Person in a green shirt adjusts a camera on a tripod in a modern kitchen with white tiles, wooden cabinets, and cooking tools, preparing for a shoot.

Photography (Online), MA

Capture your career in photography with a fully online MA from a top modern university.

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Time investment: 2-3 years part-time

Location: Online

Cost: £8,370

Language: English

About this degree

Professional camera on a gimbal tripod records a person holding up a paper at a desk, with the camera screen in sharp focus and a whiteboard in the background.

Shoot your shot at your creative career

Over 5 billion photos are captured each day. But to create ones that get noticed, you’ll need the technical know-how and creative vision to stand out.

On this online master’s from Teesside University, you’ll experiment with analogue, digital, and post-photographic approaches, using everything from darkrooms to industry-standard digital tools to develop a style that’s distinctly yours.

Build skills for today’s top platforms

From social media and marketing campaigns to gallery showings and editorial spreads, photography travels across countless spaces and audiences.

This course helps you explore the communicative power of different formats, giving you the confidence to share your work where it matters.

Alongside creative practice, you’ll also strengthen your entrepreneurial edge and develop an awareness of the ethical and legal issues shaping the industry.

Person in a bright yellow sweater works on a laptop at a café table with a coffee cup and camera, surrounded by natural light and large windows.

Photographer in glasses examines a digital camera at a table covered with printed portrait photos, in a well-lit indoor space with plants and large windows.

Find your artistic voice, your way

Whether you’re working for a brand or building your own gallery, photography is personal.

That’s why this MA includes a unique The Connected Practitioner module, which lets you go beyond the traditional dissertation to experiment with creative practices that fit your style.

Supported by expert tutors and creatives, you’ll produce work that’s not only critically engaged but also unmistakably yours.

Where you’ll be studying

Studying at Teesside University

Teesside University delivers 100% online, career-focused education designed to help you thrive anywhere in the world.

With a Gold rating (Teaching Excellence Framework 2023) and recognised for outstanding student experience, Teesside combines expert teaching with research that drives real-world impact.

Flexible and innovative, they offer online courses that fit around your life, empowering you to upskill, reskill, or take the next step in your career.

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Learning outcomes

Align your practice

Embrace the interdependence of aesthetic, technical, and conceptual approaches to develop a photography practice that is both informed and imaginative.

Shoot without limits

Challenge your ideas through research and creative experimentation, producing adventurous and compelling photographic work.

Connect with your audience

Explore the communicative potential of different formats and platforms, building confidence in connecting your work with diverse audiences.

Focus your vision

Take the interdisciplinary module, The Connected Practitioner, to present your ideas through creative alternatives to a traditional dissertation, expressing your photography in a way that suits your vision.

Additional information

To be eligible for this degree, you’ll need an honours degree (at least a 2:2) in photography, a professional qualification, and/or relevant work experience.

As part of the application process, you’ll submit a portfolio of images or a completed project to demonstrate your skills, along with a proposal outlining the direction of your work and aims for the course.

If you’re an international student or English is not your first language, you’ll need to need to demonstrate English language skills equivalent to IELTS 6.0. You can do so with one of the following accepted tests:

UKVI approved IELTS (Academic)
Non-UKVI approved IELTS
Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) – B2 and C1 tests
Pearson’s PTE Academic
PTE Academic UKVI
LanguageCert International ESOL SELT
TOEFL iBT
WAEC grades A1 to C6
NECO grades A1 to C5
SPM grades A to C
Kenya High School Certificate Grade C+ or Higher
Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education grades 1 to 6
Uganda Certificate of Education grades 1 to 6

This programme is driven by self-direction and independent study.

You’ll learn through a blend of lectures, workshops, and seminars, both on your own and with others. The online degree focuses on research-led, project-based learning, where you’ll develop creative skills and commercial awareness by working on real industry briefs.

You’ll get a taste of what it’s really like to work in the creative industries, with plenty of opportunities to collaborate as part of a team, as well as to shine individually.

Most modules use a step-by-step approach to assessment, with practical tasks set each week to help you prepare for the main course assessments.

As a graduate of this degree, you’ll be able to grow your career as an independent photographer and visual artist.

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Modules

What happens when you push your photography beyond the familiar? This module invites you to experiment with aesthetic, technical, and conceptual approaches, applying them to the planning, development, and resolution of a project that challenges and evolves your creative voice.

In an age where images circulate faster than ever, context is everything. You’ll explore how photographs are displayed, shared, and interpreted, producing a photographic artefact for a defined audience while honing your aesthetic, technical, and conceptual skills.

Creative industries are shaped by big questions, from the role of AI in art to the ethics of representation. This module strengthens your research and critical thinking skills, enabling you to engage with current debates and apply your ideas in real-world creative contexts.

For a professional photographer, great images are only part of the story. On this module, you’ll develop the professional, legal, and strategic know-how to market your work, manage your career, and adapt to the evolving demands of the photographic sector.

Your master’s project is your opportunity to make a definitive statement as a creative professional. From concept to completion, you’ll lead an ambitious self-directed investigation, producing a final outcome that reflects your specialism and aligns with your career ambitions.