Master of Arts - Arts - Photography

The MA Arts programme at Derby offers pathways in Fine Art or Photography, designed for highly motivated and independently minded artists. The course supports the development of individual creative practice through reflection, re-evaluation, research, and experimentation. The academic team brings expertise across fine art, photography, film, public art, performance, curatorship, critical theory, art history, philosophy and criticism, residencies, and commissions, fostering a diverse and inspiring creative community.

Students have access to outstanding facilities, including professional-standard darkrooms, photography equipment and software, and recently refurbished Fine Art Studios at the historic Britannia Mill site. The programme allows a focus on a single discipline while encouraging engagement in a broad range of visual arts activities and collaboration across pathways, developing multifaceted and original artists and practitioners.

The course brings together a community of artists and photographers in a multidisciplinary environment, exploring the interface between traditional and digital media. It offers opportunities 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 subject areas critically inform and support individual creative practice, including the integration of narrative and theoretical studies.

Taught studio-based research is combined with a strong theoretical awareness of contemporary practice. Students participate in dynamic debates involving staff and peers from multiple disciplines, gaining exposure to a wide range of perspectives that enhance creative development. The programme also integrates students into a thriving research culture, with opportunities to attend staff research seminar series showcasing the latest projects and developments in the field.