This is a fine art photography programme aimed at developing a personal, distinctive and conceptually strong practice grounded in research and critical thinking. While based in the still image it embraces cross-media and cross-genre practice. Recent alumni have won awards such as the Dazed/Converse Emerging Artist, Magenta Flash Forward Emerging Photographers and IdeasTap/Magnum Photographic Award, and have been selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries.

MA Photography at London College of Communication is a leading fine art photography programme renowned for producing some of the most successful contemporary emerging photographers and artists. Part of the School of Media, the course offers a unique opportunity for photographers to develop a major body of research-based practice in the context of a critical understanding of contemporary photographic culture. The course encourages students to work experimentally and produce work that tests the boundaries of the medium, encompassing the still image, video, installation, performance and digital media, and culminating in a public exhibition. The School of Media offers a longstanding tradition of photography education with a highly regarded research culture, and the course has close ties with the Photography and the Archive Research Centre and the Kubrick Archive, both based at LCC.  Located close to central London, the course has excellent links with galleries, museums and archives.

The course attracts a broad range of practitioners, from backgrounds in fine art photography, documentary photography, commercial photography and other areas of media practice. They are united by a desire to develop a distinctive personal practice with a high level of conceptual resolution. Graduates of MAP go on to be successful fine artists as well as documentary and commercial photographers, gallerists, curators and writers, academics and teachers, and arts organisers of various kinds. Many prefer to find ways of supporting their art practice through combining it with teaching, commercial photography or other related activities. Students who may wish to progress to practice-led PhD are encouraged to develop their practice as research.

Graduates have an impressive track record in winning competitions and awards, as well as exhibiting and publishing their work.  Richard Kolker and Adrian Wood were selected for ReGeneration2 in 2010, Peter Ainsworth won the Dazed Converse Emerging Artist of the Year 2010, Alicja Dobrucka won the Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Photography 2010, Renhui Zhao won the Sony World Photography Award for Constructed and Conceptual Photography and the Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Photography 2011, Jessica Mallock's work was selected for 'Young British Art' curated by Ryan Gander in 2011, and Maria Gruzdeva published Direction - Space! with Dewi Lewis in 2010.

There are both analogue and digital photography facilities at LCC, including colour and black-and-white darkrooms, photographic studios and a Mac-based digital suite including Imacon scanners, as well as medium and large format analogue cameras, digital cameras, HD video cameras and lighting equipment.  Students also have access to other technical facilities such as a 3D workshop or screenprinting.

The course commences in January and operates in a one-year full-time mode for those who wish to fast track their careers, or a two-year part-time mode for those who wish to remain in employment as freelancers, teachers or in other areas. The full-time mode runs for 45 weeks over one year and attendance is for two days per week plus access to facilities. The part-time mode runs for 90 weeks over two years and attendance is for one day per week plus access to facilities. Whether full-time or part-time, the course is demanding of time and commitment in addition to attendance, and you will need considerable capacity for self- directed study to fulfill the aims of the programme.

NB The course assumes that you are technically proficient and able to research and develop any further skills you require. Technical tuition is restricted to the tutorial support of individual projects. If you need to acquire a significant skill base, then you are advised to do so before you apply for the course.

You can follow LCC MA Photography through the Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=66655643544

This course is taught within the School of Media

Who teaches the course?

There is an extensive programme of visiting speakers. These include leading curators, artists, gallerists and critics such as Susan Bright, David Chandler, Annika Eriksson, Anna Fox, Nigel Rolfe, Clare Grafik, David Campany, Olivier Richon, Anne Hardy, Zineb Sedira, Ori Gersht, Mark Haworth-Booth, Suky Best, Helen Sears, Jaime Stapleton, Rafal Niemojewski, Sarah Jones, Nigel Shafran, David Spero and Val Williams. There are also links with leading picture editors and agencies such as Millennium Images.

The Sproxton Award

The Sproxton Prize is awarded each year to the best student in the MAP Final Show, as decided upon by a panel of outside judges. Each winner receives a cheque for £1000 and the money is intended to help them kickstart their career in photography.

The prize was set up in the memory of Andrew Sproxton, who founded Impressions Gallery in York in 1972 together with Professor Val Williams, curator, historian and writer, and now Director of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre here at LCC. Impressions was one of the first specialist photography galleries set up in the UK and indeed Europe and played a crucial role in the acceptance of photography as a serious art form. It is now based in Bradford close to the National Museum of Media.

The prize fund was established by David Sproxton, brother of Andrew Sproxton. David Sproxton is one of the founders of Aardman Animation, specialists in model animation and producers of Wallace and Gromit and of numerous other animated films including Chicken Run and the animated television shorts Creature Comforts.

Judges of the prize have included curator, historian and writer Mark Haworth Booth, photographers and alumni Bettina von Zwehl and Poppy de Villeneuve, Millennium agency director Jason Shenai, and photographic book publisher Chris Boot.

Winners of the prize so far have included:
2003: Betsie van der Meer
2004: Claire Waffel
2005: Matthew Andrew
2006: Penny Klepuszewska
2007: Hee Seung Chung
2008: Krzysztof Szmigielski
2010: Jessica Mallock
2011: Orestis Kalvaris

Phase 1

• Exploring the Possibilities

Following an Induction week, you begin to develop the Body of Work with tutorial support. This is the practice that defines your assessment submissions, and encompasses technical, theoretical and professional considerations. During Phase 1 you are encouraged to work in an experimental manner and to consider and explore different ideas for the Body of Work. At the same time you will begin to develop the research framework for the work, underpinned by the Critical Context Seminars, a series of lectures and seminars delivered by teaching staff and visiting speakers. These provide a grounding in research methodologies both subject specific and relating to theory/practice integration and practice-led research. Technical support for the Body of Work will be provided through tutorials. You will be encouraged to attend Visiting Speaker and Professional Studies programmes in this and other Phases.

Phase 2

• Taking an Idea Forward
• Postgraduate Diploma exit award

Phase 2 builds on the experience of Phase 1, allowing you to consolidate and develop your knowledge and experience. In it you will focus on and further develop one of the ideas for the Body of Work, explored in Phase 1. You also continue to develop the critical framework for the Work through the Critical Context Seminars, and the Critical Context Paper. Increasingly, students take responsibility for leading seminars and group tutorials with staff acting as facilitators. You will research and review ways in which photography practice is sited in the public domain in relation to your own practice. The Professional Studies and Visiting Speaker programmes continue to inform your practice and direction.

Phase 3

• Resolving outcomes

In Phase 3 of the course, you will further your knowledge and extend your experience, critical/professional understanding and practice through the consolidation and finalisation of the Body of Work, culminating in the Exhibition, and accompanied by the Critical Context Paper. As the course progresses, your initiative and ability to work independently becomes increasingly important, as does that of working as part of a team in the planning and publicising of the exhibition or any other outcomes on which you individually or the group decide. Both will enhance your ability to succeed in freelance or workplace employment or in further research. In addition you will have the opportunity to attend professional studies seminars to enhance your understanding of the employment context of the arts and media.

The course prepares graduates to research, develop and produce an individual fine art project to a high exhibition standard.  They will also have developed the practical, critical and conceptual skills to work at a high level in related areas of photography and media practice.  The course also provides graduates with a critical and professional understanding of the contemporary photography and fine art sectors which will prepare them for a number of career directions within the arts and media.

Graduate destinations include exhibiting fine artists winning awards, commissions, bursaries and residencies, documentary and commercial (editorial/fashion/advertising) photographers, community artists and arts organisers, organisational roles in independent and publicly funded photography bodies, curators, archivists and gallerists, art buyers, journal editors, teachers at secondary, FE and university level, and PhD studies.

Significant examples of alumni achievements include the following:

• Our graduates have been winners of awards and competitions such as the Sony World Photography Awards, Deutsche Bank Photography Awards, Jerwood Photography Prize, Nikon Endframe Awards, Magenta Foundation Emerging Photographer Awards, Pavilion Commissions and the Arts Council & Rhubarb-Rhubarb Bursaries. 
• Peter Ainsworth, alumnus from MA Photography 2008 won the Dazed/Converse Emerging Artist of the Year Award 2010.  Renhui Zhao of MAP 10 won the Sony World Photography Award for Constructed and Conceptual Photography 2010.
• Alumni Alicja Dobrucka and Renhui Zhao won the Deutsche Bank Photography Award, in 2010 and 2011.
• Alumni have been selected for major exhibitions such as Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Fresh Faced & Wild Eyed, Kay Saatchi’s Anticipation, the Prix Pictet and ReGeneration2 at the Musee de l’Elysee at Lausanne.
• Our graduates have exhibited in galleries such as Yossi Milo Gallery (New York), Impressions Gallery (Bradford), National Media Museum (Bradford) and Tate Britain. 
• Alumni have had books accepted by major photographic publishers such as Dewi Lewis.
• Alumni have been included in leading photography collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
• Graduates have gained posts as freelance curators and in-curatorial posts at places including Autograph ABP and the Whitechapel Gallery.
• We have produced alumni who have become co-founders and editors of academic journals Philosophy of Photography and the Journal for Artistic Research.
• Graduates have been taken on as assistants to the painter Anselm Kiefer in the production of a new body of work for a major exhibition in 2012.
• Some of our ex-students have gone on to study academic and practice-led PhDs at the RCA, Goldsmiths and UAL.
• A significant number of graduates teach on HE photography and fine art courses.

The course has an active relationship with the art and photography worlds, and curators and critics regularly take part in tutorials, crits and workshops. In addition there are links with photographers' agents, photographic agencies and art buyers in areas of the commercial sector which are interested in fine art photography. UAL houses a number of organizations which promote aspects of career development in the arts and media and which regularly hold workshops. These include:

• Creative Careers
• ECCA (The Enterprise Centre for the Arts)
• Own-It (intellectual property issues}
• ArtQuest (career development resource for artists and designers)

Enterprise and employability at UAL

We know what it takes to be successful in your chosen field. Your tutors are professionals in their own right and understand what you need to help you establish your career. Staff in our Centre for Student Enterprise and Employability (SEE) are dedicated to helping you build up work-relevant skills, knowledge, experience and networks throughout your time here. You will also benefit from our many relationships with industry, which give our students exclusive opportunities and access to networks and funding.

Artists and designers tell us they value UAL's informed engagement with their career and professional practice development and our ability to offer them practical advice, guidance and opportunities across the wide spectrum of possible professional pathways - as entrepreneurs and employees. Staff value the resources and skills UAL makes available to help them deliver effective professional and career development through the curriculum.

Find out more

ArtsTemps (SEE) is the UAL in-house recruitment agency placing students and graduates in paid temping roles within the University. 

Creative Opportunities (SEE) is the UAL job vacancy and work placement website for students and graduates and advertises hundreds of creative job and placement opportunities each month.

Get more information and advice on employment and creative careers for all UAL students and graduates.

An applicant will be considered for admission who has already achieved an educational level equivalent to an Honours Degree in a field such as Photography, Fine Art, Film and Video or Graphic Design. This educational level may be demonstrated by:

• possession of the qualifications named in 1.1 above;
• possession of equivalent qualifications;
• prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required, as indicated by at least three years of experience which has led to a demonstrable level of expertise in the understanding and use of photography.
• a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

Suitable applicants will be interviewed. All applicants should come with an existing strong body of distinctive personal practice and an understanding of contemporary fine art photography culture and critical theory.

Applicants who do not have a first degree in photography are encouraged to read the following books before the course begins:

• Liz Wells, 'Photography: A Critical Introduction', Routledge 2005 (used as a textbook on UK photography BA courses)
• Charlotte Cotton, 'The Photograph as Contemporary Art', Thames & Hudson 2004 (or another survey of contemporary art photography eg Susan Bright or David Campany)
• James Elkins, 'Photography Theory', Routledge 2007 (or another survey of photography theory eg Ashley La Grange)

If you have difficulty obtaining these books, please see the MAP Facebook site for a list of major contemporary photographic artists whose work you can look at and read about via Google.

English Language Ability

International and EU students: If your first language is not English you should check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English. Further information is available on our International Applications page.

Admission with Academic Credit

An applicant may be considered for admission at a point in the course later than the start of the planned programme of study, provided that the applicant has fulfilled, in a way judged to be equivalent, the requirements of the intended programme of study prior to the proposed point of entry. In order for an applicant to be admitted under 1.4 above, the University must be satisfied that by successfully completing the remaining part of the course, the applicant would have fulfilled the objectives of the course and have the opportunity to attain the standard required for the award.

Portfolio advice

An application form must be accompanied by:

• Portfolio of 10-20 images, either print or digital.  Prints must be no more than A4 in size and presented in a folder rather than box.  It is preferable to show projects rather than individual images.  Applicants from a commercial background are encouraged to develop personal projects before they apply.  The portfolio may be accompanied by an explanatory statement about the projects of no more than 300 words.
• Study proposal of no more than 300 words indicating the intended practice project and accompanying research. 

Application route

Note: We accept Postgraduate course applications on a rolling basis, so there are no set deadlines to apply.

All applications should be made on the standard LCC Application form (PDF - 4MB) plus the following:

a) Portfolio of 10-20 images, either print or digital. Prints must be no more than A4 in size and presented in a folder rather than box. It is preferable to show projects rather than individual images. Applicants from a commercial background are encouraged to develop personal projects before they apply. The portfolio may be accompanied by an explanatory statement about the projects of no more than 300 words.

b) Study proposal of no more than 300 words indicating the intended practice project and accompanying research.

PLEASE NOTE - We are unable to return any portfolios that are submitted with applications.

Please send completed application form and supporting work/portfolios to:

Postgraduate Admissions,
Central Administration Office,
5th Floor Tower Block,
London College of Communication,
Elephant and Castle,
London, SE1 6SB

International students should use the international postgraduate application form which is available to download on the International Office's web pages.

Home/EU student fee discounts

If you have successfully completed a UAL undergraduate degree, PgDip or PgCert you will qualify for a £1,000 discount from your tuition fees. For further information please contact info@lcc.arts.ac.uk

Admissions enquiries

For more information please call the admissions team on +44 (0)20 7514 6599 or email info@lcc.arts.ac.uk (for UK and EU student enquiries) or international@lcc.arts.ac.uk (for international enquiries).

AHRC Studentships

The AHRC has awarded the University a limited number of Block Grant Partnership Studentships for MA and research students. Find out more about AHRC studentships.