COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA Fine Art (Photography) program at Bath Spa University is a one-year, three-trimester course that fosters advanced creative, technical, and professional development in photographic practice. In the first trimester, students are encouraged to take creative risks and challenge their existing knowledge, experimenting freely in specialist facilities, open studio spaces, and technical workshops with expert support. This stage emphasizes playfulness and artistic exploration, allowing students to interrogate their processes and develop foundational skills across a variety of photographic and media techniques. In the second trimester, students maintain an experimental approach while beginning to narrow their focus, with guidance from academic staff to reflect on initial studio developments and refine their working strategies. Attention is placed on the presentation of practice, ensuring that individual works relate coherently to each other and to exhibition spaces. The final trimester is dedicated to the self-directed Master’s Project, in which students work independently to produce a cohesive body of work that demonstrates advanced technical ability, conceptual understanding, and professional practice. Core modules, including Research Methods, Theory and Professional Context, Practice 1 and 2, Research Practice, and Theory and Professional Practices, integrate theoretical learning with studio practice. Graduates leave with a strong artistic identity, critical thinking skills, and professional confidence to pursue careers in contemporary photography, creative industries, or further postgraduate research.