Photography BA & BFA Emphases

The Visual Arts Photography degree program is designed for those students who want to take their passion for photography to a higher level. It combines both digital and traditional techniques using professional medium format equipment and industry current software for all types of media. Under the guidance of a faculty of working professionals in the field of photography, students fine tune their style, both in terms of content and approach. Students develop the technical, critical and practical skills that are required in the challenging and diverse photography profession.

To Prospective Students (freshmen & transfer):

While the Visual Arts Department currently accepts applications for the Spring and Summer semesters, students are strongly encouraged to apply for a Fall semester start. This is due to the fact that the majority of the first-semester courses are offered in Fall semesters only. The Visual Arts majors are highly sequenced and pre-requisites are strictly enforced. Students who begin in the Spring and Summer semesters may find that their required courses are not offered until the Fall semester.

PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINES for Summer 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010

Fall applicants are encouraged to apply by March 1 (Fall registration opens in early April).
Spring applicants are encouraged to apply by October 1 (Spring registration opens in mid-November).
Summer applicants are encouraged to apply by February 1 (Summer registration opens mid-March).

Beginning Fall 2010, the Visual Arts Department will accept Fall applications only. The deadline to apply for the Fall 2010 semester will be April 1, 2010; however, students are encouraged to submit applications by February 15, 2010.

Education for Future Professionals…BA vs BFA...

A BA in Fine Arts is a liberal arts-based program designed for the student who desires significant breadth of experience and understanding rather than a professional specialization. Upon graduation, students possess a developed visual sensitivity, the ability to conceptualize observations and some familiarity with the works and intentions of the major artists and movements of the past and present, as well as the nature of contemporary thinking in art. All students pursuing a BA in Fine Arts must complete the 27 credits of Visual Arts Foundation Courses and then select an emphasis area, such as Photography, consisting of 21 credits. Students interested in pursuing a double emphasis (e.g., emphasis in drawing and painting) are encourage to consult a CAM advisor to discuss required courses.

The BFA in Fine Arts is the professional degree in art. With a BFA, students can choose to further their education by earning the terminal degree in Arts-the Master of Fine Arts degree. In addition to the 12 required classes for a BFA in Fine Art, Photography emphasis students will take a standard range of core academic and foundational art classes such as drawing foundations, 2 and 3-dimensional design, color theory, art seminar, art history survey. Then photography students will select from a list of Photography emphasis courses consisting of 39 credits.

To learn more about the opportunities awaiting you in the Photography BA or BFA program, please contact a College of Arts & Media advisor.

Educating and Encouraging...

The Visual Arts faculty is comprised of artists and historians who understand the importance art applications both in and outside of the classroom. For this reason, your instructors strive to be the bridge between you and the professional world. With the encouragement and efforts of faculty, students are able to involve themselves with the Denver Art Museum, the Emmanuel Gallery, and with various visiting artists, galleries and museums across the front range.

The faculty’s active participation in their field ensures that students receive both a traditional and a cutting-edge education. To learn more about the Visual Arts faculty, please select their name and you will be directed to their personal web pages, or visit the faculty home page.

The Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Arts Degrees...

Students pursuing careers in Photography receive a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Arts (BFA) from the Department of Visual Arts in the College of Arts & Media, a degree awarded by the University of Colorado Denver.

For more information on admission proceedures for this degree program please contact a CAM advisor at CAMAdvising@ucdenver.edu.

Going Places...

As a Photography graduate from the Visual Arts program, the career opportunities available to you are as limitless as your motivation and imagination. Here are just a few of the options available to this program’s graduates.

Magazine or Press Photographer
Photo Sylist
Photography Instructor
Photographic re-toucher
Photo Journalist
Fashion Photographer
Fine Art Photographer

Admissions...

Students who wish to transfer to the College of Arts & Media from another college or school at the University of Colorado Denver must formally apply to the College of Arts & Media. Students will be considered for admission on either their overall GPA in applicable coursework from CU and all previous institutions, or on their last 15 credit hours. Applicants with less than a 2.0 GPA in related courses (from CU or other institutions) and an overall CU GPA of less than 2.0 will be denied admission even though they may meet other requirements for consideration.

Please see the UCD Catalog or a CAM advisor for more information.

Print above: Albumen print of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence by student photographer Davis Kaleda