About our Program
The Pennsylvania State University, chartered in 1855, is one of America's largest and most distinguished universities. It is committed to a mission of teaching, research and public service.
Penn State's School of Visual Arts program in Photography is located on the University Park campus. Situated in Nittany Valley, the geographical center of Pennsylvania, the beautifully landscaped campus is surrounded by mountain ridges, farms and forests.
Photography at Penn State is a comprehensive program intended to help prepare students for careers in photography, as well as enriching the educational experience of students throughout the University. The program, offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Fine Arts degrees. Our telephone number is 814-865-0444
More information on Penn State University
Philosophy
Penn State's School of Visual Arts Photography faculty believe that their role in preparing students for the world of imaging is crucial. Penn State is a major research institution with strong programs in both the arts and sciences. The University offers a rich environment for exploring photography in a myriad of applications.
The academic strength of the School of Visual Arts is reflected in the backgrounds of its faculty as artists, teachers, and scholars. All studio faculty members are also professional artists whose work is included in the permanent collection of leading museums and represented by major galleries.
The undergraduate degree programs are all organized around a broadly based General Education component designed to help students acquire a thorough liberal education in addition to superior professional training.
Photography students have their choice of undergraduate degree programs Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science. The Master of Fine Arts degree program is offered at the graduate level.
Degrees
- The Bachelor of Arts degree program is designed for students with broad interests in art who wish to pursue a more liberal arts-oriented education.
- The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is a program of study designed to help prepare students for careers in the visual arts as photographers. It also provides the appropriate undergraduate preparation for the Master of Fine Arts graduate degree program.
- The Master of Fine Arts degree program in Photography offers the student the opportunity to continue their personal development as creative photographers. In addition, if the M.F.A. student is awarded a teaching assistantship, they are given the opportunity to teach with the supervision of School of Visual Arts faculty.
For a more detailed description of the program contact the Penn State School of Visual Arts
ART 090: (GA) (INART) INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY ( 3) A basicintroduction to the aesthetics, history, and science of photography. Offered via the internet.
ART 290: BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHY ( 3) Introduction to the practice of digital photography.
ART 390: INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOCHEMICAL PHOTOGRAPHY ( 4) Introduction to the fundamentals of black and white photochemical photography. rerequisite: ART 110S ,ART 111 ,ART 120 ,ART 290 , and successful portfolio review
ART 391 PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKS ( 4 per semester, maximum of 8) The development of a photographic project that leads to the creation of a handmade book. Prerequisite: ART 390
Art 392: APPLIED DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Concepts and techniques of digital photography, scanning, digital color printing, and image manipulation with an emphasis in Adobe Photoshop. Prerequisite: ART 110S ,ART 111 ,ART 120 ,ART 290, and successful portfolio review
Art 490: VIEW CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHY. Introduction to large format photography.
Art 492: CREATIVE PROJECTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY, Individual projects related to personal photographic vision.
Art 494: PHOTO ASSEMBLAGE, Collage imaging making. Collecting and assembling found materials, including photography; origins of photographic manipulation and contemporary uses.
Art 592: SPECIAL PROJECTS IN PHOTOGRAPHY, Individual photographic projects. Graduate level.
Digital Photography
The Digital Photography Studio is the newest addition to Penn State's photography curriculum established in January 1997. The Digital Photography Studio exemplifies the convergence of theory and application across academic disciplines. This leading-edge digital imaging facility currently receives equipment support from industry leaders Calumet Photographic Inc., Megavision Inc. and the Eastman Kodak Company. It is equipped with the most sophisticated digital studio camera technology available. The focus is on the creative integration of technology to enhance collaborative programs and research and to explore, hands-on, the role of technology in the arts. Penn State's Digital Photography Studio is unique in higher education. The studio offers the student the opportunity to test the limits of the equipment's capabilities, gaining marketable skills in an environment equivalent of a working professional studio.
Faculty - Photography Department
Lonnie Graham, Associate Professor of Art, Master of Fine Arts, San Francisco Art Institute, Bachelors of Fine Arts, San Francisco Art Institute.
Gerald Lang, Professor of Art, Master of Fine Arts, University of Minnesota.
Keith Shapiro, Assistant Professor of Art, Master of Fine Arts, The Pennsylvania State University; Bachelors of Fine Arts, Rochester Institute of Technology.