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De Montfort University · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) Photography and Video Bachelor's degree at De Montfort University
BA (Hons) Photography and Video at De Montfort University covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
BA (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
85%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
Tell compelling visual stories through photography and video and build a portfolio of impressive work on this dynamic programme. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Photography and Video is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at De Montfort University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Cinematics and photography graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
8.2
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong76
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent85
Stronger evidence Published sample: 2,830. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Excellent85
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Photography Ideas and PracticeCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the technical, creative and thematic components of still image capture and production. You will explore both darkroom and studio-based photography practices and are encouraged to explore the medium by engaging with the history of photography and components of the photographic image.
Assessment: You will produce an extensive research and development portfolio that reflects your learning within this module, including a portfolio of images and written reflections.
- Moving Image Ideas and PracticeCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the tools, techniques, creative methodologies and visual research methods used in making and interpreting moving images. The principles of moving image production, including video capture, editing, sound capture and manipulation, cinematography and lighting for moving image are introduced alongside appropriate research methodologies.
Assessment: You will create and research and development portfolio consisting of moving image-based works both individually and as a group and reflect on your production skills.
- Contextual and Visual ResearchCore
Module details
This module provides a sequential overview of developments in photography and lens-based media from 1839 through the 1980s. You will understand photography and moving image as a cultural activity with emphasis on its historical, documentary, and social value as well as its own aesthetic developments during this period. You will produce visual and written work that investigates and responds to relationships between practitioners and their grounding within theory.
Assessment: A research and development portfolio along with an annotated bibliography. You will create a portfolio of visual responses to lectures and workshops, engaging with the concepts, histories, theories and ideas discussed within sessions.
- Presenting and Contextualising Your WorkCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the processes and practices relevant to producing work for an audience. You will explore the many ways in which photography and moving image work can be presented and create a body of work that is guided by the form in which they will be presented. You will be encouraged to take a creative and experimental approach to making work, and to engage with the reflection of their methodology through a contextual/reflective journal.
Assessment: Portfolio: This is a production project comprising of a photobook or short film. Reflective Journal: You will write a journal that considers the historical, critical, ethical and individual circumstances surrounding the production of your project.
Year 2 4 modules
- Experimental and Emerging PracticeCore
Module details
This module challenges you to become more autonomous in your creative practice and research as you instigate, develop and then realise a creative still and/or moving image project. You are introduced to a variety of experimental and creative frameworks to lens-based production and beyond. Workshops explore how photographic and moving image work interconnect with other artistic and commercial practices.
Assessment: Research and development: You will produce an extensive research and development book that supports your portfolio. Portfolio: You will create a portfolio of images, moving image work, or other experimental approach.
- Critical Research and Contemporary Visual CultureCore
Module details
This module focuses on ideas that have influenced the production, dissemination and interpretation of lens-based media's manifold roles in society. You engage in a critical examination of theories of image making from historical and contemporary perspectives, while engaging with a series of visiting artist lectures. You will consider lens-based production in relation to other media including film, painting, sculpture, and the digital world.
Assessment: An Artist Talk and Reading Reflections: You will select from a variety of artist talks and readings to effectively summarise and critically reflect upon them. Essay: You will write an essay in response to a negotiated research question.
- Studio Practice: Themes and TechniquesCore
Module details
This module presents you with an in-depth refinement of the skills, concepts and theories of contemporary lens-based production, offering an opportunity for development in both photography and moving image production. Emphasis is placed on assigned and self-directed briefs that examine critical and aesthetic issues related to both commercial and fine art photographic and moving image practices. A series of technical and creative workshops allow you to experiment with advanced and experimental mo
Assessment: Research and development: You will create a portfolio that collects images and written work in relation to thematically driven work. Portfolio project: You will create a collection of 20 images.
- Curation and ExhibitionCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the professional side of image production and display through a series of creative industry focused briefs designed to develop your working knowledge of the ways in which images are presented, displayed and disseminated in a variety of contexts. You will explore the history and process of curation and public display, take part in planning and marketing a group exhibition, and understand how to present your own work to a variety of audiences.
Assessment: Essay: You will write a contextualising exhibition review that explores a current exhibition, describing how the exhibition conforms to industry standards, ethical and intellectual property concerns, while also breaking down its historical grounding and impact within contemporary culture. Project proposal: This is a gr
Year 3 4 modules
- Final Major Project DevelopmentCore
Module details
This production and research focused module will provide you with the opportunity to produce an experimental body of practical work in your own specialist area of image production. You will support your project with research and development demonstrating creative and technical growth.
Assessment: An experimental portfolio with research and development: You will create a portfolio of 8-12 original images, or moving image equivalent, alongside outlining the research and practice behind your work.
- Critical ResearchCore
Module details
This module will enable you to undertake critical research within an area of creative lens-based practice. You will develop a focus on critically considered practitioners, theories and histories which are contextually related to the area of practice that you are working in for your Final Major Project.
Assessment: A critical essay and an annotated bibliography.
- Final Major ProjectCore
Module details
This production and research focused module will provide you with the opportunity to refine and expand on your experimental body of practical work in their own specialist area of image production. You will produce final body of practical work which will typically form the basis of your degree show exhibition, alongside an investigational researched-based portfolio.
Assessment: Final major project; you will create a major project portfolio with research and development and an artist statement.
- Professional PracticesCore
Module details
This module guides you in preparing a variety of visual and written materials relating to your chosen career track. You will and explore the contextual nature of lens-based creative practice, produce both visual and written materials based around a self-negotiated project, and produce a media profile suited to the dissemination of your creative work. You will also work to a live client brief, learning how to select the most appropriate creative strategies when working with audiences, clients, co
Assessment: Two portfolios; one in response to a client brief and a second media profile focusing on external professional development.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course focuses on telling compelling visual stories through photography and video whilst building a portfolio of impressive work. You'll usually start with visual studies and design principles, colour, composition and form across media, alongside contextual studies in art and design history. Year 1 typically introduces materials, processes and making through workshops and digital foundations. In Year 2, you'll undertake sustained studio practice to develop a personal direction, explore digital and emerging media relevant to photography and video, and work on live briefs with real deadlines. Year 3 deepens your specialist practice in photography and video, introduces professional practice and portfolio development, and culminates in a self-directed major project exhibited in a degree show. Throughout, you'll build both technical skills and a coherent body of work for industry or freelance practice.
Who it's for
Most students entering this course hold A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Accepted students typically have a UCAS tariff between 112 and 127 points. The course suits those interested in developing practical and theoretical expertise in photography and video production within a structured degree framework.
University & format
This BA (Hons) Photography and Video is delivered at De Montfort University, a public university, studied full-time over 3 years in English. De Montfort is a recognised UK degree-awarding body whose degrees are nationally recognised. The university received a Bronze rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023. Check the university's funding pages for bursaries and scholarships.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Application timelineWhat happens next
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Published entryUCAS points: 112, A Level: BBC, BTEC: DM typical offer
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Contextual offersPublished by this provider
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
PlacementPublished placement option
Optional placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
Entry & how to get in
Typical offer (from the provider)The university’s course page lists a typical A-level offer of UCAS points: 112, A Level: BBC, BTEC: DM. Always check the provider for the current offer and subject requirements.
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent95% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 112 - 127 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check De Montfort University's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Offer-based entry
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Your UCAS points0
▾
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Add your grades to see where you land
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBBBA-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeW640quote this on your application
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W640). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask De Montfort University whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£16,800 / yr
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at De Montfort University →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Funding matched to this course
All De Montfort University funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
undergraduate students with household income £50,000 or less
Check eligibility →students with household income £50,000 or less
Check eligibility →Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £20,500 – £27,000 | 2830 |
| 3 years after | £20,000 | £14,000 – £25,000 | 155 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £18,500 – £32,000 | 165 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,830. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
85%
in work or further study 15 months on
65%
in highly skilled work or study
85%
continue past their first year
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£24,000
£22,000 – £27,000After 3 years LEO
£20,000
£17,000 – £24,000After 5 years LEO
£24,000
£20,825 – £29,400national rangethis course’s medianaxis £16,000 – £30,500
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
85 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
80% working5% working and studying0% in further study65% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,830. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
This course £24,000Peer median £24,500Middle 50% £22,125–£26,500
42nd percentile
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 60; response rate: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
87%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Art & Design courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
🎯
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.2 out of 10: NSS 75.9% · in work or study 85% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
De Montfort University
All students23,155
International31.8%
Aged 25+27.3%
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
Students178,755
Aged 25+15.7%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around De Montfort University
4,747 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Violent Crime 1557Public Order 619Anti Social Behaviour 570Shoplifting 499Criminal Damage Arson 362
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to De Montfort University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £16,800 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check De Montfort University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with De Montfort University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at De Montfort University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
Entry is offer-based and set by the university. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 112 - 127 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
What are the entry requirements?
Set by De Montfort University. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For Cinematics and photography graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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