Program Overview
Photography - B.F.A.
About This Program
In the Photography major, students develop the skills and knowledge needed to expand their artistic vision and create stunning visual content. With access to photography studio space, free-to-rent lighting equipment, cameras, lenses and more to enhance their projects, plus the expertise of our talented faculty, students are prepared to become emerging professional photographers in a range of rewarding careers.
Contact Information
- Daniel Alenquer | |
Program Delivery
- Delivery: In person
- Location: Kent Campus
Examples of Possible Careers
- Fashion Photographer
- Wedding Photographer
- Travel Photographer
- Commercial Photographer
- Photo Editor/Retoucher
- Portrait Photographer
- Scientific Photographer
- Wildlife Photographer
- Sports Photographer
Accreditation
National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.
- First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework.
- First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program.
- Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.
- Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
- CCI 12001: PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 13000: VISUAL DESIGN THINKING (3)
- VCD 13001: INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN STUDIO (min B- grade) (3)
- VCD 18002: PHOTOGRAPHY II (3)
- VCD 23001: TYPOGRAPHY I (3)
- VCD 28003: DIGITAL IMAGING I (3)
- VCD 28004: PHOTOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES (3)
- VCD 34004: VISUAL ETHICS (3)
- VCD 38004: ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 38007: PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES (3)
- VCD 38011: EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 40182: INTERNSHIP PREPARATION: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (2)
- VCD 40192: INTERNSHIP: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (ELR) (1)
- VCD 44006: MOTION DESIGN I (3)
- VCD 47000: VISUAL DESIGN FOR MEDIA (3)
- VCD 48001: PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT (3)
- VCD 48002: ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT (3)
- VCD 48003: PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 48005: COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 48008: ADVANCED DIGITAL IMAGING (3)
- VCD 48009: FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 49198: WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC) (2)
- Visual Communication Design (VCD) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) (3)
- Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
- ARTH 22006: ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) (3)
- ARTH 22007: ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) (3)
- Art History (ARTH) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) (3)
- COMM 15000: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) (3)
- or MDJ 20001: MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS)
- ENTR 27056: INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP (3)
- UC 10001: FLASHES 101 (1)
- College of Communication and Information Core Electives, choose from the following: (6)
- CCI 10095: SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
- CCI 40089: BRANDING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR ITALIAN LIFESTYLE (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 40095: SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
- CCI 40189: ITALIAN POP CULTURE (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 40289: ITALIAN CINEMA (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 40389: DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 40489: MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 45089: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (DIVG) (ELR)
- CCI 46089: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (DIVG) (ELR)
- COMM 15000: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) (3)
- COMM 35852: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG)
- EMAT 25310: CREATIVE CODING
- EMAT 33310: HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
- LIS 30010: INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
- MDJ 20001: MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS) (3)
- MDJ 21008: SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES
- UXD 20001: INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
- Kent Core Composition (6)
- Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (3)
- Kent Core Humanities (3)
- Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) (6)
- Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) (6-7)
- Kent Core Additional (3)
- General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) (6)
Progression Requirements
- Students must receive a minimum B- in VCD 13001 before enrolling in VCD 23001. VCD 13001 may be taken a maximum three times until a minimum B- grade is achieved.
- Students must maintain a 2.500 major GPA in order to continue taking VCD courses. Failure to do so at the end of one semester will result in a written warning with the option of repeating certain VCD courses in order to meet minimum grade and GPA requirements to continue. Failure to do so at the end of two consecutive semesters will result in not being permitted to enroll in VCD courses. Students in this situation will be contacted by an academic advisor to create an alternative plan of study with a new major.
Graduation Requirements
- Minimum Major GPA: 2.500
- Minimum Overall GPA: 2.000
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
- Semester One:
- CCI 12001: PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 13000: VISUAL DESIGN THINKING (3)
- VCD 13001: INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN STUDIO (min B- grade) (3)
- UC 10001: FLASHES 101 (1)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Two:
- COMM 15000: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL) (3)
- or MDJ 20001: MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS) (3)
- VCD 18002: PHOTOGRAPHY II (3)
- VCD 23001: TYPOGRAPHY I (3)
- VCD 47000: VISUAL DESIGN FOR MEDIA (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Three:
- ARTH 22006: ART HISTORY: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL ART (KFA) (3)
- VCD 28003: DIGITAL IMAGING I (3)
- VCD 28004: PHOTOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES (3)
- VCD 38004: ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Four:
- ARTH 22007: ART HISTORY: RENAISSANCE TO MODERN ART (KFA) (3)
- VCD 48005: COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 48008: ADVANCED DIGITAL IMAGING (3)
- College of Communication and Information Core Elective (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Five:
- VCD 34004: VISUAL ETHICS (3)
- VCD 38007: PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES (3)
- VCD 40182: INTERNSHIP PREPARATION: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (2)
- Visual Communication Design (VCD) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Six:
- ENTR 27056: INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP (3)
- VCD 48009: FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- Art History (ARTH) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Third Summer Term:
- VCD 40192: INTERNSHIP: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (ELR) (1)
- Semester Seven:
- VCD 38011: EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- VCD 44006: MOTION DESIGN I (3)
- VCD 48001: PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT (3)
- VCD 49198: WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC) (2)
- Kent Core Requirement (3)
- Semester Eight:
- VCD 48002: ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT (3)
- VCD 48003: PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY (3)
- College of Communication and Information Core Elective (3)
- General Electives (6)
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
- Flashes 101 (UC 10001) (1 credit hour)
- Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) (2 courses)
- Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) (varies)
- Kent Core (36-37 credit hours)
- Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) (1 course)
- Upper-Division Requirement (39 credit hours)
- Total Credit Hour Requirement (120 credit hours)
Kent Core Requirements
- Kent Core Composition (KCMP) (6)
- Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) (3)
- Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) (9)
- Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) (6)
- Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) (6-7)
- Kent Core Additional (KADL) (6)
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics (and legal issues) closely associated with fields of visual communication.
- Demonstrate an understanding of traditional hands-on skills relative to craftsmanship.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic use of digital technologies as they relate to their areas of study.
- Demonstrate an ability to create visual response to communication problems, including understanding of photography, composition and the construction of meaningful images.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography provides the student with a comprehensive program of study in digital photography. Grounded in formal, technical and conceptual skills building, the Photography major focuses on the profession of photography as it relates to commerce. The program builds a photography professional through experiential learning opportunities, as well as through required courses in design.
Programs in the College of Communication and Information are, by nature, innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative, which is critical to both professional and scholarly disciplines. Students are educated to work at the intersections of communication, information and technology. Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.
Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs.
- Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies
- Master of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design
- Master of Library Information Science degree in Library and Information Science
- Master of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology
- Master of Science degree in Health Informatics
- Master of Science degree in User Experience
There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the Office of Global Education.
Why Kent State University
Prestigious Photography Scholarships
The Hagedorn Scholarship in Photography is a competitive merit- and need-based scholarship supporting student tuition costs and enriching, out-of-classroom experiences to help photography students develop strong portfolios.
Schedule Your Visit!
We host open houses, information sessions, building tours and more, just for future Kent State communication and information students. Schedule your visit today.
Why Photography at Kent State?
The way humans connect and communicate is at the heart of what we do. Explore communication, design, media, technology or information at Kent State.