This course mixes academic rigour with practical skills in photography, video and digital imaging. Throughout the course you will build up a portfolio that demonstrates your ever-improving artistry and opens up opportunities for a creative and rewarding career. We encourage you to keep your camera 'at the ready' and constantly look for subjects and images that tell a story. You will receive excellent support from tutors who have well-established reputations, both as professional photographers and as academic researchers into the theory and history of photography. They give regular feedback on your work, encouraging you to explore creative ideas and to develop your own approach to the subject. In addition our team of technicians will help you make the most of the University’s extensive facilities, which include darkrooms (chemical and digital), photography studios, cameras and digital suites with open-access Apple Macs loaded with the latest software. You can gain work experience through projects and commissions that are managed by our Photography Department. In the past students have covered sports events such as The Great North Run and created images for a ‘Breast is Best’ campaign for new mothers. The University runs the North East Photography Network which links professional photographers working in the North East. We encourage our students to participate in the Network’s events and make contacts for potential placements and work experience.

Career destinations: Photography graduates can look to work in the music press, forensic and medical photography, art practice, freelance photography and teaching at different levels. In addition, our students have taken up internships at the Sunderland Echo, at the Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art in Sunderland, and with wedding photographers and portrait photographers. Placements and visits: You will have opportunities to apply for internships, placements and live projects where you will work alongside industry professionals. You can also participate in visits to exhibitions with other students.