Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,620 for the course
International/EU: £17,725 for the course -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2025
Course summary
- Advance your skills in modern photography
- Experiment with industry-standard equipment
- Take on an individual project that combines creative exploration with critical research
- Kick-start your career as a professional photographer with help from a dedicated employability adviser
On this course, you’ll become a highly knowledgeable, independent photographer ready to excel in your field. You’ll gain the skills you need to fulfil your potential as a practitioner, working in state of the art facilities. The course features a flexible, adaptable curriculum, and has close links to creative networks and organisations in Northern England.
How you learn
This course is based around a creative, practice-based and self-directed approach to learning. This is similar to the independent nature of professional practice, and will prepare you for the real world of photography.
Throughout your studies, you’ll be encouraged to undertake research and further your understanding of historical and contemporary approaches. You’ll also look at relevant theoretical issues to help place your work in a critical context.
You learn through
- specialist workshops
- technical surgeries
- lectures and seminars
- group critiques and review sessions
- individual tutorials
- exhibition and curation
- field trips and study visits
- visiting professionals and guest lecturers
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Work placements
During the course students undertake a period of work experience of a minimum of two weeks duration or equivalent. This is identified and arranged by the student, with the support of tutors and wider university staff, as well as the university career and work-experience teams. This provides knowledge and understanding of a real world employment within the professional sphere of communication or media.
The course benefits from established relationships with a number of photographic partners including the Photographers' Gallery, Site Gallery, Millennium Galleries, The Hepworth Wakefield, Village Bookshop and Gallery, Impressions Gallery and Format Festival.
Field trips and events
You will have the opportunity to attend national and international photography and art events — such as exhibitions, festivals and conferences — to deepen your understanding of the wider photographic industry. In recent years we have been to Paris Photo, Berlin Photography Festival, Amsterdam and put on residential field trips to London and the Peak District.
Our unique location within a post-industrial and culturally vibrant city and yet only 14 minutes (by rail) to the Peak District — the UK’s first National Park — makes Sheffield a fascinating setting for an enthusiastic photographer.
Networking opportunities
Our staff are founding members and active in a number of research groups, including Northern Light, Walking Arts, Visual Activism, and The Centre for Contemporary Legend research groups.
We organise exhibitions, conferences, symposia and events. These include our biennial conference and exhibition on contemporary landscape and environmental photography under the title Northern Light. We also host an annual RPS History Group symposium.
Each year we also host a number of industry days and events — such as Grad Talk and Pathways — where students network with and attend talks and workshops run by creative media industry professionals and organisations. You’ll have access to guidance from our professional careers and employment service, CV preparation and interview practice, an annual programme of employer recruitment fairs, and an online graduate vacancy service.
We also work closely with REDEYE — an organisation supporting professional photographers in the north of England and with APHE (Association for Photography in Higher Education).
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career as an employee or freelancer in
- documentary
- fine art
- fashion and advertising
- editorial
- press and photojournalism
- general and social portraiture
- scientific and medical
- stills for film and video productions
- post-production (picture editing, processing, printing and finishing)
- picture research and publishing
- curatorial and gallery contexts
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course you work with
- two industry-standard photography studios
- portable lighting equipment
- a dedicated digital darkroom including scanning, processing and printing facilities
- colour and black and white analogue darkrooms with enlargers from 35mm to 5x4
- black and white print darkroom with both wet and machine process facilities
- an extensive lending store where you can borrow industry standard equipment such as cameras, lenses and tripods
Entry requirements
All students
Normally you need:
- a 2.2 degree or equivalent in an appropriate subject or significant relevant experience
- a high level of creative ability, as evidenced by a portfolio of work*
- statement 400 word max**
In order for us to be able to process your application please provide us with information about your photography related experience and aspirations along with your portfolio of work.
Your submission should include:
- PORTFOLIO* (up to 30 images)
This can be either a link to your website or a PDF presenting images from your photography practice (you may also include links to other lens based/moving image/creative art work you have produced if relevant). Please clearly identify student work and any independent or professional projects and supply information regarding the year each image/project was made, titles, dimensions of work (if it has been produced for exhibition context). If your work is analogue, submit digital documentation.
- STATEMENT** (400 word max. Can be bullet points)
You should briefly describe your photographic practice/s thus far. Please outline your hopes and ambitions for undertaking PG study with us and indicate which photographers/filmmakers/artists, publications and exhibitions have inspired you and influenced your practice. Describe research and/or distinctive processes that have impacted the development of your work or that you would like to explore in your future studies.
- CV (One page only)
Detailing your relevant experience, including your education, professional work experience and any participation in exhibitions or publications.
Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.0 with 5.5 in all skills (or equivalent). If your English language skill is currently below the required standard then you can apply for the Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course that will enable you to achieve the required proficiency English.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Final year
Compulsory modules
Groundwork: Cultivating Integrated Research And Practice Skills
Growth And Opportunities: Critical Reflection, Independent Practice, And Entrepreneurship
Your Work In Public: Realisation, Expanded Exhibition And Dissemination
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £10,620 for the course.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,725 for the course.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £12,471 is available in 2024/25 for home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 153.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
