BA (Hons) Photography (Top-up)
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2025
You can also study this course:
Completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject? Top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree in Photography.
Are you full of ideas and how to create powerful and innovative photographic images? Whether you want to specialise in editorial, fashion, product, portrait, documentary or arts-based photography, you can develop your skills and unleash your ideas at BNU.
With this AOP accredited photography degree, you will have the opportunity to turn your passion into your future career, with technical skills training, theoretical grounding, and practical opportunities.
A top-up degree is the equivalent of the final year of an undergraduate degree, and offers a chance to deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of your subject, while also getting an internationally-recognised qualification.
If you have completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject, you can choose to top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree.
The photography degree is an accredited member of the . The course meets the AOP’s criteria for the appropriate professional development of students during their studies. This accreditation also offers all students on the course their own free AOP membership for the duration of their studies, providing them with additional support and networking opportunities.
At BNU we offer state-of-the-art photography facilities where you’ll have access to industry-standard lighting studios, wet darkroom, professional scanning suite and print bureau at our High Wycombe campus. As well as this you’ll benefit from your own mac suites, which host the full Adobe Creative Cloud, and professional printing area.
On quiet days you’ll find yourself spending time in the courses very own break out and teaching area, a light and open space to help you focus and let creativity flow.
You’ll also have access to a range of cameras and equipment (analogue and digital) available for loan to support their practice, including:
- Nikon and Canon lenses
- 5x4 Linhoff, Horseman and Cambo cameras
- medium format Bronica, Fuji, Mamiya film cameras
- medium format Pentax and Hasselblad digital cameras
- Godox, Neewer, Mecablitz and Canon camera top flash
Led by a dedicated and experienced course team, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. You’ll get direct access to guest lecturers, who are specialists in the sector, and can benefit from live project briefs, master classes, and networking opportunities.
We’re proud of the many achievements our students and staff attain at BNU. Throughout your course you could have the opportunity to take part in competitions and exhibitions, as well as the BNU Summer Show.
Although our classroom sizes are small, as part of the Art, Design and Performance School at BNU, you’ll benefit from a practiced-based course, supported by contextual studies. You’ll also have the opportunity to work collaboratively across the school with other courses, ensuring you develop your engagement and networking abilities, as you would in the real world. Past collaborations have included Hair and Make-up, Costume Design and Set Design for Stage and Screen.
What will I study?
This photography course offers a contemporary curriculum that is engaged with social, technological, environmental, ethical and cultural perspectives, enabling you to become a ‘thinking practitioner’ or a socially responsible entrepreneur.
We will help you develop a conceptual and contextual understanding of photography, so you can find new ways to express yourself, and take your practice to a more dynamic level. You’ll also undertake research to develop a theoretical and critical underpinning of the subject, learning new ways of thinking and working, and pushing traditional boundaries of the medium.
From editorial and advertising photography to working in 3D environments to produce Computer-Generated images (CGI), exploring wet printing and alternative print-making techniques or experimenting with moving image and sound, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your chosen area of photography that interests you.
As well as having the space to explore different types of photography, we’ll make sure you understand the business side of working as a professional photographer.
You’ll learn how to best promote your photography and how to set yourself up as a freelancer, dealing with important aspects such as your own branding, marketing, to tax and finance. You’ll learn about the professional bodies that exist to protect photographers’ work and rights, such as the Association of Photographers. We’ll also look at how to develop your presence and present your work on different platforms, from the physical exhibition space to online websites, and how to evolve your practice to cater for different audiences.
The modules you’ll study aim to ensure that your progress and projects during your time with us link to the specialised area of photography that you wish to delve in to. Upon graduating from this course you’ll have a portfolio which reflects the specialty.
What I most enjoy about studying here is an opportunity to do what I love, whilst being taught by professionals who work in the industry. Their knowledge is always up-to-date with industry trends and they are passionate about their craft.Aleksandra Krol
I studied the Top-Up as Photography has always been my passion. I wanted to get deeper knowledge of the industry and upgrade my practice with new experiences. BNU was the opportunity for me to transform my previous academic studies and professional experience into a BA, as well as discover a new country and environment.Fernando Roman
How will I be taught and assessed?
This course is mostly practice-based so you will have ample opportunity to develop your subject through a hands-on, experimental approach. This will involve using the extensive photography studios and equipment on offer. You could also have the opportunity to benefit from industry specialists, seminars and project critiques.
To achieve the full BA (Hons) in Photography, you’ll need to complete the modules listed, as well as a major project and a dissertation.
The major project and dissertation will allow you to investigate a topic important to you within photography. You will cover the whole research process, undertaking empirical investigation and analysis. You will be allocated a dissertation supervisor, who will offer support and advice.
The Professional Practice module gives you the opportunity to undertake work-based learning or answer live industry briefs, gaining the practical and transferable skills you need for your career in the creative industries.
What are the course entry requirements?
This programme is offered as a top-up qualification for students who have completed a HND, FdA, or other equivalent qualification in a relevant Art and Design subject, and wish to progress further to achieve an Honours degree.
Applicants will need to complete an interview and/or demonstrate portfolio work, further guidance is given on the interview and portfolio advice pages.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. Our Careers and Employability Team also help you find employment after graduation.
Our BA (Hons) Photography course will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities, such as:
- Editorial Photographer
- Commercial Photographer
- Travel Photographer
- Teacher/Lecturer
- Digital Retouching
- Social and Events Photography
- Picture Researcher
- Exhibition Curator
- Sports Photographer
- Photojournalist
- Photographic Artist
You may also wish to stay on at Buckinghamshire New University and study a full-time or part-time postgraduate course.
The tutors have encouraged me to become more confident in myself and my work, by always giving out helpful feedback and advice. This excellent teaching has also made me very eager about pursuing photography as a career.Izzy Marksell
Course leader
