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Photography Schools and Programs in Spain

10 schools in Spain teach Photography.

Master of Professional Photography

The Master of Professional Photography program at IED Madrid is a study program that enables students with specialized learning for careers in professional photography. Students in this program learn how to master the methodology necessary to become a knowledgeable photographer, whether or not the subject is lifestyle, editorial, entertainment or documentary. Studied subjects include business in photography, technique and practicing visual concepts for various photographic subjects. This program is specifically for students with an interest in becoming creative industry leaders in photography. Career projections include fashion photographer, digital, and lighting technician, photo editor, or press and media photographer.
Level: Graduate  
Language of instruction: Spanish  
Location: Madrid

Postgraduate Course in Photography and Visual Language

The Postgraduate Course in Photography and Visual Language at IED Madrid is a study program that enables students with specialized learning the opportunity to further their careers in professional photography. Students in this program learn how to take their existing photography knowledge and use it to create images that express creative narratives through the manipulation of light, post-production treatment and camera techniques. This program is for students with an interest in becoming creative industry leaders in photography able to produce contemporary images. Career projections include fashion photographer, art direction assistant, photo editor, or production assistant.
Level: Professional Development  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Madrid

Photography Studies in Spain

Studying photography means learning to plan and carry out a complete photographic project: capture, lighting, digital image processing and final output, together with visual language, the history of photography and running a professional practice. In Spain photography can be studied through three different official routes (university, vocational training and professional arts education) and also at specialised schools that award their own qualifications.

How photography studies are organised in Spain

  • University bachelor's degree: Royal Decree 822/2021 sets the structure of "Grados de 240 créditos, Másteres de 60, 90 y 120 créditos", which means four years for a bachelor's degree (grado) and one or two for a master's degree. The Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT) lists official degrees such as the Grado en Fotografía and the Grado en Fotografía y Creación Audiovisual, and official master's degrees in art, documentary and advertising photography.
  • Vocational training (FP): the higher-level cycle Técnico Superior en Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen, in the Image and Sound family, takes 2,000 hours and includes modules such as Proyectos fotográficos, Toma fotográfica and Tratamiento fotográfico digital, plus a work placement in a company.
  • Professional arts education: the Técnico Superior de Artes Plásticas y Diseño en Fotografía, regulated by Royal Decree 1432/2012, also lasts 2,000 hours and is taught at schools of art. Its aim, in the decree's words, is to "elaborar obra original de fotografía a partir de un encargo profesional determinado o de un proyecto propio".
  • School-own qualifications and courses: private schools and institutes offer professional programmes, postgraduate courses, specialisation courses and workshops. These are the school's own certificates, not official qualifications.

Where to study photography in Spain

Barcelona and Madrid have most of the schools on this page, but there are also options in Salt (Girona), Seville, Oviedo and the province of Málaga. Some examples:

  • Escuela Universitaria de Artes TAI (Madrid), a centre attached to the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, offers the Grado en Fotografía y Creación Audiovisual and the Máster Universitario en Fotografía Artística y Documental; both appear in the RUCT under that university.
  • CES, Escuela Superior de Imagen, Sonido y Tecnología (Madrid) teaches, among other cycles, the Técnico Superior en Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen.
  • Institut d'Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya (IEFC) (Barcelona), which also holds a historical photographic archive, offers its own Graduado en Fotografía, postgraduate courses and specialisation courses.
  • Idep Barcelona offers a four-year photography programme, "Fotografía y creación audiovisual", with a qualification from the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU, as well as master's and postgraduate programmes in photography.
  • Escuela de Arte de Oviedo teaches the higher-level Fotografía cycle within its Comunicación Gráfica y Audiovisual family.
  • ERAM (Salt), attached to the Universitat de Girona, runs the Escuela Fotografía ERAM Zeta and a specialisation course in photography.

Admission and language

For a university bachelor's degree, students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that "evalúa los expedientes académicos de los estudiantes internacionales y les realiza las pruebas necesarias para acceder a estudios de grado". They then apply to each university according to its own criteria.

Access to the higher-level FP cycle is possible, among other routes, with the Bachiller (Spanish upper-secondary certificate), a Técnico (intermediate FP) qualification or an entrance test. If your school-level studies are from abroad, the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports handles the "Homologación y convalidación de títulos y estudios extranjeros no universitarios". Arts education programmes usually also require a specific entrance test; the Escuela de Arte de Oviedo, for example, publishes sample tests from previous years. Most official programmes are taught in Spanish (and in Catalonia partly in Catalan), so check the language of each programme before applying.

Recognition of the qualification

University degrees in the RUCT and FP and arts education qualifications are official and valid throughout Spain. The Técnico Superior de Artes Plásticas y Diseño en Fotografía also gives "el acceso directo a las enseñanzas artísticas superiores de Diseño, de Artes Plásticas y de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales". If you already hold a foreign university degree, Royal Decree 889/2022 regulates its homologation, declaration of equivalence and convalidation. The school-own qualifications of private schools do not have this official recognition.

Careers

According to TodoFP, graduates of the Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen cycle can work, among other roles, as photographers, stills photographers, photojournalists, digital photo retouchers, film, video and television camera operators or lighting assistants. Many photographers are self-employed; Royal Decree 1432/2012 states that this professional "desarrolla su actividad como profesional autónomo y como trabajador por cuenta ajena".

Frequently asked questions

Is there a university degree in Photography in Spain?

Yes. The RUCT lists official degrees such as the Grado en Fotografía and the Grado en Fotografía y Creación Audiovisual, which take four years and 240 ECTS credits.

How long is a higher-level photography cycle?

Both the FP cycle in Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen and the arts education cycle in Fotografía take 2,000 hours.

What is the difference between an official qualification and a school's own qualification?

Official qualifications (bachelor's and master's degrees, FP and arts education) are valid throughout Spain. A school's own qualification depends on that school and is not equivalent to an official qualification.

Can I study photography in Spain with a foreign school-leaving certificate?

Yes. For a bachelor's degree the usual route is UNEDasiss; for FP or arts education, foreign school-level studies must be recognised (homologated) by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports.