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Commercial Photography

Arts University Plymouth

UCAS Code: W643 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Arts University Plymouth

UCAS Code: W643 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

104-120

Although many of our students do come in with top grades and high UCAS points, these aren’t necessarily essential for entry. We typically ask for a minimum of 104 UCAS points, but we understand that talented artists, designers and makers can have a wide range of relevant strengths and skills beyond formal qualifications. We’re just as interested in exploring your portfolio as we are in seeing your grades.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

image

About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Other options

6 years | Part-time | 2025

4 years | Sandwich | 2025

Subject

Photography

Our **BA (Hons) Commercial Photography** course will equip you to thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive photographic industry, providing you with the knowledge and skills to flourish. You’ll combine visual awareness and innovation with technical excellence, professional understanding, and business competencies.

From lighting and framing a dramatic fashion shot to visualising concepts for advertising campaigns, commercial photography has the power to influence and inspire. This course combines visual awareness and innovation with technical excellence, professional understanding, and business skills.

**Why Choose This Course?**
Our course is geared towards employability and enterprise. We develop photographers who are technically proficient, visually sophisticated, and professionally astute – who understand trends in the industry and how to pitch for business, and who graduate with a broad range of transferable skills that enable them to succeed in the creative industries.

Students on this course will feel equipped with advanced technical skills in studio and location lighting, digital capture, and post-production techniques. This is an integrated programme of study with industry-oriented assignments, hands-on workshops, and expert tuition using sophisticated camera and lighting equipment. You will also develop your industry knowledge and professional skills to enable you to find work in high-end commercial photographic practice.

Working both individually and in interdisciplinary groups and with real-world mentors, you’ll gain vocational experience to flourish both academically and professionally. You will acquire a broad range of entrepreneurial abilities in marketing, self-promotion, and business development, enabling you to develop a financially sustainable practice, fundamental to your success in the industry.

**Access Cutting-Edge Facilities and Industry Partnerships**
Our photographic resources boast industry-standard studios, featuring an infinity cove for creating seamless backdrops and a series of well-equipped studios ideal for portrait and product photography. Access to lighting and high-end digital camera equipment, large-format scanners, and post-production suites is readily available. Additionally, our Equipment Resource Centre offers a vast array of 6000 pieces of kit that are free to hire.

With support from our teaching and technical team, as well as practitioners from industry, you’ll develop your confidence in responding to client briefs while demonstrating creative problem-solving and conceptualisation skills. During your second year of study, you’ll work with real industry clients to build a professional portfolio. Recent course contributors include Getty Images, The Met Office, Mercedes-Benz, and Pro-Direct Sport. You’ll also benefit from our affiliation with the prestigious Association of Photographers (AOP).

Our students actively participate in esteemed events such as the annual Visual Culture Symposium in London. Notable speakers, including picture editors from The Telegraph and The Guardian, alongside acclaimed international photographers, offer invaluable insights and networking opportunities.

We provide an environment for budding commercial photographers to develop skills and knowledge, shaping their futures in the industry. Our strong global network enables students to study abroad in Europe and North America for a semester. Similarly, we welcome overseas students, fostering cultural exchange in our studios.

Graduates from this course go on to become e-commerce photographers, producers, stylists, editors, and retouchers. The surge in online shopping has spurred a new industry, with major brands establishing photographic studios for online retail and social media content. Local businesses like the Range, Saltrock, Seasalt, and Pro-Direct Sport hire our graduates. Others work for companies like Kurt Geiger and Audi UK. Many of our graduates also progress into self-employment.

Modules

We provide a distinctive and contemporary programme of study in a learning environment where students with a range of aspirations can flourish creatively, academically and professionally.
We help students to acquire a broad range of entrepreneurial abilities in marketing, self promotion and business development, enabling them to develop financially sustainable practices, and the ability to thrive in the industry.
We also help students acquire the skills, attitudes and behaviours that enable them to apply their learning confidently in different situations, both within the field of photographic practice and in wider creative, professional and collaborative contexts.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£17,250
per year
International
£17,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Arts University Plymouth

Department:

Arts, Design and Media

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

91%
Photography

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Cinematics and photography

Teaching and learning

89%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
89%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

80%
Library resources
87%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
77%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
30%
Male students
70%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
31%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
D

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Photography

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
85%
med
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Cinematics and photography

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£15k

£15k

£19k

£19k

£18k

£18k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
place
University of Northampton | Northampton
Photography
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2025
UCAS Points: 112-128
Same University
place
Arts University Plymouth | Plymouth
Photography
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2025
UCAS Points: 104-120

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here