Master study program

Title of the study programme: 
Photography (N0211A310019)
 

Description of the programme:

The Master’s degree study in Photography in English is intended for applicants who already have a bachelor’s degree or will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in the current academic year. Applicants who have not studied photography under a bachelor’s degree programme may also apply. The programme is conceived as a space for the intensive development of talent, creative abilities and critical thinking. The programme supports the search for one’s own artistic approach and the formation of a distinctive visual language that can stand within the context of contemporary art as well as the broader visual culture. Emphasis is placed on individual mentoring, dialogue with instructors and systematic work that connects artistic practice with theoretical reflection and artistic research methods. The programme, built around five studios (Classical Photography, Imaginative Photography, Intermedia, Documentary Strategies, and New Aesthetics), offers the development of advanced techniques in both analogue and digital photography, as well as related fields, at a level corresponding to current international practice. Students learn to independently formulate and defend their own creative intentions, critically reflect on them, and situate them within broader cultural and social contexts.

Beginning of the study in the academic year 2027/​2028:
September 15 – 30, 2027 – Introduction and preparatory weeks
October 1, 2027 – Beginning of the winter semester
Duration of the master’s degree study – 2 years (4 semesters)

Prerequisites for the study:

  • Applicants must have previous experience in the creative use of photography and technical images.
  • Completion of a bachelor’s degree no later than the academic year in which the applicant applies. The level of knowledge and skills must be comparable to those of graduates of the bachelor’s programme in Photography.

Yearly tuition fee is set by the Dean’s Decree.

Contacts:
Coordinator of the English programme: Barbora Kloučková Stejskalová: @email
 

Admission Procedure Time Schedule

  • October 2, – November 30, 2026  Application open
  • November 30, 2026 Deadline for the submission of the applications including mandatory attachments
  • December 2, 2026 Deadline for the submission of the portfolio
  • December 4, 2026 Round 1 (without applicants)
  • December 11, 2026 Round 2 (presence – Zoom or Teams)
     

Beginning of the study in the academic year 2027/​2028

  • September 15 – 30 2027 – Introduction and preparatory weeks
  • October 01 2027 – Beginning of the winter semester
  • Duration of the master’s degree study – 2 years (4 semesters)

Contacts
Coordinator of the English programme: Barbora Stejskalová: barbora.stejskalova@famu.cz
APLICATION AND DOCUMENTS

A) DESCRIPTION OF MANDATORY DOCUMENTS AND THE METHOD OF SUBMISSION 

Your documents must be sent by November 30,2026, in the electronic form to @email via wetransfer.com, filetransfer.io, nihaocloud.com or similar platforms. 

Your portfolio must be sent by December 2, 2026, in electronic form to @email via wetransfer.com, filetransfer.io, nihaocloud.com or similar platforms. 

After sending the package, please make sure to send the specific download link separately via email directly to @email and await a reply. Please contact us immediately if you do not receive a reply within 24 hours.

PLEASE, FOLLOW THESE STEPS AND RULES: 

1. Fill in the application form

After you fill it in, you will receive passwords – eight-digit code – that you will continue to use throughout the admissions process.

The deadline for submitting the application is November 30, 2026 

If you encounter any problems, please contact us immediately.

Assistant of the Photo Dept. /​Coordinator of the English programme: Barbora Kloučková Stejskalová: @email: 

2. Create a folder named accordingly:

your name – enter exam 2027 – PHOTO FAMU 

3. Inside this folder, create a folder named „documents”.

4. Put the following documents inside the folder „documents”:

  • the copy or print screen of your application
  • the structured CV that contains your telephone number, e‑mail, and postal address 
  • the copy or photo of your passport 
  • copy of officially certified graduation certificate (Bachelor or Master diploma) with a translation of subjects. Unless the documents are in Czech or English, please provide these documents with a certified translation. If you will take the final state examination this academic year, replace the graduation certificate with your school’s confirmation, providing the date on which you will take the final exam. If these documents or confirmation of your school can’t be obtained due to quarantine in your country, send us a copy of your graduation certificate or the certificate of the last year of your study with a date when would be your final exams instead.
  • the Proof of having paid the fee for the application of CZK 2,111, which you will pay in advance – a print screen is sufficient. We prefer payment by card in your application form because it allows us to process your registration more quickly. In case of bank transfer, use these payment details:

Bank account:

Account number: 195373180297/​0100 

IBAN: CZ 5301000000195373180297 

Swift code: KOMBCZPP

Message to beneficiary: STUDENT’S NAME AND SURNAME + PHOTO FAMU 

Additional data that you may need: 

Account holder: AMU – Akademie muzickych umeni v Praze

Malostranské náměstí 12, Prague 1, 110 00, Czech Republic 

Name of Bank: Komerční banka, a.s.

Address of Bank: Na Příkopě 33, čp.969, 114 07 Prague 1, Czech Republic 

Required Works and Method of Submission:

1. Portfolio
For the admission procedure, you must submit a portfolio in electronic form as a PDF file (max. 50 MB). The portfolio should present your previous creative direction, your ability for conceptual thinking, and the level of your visual presentation. It must include: an overview of your previous exhibitions or realizations; an author’s text (artist statement of 1000 – 2000 characters); and a presentation of 3 – 6 artistic projects, each including a title, annotation, technique used, year of creation, and visual samples or photo documentation (an external link, e.g. to a video, may be included). In the evaluation, emphasis is placed not only on the quality and originality of the works themselves, but also on the way they are selected, their conceptual arrangement, and the overall level of portfolio processing. All submitted works must be your own original creations, which you confirm with a declaration included in the portfolio.

2. Motivation Letter
Your motivation letter (in PDF format) must include: your reasons for studying at the Department of Photography at FAMU; justification of your preference for one of the department’s studios, including how it relates to your previous work; a specification of your current technical skills in photography and, if applicable, in other media or tools (software, video, post-production, etc.); and the themes, approaches, and techniques you wish to focus on and further develop during your master’s studies.

Your portfolio and motivation letter must be sent by December 2, 2026, in electronic form to @email via wetransfer.com, filetransfer.io, nihaocloud.com or similar platforms. After sending the package, please make sure to send the specific download link separately via e‑mail directly to @email and await a reply. Please contact us immediately if you do not receive a reply within 24 hours.

Please note:
After sending the package please make sure to send the specific download link separately via email directly to @email and await a reply. Please contact us immediately if you do not receive a reply within 24 hours.

B) COURSE OF THE ADMISSION PROCEDURE (FORM AND GENERAL CONTENT) 

Upon receipt of your portfolio, we will inform you in detail about the further course of the admission procedure by messages sent to the e‑mail address provided by you.

General rules:

The 1st round of the admission procedure will take place without the presence of applicants on December 4, 2026. 

You will be informed whether you have proceeded to the second round of the admission procedure on the application website.

The 2nd round of the admission procedure will take place on December 11, 2026, and will be conducted by means of a video call. The 2nd round will include:

1. Conceptual assignment – you will choose one of three assigned topics and present the result to the committee. (You will receive instructions after having met the conditions of the first round.)

2. Interview with the admissions committee, which focuses on a discussion of the submitted portfolio and reflection on your previous work. The committee also assesses your cultural awareness and familiarity with contemporary photography and visual art, as well as your ability for critical thinking and openness to dialogue. The committee will evaluate how well the study program aligns with your creative ambitions, motivation and suitability for master’s‑level study.

C) METHOD OF EVALUATION (EVALUATION CRITERIA) 

In the first round of the admissions procedure, the admissions committee assesses your talent-related aptitude on the basis of the submitted portfolio and motivation letter. 

In particular, it takes into account your authorial approach, originality and creative potential, the conceptual and visual coherence of the submitted projects, the ability to work with the medium of photography and the technical image, the technical and presentational quality of the portfolio, and compliance with the prescribed formal requirements. 

The assessment is conducted on a two-level basis: 1 = passed /​0 = failed.

In the second round, the admissions committee assesses the execution and creative approach to the conceptual assignment and the interview. 

In the interview, particular attention is paid to your ability to present, reflect on and defend the submitted portfolio and the conceptual assignment, to formulate your own authorial intention, to critically reflect on your previous work, and to respond to the committee’s questions. Your cultural awareness, orientation in contemporary photography and visual art, ability to think critically, and openness to professional dialogue are also assessed.

The overall result of the admissions procedure is determined by the sum of all scores, with a maximum of 50 points. You may be recommended for admission if you achieve a total score of 35 points or more. If you achieve this score and at the same time meet all the conditions of the admissions procedure, the admissions committee will recommend you to the Dean of FAMU for admission to the programme of study.

Admission/​non admission to the study:

Notification of the admission procedure results – all applicants will be informed about the results of the admission procedure via application website and by the letter sent via post/​courier if needed.


Please note that to enrol the master’s programme for the academic year 2027/​2028, you will need to provide a recognition of foreign education certificate by September 15, 2027. For further information about the procedure, please visit AMU webpage. We will assist you according to your previous education and the country of origin.

D) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF APPLICANTS ADMITTED FOR STUDY 

There is no maximum number of accepted applicants for this study programme. 

E) HEALTH REQUIREMENTS 

Not required for admission to this programme. 

F) PERIOD FOR APPLICANTS TO VIEW THE DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE DECISION ON ADMISSION/NON-ADMISSION 

Applicants may view the documents (Admission Procedure Record) relevant to the decision on their admission/non-admission to study within 30 days following the delivery of a written decision of the Dean on admission/non-admission via online application form, subject to a preliminary arrangement with the Registrar’s office of FAMU.

G) ASSESSMENT OF EXCUSES 

If an applicant cannot attend the admission examination in the second round for truly serious reasons, they may apply with the Dean of FAMU for an opportunity to retake the examination on an additional date, such application to be submitted in writing no later than the day following the regular date of the admission examination. In the application, the applicant shall demonstrate the reasons for their absence with a relevant and reviewable document. The Dean in cooperation with the chair of the examination panel shall promptly assess whether or not the application can be honored taking into consideration the schedule of the ongoing admission procedure and the faculty’s capacity and human resources and shall notify the applicant in writing via the online application form with a reasoning. Applicants have no legal title to being offered an additional examination date.

H) ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS 

Having taken the admission examination, applicants may follow the status of their respective applications and the admission /​non-admission decision-making at https://prihlaska.amu.cz. 

Applicants will receive the Dean’s decision on admission or non-admission in writing via the online application form. The admitted applicants will also be informed about the date of registration and any other information as needed.

FAMU may announce an additional admission term for the academic year 2027/​2028. The term will be announced at least four months in advance of its application deadlines. If announced, the application submission period may be open from 4 January to 2 April 2027. The deadline for the submission of the mandatory attachments may be on 5 April 2027. First round without applicants may take place on 9 April 2027, second round of the admission may take place on 16 April 2027. 

I) RECOMMENDED MATERIAL TO STUDY 

Not specified for this study programme. 

more informations: www.famu.cz