First Level Academic Diploma in Photography -- IED Roma

Language

Italian

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

3 Years

Credits

180 CFA / ECTS

Course Coordination

Daria Scolamacchia

Course also available in:

Milan
Turin

The Bachelor of Arts in Photography at IED Roma trains professionals able to interpret reality and translate it into images through a balance of analogue processes and digital tools. The city itself, so iconic, becomes a field of research and experimentation, offering unique settings for projects in documentary, fashion, advertising, and street photography. Rome provides opportunities to collaborate with national and international museum institutions on exhibition projects, as well as with the entertainment industry—from cinema to television and sport. The course also fosters collaborations with public institutions and private companies, and encourages participation in national and international competitions with the support of the faculty.

Course structure and contents:

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

First Year: Introductory, providing the foundations of analogue and digital photography, from shooting and lighting techniques to developing black-and-white negatives and post-production with software such as Photoshop, Lightroom and InDesign. Students also develop design skills through analysis of photographic language, the study of major authors and initial practical exercises, including a street photography workshop. Theoretical training focuses on contemporary art, the history and aesthetics of photography and art semiotics, providing tools for a critical reading of images.

Second Year: Deepens design and authorial approaches, refining shooting and post-production techniques with the introduction of CaptureOne. Students undertake projects across different genres—portraiture, fashion, still life, documentary, and artistic photography. Project and cultural complexity increases, with studies on contemporary photography history and cinema aesthetics. Projects are inspired by real contexts, such as editorial campaigns of a commercial or artistic nature, often in collaboration with students from video, graphic design, and related fields.

Third Year: Focuses on advanced design and professional preparation. Students acquire skills in video and graphic design, essential for a multidisciplinary approach. DaVinci Resolve is introduced for video editing, alongside advanced tools in artificial intelligence, photomontage and fine art digital printing.

The dissertation project, the culmination of the programme, simulates a real professional context where, individually or in interdisciplinary teams, students develop a personal or thematic photographic project that results in a publication. The aim is to produce a photographic work—either focused on a specific genre or spanning multiple areas—which is then transformed into a book where the images reflect a clear aesthetic choice and a coherent authorial vision.

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Daria Scolamacchia

Photo Editor and Curator

Teacher

Eolo Perfido

Photographer

Teacher

Ilaria Magliocchetti Lombi

Lecturer

Teacher

Massimo Siragusa

Photographer and Editorial Director of Phaos Edizioni. 

Teacher

Simona Ghizzoni

Teacher

Guido Gazzilli

Photographer

Teacher

Vincenzo Piscitelli

Teacher

Fabio Barile

Teacher

Giorgio Di Noto

Photographer

Teacher

Angelo Turetta

Photographer specialising in reportage

Teacher

Antonio Barrella

Photographer

Teacher

Alessia Tagliaventi

Teacher

Antonio Cama

Teacher

Giancarlo Possemato

Teacher

Laura Cusano

Teacher

Lorenzo Pesce

Photographer

Teacher

Simone Strano

Teacher

Stefano Pennacchietti

Teacher

Lorenzo Poli

Photographer

Teacher

Fausto Nieddu

Teacher

Roberto Frusteri

Teacher

Sergio Alberini

Video Editor & Colorist

Teacher

Paolo Bravi

Photography Director

Teacher

Barbara D'ambrosio

Projects

Visual and Interactive Arts

Rome

Final projects / thesis projects
Ho cercato i tuoi inverni

Visual and Interactive Arts

Rome

La meta dei sogni (the goal of dreams)

Visual and Interactive Arts

Rome

Storie intorno al fuoco

Visual and Interactive Arts

Rome

Biobits: exploring living archives

What people say

Davide Monteleone - IED

Special Lesson with Davide Monteleone. Powered by SONY

"I like to think that photography contributes to narrative through its images. I think this will last for many years to come, because it started with the history of mankind"

Davide Monteleone

Photographer and visual artist, IED Alumnus, he has published four monographs and exhibited at international institutions such as the Saatchi Gallery and the Nobel Peace Center.

Cristina Vatielli - IED

Special Lesson with Cristina Vatielli. Powered by FUJIFILM

"Photography started as a passion for me, and then it became my job. It still makes me really happy and feel lucky to this day. As a result of my job, I wake up happy every day. As a photographer, you never really have a break from your work. That's because it becomes part of your life."

Photographer

Giulio Di Sturco - IED

Special Lesson with Giulio Di Sturco. Documentary Photographer.

“Engaging with students is always important for both professional and personal growth.Today has been a big day for me because returning to IED as a teacher, having studied there myself and meeting today's students who have ambitions, questions and dreams that are different from the ones I had when I was a student, was really interesting”.

Giulio Di Sturco

IED Alumnus. Winner of 3 World Press Award, the Sony Photography Awards, the British Journal of Photography International Awards, the LensCulture Exposure Award and 2 Getty Grants.

News

03 March 2026

This was IED MUSES Talks: Omar Sosa

The co-founder of ‘Apartamento Magazine’ shared his creative dynamics at the intersection of art, architecture and editorial design in the second episode of the second season of the IED’s inspirational talk series.

IED Expands Its English-Language Offer with New Courses in Design, Fashion and Film

27 February 2026

IED Expands Its English-Language Offer with New Courses in Design, Fashion and Film

IED – Istituto Europeo di Design is broadening its international offer with a new range of English-taught courses. A strategic move that strengthens IED’s position as Europe’s largest design network, opening its doors to students and creative professionals from across the globe.

Display case of a typography exhibition

26 February 2026

TDC 71: The Power of Typography Arrives at IED Barcelona

From 25 February to 25 March, the campus will host, for the second consecutive year, the exhibition of the finest international works awarded by the Type Directors Club (TDC) of New York in 2025.

23 February 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao presents “¿Y TÚ? TA ZU? ” in collaboration with the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and the Mayor of Bilbao.

The graphic intervention emerges from the students’ direct engagement with the exhibition dedicated to Barbara Kruger at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, inviting the public to reflect on their role within today’s complex reality.

23 February 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao launches 4 new postgraduate programs

IED Kunsthal introduces the Postgraduate format and begins a new academic phase focused on specialization.

20 February 2026

VISIONI DAL FUTURO - A century of posters from the Triennale Milano Archives, animated and reinterpreted by young designers

The installation, part of the European project SISS – Sounding Images, Screening Sounds, was presented in the Agora of IED Kunsthal Bilbao with a live performance.

Overhead view of a labyrinth of fabric panels and light

10 February 2026

IED Barcelona bathes Llum BCN 26 in warm light

The lighting design installation “Fabric Maze”, a labyrinth of fabrics, lights and shadows inspired by the textile past of the Poblenou neighbourhood, created warm visual compositions with each visitor’s passage.

09 February 2026

Creativity, design and architecture at the Workshop Week 2026

From 2 to 6 February, 430 students at IED Barcelona took part in this annual multidisciplinary academic activity, which offered 25 multidisciplinary workshops inspired by the Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026 event. And, for the first time, it included mobility between campuses.

04 February 2026

punto—trama LAB: workshops for young designers

After its first edition, punto—trama continues its journey as a space for dialogue and experimentation dedicated to young designers.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

17 February 2026 - 23 March 2026

Madrid

Latam Creative Talent: Valor Ancestral

IED Madrid presents Latam Creative Talent: The Shapes of Nature, an exhibition led by Istituto Europeo di Design, highlighting Latin American talent and its contemporary dialogue with nature as part of the Madrid Design Festival.

Exhibitions and Festival

11 March 2026 - 15 March 2026

Madrid

AULA 2026

From 11 to 15 March, come and see us at Stand 10A12 in Hall 12 at IFEMA

Admission Info Session

11 March 2026 - 11 March 2026

Madrid

Rossana Orlandi and Giulio Cappellini to give a masterclass at IED Madrid for Italian Design Day

In collaboration with the Embassy of Italy, IED Madrid celebrates Italian Design Day with a special session dedicated to the transformative power of contemporary design.

Open Day

18 March 2026 - 21 March 2026

Multiple

IED Open Day Italy

A calendar of appointments to discover all IED Italia courses in the areas of Design, Fashion, Visual Arts, Cinema, Communication, Art and Restoration.

Exhibitions and Festival

18 March 2026 - 22 March 2026

Barcelona

Saló de l’Ensenyament 2026

From 18 to 22 March, we look forward to welcoming you at stand D-453 at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, where you will be able to discover our educational offer in Design, Fashion, Visual Arts, Marketing and Communication. Come and visit us!

IN-SONORA 2026
Exhibitions and Festival

19 March 2026 - 21 March 2026

Madrid

IN-SONORA 2026

From 19 to 21 March, IED Madrid Design District will host installations and performances from this international exhibition of sound and interactive art