While everyone has a camera in their phone, achieving proficiency as a photographer demands a comprehensive education to discern the opportune moments, locations, and techniques for creating compelling commercial images of products or fashion, or documenting and telling real life stories. Ohio University offers bachelor’s degrees in photography that give you the foundational knowledge and hands-on experiences needed to become a successful professional communication photographer.
Whether you are a novice or have cultivated a hobbyist’s passion, the nurturing guidance of OHIO’s professionally trained faculty and immersive learning experiences offer the essential tools for bolstering your confidence and refining your craft. Continue reading to explore further:
OHIO’s Visual Communication Commercial Photography degree is the ideal choice for future magazine photographers, product photographers, portrait artists and more. Choose this visual communication degree if you want to master photography in business contexts, use images to sell products and brands and use tools like Photoshop regularly.
Learn how to reveal the truth with your photography skills with OHIO’s photojournalism major for the Visual Communication degree. The photojournalism degree is ideal for future photojournalists and videographers, such as documentarians, and includes an emphasis on video tools and videography techniques.
Interested in using photography to express yourself or contribute to multimedia projects? Consider the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts BFA program with a photography and integrated media concentration, which features a well-rounded and experiential curriculum and opportunities to use both traditional and cutting-edge photography techniques and tools. The concentration is chosen during the last two years of your program.
Photography students at Ohio University almost exclusively study at our fully-equipped residential campus in Athens. Equipment rooms, student projects and work experience opportunities — like taking photographs for student-run publications! — make this a one-of-a-kind place to learn the ins and outs of artistic, commercial or journalistic photography.
Some of Ohio University’s regional campuses may offer general education or starter courses in your photography degree program. Consider applying to one of these local campuses to jump start your education, then transfer to the residential campus in Athens to finish your program.
As a photography major, you’ll find dozens of distinct career paths available to you based on your specific photography major and the types of classes you choose.
For example, a commercial photography graduates often find work as a:
Meanwhile, a photojournalism graduates often pursue photography careers such as:
BFA graduates may apply for photography jobs such as:
Many Ohio University photography degree graduates have job offers before donning their commencement caps at graduation. And you'll find that your experiential education prepares you to be successful right from the start. Previous photography graduates, for example, immediately earned positions working for publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. Commercial photography jobs for magazines or advertising firms could await you, as well!
In addition, you can continue your educational journey with Ohio University’s photography graduate programs. For instance, our Master of Arts in Visual Communication degree in the Scripps College School of Visual Communication provides four concentrations: photojournalism, commercial photography, information graphics and interactive design, and visual communication management.
The Master of Fine Arts in Communication Media Arts is a unique three-year program in the Scripps College of Communication offered in partnership with the Schools of Emerging Communication Technology, Media Arts & Studies and Visual Communication. And the Master of Fine Arts in Photography and Integrated Media in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts is the perfect continuation if you choose the fine arts undergraduate degree.
A master’s program is an excellent way to hone or specialize your skills and set yourself up for success in this rapidly evolving job sector.
Students of the photojournalism or commercial photography degree programs can apply for acceptance into the Scripps Semester in D.C. program, which includes a 10-week internship and the opportunity to mentor with industry professionals in the nation's capital. It's recommended to apply during your junior or senior year.
All photography students in the School of Visual Communication must complete a 400-hour internship to graduate. Not only does your internship provide you with marketable skills prior to graduation, but it also acts as a potential gateway to your first job. Many students complete more than one internship due to their inherent value. The Scripps College of Communication offers internship support to all current students.
Several publications and organizations at Ohio University, such as the Ohio University Multimedia Society, Backdrop Magazine (opens in a new window), Variant Magazine (opens in a new window), Thread Magazine (opens in a new window), and the student-run newspaper The Post (opens in a new window), are led by journalism and photography students. Join these organizations to broaden your social network and gain valuable work experience you can use in your future career.
Students in Ohio University’s photography majors or programs may potentially study abroad. Student exchange programs are available with institutions such as Augsburg University in Germany, and they’re fantastic opportunities to spread your wings, enhance your education and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Each year, students showcase their artwork, photographs or video projects in The VisCom Focus, the School of Visual Communication's Exhibition Gallery. Many photography students display their work in The VisCom Focus to get professional feedback and experience the opportunity to connect with a larger audience for the first time.
School of Visual Communication students can use equipment from the VisCom equipment checkout room. Here, students find everything they need to produce stunning photographs and complete projects or internships with stellar results. DSLR cameras, lighting gear and even 360° cameras are just a few of the tools available to students like you.
You might pursue a bachelor’s degree in photography from Ohio University for a variety of reasons. Maybe you want to capture the world’s natural beauty and showcase it as an artist. Alternatively, you may want to use photography to deliver a message to an audience, teach a lesson, raise awareness or share a new idea. These desires and more highlight a fundamental truth of photography: it allows you to communicate in an emotional and visual way like few other art forms. Many of our students yearn to “speak” in this language, which is simultaneously personal and universal to human perspectives.
Why Ohio University? We have a decades-long track record of producing some of the world's foremost photographers. Our dedication to student-centered learning and educational quality make our programs the best in the industry. In addition, our commitment to experiential learning will ensure you have the academic and practical skills needed to succeed as a photographer in any job market.
OHIO students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in photography will find a wealth of resources and support from their instructors, peers and the University.
Every VisCom photography student, for instance, needs a professional-level full-frame camera and lens by the end of their first photography course. Your faculty members can help you get the equipment you need to thrive in this program, even if it means working with suppliers, sourcing a camera from nearby stores or taking advantage of the equipment room.
Beyond that, your photography faculty members may serve as additional advisors. Every Ohio University student gets a success advisor to help them stay on track and graduate on time. Photography faculty members can offer you specific advice, help you network with professionals, and even help you secure internships well before you graduate.
Aside from an assigned advisor, Scripps College of Communication students can get support from Harris Student Support Center staff for one-on-one advising, help with internships and more.
At Ohio University, photography majors have an experiential education from day one. You won’t spend all of your time in a classroom looking at photos — you’ll leap into the real world, camera in hand, producing images and recording video. This experiential focus forms a cornerstone of each photography program we offer, and it ensures that our students are well-prepared to succeed when they graduate.
Since we offer easy access to high-quality photography and videography equipment, your artistic vision or project possibilities won’t be limited by a lack of content. Photography faculty members will stick with you, help you choose internships and complete projects for your portfolio, and overall ensure that you feel confident as an artist, reporter, or any other photography professional, depending on your career path.
