First Level Academic Diploma in Photography - IED Milano

Language

Italian, English

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

3 Years

Credits

180 CFA / ECTS

Course Coordination

Magali Avezou

Course also available in:

Rome
Turin

The Bachelor of Arts in Photography at IED Milano combines experimentation and research, blending analogue processes with digital and generative techniques in a vision that reflects photography in its contemporary dimension. The teaching approach encourages the development of authorial perspectives and critical views on reality, exploring new narratives and expressive possibilities. In the third year, students may choose a specialisation focusing on fashion photography, its production dynamics and the professional relationships specific to the sector. Milan, with its vibrant creative and professional environment, offers the ideal context to work in diverse fields: from creative direction to curating exhibitions and events, through to the entire publishing landscape.

Course structure and contents:

The IED programme spans three years, integrating design, cultural knowledge, dialogue with professionals, technical skills and innovative tools.

First Year: Students acquire the technical and cultural foundations of photography, from studio practice and darkroom work to the use of key post-production and layout software such as Photoshop, InDesign and CaptureOne. Theoretical courses introduce the fundamentals of visual perception, the history of photography and critical image analysis, combined with personal projects, interdisciplinary workshops and collaborations with external partners.

Second Year: Focuses on project methodology across research, editorial, artistic and commercial production. Students define a personal visual language and engage with the concept of post-photography, learning practices of reuse and reinterpretation of archival materials to construct new visual narratives. Theoretical studies support this process by analysing contemporary aesthetics and emerging communication tools.

Third Year: Dedicated to advanced design and professional simulation. Students develop a coherent, authorial portfolio, manage the art direction of their productions, and design exhibitions, events and publications. The exploration of generative artificial intelligence enables them to integrate it consciously into the creative process, addressing its ethical implications.

The final thesis project consists of an authorial work demonstrating the ability to use the image as an expressive, critical and communicative tool. Projects cover a wide range of themes: from fashion, architecture and music, through personal research, to science and social engagement, confirming photography’s role as a language capable of narrating and interpreting the world.

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Magali Avezou

Independent curator

Carlotta Cattaneo Carter

Alice Guareschi

Visual artist

Sha Ribeiro

Photographer

Martin Allegra

Photographer

Luca Attilio Caizzi

Photographer and Creative Director

Ivo Sekulovski

Photographer, Visual Artist, Photographer

Carlo Furgeri Gilbert

Photographer and filmmaker

Luca Rotondo

Freelance Photographer

Schenetti Massimiliano

Photographer

Sonia Marin

Professional Photographer

Claudio Morelli

Journalist, photographer and filmmaker

Sergio Lovati

Photographer and Artist

Rebecca Pedrazzi

Art historian and critic specialized in AI Art, curator, and journalist

Davide Bertuccio

Photojournalist and director of documentary photography

Carola Merello

Architectural and Interior Photographer

Silvio Wolf

Visual Artist

Sara Guerrini

Photography Consultant & Picture Editor

Ferri Carazo Paula

Sound designer and sound recordist

Giorgio Majno

Photographer

Claudia Buzzetti

Freelance Project Manager, Content Curator

Andrea Gelpi

Insight Specialist & Market Research Consultant

Giulia Gravina

Graphic designer

Federico Lanzani

Photographer

Dario Mastrocola

Photographer

Claudia Pasanisi

Freelance Photographer and Creative Director

Marianna Schivardi

Filmmaker

Marco Nero Formisano

Advertising photographer and filmmaker     

Stefano Uvietta

Photographer

Matteo Bricchi

Photographer

Davide Sottile

Graphic Designer

Roberto Prosdocimo

Photographer, Owner of REPARTO21

Scaravaggi Silvia

Art Curator and Writer

Antonino Amoroso

Producer

Ermanno Guarneri

Founder of Shake

Ornella Mignone

Scenographer and Curator

Thomas Wiedenhofer

Photographer, Producer

Raffaele Solaini

Philosopher and semiotic expert

Sergio Messina

Musician, Radio Author, Teacher, Researcher

Luca Toccaceli

Lecturer in Communication and mass media

Marianne Boutrit

Artist and Photographer

Elena Datrino

Photographer, Lecturer

Erica Bernardi

Curator

Angela Madesani

Art Curator, Author and Historian

Lisa Montagner

Surfacing/Texture Artist

Projects

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Didactic projects
Hunting archive

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Didactic projects
Āmēn

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Didactic projects
Unhived

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Didactic projects
Come on, smile!

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Didactic projects
Pale fire

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Milan

Da sempre qui

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Young Researchers, Cariplo Foundation

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Milan

Incendio Doloso

Visual and Interactive Arts

Milan

Unconventional Display Possibilities

News

02 October 2026

AQU Catalunya grants favourable accreditation to IED Barcelona’s Bachelor of Arts in Design

Once again, IED Barcelona has received a favourable report from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya), certifying the quality of the Bachelor of Arts in Design (Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño) delivered by the centre.

Runners starting a mountain race

01 October 2026

A graphic design by IED Barcelona features on the 2026 Travessa Matagalls-Montserrat T-shirt

The design by Visual Arts student Hannah Bokelman was chosen for the T-shirt worn by the 3,000 participants in the event, a non-competitive endurance walk held on 19 and 20 September.

29 September 2026

Six emerging IED designers reach the final stage of the Arts Thread Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026

Alumni Mariona Panés, Sara Vainer, Miranda Sanz, Malak Yahia and Victoria Escobar (IED Barcelona), together with Zuriñe Berrueta (IED Kunsthal Bilbao), are finalists in the competition, which last year attracted more than 5,000 creatives from 117 countries. Discover their projects and vote!

18 September 2026

Inclusion, equity and diversity: the journey continues

One year after achieving the UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an increasingly inclusive, equitable workplace culture that values diversity.

Crowded stalls of an auditorium

15 September 2026

More than 200 students from 52 nationalities open the 2026-2027 academic year of the IED Barcelona

On 14 September, the Welcome Event welcomed a new generation of creatives and designers joining the undergraduate programmes.

14 September 2026

IED Brazil Coordinator Joins CDSA International Jury and Represents the Institution at Event in China

Eliane Weizmann took part in the official program of City Digital Skin Art (CDSA) 2026, a global initiative that connects art, technology, and urban space, bringing together experts from different countries.

11 September 2026

Issue 4: Material World - Plural Intelligences

What happens when we recognize the intelligence of materials and learn to work with it responsibly, collectively, and collaboratively?

11 September 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao temporarily transforms Doña Casilda Park with ‘Sareak’

A cross-disciplinary project bringing together nearly 200 members of the community to reflect on contemporary communication through design.

07 September 2026

Fashion show and festival: the IED Public Programme is back

In September, IED's Public Program returns with a calendar of events across its campuses in Italy and Spain, offering opportunities for dialogue, exchange and discovery open to the community and the wider public.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

16 September 2026 - 07 October 2026

Genova

The horizon of desire: stories from Genoa’s Waterfronts.

Six perspectives, a city in transition. IED Turin showcases Genoa’s Porto Antico and the Levante Waterfront in a photography exhibition at Palazzo Ducale

02 October 2026 - 03 October 2026

Milan

YAWP Festival_In piedi sui banchi di scuola

The multidisciplinary festival promoted and organized by the Francesco Morelli Foundation returns to Milan for its latest edition.

Lecture and Panel discussion

05 October 2026 - 05 October 2026

Madrid

She Makes Noise x Taiwan comes to IED Madrid alongside the presentation of Abono 04

On 5 October, IED Madrid will host a day dedicated to sound creation and digital arts, featuring two guest artists from the She Makes Noise festival, as well as the presentation of the platform’s fifth issue.

IED on Tour

07 October 2026 - 07 October 2026

Bogotá

IED in Colombia

What happens when memory becomes code? IED heads to Bogotá to explore the answer, where design, data and the living archive meet.

Exhibitions and Festival

10 October 2026 - 11 October 2026

Mexico City

Edicola IED Travels to Mexico Design Week

Notes on Plural Intelligences will be showcased at Latin America's leading design event as part of Diseño Contenido on 10 and 11 October.

Workshop

15 October 2026 - 15 October 2026

Multiple

IED Creative Workshop

Come and discover IED’s Creative Workshops — a unique experience that will let you immerse yourself in the world of design in a fun and creative way!

Illustration of a person holding various drawing tools, set against a yellow background.
Exhibitions and Festival

17 October 2026 - 17 October 2026

Barcelona

Barcelona Dibuixa 2026: “The Power of Hand Drawing”

IED Barcelona is offering this workshop, where participants will discover, guided by architect and lecturer Gianfranco La Cognata – Laco 2, how design takes shape through illustration.

Exhibitions and Festival

06 November 2026 - 07 November 2026

Barcelona

Mira Digital Arts Festival 2026

IED Barcelona returns as an artistic partner and will take part in the digital arts and contemporary music festival with “Ananke: A Liturgy”, an interactive installation by Motion Graphics and Video alumna Malak Yahia.