Professional Photography
The BFA in Professional Photography Program at MSMU gives the student a hands-on experience from the first day of the first program.
Program mission
The curriculum will provide the student with both the technical foundation skills and critical thinking tools that will help in shaping their own unique vision. The Professional Photography faculty is made up of industry-recognized photographers who have also been recognized for their ability to inspire students in the classroom. We are proud to have our program based in the heart of Hollywood at our Mount Saint Mary's studio.
The program integrates liberal arts, ethics and professional business practices with a core photography and media production curriculum that prepares students for the creative business, and technical challenges of a professional photography career.
Career Opportunities:
- Photographer
- Art Director
- Production Assistant
- Digital Tech
- Video Production
- Digital Retouching
- Artist Representation
- Studio Manager
Program Format
On Campus
Classes meet in-person on select weekends and evenings.
Degree requirements
The BFA Professional Photography degree curriculum is made up of 33 credit hours of required core classes and 33 credit hours of additional photography elective courses including 12 credit hours of business courses. Students may also enroll in the Photography Minor which requires a total of 18 credit hours.
Core Courses
33 units total
- FLM 2/PHO101 Foundations of Photography (3 Units)
- PHO103 Adobe Lightroom (3 Units)
- PHO 106/FLM 6: History of Photography (3 Units)
- PHO 108/FLM 8: Lighting Principles (3 Units)
- PHO 130/FLM 30: Studio Product Photography (3 Units)
- PHO 134: Photoshop & Digital Printing (3 Units)
- PHO/FLM 104: Lighting for People (3 Units)
- PHO/FLM: 107 Applied Photography (3 Units)
- PHO/FLM 109: Photography as Fine Art (3 Units)
- FLM 139A/FLM 205: Introduction to Digital Video Production (3 Units)
- PHO 198: Senior Capstone (3 Units)
Business Courses
12 units total, complete all of the following:
- BUS 4: Business Foundation & Analysis (3 Units)
- BUS 5: Business Law 1 (3 Units)
- BUS 15A: Accounting Principles 1 (3 Units)
- PHO 140: Business of the Photography Studio (3 Units)
Electives
21 units total, complete any seven elective classes offered by the Film, Media & Communication department (FLM, JRN, PHO, etc.) and/or other classes by advisement such as:
- ART 10: Photography I (3 Units)
- ART 108: Digital Deluge (3 Units)
- ART 150A: Photography II: Portraiture (3 Units)
- ART 152A: Color Digital Photography (3 Units)
Total Credit Hours: 66