Online Associate Degree AA in Digital Photography

Earning Your Photography Degree Online Is Just the Beginning

Add a dynamic skill set to your résumé or a blaze new professional trail with an Associate of Arts in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University. The online associate program provides a comprehensive introduction to the technical skills of digital camera operation, lighting and post-production editing while laying a strong foundation in the humanities - at a very affordable cost.

While a degree in photography from SNHU will prepare you for entry-level work as a professional photographer, you may find yourself aiming higher. In that case, you can seamlessly transition into the bachelor of arts program, which will explore further professional development such as branding and social media use, as well as help you curate your online portfolio.

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See Yourself Succeed with a Photography Degree Online

Photographers apply their technical expertise, creativity and composition skills to produce and preserve images that tell a story or record an event. Today, most photographers use digital cameras instead of traditional film. Understanding your camera and its capabilities, as well as the fundamentals of lighting and editing technology, make up the cornerstones of this degree.

In SNHU’s online AA in Digital Photography program, you’ll learn how to:

Market and advertise services to attract clients
Analyze and plan the composition of photographs
Use various photographic techniques and lighting equipment
Capture subjects in commercial-quality photographs
Enhance the subject’s appearance with natural or artificial light
Employ the latest photo-enhancing software

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of pursuing your photography degree online at SNHU include:

Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation.
Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access.
Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year.
Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience.
Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities.
Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee.
Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study.
Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree.

Career Outlook

While a degree in photography can give you a competitive advantage, the best candidates have multiple talents and related skills such as picture editing and capturing digital video. Graduates who go on to complete a bachelor's degree can become film and video editors or camera operators, two occupations growing faster than average at 12% projected growth through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.*

Once you complete the online AA in Digital Photography program, you'll have a skill set directly applicable to a number of fields, including:

Portrait Photography
Commercial and Industrial Photography
Aerial Photography
Scientific Photography
News Photography
Fine Arts Photography
University Photography

Curriculum

The associate in photography degree online curriculum is taught by industry-leading faculty. In addition to learning the most advanced camera, lighting and editing technology, you’ll enjoy a robust feedback process to enrich your learning experience. Coursework examines the artistic and business sides of the profession. Credits earned for the associate degree can be easily applied toward a bachelor’s.

View Full Curriculum in the Catalog
AA in Digital Photography

Courses May Include
ENG 122 English Composition I English 122 is a college-level writing course that introduces students to the various forms of academic discourse. This course focuses primarily on the basic elements of college composition and writing as a process in both narrative and analytical forms. Students will investigate the importance and promise of effective written communication in various personal and professional contexts and identify effective strategies through critical analysis of written works as well as their own writing. Finally, this course prepares students for more advanced research analysis by connecting students to important avenues of research.
ENG 123 English Composition II English 123 focuses students on the importance of research to advancing knowledge for various purposes. This course will build on the foundations of composition and introduce students to the research process and the analysis and evaluation of various sources. Students will investigate the writing process for research as well as appropriate research methods and skills. Additionally, this course offers multiple opportunities to engage in the important tasks of revision and editing and will ask students to incorporate feedback to improve their writing.
FAS 202 Introduction to Humanities II This course offers vocabulary, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts in their cultural contexts in history, religion, literature, music and ideas. It focuses on the cultural periods of the Baroque, the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Early Modernism while also exploring related issues in non-European cultures. May be taken independently of FAS-201.
HIS 100 Perspectives in History More than just dates, names, and places, history is the study of the human condition. It seeks to understand human behavior through the thoughtful examination of different types of historical sources. The study of history is a living subject, always changing as new discoveries and interpretations are presented. This course examines the process of investigating and writing about history through analysis of sources and the presentation of this analysis as an argument. Through this exploration of historical investigation, students will develop a holistic perspective on the contemporary relevance of history and their responsibility to participate and engage in such discourse.
MAT 125 Quantitative Reasoning & Problem Solving This course focuses on the development of sound quantitative reasoning and problem solving skills, as applied to everyday situations. While this course will have computational elements, the focus is to be placed on conceptual understanding and creative problem solving through relevant applications. Problem solving strategies, inductive/deductive reasoning, analysis of quantitative information and arguments, and communication are the enduring threads.
SCS 100 Perspectives in the Social Sciences How do social scientists examine issues impacting human behavior? This course will focus on the questions social scientists ask in their research of individuals, families, and larger society, as well as how social scientific inquiry has developed over time. This exploration of social science will focus on the ways in which researchers consider behavioral phenomenon and use research to study various concepts. Students will examine the relevance of social science to current issues, develop evidence-based questions about human behavior, and explore basic social scientific research approaches.
SNHU 107 Success Strategies for Online Learning This course focuses on student success strategies for students who are new to higher education or online learning. Skill areas include critical thinking, self-advocacy and support services, and the empowerment of students to utilize their strengths in order to improve the likelihood of academic success.
COM 130 Media Communication and Visual Literacy Examine the concept of media literacy. Practice deconstructing media messages to recognize their potential effect. Understand how media literacy is associated with an individual's role as a consumer of and participant in media.
FAS 226 Digital Photography Photography as a visual medium is integral to the study of contemporary communication. This course introduces students to the history and practice of producing photographic images. The course is a combination of lecture and the hands-on practice of both the analog and digital methods of photographic image-making. The traditional darkroom is dispensed with, giving over to the computer the role of dark- room, with the student using Adobe Photoshop and other image editors to process traditional film and digital image captures. The student is taught to use various digital cameras techniques to capture, process, and print a portfolio of several original photographic images. Lectures on pictorial composition, subject matter choice, and methods of presentation display will accompany hands-on technical exercises.
FAS 235 Photographic Practice in the Digital Age As the practice of digital photography leverages new technical skills through software programs and digital editing, it is critically important that practicing photographers gain a greater understanding of emerging methods for producing, editing, and distributing photographic works. This course provides an intermediate experience in the process of generating portfolios of digital images for presentation, distribution, or exhibition. Key to this experience is a broad understanding of design concepts that lead to decisions in coloring, resolution, formatting, and so on to produce high quality images that reflect a creative point of view. Students are exposed to advanced techniques using industry standard software to manipulate digital works for print and digital output, including color theory, management, calibration, and standard file formatting.
FAS 240 The Business of Photography This course serves as an introduction to the business practices of photography, focusing on the legal, marketing, and entrepreneurial aspects of the highly competitive photography industry today. Students gain valuable exposure to best practices recommended for working with clients and agencies, setting up an entrepreneurial business, developing appropriate contracts, licensing works, setting a pricing structure, model and property release forms, and managing overhead costs, among other topics. This course culminates in students determining their next steps in their professional development, including how to drive their personal vision and brand as a practicing photographer.
FAS 255 Lighting for Photography The act of photography inherently depicts how light reacts and reflects its subject matter, while also communicating different emotions, moods, and feelings to the audience. This course serves as a comprehensive introduction to how light is used and manipulated for different purposes and effects. Topics covered include using ambient light versus flash or studio light for different subject matter (portraits, editorial work, fine art, etc.), angle of light and how it influences the look of the subject matter, using a single light source versus multiple light sources, how to blend ambient light with strobe lighting, using long exposures and film speed to manipulate the look of your imagery, along with other purposeful techniques for manipulating the aesthetics of light.
FAS 326 History of Photography This course will examine the history of photography from its invention in 1839 to the present time. The course will endeavor to address the technical artistic and social underpinnings of this most modern of art forms.
FAS 375 Photographic Aesthetic Concepts This course explores various aesthetic theories of photographic practice and the evolution of photography as a respectable fine art medium available to contemporary artists and subject to critical inquiry. Students learn how photographic images shape our understanding of both the past and present as well as the very nature of photography as an art form and how this has changed over time. Besides theory, students also explore through hands on practice the methods and techniques for developing one's own aesthetic characteristics and personal style in photographic work.
GRA 101 Basic Design and Color Theory This course examines the basic elements and principles of design, including balance, emphasis, proportion and rhythm. Students are introduced to visual designing systems that guide the student through the application of computer graphics tools. The basic visual design elements of line, space, texture and color are creatively explored as students complete a series of projects that relate to advertising layout and design and visual merchandising.
GRA 220 Introduction to Digital Imaging Using industry standard image editing software software, this course is an introduction to professional computer graphics creation and to the software and hardware typically used in the graphic design, video, photography and interactive Web/multimedia industries. Image editing and color management systems will be discussed and demonstrated. The important differences between vector and bitmap graphics will be defined, as will the significant differences in preparing images for print, broadcast and Web distribution. Students will be encouraged to experiment with their own and preexisting images using sophisticated digital editing techniques such as layering, channel masking, filtering, cloning and montaging. Special attention will be paid to copyright awareness in the age of the digital image.
Total Credits: 60

Program Outcomes

Digital Photography Technical Requirements

Students enrolled in the Digital Photography programs are responsible for ensuring they have the minimum system hardware, software, and photography equipment required in the courses. System requirements often change, so it is important that students maintain awareness of the various minimum hardware requirements for the required software listed below.

Required Photography Equipment:

DSLR (video 1080p) camera- that allows for manual and automatic operation, supports 1080p video, and can use interchangeable lenses.
Tripod
Lighting Kit

Required Software:

The full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite is required in at least the following courses: GRA-101, GRA-220, COM-128
The Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan will support most other program courses

Students may also wish to purchase (not required):

A digital hand-held light meter that can measure both ambient and strobe lighting
A portable electronic flash unit

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs	Per Course*	Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates	$960	$320
Degree/Certificates (U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty)	$675	$225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

Additional Costs
No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/film-and-video-editors-and-camera-operators.htm (viewed online December 15, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.