Careers

The Master’s degree provides you with the necessary qualifications to work as a successful freelance photographer, as an artist, or to take a leading role in an agency or company for example within the fast-paced media industry. You will have the skills and competences of working in interdisciplinary, multicultural, and international teams which is sought after in art institutions, design agencies, at publishers and magazines, in galleries, film and media industry, or the art market.

The Photography Master's program

The goal of the Master’s program is to engage you in the creation of intriguing and challenging photographic images. The core of the program consists of two experimental projects where you are free to develop your own line of work. Instruction and guidance in regard to the conception and documentation of the work-flow will gradually train you on self-reflexivity necessary for making clear decisions in the creative process.

Finding and carving out new visual modes, expressing questions, insights, and narratives that reverberate the demands of the malleable space of cultural discourse afford an historical appreciation and a sensitivity for future developments. Thus, we focus a considerable part of the program on the analysis of how narratives in general are structured and formed and how visual story-telling works. Further theory classes allow you to place your work within an historical, sociopolitical, and media theoretical context.

With an additional elective block, we enable you to choose from a wide range of classes that impart knowledge of strategies in entrepreneurship and curatorial practices. The Master’s thesis in the third semester comprises a photographic project and an academic essay.

Tuition fees and funding

As a private university, we are funded not by the state, but by tuition fees. For this reason, studying at BTK costs more than at a public university. But it’s worth it: BTK graduates meet essential requirements of design, and this sets them apart from the graduates of many public universities. Your employment and earnings prospects are greatly improved.

Tuition fees for applicants from the EU: 950€ / month
Tuition fees for non-EU applicants: 1.050€ / month

All costs are included in the monthly tuition fee.
No additional costs will be incurred, such as a matriculation fee, exam fees, bachelor thesis fee or similar, as long as the course is completed within the standard study period.
The costs for an optional semester abroad are not included in these fees as there are substantial differences depending on country and university.

We are happy to provide you with information on funding your studies and on any available scholarships. If you have any further questions, our Student Guidance Office can provide you with detailed information. Find out useful information on Masters funding on this website.

Applying at BTK

You can apply a year in advance for the winter semester, which starts on October 1st, including 2016. We look forward to meeting you! The application deadline for the winter semester is August 1st. For the admission procedure, we will form a selection committee consisting of at least two BTK full-time staff.

A complete application will include the following:

1) Completed Online application form
2) Dated and signed copies of your degree papers and transcript of records including the taken seminars/ modules and credit points (in English or German)
3) An up-to-date résumé with your educational & professional background
4) A portfolio or website containing at least 5 artistic or design related projects you have been actively involved in.
5) A paper approximately five pages long (A4 or letter size) introducing a possible thesis topic to be written in English or German.
6) Proof of English proficiency or skill level (B2 CEFR).

The admission procedure includes an approximately 45-minute personal interview and the review of your proposal and portfolio. Your knowledge of English will be tested in the interview, and you will be required to submit proof of your English-speaking ability or experience.

Find out more about the application process at BTK.