Photography Degree

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography

School of Communication

Fine Arts Program Prepares Students for Creative Professional Careers

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography is a skill-building, tool-based degree designed to prepare and empower students for creative professional careers. We are a fine art program that fosters a technical, lens-based education within a private university.

Understanding how tools work and the avenues in which they can be applied are at the core of our training. Students don’t just learn how to use cameras and Adobe programs, our students problem solve, research, create and communicate in a variety of contemporary formats.

Working alongside professional educators and artists, photography majors have access to industry-standard facilities and equipment, including:

Digital cameras (full frame DSLR’s, mirrorless and medium format)
Film cameras (35mm, medium and large format)
Computer labs for digital editing, ink jet printing and film scanning
Lighting studios with professional strobe and monolight equipment
Black and white and color darkrooms for film processing and printing

In the first two years, students learn the tools, skills and processes associated with the medium of photography. The final two years students focus on research topics, production, professional practices and a senior capstone project.

All photography majors have the opportunity to :

Pursue a minor
Complete an internship (normally in their junior year, which includes commercial photography)
Attend cultural events throughout the city of Pittsburgh, including participating in a program with Silver Eye Center for Photography, the only photography gallery in Pittsburgh
Travel to New York City to explore art with our student club Photography Collective
Interact with visiting artists through lectures, workshops and critiques

Minor Internships & Co-ops Scholarships

Fast-Track Bachelor's to Master's Programs

The School of Communication offers fast-track Bachelor's to Master's degrees, including:

Photography Student Experience

Course Offerings

You will receive a well-rounded education through Point Park's core curriculum and classes in your major. Some of the courses include:

Digital Photography
Digital Image Editing
Experimental Photography & Video
Contemporary Issues In Photography
Advanced Photography
View Camera Techniques
Senior Thesis
Black and White Darkroom Photography
Color Darkroom Photography
History of Photography
Alternative Processes
Professional Practices in Photography
Photographic Art Marketing
Studio Lighting

Academic Resources

Point Park students have access to a range of academic resources designed to support their success, including the University Advising Center and the Centers for Learning and Student Support (CLASS). The University is committed to helping students meet their academic goals. Learn more about our academic resources.

Career Options

The B.F.A. in photography prepares students to:

Launch careers as professional artists
Work creatively in commercial advertising and portrait studios
Produce compelling work as photojournalists, commercial, editorial and/or fine art photographers
Apply expertise in museums and galleries and create artwork for public exhibition
Combine knowledge of image-making with another field
Write as a professional interpreter and critic
Engage in graduate studies in fine art programs

Graduates are well-positioned to join a network of alumni who are actively working with local and national media outlets, businesses and organizations, as well as pursuing post-graduate study.

Meet Our Faculty

Ben Schonberger, senior lecturer and program coordinator

"Students begin with tool-based foundation learning cameras, imaging programs and outputs, followed by two years of research, production and refinement. Our program supports students with a vast array of interests from fine art to commercial photography."

Meet Ben Schonberger

School of Communication Faculty

April Friges, associate professor

"My courses include in-depth conversations on graduate school, grant writing, residency programs, effective portfolios, contemporary hanging methods in the gallery, library research, thesis research, and curriculum vitae and resume formatting for artists."

Meet April Friges

Meet Photography Alumni & Students

B.F.A. Photography Alumna Hannah Altman Named to List of "Exciting Contemporary Photographers Whose Work You Have to See" in Vanity Fair

"The location in Downtown Pittsburgh was monumental for me as a student; as soon as I exited the classroom, I was in a city that felt big enough to grow into and small enough that meeting new people and seeing galleries was always an accessible opportunity."

From Point Park University to New York City: B.F.A. Photography Alumna's Work Featured in Times Square

"I had very little knowledge of the art world when I applied to Point Park. I began my journey with an interest in photography and Point Park helped turn it into my passion. The B.F.A. program provided me with the knowledge I needed to succeed in this industry."

#PittsburghMe: Meet Photography Major Noah Fodor

"The photography program is rigorous and demands a lot, but it fuels me every day to become the best artist ... Point Park has given me everything I need to become a successful artist, and my professors have become sources of inspiration and influence me as I continue to make work."

B.F.A. Photography Major Camryn Drabenstadt is a Student Scholar with Silver Eye Center for Photography

"I’ve met so many talented, creative people in my time here, and the relationships I’ve made at my internships and in my program have helped me gain so many new skills, refine my work and projects and reach my goals. I am forever grateful."

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Hires B.F.A. Photography Grad Lindsey Palmer as Ophthalmic Technician

"Point Park appealed to me because it offered a city campus, smaller class sizes and a more traditional (darkroom) photography program."

Alumnus Matt Adams is an Associate Photo Editor for National Geographic

"If I didn't go to Point Park, then I can honestly say that I wouldn't be in the job I am in now. It was the starting point to an incredible journey."

Point Park's Photojournalism Program Prepares Alumna for Position at National Geographic

"As an associate photo editor, it is my responsibility to source images for daily production, breaking news and short feature picture stories. Often, I spend my time trying to illustrate a story that has not been photographed or even more often, cannot be photographed."

AINT-BAD.com Features Work by B.F.A. in Photography Major Melanie Allan

"I’ve learned how to market myself and how life as an artist works, and I don’t think I would know most, if not all, of those things had I not pursued an undergraduate degree at Point Park."

B.F.A. in Photography Major Mallory Neil Lands Dream Internship with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

"I chose Point Park when I found out about all of the opportunities students were getting, and not just juniors and seniors, but freshmen and sophomores, too! When I toured, they told me if I wanted the opportunities to go after them."