Program Overview

Program Overview

The Online Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art – Digital Photography program at Arizona State University is designed for visual and intuitive thinkers who want to refine their vision as photographers and artists. This program fosters creative photography practices and enhances visual literacy skills, with image creation and purposeful critique at the core of all courses.

Program Details

• The program consists of 40 classes, each lasting 7.5 weeks, and requires a total of 120 credit hours.
• The curriculum emphasizes the relationship between technique, aesthetics, and concept, and encourages students to pursue self-defined projects.
• Hands-on assignments offer opportunities to create experiences and objects in response to various themes, while engaging critically with classmates and instructors.
• Projects may include portraits, landscapes, videos, and print-to-order books.

Admission Requirements

• To be admitted to ASU, applicants must hold a high school diploma or equivalent and have completed at least 14 of the following courses:
  • Four years of math
  • Four years of English (non-ESL/ELL courses)
  • Three years of lab sciences (one year each from biology, chemistry, earth science, integrated sciences, or physics)
  • Two years of social sciences (including one year of American history)
  • Two years of the same second language
  • One year of fine arts or career and technical education
• Applicants must meet at least one of the following:
  • Top 25% in their high school graduating class
  • 3.00 GPA in competency courses (4.00 = A)
  • ACT score of 22 for Arizona residents (24 nonresidents) or SAT Reasoning score of 1120 for Arizona residents (1180 nonresidents)

Tuition and Fees

• The tuition calculator can be used to estimate full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid.
• Most students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Research Areas

• The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is home to world-class scholars, artists, and designers who inspire students to shape the future.
• Research areas include:
  • Arts and design for social justice
  • Arts, education, and arts-integrated education
  • Arts, entrepreneurship, and cultural policy
  • Community engagement and public policy
  • Creative health collaborations
  • Design, arts, science, and engineering
  • The study of creative work

Career Opportunities

• Graduates of the program are prepared to apply their skills in visual literacy, critical thinking, and self-direction to a variety of career fields, from businesses and education to art galleries and museums.
• Career examples include:
  • Animator
  • Art Director
  • Art Professor
  • Camera Repair Technician
  • Film Editor
  • Fine Artist
  • Industrial Designer
  • Photo Lab Specialist
  • Photographer

Course Curriculum

• The program includes a range of courses, such as:
  • ARA 209: Photography Now
  • ARA 396: Professional Practices for Design and the Arts
  • ART 116: Introduction to Digital Media
  • ART 206: Digital Photography I
  • ART 207: Digital Photography II
  • ART 317: Advanced Digital Photography
  • ART 387: Digital Photography Capstone Development
  • ART 407: Digital Photography Capstone

Capstone Course

• The culminating course for digital photography majors, where students complete a single self-directed project.
• Students submit work once a week for critiques and participate in their classmates' critiques as well.
• The course prepares students for the completion of a portfolio of images that may be realized in a variety of forms, including but not limited to: an online gallery, a website, or a printed portfolio or photobook.
• Students also write an artist statement to accompany the work and conduct research where there is an audience for their work.