College of Communication and Information
School of Visual Communication Design
www.kent.edu/vcd

About This Program

In the Photography major, students develop the skills and knowledge needed to expand their artistic vision and create stunning visual content. With access to photography studio space, free-to-rent lighting equipment, cameras, lenses and more to enhance their projects, plus the expertise of our talented faculty, students are prepared to become emerging professional photographers in a range of rewarding careers. Read more...

Contact Information

• Daniel Alenquer | vcd@kent.edu |
  330-672-7856
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers

• Fashion Photographer
• Wedding Photographer
• Travel Photographer
• Commercial Photographer
• Photo Editor/Retoucher
• Portrait Photographer
• Scientific Photographer
• Wildlife Photographer
• Sports Photographer

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Minimum 1 credit hour of VCD 40192 is required for the program. Students can apply a maximum 4 credit hours of VCD 40192 toward their degree program.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

If students complete the American Civic Literacy requirement by taking HIST 12061, the course will apply to the Kent Core Humanities category. If they complete it with POL 10101, the course will apply to the Kent Core Social Sciences category.

⁴

A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program. 

Progression Requirements

• If students choose to take VCD 23001, students must receive a minimum B- in VCD 13001 to enroll in  VCD 23001.  VCD 13001 may be taken a maximum three times until a minimum B- grade is achieved.
• Students must maintain a 2.500 major GPA in order to continue taking VCD courses. Failure to do so at the end of one semester will result in a written warning with the option of repeating certain VCD courses in order to meet minimum grade and GPA requirements to continue. Failure to do so at the end of two consecutive semesters will result in not being permitted to enroll in VCD courses. Students in this situation will be contacted by an academic advisor to create an alternative plan of study with a new major.

Graduation Requirements

• A minimum B- grade may be required in some courses.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Analyze ethical, professional and legal contexts in photographic practice and the broader field of visual communication.
2. Demonstrate technical proficiency in studio and location lighting, digital capture, image sequencing, and post-production workflows from concept to final output.
3. Create images that integrate formal, conceptual, and compositional strategies to communicate narrative intent across all stages of production.
4. Synthesize knowledge from design, art, media, and journalism to enhance photography.
5. Curate a professional body of work that meets industry expectations and expresses individual creative vision.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography provides the student with a comprehensive program of study in digital photography. Grounded in formal, technical and conceptual skills building, the Photography major focuses on the profession of photography as it relates to commerce. The program builds a photography professional through experiential learning opportunities, as well as through required courses in design.

Programs in the College of Communication and Information are, by nature, innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative, which is critical to both professional and scholarly disciplines. Students are educated to work at the intersections of communication, information and technology. Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.

• Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies
• Master of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design
• Master of Library Information Science degree in Library and Information Science
• Master of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology
• Master of Science degree in Health Informatics
• Master of Science degree in User Experience

There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the Office of Global Education.