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Postgraduate

MA Fashion Photography

Female model with red nails covering her eyes.
MA Fashion Photography. Still from I, Unfolded by Phoebe Guo.
College
London College of Fashion
Start date
September 2024
Course length
12 months

The course situates fashion photography within a range of social, cultural and theoretical models of practice and dissemination.

Re-approval

Please note that this course is undergoing re-approval. This is the process by which we ensure the course continues to provide a high quality academic experience. During re-approval there may be some changes to the course content displayed on this page. Please contact us if you have any questions about the course.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Applicable skills: students will develop a diverse skill set which can be applied to not only fashion photography but fine art, popular culture and mass media.
  • Career opportunities: graduates establish themselves in the industry, often as freelance fashion photographers working with the likes of Gucci, Vogue, The Ragged Priest, Browns Fashion, Sleek Cosmetics, Bricks Magazine, and Wonderland Magazine.
  • Facilities: students on this course will have access to professional standard equipment including photographic studios and a darkroom.

Course overview

The MA Fashion Photography course is designed for graduates or professionals to situate and develop their photographic practice within new or established creative and commercial protocols, and employment opportunities.  Students are encouraged to develop an analysis, philosophy and vision of fashion + photography that is informed by culture, politics, and aesthetics that is outward facing towards industrial, environmental, cultural and societal contribution and benefit, for example. The course draws on a range of cultural, educational, professional and global references to define an expanded and relevant discourse in fashion photography practice, research and development, and employability.

This is meant to foster a range of approaches and techniques, rather than promote a singular or fixed purpose of fashion photography. In this way, the course seeks to develop fashion photographies that oscillate between notions of truth and fiction; sameness and difference; public and private; still and moving; the mirror and window; the epic and the everyday, for example - much like the image and spectacle of fashion itself as body, representation and identity. 

Students engage with photography as the perfect medium, with explicit and implicit capacity for contextual and conceptual interplays, where photography encompasses the full range of technologies and thinking across analogue, digital and moving image platforms. 

The course offers a curriculum and learning environment that stimulates intellectual, practical, technical and collaborative discourses and opportunities. A combination of research and practice leads to a self-negotiated masters project work, which is key to a sustainable livelihood or further academic study.    

The course outcomes shift between editorial and visual art, process and product, and whether made in the ‘real’ world or a performed/ constructed one, the work can disseminate through the page, the wall or the screen - confirming, critiquing or challenging contemporary industry, practice and dialogues in fashion photography.

Climate, Social and Racial Justice

We are committed to ensuring that your skills are set within an ethical framework and are working to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

Course units

  • In/Different Spaces (20 Credits)
  • Interplays: Fashion and Photography (20 Credits)
  • Collaborative Challenge (20 Credits)
  • New Iterations in Fashion Photography (40 Credits)
  • Research Proposal (20 Credits)
  • Masters Project (60 Credits)

MA Fashion Photography is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 15 months. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours, tutorial support and independent study.

Learning and teaching methods

The course utilises standard methods, such as lectures, seminars, studio workshops, field trips, and group and individual tutorials, the course cultivates an international perspective with global networks, as well as a ‘go see’ attitude outside of the classroom/ studio.

The following set of teaching and learning strategies also significantly underpin the course ethos:  

Experimental and experiential learning: Students are encouraged to be proactive and take creative risks.  

Collaboration: Collaboration is a core principle and key skill on this course, and students are encouraged to initiate self-directed collaborative projects often required as part of their production team, as well as external collaborations with other MA cohorts within LCF/ UAL, alumni and industry. 

Peer-to-Peer Learning, Knowledge exchange and Feedback: Developing the skill of offering collegial and constructive criticism is key to the construction of a formative learning environment, and to a career in academia, one of the industries our graduates enter. This is embedded in the course, as students present their ideas in class and critique each other’s work as part of the ongoing formative feedback generated. 

Expert Talks: Experts from the industry, alumni, and leading scholars from across LCF/ UAL and other HEI’s are invited to share their expertise with the students in an array of forms, including guest lectures, panels, and workshops. These talks are embedded in the curriculum, complementing and extending the core delivery. 

Technical Delivery: Technical delivery developing core skills in photographic/ media practice and production are embedded in the curriculum to support the core course units. This provision is offered in the scheduled teaching programme as part of an expected level of advanced skill, as well as through sign-up workshop sessions via the media lab/ department technical staff team. 

UAL Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

Student and graduate work

  • Aleksandra-Klicka.jpg
  • Boonphisut-Chateakcharoen.jpg
  • Pascal-Emmeran.jpg
  • Susanna-Johansen.jpg

Latest news from this course

Staff

Paul Bevan is course director for MA Fashion Photography. Read Paul Bevan's full profile here.

Fees and funding

Home fee

£13,330

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

You will have:

  • A relevant degree and prior experience engaging on a critical and/or practical level with fashion photography, media or fine art photography. 
  • The proven ability and willingness to collaborate, generate ideas, engage with current cultural discourse and showcase an understanding of your practice and the motivation to explore it further at post-graduate level.

We will also consider applicants who are practicing photographers, artists and designers from different professions with an interest in fashion and photography. We are also interested in applicants from an artistic or scientific background, who have a desire to progress into a career in the creative industries.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience (minimum of three years)
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Selection criteria

The course seeks to recruit students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and welcomes applications from mature students. Primarily it is the purpose of selection to recruit those students for whom the course would be most beneficial and appropriate, as evidenced through the application process.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements.

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply to UAL

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How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement, CV and study proposal.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

  • your reasons for choosing the course
  • your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Study proposal advice

Please provide a summary of your study proposal (600 words).

It should:

  • state briefly the background for your proposal
  • determine the precise area of study, demonstrating your understanding of the historical and contemporary contexts
  • set out the aims and objects for your proposal within the course structure
  • refer to critical discourses that underpin your practice and how your work may contribute to these
  • outline your intended methodology, including how you intend to conduct your project and who you intend to address
  • include any research sources as well as details of any libraries, exhibitions museums etc. that you have visited as part of your research
  • include a bibliography using Harvard referencing and an appendix for any additional material if necessary. This will not be included in the word count.

Please note, your proposal serves to inform your application and we understand that your ideas will develop and change throughout your studies.

Step 2: Video task and digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a video task and a digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool. Please submit your video task on the first page followed by your portfolio.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you. The video must be in English.

What to include in your video task

  • Talk about your practice in general terms and the themes or agendas that motivate and inform this, citing any particular examples in your portfolio as appropriate, and how this develops your understanding and definition of fashion photography.
  • Tell us how this experience inspired you to apply to MA Fashion Photography at LCF.

Read our guidance for how to submit your video task and which file types we accept.

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

It should:

  • be maximum 30 pages, including your video task
  • include work from a variety of projects to illustrate your diverse skillset and ability to experiment with different styles and mediums
  • feature work in progress as well as fully realised pieces to demonstrate your research skills and ability to develop ideas from initial concept to final outcome
  • include annotations to contextualise your work. Tell us the roles and responsibilities you undertook in any group project work that you include.

For more support, see our portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Careers

All our postgraduate courses offer career development, so that you become a creative thinker, making effective contributions to your relevant sector of the fashion industry.

  • LCF offers students the opportunity to develop Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills while studying through:
  • Access to to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
  • Access to careers activities, such as CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
  • Access to a graduate careers service
  • Access to a live jobsboard for all years.
  • Advice on setting up your own brand or company

Career paths

Masters graduates have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market, obtaining work in a wide range of vocational and academic fields related to fashion. The MA also provides an excellent preparation for higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD), with an increasing number of graduates undertaking research in fashion related subjects, in practice or theory or entering education as lecturers.

Graduates of this course have recently gone on to work for Solve Sundsbo and Paul McCartney.