicative of an enriching engagement with sources or is it suggestive of a detrimental disengagement from the work itself? Applications are invited which offer fresh insights into some or all of the debates listed above.

Literature, Literary Theory, Creative Writing

The School has supervisory expertise in a range of fields of modern literature. We invite applications focused on the work of individual authors in the modern period but have concentrations of staff research interests in several general areas.

Among these are literary theory and philosophy ( Garin Dowd ), adaptation ( Jeremy Strong ), image and text studies ( Theresa Mikuriya ), literature of the fin-de-siècle ( Marcus Nicholls ), modernism ( Garin Dowd ), the nineteenth-century novel ( Jeremy Strong ), surrealism and writing ( Theresa Mikuriya ) and literature and class ( Jonathon Crewe ).

The School also welcomes applications for practice-based and practice-led projects in creative writing and screenwriting ( Jeremy Strong , Jonathon Crewe ).

Please consult the profiles via the links above and contact one or more of the potential supervisors for an informal discussion if you are interested in making an application.

Research degrees

Studying for a PhD enables you to develop an area of specialism that will give you an edge, whether you are planning to work in industry, or to develop expertise to teach in academia.

London School of Film, Media and Design offers the PhD courses below:

PhD Media (West London Campus)

West London Campus

PhD Creative Writing (West London Campus)

PhD Film Studies (West London Campus)

PhD English Literature (West London Campus)

Current research degree projects

Below are the research degree projects currently being studied by our postgraduate students.

The adaptation of history and place investigated through the writing of a historical novel set against the construction of the nineteenth century Prussian fortress Ehrenbreitstein (1817-1837)

Research student

• David Davies

Research supervisor/s

• Professor Jeremy Strong

Branding: The skill of communicating moral values

• Bernardo Meza Guzman
• Dr Dennis Olsen
• Dr Isabel Huet

Conspiracy and cartography: The mapping impulse of conspiracy theories

• Alec Howlett
• Professor Garin Dowd
• Dr Matilde Nardelli

A critical investigation into the relationship between modernity, utopianism and post-work theory

• Professor Helen Hester

A fractured life: A novel, and a thesis on history-as-adaptation

• Vanessa Fisher
• Dr Jonathon Crewe

From the ectomorph to the male waif: A cultural history of male thinness

• Steve Woodford
• Dr Theresa Mikuriya

The haunting persistence of the witch: Figurations of witchcraft and historiography

• Dominic O’Donoghue

An investigation of martial arts representation in British TV, film and advertising from the 1960s-1990s

• Professor Maddie Ohl
• Professor Emily Caston

New articulations of time: Cinema and digital media culture

• Alice Giuliani

The platform imagination

• Freja Kircheiner
• Dr Sotirios Varsamis

Playing against the camera: Tracing the emergence, labour and potential of a feminised photographing body

Project synopsis

‘Playing against the camera’ seeks to trace an alternative history of photography, reinscribed as the emergence of a biotechnological assemblage – a ‘photographing body’.

Within the field of photography theory, the body of the photographer has been consistently ignored or understudied. This enquiry turns to new materialist, object oriented and technofeminist philosophies to explore fresh perspectives on the bodies that photograph.

Rummaging archives of technology, media, art and activism, the project aims to identify the technologies, behaviours and affects that assembled to produce feminised photographing bodies.‘Playing against the camera’ is situated within a feminist philosophy of technology and will investigate the relationship between the emergence of feminised photographing body and the development of emancipatory politics.

Rowan Lear is an artist, writer and researcher, with interests in art ecologies, histories of photography, technofeminism, networked culture, media archaeology, feminist theory and political philosophy. Previous study includes MA Photography: Contemporary Dialogues (Swansea College of Art, 2013) and BA (Hons) Photography and Film (Edinburgh Napier University, 2010).

Rowan is co-director of the artist-led festival Bristol Biennial, and has worked on a number of public art projects and major exhibitions in the UK, for organisations including Arnolfini, In Between Time, Hand in Glove and Situations. Rowan has written widely on art and photographic practice, including criticism, catalogue essays and exhibition texts, and develops new work through residencies and collaborations. She has also lectured in art, photography and visual culture in and outside of universities and art institutions.

See Rowan's Twitter ,  LinkedIn  and  Academia  profiles.

Unsuitable Objects: Disrupting photorealism in the digital 3D scan through art practice

• Florian Stephens
• Second supervisor (external): Dr Seth Giddings, Winchester School of Art 

"This is my story": The role of emotions in online feminist activism in Brazil

• Gabriela Loureiro

Translation as interlingual adaptation: Writing a mystery novel in English and Spanish through creative practice-led research

• Isabel Del Rio Salvador

Utopia Beyond Progress: Ernst Bloch and the imaginary of possible emancipatory politics

• Maja Kantar

Awarded research degrees

Below are the research projects and degrees awarded each year.

Research degrees awarded in 2023/24

Celebrity chefs and the acquisition of taste in contemporary British society

• PhD awarded to Ariane Lengyel, September 2023
• Principal supervisor: Professor Jeremy Strong

Research degrees awarded in 2022/23

Turpin: The Notorious

• PhD awarded to Alastair Hagger
• Principal supervisors: Professor Jeremy Strong, Dr Jonathon Crewe

Research degrees awarded in 2020/2021

“We are a service class”: A workers' enquiry into the class composition of service commodity production during the unreal interregnum

• PhD awarded to Callum Cant, December 2020
• Principal supervisor: Professor Helen Hester

Your utopia, my dystopia: an enquiry into the narrative and dramatic potentialities of Plato’s republic as realised in the form of a dystopian novel

• MPhil awarded to Marguerite Nolan​, December 2020
• Principal supervisor: Professor Jeremy Strong

Research degrees awarded in 2019/2020

They call it love: wages of housework and emotional reproduction

• PhD awarded to Alva Gotby, October 2019

Research degrees awarded in 2018/2019

Examining adaptation studies in and through the decadent aesthetics of J-K Huysmans’ a rebours

• PhD awarded to Marcus Nicholls, February 2019
• Principal supervisor: Professor Jeremy Strong

Research degrees awarded in 2017/2018

(Visual) representations of old age and older people in (print) advertising: Histories of scholarship for and a contemporary cross-cultural analysis of, Germany and Australia

• PhD awarded to Dennis Otrebski, April 2017

Hagging the image: Challenging the role of photographic images in contemporary narratives of ageing femaleness within Anglo-American culture

• PhD awarded to Sukey Parnell, April 2018
• Principal supervisor: Dr Mark Little

Research degrees awarded in 2016/2017

The Power of possessions: An investigation into the ontology of personal possessions in the context of death and bereavement through the practice of still-life photography

• PhD awarded to Carol Hudson, January 2017

Applying for a PhD

If you are considering applying for a PhD, the first step is to contact a supervisor in a relevant research area - contact emails are listed against projects above.

Find out more about the funding we offer, the application process and other frequently asked questions .

If you have any questions please contact us by email: [email protected]

Find out more

Research centres.

Find out about our multi-disciplinary areas of expertise, research, and teaching.

Research impact

Learn how our research has helped communities locally, nationally and internationally.

Find out more about PhD and Professional Doctorate opportunities and how we will support you within our active and interdisciplinary research community.

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