Arts (pathways in Fine Art or Photography)

The highlights

• We're looking for fine artists and photographers who are strongly motivated and independently minded. We will help you to shape your individual creative practice by encouraging reflection and re-evaluation, research and experimentation
   
• Our academic team have a wide range of backgrounds with expertise in fine art, photography, film, public art, performance, curatorship, critical theory, art history, philosophy and criticism, residencies and commissions. We're sure you'll thrive in this diverse creative community
  
  
• You will have access to outstanding facilities, including darkrooms, equipment and software that are the envy of most professional photographers, and recently refurbished Fine Art Studios in our historic Britannia Mill site.

Work creatively across disciplines

This MA Arts is an exciting, challenging and rigorous programme of study, which offers you a choice of two pathways — Photography or Fine Art — so you can focus on one particular discipline and graduate with a named award in that.

At the same time, as the boundaries between visual arts disciplines continue to blur, this Masters will encourage you to take part in a diverse range of activities and collaborate with other art and design students — especially those on the alternative pathway to you — so you develop as a multifaceted, original artist and practitioner.

This programme will bring together a community of photographers and artists in a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary environment, to explore the interface between media (both traditional and digital) in a stimulating and creatively enabling way. This will provide a unique and exciting opportunity for those who wish to specialise in the interpretation of time and space working creatively, practically and intellectually across disciplines. Discussions and debates around the differences and commonalities of the subject areas will both critically inform and support individual creative practice, including the relevance of the written word through narrative form and theoretical studies.

You will undertake taught studio-based research, while gaining a strong theoretical awareness of contemporary practice. There will be lots of lively debates involving students and staff from a range of disciplines, giving you the opportunity to hear a rich range of voices and contribute your own. 

You will also become part of our thriving research culture and be able to attend the staff research seminar series, where colleagues discuss their latest projects.

At the end of the programme, you will take part in the University's Degree Show: a large-scale exhibition of work from final year undergraduate and postgraduate arts students. You can see the highlights from the 2021 MA Degree Show here as well as a video from the 2018 show below.

MA Arts (Photography) pathway

The University of Derby has a long history of excellence in photography, with high student satisfaction ratings and top 20 league table positions. On this MA Arts (Photography), we teach photography as a fine art practice, offering a contemporary and exciting programme. By developing your own projects, you will have the freedom to focus on what interests and excites you. 

You will have access to well-resourced facilities that will allow you to experiment with different image-making methods, working across analogue, digital, still or moving image and multimedia installation.

Our University hosts FORMAT International Photography Festival in collaboration with Derby QUAD, which attracts artists from all over the world. This provides you with a unique opportunity to showcase your work and build contacts within the industry.

You will be encouraged to maintain a professional profile during the course. Previous arts students have exhibited at venues such as The Crypt Derby Cathedral, Pickford's House Museum, The Orangery Derby, QUAD, Wirksworth Visual Arts Festival, Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Una Notte al Museo in Milan, Italy, Campbell Works Gallery London, and Fermynwoods Contemporary Arts. 

We will inspire you to shape your individual creative practice with relevant theoretical knowledge and experimental approaches, informing a personal voice and engagement within the creative industries. 

MA Arts (Fine Art) pathway

This pathway is open to fine art undergraduates as well as people who have studied other art and design disciplines, and who now want to develop their skillset in a fine art context. 

On this pathway, we'll encourage you to critically reflect on your personal practice and become more aware of the relationship between your work and your audience. You will consider aspects of curatorial practice and how art works are received by general and specialist audiences. 

You will have access to well-staffed and well-resourced fine art studios and a range of 2D/3D making workshops (printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, wood / metal) plus the University's other arts facilities, such as an equipment loan store, digital print workshops and video editing software.

Student work from left to right: Deb Rogers, Henrietta Ellis, Ana Torrejon (top right) and Zoe Collishaw (bottom right)

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

This MA Arts is a professionally taught programme delivered through seminars, tutorials, workshop, peer reviews and guest lectures. We also take part in UK and international study trips to galleries, arts centres and other cultural institutions and have good links with regional galleries such as QUAD and Derby Museum and Art Gallery. 

Student work from left to right: Thomas Wynne, Holly McGhee, Finn Dahlhaus (top centre) and Paige Holmes

How are you assessed?

We'll assess you at the end of each module and provide written and verbal feedback on your progress. We use a range of assessment approaches, including the presentation of practical work, essays, reports including reflective journals, proposals and presentations. In between assessments, we will also give you regular feedback on your work. 

Who you'll meet

You'll meet the following members of the teaching team, including Programme Leader, Vered Lahav:

• Vered Lahav, is a photographer and installation artist who has exhibited nationally and internationally. Vered is the recipient of awards from the Shapira Foundation, the Avi Fellowship and the ACAVA award. In addition, she has received Arts Council Grants for Individuals in 2004, 2008 and 2013.
• Dr Teresa Forde, is a Senior Lecturer within the School of Arts. She oversees the MA Arts theory modules. Teresa’s research interests include curation and exhibition, and she has been researching the work of Marion Adnams, a twentieth-century Derby-based artist who is defined as a surrealist. Teresa has co-curated an exhibition on Adnams and contributed a video piece to the exhibition.  She also organises a symposium on 20th-century women artists in the Midlands, with a focus on Marion Adnams. 
• Colin Wilson, is a Senior Lecturer within the School of Arts.  He is working across all formats of analogue photography, specialising in large format 5x4 and 10x8 cameras and mural printing.  The practice of making and exhibiting art for Colin is a mindful, embodied communion with the world. Early works explored themes of Perception, Consciousness, and Experience, where real places become imaginary places and imaginary places become real places. 

We aim to attract well-motivated students who wish to further their study in a stimulating and professionally orientated learning environment.

All applicants will be expected to submit a portfolio of artwork and Creative Positioning Statement to the Programme Leader in advance of the interview. The portfolio should be a thematic body of work that explores a range of approaches underpinned by a conceptual understanding of context - in short, a coherent range of work exploring a theme/issue/set of ideas etc. A Creative Positioning Statement in the form of a description of your practice and the themes, issues or concerns you would like to explore or develop through this MA programme will be required. The length of the document will be approximately 500 words. Send us your portfolio via email through to pgtadmissionsb@derby.ac.uk We understand that some of your work will not be in a digital format, for any physical pieces of work please take a photograph of it and submit the photograph.

UK and EU Entry Requirements

You will normally be expected to have an appropriate Fine Art, or other first degree appropriate to apply for the MA (Minimum 2:2 or above), or a professional qualification of equal standing, or significant practical or professional experience gained following your initial qualification that would support your application. Depending on your qualifications, experience and your submitted work, you may be invited to attend an interview before being offered a place. You should bring your portfolio to the interview normally arranged at the University or online. You will also be asked to provide a plan of how you intend to use the time on the MA to further your practice.  

If English is not your first language, you'll also need an IELTS score of 6.0 (with 5.5 in each skills area), or equivalent. The test must be taken within the last two years leading up to the course start date and must still be valid when Visa is issued. 

Please contact the programme team with any queries.

Interview information

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

We have strong links with employers and cultural institutions, which we encourage you to maximise throughout this programme. There are also many opportunities to showcase your work and build a following.

As a graduate from this programme, you will have developed a mature body of work in photography or fine art, as well as gaining the language and skills you need to locate and explain your practice in the professional art world. You will be well-placed to forge a career as an independent artist/photographer, or look for employment in sectors such as the creative industries, education, museums, libraries and archives, or publishing and broadcasting.

Derby University students have made a major contribution to our city’s vibrant arts culture. Many have been inspired by the area's rural and industrial heritage, and have established studios, start-up businesses or exhibited work locally. Students Sarah Blandford and Sofia Rodrigues were awarded the Banks Mill Student Residency 2021-22.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees

• Additional access to wider University Arts' facilities including equipment loan store and other facilities, such as digital print workshops or video editing
• Specialist equipment and access to a range of 2D/3D making workshops (printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, wood / metal)
• Participation in the University Degree Show - including the physical building of the exhibition space
• Here at Derby, we provide excellent learning resources, libraries and specialist laboratories and studios
• The programme benefits from a visiting speaker each semester

Mandatory costs not included in your fees

• We recommend students using photography or film/video to have their own camera, however our equipment loan store holds most needed equipment to complete student coursework
• The programme uses Adobe Creative Suite which is installed on all Macs in MS102 and MS012 at Markeaton Street and students are provided with an individual Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for home use
• To support their professional and skills development, students are provided with a subscription to LinkedIn Learning which offers over 13,000 courses and tutorials, including professional accreditations, in a wide range of creative, business & technology disciplines
• Approx. £100 per year for printing research material for journal work
• Additional materials (printing, stationery, portfolio sleeves, folders, USBs/hard drives etc. £100 - £300)
• There will be occasions when you will be expected to attend exhibitions, screenings, performances and festivals. You will need to budget for these over each academic year
• National trips - coach (Approx. £8 - £12 , London £30+) International trip (Approx. £500)
• Individual project work - towards the end of each of the three stages - this can range from £100 - £1000 depending on the activity

Optional costs not included in your fees

• Additional course related publications (approx. costs £100)
• Specialist software/hardware (costs up to £1500)
• Final year project costs (costs determined by student £200 - £600)
• Travel for work placement opportunities (costs will vary dependant on location
• We provide full details of all course fees, but extra costs may include field trips (approx. cost £200 - £400)