Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Photography

Brooks Institute’s Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Professional Photography is designed to help prepare students for the creative, business, and technical challenges for a career in the field of professional photography through a philosophy of “learning by doing.” The program integrates liberal arts, professional business practices and ethics with a core of photography and media production curriculum. In Lower Division courses, students can learn basic and intermediate photographic skills, while Upper Division courses can enable students to develop creative style and problem-solving skills in specialized areas of interest.

In the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Photography, students experience a learning environment that showcases a faculty of many experienced professionals committed to providing an innovative and focused education. The experiential, 120-credit degree program combines 75 semester credits of core photography classes, including business coursework, and 45 semester credits of general education studies that provide the foundation for learning.

Brooks Institute’s BFA in Professional Photography provides students with both a strong technical foundation and a creative platform from which to build their own unique style. Courses promote critical thinking, visual literacy, problem solving, communication, and ethics to help develop well-rounded graduates can prepare for the rigors of a professional photography career.

Core courses include*:

  • History of Photography
  • Video for Photographers
  • Photography Capstone
  • Creative Digital Imaging
  • Photography Foundation
  • Visual Design
  • Digital Imaging I: Digital Asset Management
  • Lighting Theory
  • Digital Imaging II: Workflow
  • Digital Workflow
  • Lighting Studio
  • Digital Imaging III: Processing Fundamentals
  • Lighting People
  • Creative Applications

* Course offerings are subject to change.

The Professional Photography program at Brooks allows students to select from a broad variety of focused, relevant elective courses covering their specific areas of interest. Among these elective course options are*:

  • Fashion Photography I
  • Architectural Photography
  • Food Photography
  • In Water Photography
  • Scientific Photography
  • Wedding/Event Photography
  • Celebrity Photography
  • HDRI/CGI Methods
  • Automotive Photography

* Full elective listings are available in the course catalog. Course offerings are subject to change.

The goal of Brooks Institute’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Photography program is to develop well-rounded, professionally minded photographers who can effectively combine technical expertise with creative style. Students are taught the practical use of professional image-editing software and digital-capture tools (both still and video), as well as principles of lighting and color concepts to create high-quality photographic images. Critical thinking is integrated throughout the courses in Professional Photography Program.

Graduating students should be equipped to:

  • Effectively use photographic tools.
  • Effectively use photographic media and asset management software.
  • Effectively collaborate to accomplish professional goals.
  • Develop and implement an effective marketing program.
  • Understand professional business and ethics standards.
  • Apply creative and sophisticated visual solutions to the challenges of producing visual media.
  • Apply effective professional communication skills.
  • Develop a lifelong learning pattern.
  • Understand the principals of business management.

In his Creative Kickstart video series, Chris Orwig, best-selling author and Professional Photography faculty at Brooks Institute, offers ideas and exercises to help stir up creativity and inspire fresh approaches to photography. See the first episode below and watch the full Creative Kickstart series here.

By Hillory Moore

For accreditation information for this and other Brooks Institute programs, please visit our Accreditation & Affiliations page.

To learn more about Brooks Institute, our degree programs or how to apply for admission, please complete and submit the simple form at the bottom of this page. A Brooks Institute admissions representative will contact you shortly.