Photography
Program Description
The mission of the Foothill College Photography Department is to provide exceptional instruction in creative image-making and photographic techniques for vocational, general education, and transfer students. The program encourages students to develop their personal vision while building technical proficiency and critically examining photography's influence on visual culture—both historically and in contemporary contexts. Coursework covers a broad range of topics, including analog and digital photography, studio lighting, portraiture, darkroom processes, photojournalism and visual storytelling, the history of photography, photographic criticism, and professional practices such as business strategies, portfolio development, and presentation skills.
Learn more about the program on the Photography website.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to produce images that demonstrate knowledge of photography's visual and expressive elements (light, color, and composition), using standard professional equipment and production processes.
- Students will be able to analyze how images reflect and shape our culture and assess the contributions made in the field by people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities for graduates may include: advertising photographer, aerial photographer, art dealer or collector, art critic, art documentation photographer, arts writer, commercial photographer (architectural), commercial photographer (portrait), commercial photographer (product), commercial printing and reproduction, corporate photographer, darkroom lab technician or manager, digital photography technician, digital photographic illustrator, documentary photographer, editorial photographer, event photographer, fashion photographer, film-set photographer, fine art photographer, fine art printing assistant, forensic photographer, freelance photographer, gallery director, graphic artist, landscape or nature photographer, photographic lab technician or manager, photo editor, photo-historian, photography studio manager, photo assistant, photographic retoucher, photography instructor, photojournalist, photography sales, sports photographer, stock photographer, studio photographer, theater photographer, travel photographer, underwater photographer, wedding photographer, wildlife photographer.
Award Type(s)
- AA = Associate in Arts Degree
- CA = Certificate of Achievement
Units Required
- Major: 40
- Certificate(s): 16-24
Additional Information
Note: Please contact department faculty for information about recommended course sequence to assist with student success. Faculty contact information is available on the Photography website.
Associate Degree Requirements
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to complete the associate degree, including:
- Core and support courses for the major (40 units total)
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns:
- Foothill College General Education
- Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)2
- Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)2
- Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)3
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
- 2
Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information.
- 3
Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificates. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 10 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOT 57 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select 24 units from the following: | 24 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS III | ||
| DARKROOM I | ||
| DARKROOM II | ||
| DARKROOM III | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOTOJOURNALISM | ||
or PHOT 22H | HONORS PHOTOJOURNALISM | |
| STUDIO LIGHTING TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| LECTURE TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES III | ||
| LANDSCAPE FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| SOCIAL CONCERNS FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| DOCUMENTARY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| MUSEUM/GALLERY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| COLOR THEORY | ||
| GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO I | ||
| CAREERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS | ||
| PORTFOLIO | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDIA PRODUCTION | ||
| Total Units | 40 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Note: Courses listed in both the core and support sections may be completed only once for credit to satisfy either the core or support course requirement.
Certificate Requirements
Certificate of Achievement in Photography
Units: 24
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 57 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select 12 units from the following: | 12 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS III | ||
| DARKROOM I | ||
| DARKROOM II | ||
| DARKROOM III | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOTOJOURNALISM | ||
or PHOT 22H | HONORS PHOTOJOURNALISM | |
| STUDIO LIGHTING TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| LECTURE TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES III | ||
| LANDSCAPE FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| SOCIAL CONCERNS FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| DOCUMENTARY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| MUSEUM/GALLERY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Certificate of Achievement in Photography Criticism
Units: 17-17.5
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 8 | PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | 5 |
| or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| PHOT 10 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOT 11 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| And one course from the following: | 4-4.5 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FILM & MEDIA CRITICISM | ||
| Total Units | 17-17.5 | |
Certificate of Achievement in Commercial Photography
Units: 16
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| PHOT 74A | STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | 4 |
| And one course from the following: | 4 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS III | ||
| PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Certificate of Achievement in Digital Photography Techniques
Units: 16
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 6A | PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| PHOT 74A | STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | 4 |
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.