MA
Photography Practice
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Why study MA Photography Practice at Goldsmiths
MA Photography Practice at Goldsmiths approaches photography as an expanded art form in a time of radical transformation. Our programme cultivates the essential visual sensitivity needed to create powerful images while balancing digital innovation with analogue craft, critical theory with practical skills, and personal expression with professional development.
- Cultivate sophisticated visual literacy and articulation. Understanding the subtle grammar of images is fundamental regardless of technology. Our curriculum emphasizes deep visual analysis alongside technical skill-building, preparing you to communicate with sophistication across evolving platforms and contexts.
- Transcend traditional boundaries. Photography's power now extends far beyond the conventional frame. We encourage exploration across media including moving image, CGI, installation, sculpture, and emerging technologies, while providing the conceptual frameworks to make these explorations meaningful.
- Master both digital and traditional analogue techniques. Photography today exists in a state of exciting flux—simultaneously experiencing an unprecedented digital revolution while witnessing a renaissance in traditional processes. At Goldsmiths, we believe access to this full spectrum is vital for contemporary image-makers who seek to create resonant, affecting work. Whether you're drawn to the latest digital technologies, the material qualities of film, or any combination that serves your vision, you'll find expert support and comprehensive facilities for your chosen direction.
- Develop your professional output. Exhibition and publication are integral to your development as a practitioner. We provide dedicated opportunities to showcase your work through curated exhibitions, publications, and online platforms, with guidance on professional presentation and audience engagement.
- Chart your individual pathway and refine your unique artistic voice. Your unique voice and vision drive our programme. Through personalized tutorials, group critiques, and independent projects, we help you refine your distinct approach while expanding your conceptual and technical abilities.
- Connect with London's world-class creative industry. Regular visiting lecturers, industry connections, and collaborative projects connect you with London's vibrant photography scene. These relationships extend your professional network and provide insight into diverse career paths.
- Create ambitious work with professional-grade facilities. Work in fully-equipped digital and analogue facilities supported by technical specialists. Our photography labs, darkrooms, and digital suites provide the resources you need to realize ambitious projects across multiple formats.
- Engage with cutting-edge theory and research. Contemporary critically engaged photography demands both technical skill and intellectual depth. Our programme benefits from the department's world-class academics and researchers whose expertise spans media theory, visual culture, and cultural studies. This exceptional theoretical environment ensures your practice is informed by rigorous critical thinking and contemporary discourse.
- Join a diverse and vibrant community. Our international cohort brings together artists with unique perspectives and personal histories. This dynamic environment values authentic expression and fosters a space where individual voices can develop with integrity. You'll find both the creative freedom and supportive community essential for exploring meaningful personal narratives through your photographic practice.
- Study at a world-leading institution for media and visual arts. Our Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies—ranked second in the UK for research (REF, 2021) and 16th globally (QS World Rankings, 2024)—provides an exceptional environment for developing your practice within a broader cultural context.
Contact the department
If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Jacob Love.
Length
1 year full-time
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least 2:1 standard in a relevant/related subject. You will also be required to provide a photographic portfolio and a five-minute video or screen recording where you talk about and present your portfolio.
Fees
Home - full-time: £13600
International - full-time: £27200
Department
What you'll learn
- Critical perspectives: Develop sophisticated theoretical frameworks to understand the production, distribution, and reception of images in historical and contemporary contexts
- Visual literacy: Refine your ability to create compelling images through a deepened understanding of how visual elements communicate and affect viewers
- Technical versatility: Master both digital and analogue processes, building technical confidence that serves your creative intentions
- Expanded practice: Explore photography's relationship to installation, moving image, performance, and other art forms while maintaining the clarity of your visual voice
- Professional development: Gain practical experience in exhibition design, portfolio development, and professional presentation
What you'll study
You'll engage with photography through hands-on workshops, critical seminars, one-to-one tutorials, and independent research. Our approach emphasises both technical precision and creative experimentation, encouraging you to develop work through cycles of making, critique, and refinement that sharpen your visual sensibility.
Term 1
The programme begins with a period of intensive exploration and experimentation. During your first term, you'll test ideas, techniques, and approaches through diverse workshops and projects, culminating in an interim exhibition early in the spring.
This initial phase encourages productive risk-taking and discovery, creating space for unexpected breakthroughs that might inform your developing practice.
Term 2 and 3
Building on these discoveries, the second half of the programme shifts toward sustained development of your individual project. With ongoing tutorial support and technical guidance, you'll refine your creative voice and conceptual framework while deepening your technical mastery. This extended investigation culminates in the Final Degree Show, where you'll present a substantial body of work alongside professional documentation and contextual writing that demonstrates both your technical accomplishment and conceptual depth.
This journey from open exploration to focused development gives you the freedom to discover new possibilities before committing to a sustained investigation of your most compelling ideas.
Teaching and learning
This course is interested in the development of the individual voice while situating this development in the context of the wider developments in photography and post-photography, other forms of image-making. To this end, we use a number of teaching formats, such as lectures, seminars, technical sessions, groups crits and individual tutorials.
How you'll be assessed
Original portfolio submission; coursework and essays.
Technical facilities and workshops
Our extensive facilities support both traditional and experimental approaches:
- Analogue processes: Medium/large format cameras, darkrooms, alternative processes, film technologies
- Digital technologies: High-end digital cameras, studio lighting, post-production suites, large-format printing
- Expanded media: Videography, sound recording, 3D modeling, Sonic Immersive Media Lab for large-scale multiscreen video installations
- Dedicated spaces: Purpose-built areas for experimental installation work and exhibition preparation
- Emerging technologies: AI image generation, computational photography, CGI
- Publishing and presentation: Book binding, zine production, exhibition design
Watch videos of student work
Our community
- Dynamic international cohort: Study alongside students from diverse cultural backgrounds who bring unique perspectives to image-making
- London connections: Benefit from our close ties to London's vibrant art scene and photography community, including special relationships with Peckham24 photography festival and other high profile commercial galleries
- Expert faculty: Learn from active practitioners who are pushing the boundaries of contemporary photography through their own research and creative work
- Critical context: Position your practice within the rich intellectual environment of Goldsmiths, where photography is examined at the intersection of art, media, and society
What our students say
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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 as well a level of practical experience in a relevant area.
You will also be required to provide a photographic portfolio (10-20 pictures or relevant media) and a five minute video or screen recording where you talk about and present your portfolio.
You might also be considered for the programme if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but you 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 6.5 in Speaking and no element lower than 6 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.
How to apply
Apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system
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
- A photographic portfolio (10-20 pictures or relevant media) and a five-minute video or screen recording where you talk about and present your portfolio.
Most decisions will be made on the basis of your application and portfolio but some applicants may be interviewed.
There is no deadline for this programme but we recommend applying early as places are limited.
Find out more about applying.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees
These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.
- Home - full-time: £13600
- International - full-time: £27200
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.
Funding opportunities
Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder to find out what funding you may be eligible for.
Paying your fees
Find out about how to make a payment.
If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan.
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.
Careers
Your future
Graduates emerge with a distinctive visual voice, advanced technical skills, and the critical thinking abilities needed to thrive in contemporary art and commercial contexts.
Our alumni work as:
- Exhibiting artists,
- Commercial photographers
- Educators
- Curators
- In various creative industries where sophisticated visual literacy is valued
Skills you'll gain
You will develop specific practice skills to a high level. You will also develop an advanced understanding of the recent developments in photography and other forms of image-making.
Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.
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