I highly recommend the MA Expanded Photography course at the University of Westminster for its profound impact on my professional career and artistic development. The course has not only strengthened my conceptual and technical skills, but has also helped me clearly position myself within the contemporary photography and art industry. I am a London-based Chinese artist focusing on experimental photography. I began studying part-time on the MA Expanded Photography course in 2024. The MA Expanded Photography course is undoubtedly one of the most influential programmes I have undertaken. It has played a crucial role in advancing my career by expanding my professional network, sharpening my critical thinking, and enabling me to develop a sustainable artistic practice within the contemporary art context. The reasons are outlined below. 1. Industry experts as tutors All tutors on the course are industry professionals and researchers affiliated with the CREAM research centre. As active practitioners, they combine strong theoretical knowledge with real-world experience. Their teaching goes beyond academic instruction: they share current industry debates, professional strategies, and career pathways, while offering honest and constructive feedback. This guidance has helped me evaluate my practice from an industry perspective, break out of my comfort zone, and make more informed decisions about my career direction. 2. Network building and professional exposure Photography forums at the University of Westminster regularly invite established professionals—including artists, curators, publishers, and researchers—to share their experiences and insights. These events have given me direct access to industry figures and have helped me build meaningful professional connections. Engaging with these networks has significantly accelerated my understanding of the photography ecosystem and improved my confidence in navigating professional opportunities. 3. Conceptual development and professional positioning The first-semester core modules cover essential topics in photography, including historical context, theoretical frameworks, and contemporary practice. This structured learning helped me clearly position my work within current photographic discourse and strengthened my ability to articulate my ideas in professional settings such as artist talks, proposals, and exhibitions. The outstanding photography and artist book collection at the Harrow campus further supported my research and broadened my understanding of professional practice. 4. Technical support for career expansion Harrow campus provides excellent facilities, including a 3D printing centre and the Emerging Media Space. With the support of skilled technicians, I was able to experiment with new technologies and cross-disciplinary methods, including access to fashion and film facilities. These opportunities have expanded the scope of my practice and enabled me to develop multimedia projects that align with contemporary industry expectations. Overall, the MA Expanded Photography course offers a highly supportive environment with outstanding tutors, technicians, and facilities. It has directly contributed to my professional growth, helping me integrate conceptual research, technical skills, and industry awareness into a coherent and forward-looking artistic practice.

The course is taught in person at the Harrow campus, with all supporting materials—including reading lists, PowerPoint slides, and additional resources—uploaded online for continued study. This blended structure supports both in-depth learning during class time and independent research outside of scheduled sessions. Teaching on the course is highly interactive and varied. Learning takes place through in-person lectures, library-based teaching, facilitated tutorials, and field research activities, including artist studio visits as well as museum and gallery exhibition visits. These different teaching formats have been particularly valuable in connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world artistic practice. The course timetable is well balanced, with reasonable contact hours and sufficient time allocated for independent experimentation. This allowed me to work extensively with technicians, borrow equipment, and develop projects without feeling rushed or restricted by the schedule. Communication with tutors is straightforward and supportive. The lecturers are consistently welcoming, approachable, and generous with their time, offering thoughtful and attentive tutorials. In comparison with other London-based art schools I have previously attended, the quality and duration of one-to-one tutorial support on this course is significantly better.

The MA Expanded Photography course is based at the Harrow campus, which offers strong technical support and well-equipped facilities. The campus is easily accessible via the Metropolitan line, which is reliable and provides direct train connections from King’s Cross Station. This makes commuting to the campus convenient and manageable.

The library is an amazing resource for us, the endless variety of books is really helpful for us to fulfil our reading needs. Our stores for equipment are amazing and the technicians that go alongside them, any questions or queries are always resolved in good time. The classrooms and studio spaces are also fantastic!

I think that there are some modules whereby I understand what I am supposed to do and how I’m supposed to do it but there are others where I don’t feel this way as such. Using examples of work surrounding the idea/concept of our finished outcomes would be very helpful, and these don’t have to include grades with them!

The areas itself is lovely, there job situation can be quite tricky because not many places are looking for people who can work for 3 months then go home.

The halls are situated on campus therefore they’re so convenient on uni days. The rooms themselves are quite nice and there’s loads of storage. The kitchens are nice too as long as they’re well kept but there’s a weekly cleaner that comes in to make sure it’s never unbearable.