Art Degrees Online

Finding and capturing memorable images requires a diverse array of attributes. Problems must be solved quickly and creatively, while maintaining focus and vision. The Professional Photography Program at Brooks Institute is designed to teach students the skills and talents required for a rewarding professional photographic career.

From day one hands-on instruction and practice provide the technical expertise which forms the foundation of future work. Through concentrated experience in the studio, students can learn how to manipulate and control lighting and exposures, compose people and still life compositions and produce images on a variety of film and digital formats.

Brooks offers a variety of professional photography degree program areas including a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Photography and a Masters of Fine Arts in Photography.

The Bachelor of Arts in Photography is a joint major that prepares students to enter one of the exciting professional photographic fields. By combining courses from the Art Department and the Department of Design, as well as support classes in Journalism and Business, the program equips students aesthetically, technically, and professionally for a future in photography. The program has a curricular emphasis on the visual arts, integrating areas that are particularly valuable to those considering a professional photographic career or continuing in a graduate program. The major is structured to provide students with the skills and understanding to enable them to create images that will stand out among the profusion of photographs in the commercial, editorial or fine art arenas.
Special Features
Sacramento State is uniquely positioned to offer students strong photographic curricula, internships and professional connections. Because of its location in the state capital, students may complete fieldwork with state agencies, museums, professional associations, and news organizations.
Two campus galleries regularly exhibit student work: the Design Gallery on the 4th floor of Mariposa Hall and the Witt Gallery in Kadema Hall.
The Departments of Art and of Design both offer student scholarships.
Among the facilities available for photography students is a large digital lab furnished with Macintosh computers, Epson printers, film, and flat bed scanners. There is also an alternative process lab for platinum/palladium printing, a well equipped darkroom with 4×5 black and white and color enlarging stations, a Hope 20″ color print processor, Wing Lynch film processor, and studio shooting facilities.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
Requirements – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Units Required for the Major: 48 units
Minimum total units required for the BA: 120
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.
A. Required Lower Division Core Courses (15 units)
(3)
ART 1B
Art in the Western World: From Renaissance to Present

(3)
GPHD 10
Introduction to Digital Design

(3)
INTD 20
Design
(3) PHOT 11 Digital Imaging

(3)
PHOT 40
Basic Techniques of Photography

B. Required Upper Division Core Courses(24 units)
(3)
ART 101
Art Photography

(3)
ART 161
Photography in the Field (PHOT 40 or equivalent)

(3)
ART 162
Alternative Photographic Processes (PHOT 141 or other basic photography)
(3) PHOT 102 Photography, a Social History

(3)
PHOT 111
Intermediate Digital Imaging (PHOT 11 or equivalent or instructor permission)

(3)
PHOT 141
Intermediate Photography, Black and White (PHOT 40)

(3)
PHOT 148
Artificial Light Photography (PHOT 141, PHOT 138, or PHOT 143A)
(3) PHOT 150 Senior Portfolio (senior status, PHOT 11, PHOT 138, PHOT 143A, PHOT 148)

C. Studies in Photography Electives (9 units) ART 108 19th Century Art
ART 109 Modern Art (Upper-division standing and ART 1B or equivalent with instructor approval)

ART 169
Photography Studio (Instructor permission and Department Chair via signed petition form)

ART 163
Pinhole Photography (PHOT 40 or equivalent)

COMS 164
Visual Communication (COMS 100A and COMS 100B or equivalent with a grade of C- or better)

HRS 180
The Film

JOUR 197A
Journalism Laboratory (JOUR 30)

MKTG 101
Principles of Marketing

PHOT 135
Introduction to Photojournalism (PHOT 40 or equivalent)
PHOT 138 Color Photography A (PHOT 11 or equivalent)

PHOT 143A
Intermediate Photography, Color (PHOT 40)

PHOT 155
Advanced Photography (PHOT 141)

PHOT 160
Documentary Photography (PHOT 141)

PHOT 195
Internship in Photography (A minimum of two upper division photography courses)

PHOT 199
Special Problems

Career Possibilities

Photojournalist · Advertising Photographer · Editorial Photographer · Medical Photographer · Educator · Wedding Photographer · Portrait Photographer · Forensic Photographer · Military Photographer · Public Relations · Fashion Photographer · Wildlife Photographer · Stock Photographer · Archaeological Photographer · Photographic Historian · Freelance Photographer · Commercial Photographer · Food Photographer · Architectural Photographer · Videographer · Landscape Photographer

The photography program is designed to teach entry-level skills for careers in the photographic industry. Students interested in photography as visual expression or an adjunct to a vocation will also benefit.

Flexibility of the advanced program allows a student to concentrate upon a specific photographic career area.

Students planning to prepare for a four-year degree in Photography should consult the lower division requirements of the university to which they plan to transfer.
Career Opportunities
Studio Photography, Portrait & Wedding Photography; Photographic Lab Technician; Photojournalism; Industrial and Architectural Photography

Some Career Opportunities may require more than two years of college study. Classes beyond the associate degree may be required to fulfill some Career Opportunities or for preparation for transfer to a university program.
Highlights
Modern Lab and Studio Facilities
Sixteen Color Enlargers
Sixteen Black & White Enlargers
Digital Media Lab
Digital Scanners and Printers
20″ Rapid Access Processor
Color Film Processor
Field Trips to a variety of photographic businesses in Sacramento and the Bay Area.
Field study courses in Yosemite, the Eastern Sierras, and Monterey
Special Seminars

Note to Transfer Students:
If you are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in this major, it is critical that you meet with a CRC counselor to select and plan the courses for your major. Schools vary widely in terms of the required preparation. The courses that CRC requires for an Associate’s degree in this major may be different from the requirements needed for the Bachelor’s degree
Note to Transfer Students:
If you are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in this major, it is critical that you meet with a CRC counselor to select and plan the courses for your major. Schools vary widely in terms of the required preparation. The courses that CRC requires for an Associate’s degree in this major may be different from the requirements needed for the Bachelor’s degree.
Field Study Classes at Cosumnes River College
Nature is often the best classroom! Come learn outside in Cosumnes River College’s field study courses. These classes consist of short classroom sessions followed by extended trips to some of the most unique and beautiful environments in California, including Big Sur, Monterey Bay, Mt. Lassen, Point Reyes, Yosemite and more! These short-term classes are offered by several departments, including Biology, Geography, Geology, Photography, and Physical Education. For more information about specific classes, consult the class schedule or contact each department.