Fine Art Photography Option - Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA

RIT's BFA in Fine Art Photography hones your skills to create thought-provoking and meaningful images through photographic expression.


Overview for Fine Art Photography Option - Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA

Why Study Fine Art Photography at RIT


  • Industry Exposure: The School of Photographic Arts and Sciences brings various visiting professionals, events, and talks.

  • Gain Real-World Experience: Gain hands-on experience in the classroom and through paid work opportunities like internships and co-op.

The fine art photography degree prepares students for careers as visual artists, educators, editorial photographers, or freelance artists. In fine art photography, you will nurture your personal aesthetic vision through photographic expression while studying the theoretical and practical skills needed to create thought-provoking and meaningful images. This option is part of the photographic and imaging arts BFA program.

RIT’s Fine Art Photography Degree

The fine art photography degree develops technical, conceptual, and aesthetic abilities, and furthers your skills as a contemporary image-maker. After a few foundational and specialized courses in digital imaging workflow, alternative processes, new media, history and aesthetics of photography, and exhibition display, you will be encouraged to personalize your degree. The program is flexible and the interdisciplinary curriculum enables you to explore other related fields in the fine arts, including:

  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Sculpture
  • Graphic design
  • Video
  • Film
  • Animation
  • Printmaking and printing
  • Computer graphics
  • Web publishing
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Careers and Experiential Learning

Typical Job Titles

Archivist Art Director Artist
Conservator Content Producer Curator
Curatorial Assistant Director of Education Editorial photographer
Freelance Photographer Gallerist/Gallery Manager Lab Assistant
Magazine Editor Professor/Teacher Studio Manager/Assistant
Videographer

Industries

  • Advertising, PR, and Marketing
  • Museum
  • Higher Education
  • Journalism, Media, and Publishing

Cooperative Education and Internships

What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart.

Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Co-op in the College of Art and Design provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your artistic capabilities in dynamic professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.

Fine Art Photography Internships: Students apply for internships with some of the nation’s most respected galleries, museums, artists and workshop providers. They work behind the camera in editorial, commercial, and studio environments and have the opportunity to learn from photographers, picture editors, art directors, curators and other professionals. Students receive assistance from their professors and from the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education in identifying and applying for internships. Internships provide real-world work experience, which is an invaluable part of our student's educational experience.

Career Opportunities in Fine Art Photography

Graduates find careers as exhibiting artists, photo educators, picture editors, art directors, photographers’ representatives, photographic archivists or curators, museum and gallery staff, multimedia specialists, self-employed photographers, custom-image printers, and film/video artists or animators. Many students choose to pursue graduate work and earn an MFA degree in the arts.

Creative Industry Days

Connect with Design Industry Leaders

RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Days, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. Creative Industry Days are a series of events that allow you to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and full-time employment positions.

Featured Work and Profiles

Admissions and Financial Aid

This option is part of the Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA. Please visit the degree program page for admission requirements.

Learn How to Apply

Financial Aid and Scholarships

100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.

RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships

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