Graduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Conceptual and Design Skills

• Make creative decisions that optimize conceptual impact, cohesiveness, and personal style
• Integrate conceptual and technical elements of photography to convey a story, idea, or emotion
• Effectively deploy design elements within the composition and presentation of the imagery

Technical Skills

• Utilize effective lighting styles, techniques, and equipment appropriate to art for commerce, photojournalism/documentary, or fine art applications, as determined by projects and professional focus
• Master exposure, lighting ratios, and post-production skills as appropriate to the project

Communication and Analysis

• Communicate ideas and proposals clearly, verbally, and in writing, including defending work and choices made during capture, output, and presentation
• Critique their photographs with an understanding of the technical, aesthetic, and historical context

Professional Readiness

• Produce a cohesive portfolio tailored to reflect career goals

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
• Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
• Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
• Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
• Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
• Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
• Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

Academy of Art University offers some of the best training and hands-on experience to help accelerate your photography career. We pride ourselves in doing an exceptional job preparing you to excel in your chosen profession. Our degree programs are designed to equip aspiring photographers with a comprehensive toolbox of marketable skills that lead to success in the industry.

Commercial Photographer

Simply put, commercial photography means taking photos for commercial use; for business, for sales, and for money. Commercial photographers often create photos for advertisements, sales pitches, brochures, product placements, and merchandising—to name a few. You also contribute to campaigns in illustration and editorial contexts for a variety of fields and industries.

Documentary Photographer

Documentary photography aims to chronicle people, events, and environments in order to tell a story, and at times, send a message. Working as a documentary photographer, you will capture a series of images that represent pieces of what living means, and share them with the world.

Fine Art Photographer

As a fine art photographer, you will develop original works of art from concept to exhibition. The definition of what a fine art photographer is lies in the aspirations and motivations of the photographer—their personal style and preferences. The best fine art photographers create a visual language to communicate with the world.

Retoucher/Compositor

As a high-end retoucher/compositor, you’ll assist photographers, photo studios, or corporate clients in creating a unique digital composition after shooting. This usually involves combining layers of previously-created material to construct the final image.

Unit Requirements

Degree Requirements

• Successful completion of Final Portfolio Review
• A minimum grade of C in all required 36 units
• Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and the following Academic Study requirements:
  • 1 Art Historical Awareness & Aesthetic course

Curriculum

Semester 1

• GLA 625: History of Photography (Graduate Liberal Arts)
• PH 603: The Language of Photography (Major)
• PH 616: Photoshop & Lightroom for Photographers (Major)

Semester 2

• PH 601: Photography Concept (Major)
• PH 608: Lighting (Major)
• PH 612: The Nature of Photography (Major)

Semester 3

• PH 623: Portraiture (Major)
• PH 635: Digital Printing Techniques (Major)
• PH 673: Portfolio: Concept & Development (Major)

Semester 4

• PH 611: Contemporary Landscape (Major)
• PH 656: Motion Capture & Visual Storytelling (Major)
• PH 675: Portfolio: Print & Presentation (Major)