Photography BFA, BA & Minor
Photography BFA, BA & Minor
About this Program
Explore the Photography BFA, BA or minor as you develop technical expertise, refine your artistic vision and create compelling visual stories through studio practice, exhibitions and faculty mentorship.
Photography gives you the opportunity to tell meaningful stories through compelling images while developing both your distinctive creative voice and skills. Through hands-on studio practice, exhibitions and coursework in composition, lighting, visual communication and art history, you’ll explore a wide range of photographic approaches, ranging from portraiture and documentary work to landscapes and experimental image-making, while building skills in both digital and darkroom processes.
You’ll learn in a collaborative, cohort-based environment where close faculty mentorship and a strong liberal arts foundation encourage critical thinking, artistic exploration and multiple perspectives. Through a partnership with Photographic Center Northwest and opportunities to engage with contemporary issues through your work, you’ll develop the confidence, creativity and professional experience to pursue a wide range of careers in photography and visual media while growing as an artist both inside and outside the classroom.
Quick Facts
Program Type
Major or Minor
Degree
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Bachelor of Arts
- Minor
School
Cornish College of the Arts
Campus
South Lake Union
Learning Format
In-Person
Duration
4 years
Start Date
August, January
Credits
120 semester credits
Find YOUR Creative Path
Our Photography programs are designed with flexibility in mind. Students can explore different academic and creative paths early in their studies and, if their interests evolve, easily transition between the BFA and the BA without losing progress toward their degree. BA students benefit from the freedom to study across disciplines by pursuing a double major or minors, while students pursuing a BFA receive specialized training. This structure helps you find the program that best supports your artistic and professional goals as they evolve through your course of study.
At a Glance
Choosing a college is about finding the program that best supports your goals. At Cornish, we look for students who are passionate about their area of study and eager to grow.
Photography BFA
Embarking on a Photography BFA means immersing yourself in the captivating world of visual storytelling. As you delve into the art and technique of capturing images, you’ll explore the intricacies of composition, lighting, and narrative creation, utilizing both traditional and digital tools.
Your educational journey will encompass various genres, from portraits to landscapes, and documentaries to experimental photography, while refining your skills in darkrooms and digital labs. The Cornish curriculum also guides you through art history, visual communication and contemporary trends, so you can cultivate a discerning aesthetic and learn to convey compelling messages through your lens. This major equips you with creativity, critical thinking and prepares you for a myriad of careers in the ever-evolving realm of visual media.
Photography BA
The Photography BA offers a flexible pathway that combines creative practice with a broader, comprehensive education. You’ll build a strong foundation in photographic techniques, visual storytelling and critical inquiry while exploring interests across the university through electives, minors or a second major. This interdisciplinary approach allows you to tailor your education to your goals, preparing you for careers in photography, visual media and related creative fields, or for continued study at the graduate level.
Photography Minor
The Photography Minor introduces you to the fundamentals of photographic practice while strengthening your creative and technical skills. You’ll explore image making through digital and studio photography, visual storytelling, composition and contemporary photographic practices. Studio-based coursework encourages experimentation, critical feedback and the development of your own artistic perspective. The minor pairs well with a wide range of majors, allowing you to expand your creative practice and apply photographic skills across disciplines.
Core Skills & Techniques
Photography BFA:
- Education in photographic technique
- Critical theory
- Portfolio development
- Professional-level exhibition
- Access to state-of-the art digital labs, alternative processes darkrooms and lighting
Photography BA:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental techniques and methods specific to the discipline
- Demonstrate practical abilities and skills from their art form
- Embody broadened imaginative and creative powers
- Analyze historical context and the great monuments in their art form
- Interpret contemporary theory and forms
- Integrate an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of art in the contemporary world
- Critically analyze and evaluate examples of art
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate technical proficiency suitable for a lens-based career path.
- Locate arts practices within historical, political, and social contexts.
- Articulate a personal creative vision in a chosen medium.
- Engage social justice or community issues through a visual work or art.
- Produce a unified body of work for exhibition.
Connect Your Passion to New Possibilities
Explore purposeful academic combinations while pursuing a rigorous arts education to enhance your career preparation. At Seattle University, you can combine a Photography BA with a wide variety of other majors or add any minor while staying on track to graduate in four years. You can also customize a Photography BFA by pursuing any minor offered across Seattle University without extending your time to degree.
While this is not an exhaustive list, explore some of the many ways Photography can be paired with other disciplines to enhance your academic journey and strengthen your professional preparation:
- Photography BA + Film & Media BA
- Photography BA + Design BA
- Photography BA+ Communication & Media BA
- Photography BA + Art History BA
- Photography BA+ 3+3 Accelerated Law Pathway
Explore Facilities
Create with confidence in professional spaces that encourage experimentation, collaboration and artistic exploration.
Visual Art Spaces
Build your creative practice in professional studios, shops and galleries equipped with the tools and spaces you need to experiment, collaborate and bring your artistic ideas to life.
Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio
Create across disciplines in a fabrication studio equipped for wood, metal, ceramics, casting, laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC milling and collaborative art-making.
Fabrication StudioMultimedia Checkout Center
Borrow professional-quality cameras, lighting, audio, film and photography equipment through MCC², giving you access to the tools you need to bring your creative projects to life.
Visit Cornish College of the Arts
For more than a century, Cornish College of the Arts has inspired artists, performers and designers to push creative boundaries and shape the future of their fields. Today, at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, you can experience that legacy firsthand while exploring the studios, performance spaces and collaborative community where creativity comes to life. Schedule a campus visit, take a virtual tour or connect with our admissions team to discover how you can make this historic creative community your own.
Photography Faculty + Staff
Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of creatives, Cornish faculty combine extensive professional expertise with a passion for teaching students how to develop the skills, confidence and vision to succeed in the arts.
