Overview
Our Documentary Photography BA is for curious and socially engaged visual storytellers ready to explore the world through their lens. Based in Berlin, one of the world’s most vibrant creative hubs, this English-taught programme blends critical thinking with hands-on practice, helping you shape an ethically grounded and creatively bold documentary photography practice.
You’ll engage with real-world projects, socially conscious workshops and collaborative productions that explore identity, community, activism and representation in both local and global contexts. Learn to merge traditional photojournalism with contemporary visual storytelling to create images that go beyond aesthetics, sparking dialogue and impact.
From day one, you’ll learn by doing, working across disciplines with students in film, music, acting and more. Each project strengthens your creative voice and builds a diverse, industry-ready portfolio. With continuous mentorship, industry showcases and publishing opportunities, you’ll graduate not just as a skilled image-maker but as a thoughtful, adaptable professional ready to contribute to today’s visual culture.
You can study this programme either as a three-year BA degree or as a one-year HE Certificate.
Preparing the next generation of visual artists
In a world flooded with images, there’s a great need for photographers who can create work with intention, context, and care. From social justice movements to everyday lived experience, visual storytellers are increasingly expected to engage with the world, instead of simply documenting it.
Our Documentary Photography Bachelor's programme responds to this need by blending ethical documentary practice with hands-on learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. You’ll develop the tools to create powerful, socially engaged work that goes beyond aesthetics and speaks to real-world complexity.
Course structure
Year 1 (HE Certificate)
Exploring the Fundamentals of Documentary Photography in Berlin
Begin your journey into socially engaged photographic practice by learning to see, think, and create like a documentary storyteller. Across a series of short, intensive projects, you will develop the foundations of visual storytelling, refining the technical skills of camera work, lighting, editing and sequencing, while engaging with the ethical, cultural, and historical dimensions of the medium.
You’ll work both independently and in small groups, responding to real-world briefs. Berlin’s streets, archives, cultural and community spaces will become your classroom as you explore the city’s diverse communities and histories through site-specific fieldwork.
By the end of Year 1, you will be able to:
- Understand and apply the core principles of photographic composition, lighting, editing, and sequencing.
- Engage with ethical frameworks for representing people, places, and communities.
- Work with industry-standard equipment and digital workflows to produce engaging narratives and high quality images.
- Research, develop, and present photographic projects in a collaborative environment.
- Begin to define your artistic voice and situate your work within the wider context of documentary and socially engaged art.
Year 2 (BA Year 2)
Deepening Practice and Expanding Context
In your second year, you’ll move beyond the fundamentals to develop more ambitious, conceptually rich projects. You’ll expand your technical range and deepen your understanding of how documentary work circulates in galleries, publications, and digital platforms.
Collaboration is central: you will work with peers, community groups, and external partners on live briefs, developing the interpersonal and project management skills required for professional practice. You will also explore your own creative identity through self-directed projects, refining your personal style and thematic focus.
By the end of Year 2, you will be able to:
- Manage longer-term projects from research and proposal to final exhibition or publication.
- Critically position your work in relation to historical and contemporary practitioners.
- Engage in interdisciplinary projects, drawing on Berlin’s rich creative networks.
- Communicate effectively with clients, collaborators, and audiences.
Year 3 (BA Final Year)
Refining Vision and Launching Your Professional Practice
Your final year is about consolidating your skills, articulating your creative vision, and preparing for life after graduation. You will undertake more projects including a self-directed major project that reflects your artistic voice and responds to a chosen social, political, or cultural context.
You will also continue to build your industry readiness—curating a final portfolio, developing an online presence, and showcasing your work through a public exhibition in Berlin. Networking events, portfolio reviews, and guest critiques will connect you directly with curators, editors, and industry professionals.
By the end of the Year 3, you will be able to:
- Deliver a resolved, research-led body of work ready for public exhibition or publication.
- Demonstrate advanced technical proficiency and conceptual depth.
- Present your work professionally to a range of audiences and stakeholders.
- Exhibit confidence in navigating the ethical, logistical, and creative challenges of socially engaged practice.
- Graduate with the tools, contacts, and confidence to work as an independent artist, freelancer, or cultural practitioner.
Our facilities
At Catalyst, your primary studio is the city of Berlin—a living, breathing environment for socially engaged, documentary storytelling. But you'll also have access to a wide range of creative facilities to support your work, including cameras, high-end scanners, studio space, digital printers and editing labs.
“Studying here was nothing short of amazing and to throw all of my talents and passions into one medium was magical.”
– Adam Munnings, alumnus
Is Documentary Photography for me?
You’ll find this course suitable if:
- You see photography as a way to tell meaningful stories, not just create aesthetically pleasing images.
- You’re curious about the ethics of visual storytelling, including who tells which stories and why it matters.
- You want to grow through hands-on practice, with space for experimentation, feedback, and reflection.
- You’re excited to collaborate with creatives from other disciplines, including film, music, and performance.
- You care about community and social impact, and want your work to connect with real people and places.
Progression & Careers
As a graduate, you’ll be equipped to tell powerful visual stories through photography and beyond. You could work as:
- A documentary or editorial photographer
- A visual storyteller for publications, NGOs or creative agencies
- A freelance photographer producing independent projects and exhibitions
- A photojournalist capturing social, environmental or cultural narratives
- A curator, producer or researcher within visual media and arts contexts
You’ll be prepared to work across the documentary and visual communication sectors, collaborating with artists, filmmakers, journalists and designers. Your experience at Catalyst will also give you the skills and confidence to pursue self-initiated projects, postgraduate study or creative entrepreneurship.
A future-proof creative toolkit
Developing your photography practice goes far beyond learning how to use a camera. You’ll gain:
- Hands-on experience with digital and analogue photography, lighting and post-production workflows
- The ability to craft visual stories with intention, empathy and critical awareness
- Research and contextual thinking skills to connect your work to wider social, political and cultural narratives
- The confidence to work independently, collaborate across disciplines and manage creative projects from concept to exhibition
- The curiosity and adaptability to keep evolving with new tools, technologies and ideas
These creative, technical and reflective skills form a toolkit that will support you across artistic, journalistic and commercial contexts – helping you stay responsive and relevant in a constantly shifting visual world.
Creative futures, real-world skills
Success means different things for different creatives – whether it’s completing a powerful project, building an audience or making a living from your art. Alongside your main studies, you’ll have access to extra opportunities for growth, such as our Self-Development & Creative Leadership course – designed to help you build clarity, confidence and creative momentum.
You’ll explore how to take action, lead projects, communicate your vision and overcome personal blocks. And beyond that, you’ll find wellbeing resources and personalised support to help you stay grounded and thrive – in your practice and beyond.
Admissions
Entry requirements
All applicants will be asked to provide: personal and educational information, documentation of their education experience, a portfolio and a personal introduction in the form of a short video.
MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Course dates and application deadlines
Course start: Mid-September 2026
Applications open: Mid-October 2025
Application deadlines
Visa-required applicants
Applicants from countries requiring a visa before entering Germany:
- Priority deadline: 28 February 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus and visa support)
- General deadline: 30 April 2026 (subject to visa processing time)
EU/visa-exempt or post-arrival applicants:
Applicants from EU/EEA, Switzerland, or countries allowing visa-free entry (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea):
- Priority deadline: 31 March 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus & guaranteed spot)
- General deadline: 5 June 2026
- Late applications: Until 28 August 2026 (subject to availability)
Priority deadlines & early enrolment bonus
Apply by the priority deadline to secure your place and receive a €3,000 discount on your total tuition.
Early enrolment gives you early access to our visa support service and allows us to plan group sizes and resources in advance.
What does “visa” or “visa-exempt” mean?
- Visa-required: If you require a visa before entering Germany (e.g. citizens of India, Brazil, Mexico, China, Turkey), you must apply at a German embassy before arrival. Our Visa Support Service (included in the enrolment fee) supports you with paperwork, appointments and timelines. Visa processing can take 3–6 months, so early application is essential.
- Post-arrival visa: If you're from a country that allows visa-free entry (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea), you can enter Germany without a visa and apply for your student residence permit after arrival.
- Visa-exempt (EU/EEA/Switzerland): If you're a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you don't need a visa or residence permit to study in Germany.
You can check your visa requirements here.
Tuition fees - From €5,028 per semester
Payment options*
- Per semester: €5,028
- Annual payment: €9,753 per year (3% discount)
- Flexible plans: Monthly and extended payment options available
- Upfront discount: Save 8% on total tuition when paying in full
- For detailed payment plans please download the Course Guide
*Enrolment fee: €895 per study year (non-refundable, due before each academic year begins). Visa support is included as part of the enrolment fee.
Scholarships & financial support
- Eligible for BAföG and other national funding schemes you can check here.
- €6,000 scholarships available – applied across all three years (€2,000/year)
- With scholarships and extended payment plans, tuition can be reduced to as low as €608/month, spread across four years (including one year post-graduation)
Early enrolment bonus - apply early to save €3,000 off your total tuition
Early enrolment secures your place, helps us plan group sizes and facilities, and gives you more time to prepare for your move to Berlin. You’ll benefit from a €1,000 tuition reduction each year.
- Visa-required students: Apply by 28 February 2026
- EU & visa-exempt students: Apply by 31 March 2026
Note: early enrolment bonuses cannot be combined with scholarships.
Multiple-course bonus:
If you decide to enrol in both a 4-week Summer Short Course and a degree course with us in within two years, you will receive a discount of 500€ on the total tuition.
Funding opportunities
As an officially accredited higher education institute based in Berlin, Catalyst offers access to a range of national funding opportunities for eligible students, such as BAföG.
Visit our funding guide to explore the most common options available to our students, both in Germany and across Europe.
Funding opportunities
As an officially accredited higher education institute based in Berlin, Catalyst offers access to a range of national funding opportunities for eligible students, including BAföG and other public financial aid schemes available across Germany and the EU.
In addition to public funding, Catalyst provides a variety of scholarships designed to support diversity, equity and access in the creative arts. These include:
- General and school-specific scholarships across all Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes
- Up to €6,000 in tuition support for Bachelor’s students (spread over three years)
- Relocation support scholarships for international students moving to Berlin
To learn more about these opportunities and how to apply, visit our full Funding Your Studies guide.
Scholarships
1. Global stories & cultural perspectives scholarship
For documentary photographers from diasporic, non-Western, or otherwise underrepresented cultural backgrounds who use imagery to tell stories not typically seen in mainstream media.
Who it’s for
Applicants whose lived experiences, heritage, or cultural identity shape their photographic practice – including those from the Global Majority (BIPOC), migration backgrounds or marginalised communities.
Eligibility criteria
- Self-identification with a community or cultural background underrepresented in visual media
- A commitment to telling stories from, with, or about these communities
- Experience or interest in disrupting conventional narratives through cultural perspective in photography
2. Equity in film & visual media scholarship
For photographers exploring identity, community and systems of power, particularly from perspectives often left out of the mainstream. It supports those navigating structural barriers as they build a creative path in visual media.
Who it’s for
Applicants who identify with one or more underrepresented communities, including Queer and LGBTQIA+ individuals, FLINTA*, BIPOC, mature or career-switching creatives, and those navigating intersectional barriers related to race, gender, class, disability or migration.
Eligibility criteria
- Self-identification with a structurally excluded or marginalised group
- A creative focus on identity, representation, community or social issues
- Demonstrated engagement with storytelling, media-making or activism from a personal or political perspective
3. Social justice & documentary storytelling scholarship
For photographers using long-form, community-based or issue-driven approaches to investigate displacement, climate, borders or social inequality.
Who it’s for
Visual media artists committed to socially engaged documentary practice, including those with lived experience of migration, rural marginalisation or working-class contexts.
Eligibility criteria
- Projects or themes focused on displacement, justice, ecology or identity
- Demonstrated interest in documentary, hybrid or activist storytelling
- A personal or political motivation to explore urgent global or local issues through photographic work
4. Narrative reinvention scholarship (career switchers)
For applicants moving from another field into documentary photography, bringing new perspectives, transferable skills and life experience to visual storytelling.
Who it’s for
Those with prior study or work experience in another industry seeking a creative path in visual media.
Eligibility criteria
- Prior degree or substantial career experience outside the visual media industries
- Demonstrated interest in storytelling through photography
- A reflective approach to shifting careers and building creative authorship, plus motivation to challenge dominant perspectives through lived experience
Open days, Q&As and taster workshops
Get a feel for Catalyst and our courses at a range of both online and in-person events. Join us at a Virtual Open Day or an Open Day at our campus in Berlin, chat to our programme leads at Meet The Tutor, or try a taster workshop.
Industry experts supporting your journey
Our tutors are industry-acclaimed experts in their field, with a passion for passing on their knowledge to others. Here are some of the tutors that will be supporting you throughout your learning process.
Jonathan Purcell
Jonathan is a documentary photographer based between Berlin and Manchester. His work explores urban life, subcultures, and marginal spaces, often focusing on public environments, human interaction, and the politics of space. He combines practice and teaching, working as both a creative practitioner and tutor. His approach blends street photography, long-form documentary projects, and socially engaged storytelling.
Ways to connect
Whether in person or online, we can't wait to meet you!
Student work
In these photos you'll glimpse the powerful and deeply personal vision of Catalyst alum Ian Margio. Ian is a documentary photographer who chronicles the lives of queer artists within the electronic music scene. More recently he turning his attention and camera homeward, documenting the physical turmoil and aftermath of the 2024 flooding of Valencia, his hometown and continued place of practice.
“The privilege of studying at Catalyst was completely life-changing. It really helped me be able to express myself and pursue my passion. It was also a career decision that really allowed me to forge relationships that I will always have with me.”
– Helena Marinho, alumna
Behind the scenes
Stories from our creative community
