Brooks Institute is in Santa Barbara, California. There are four different photography concentrations offered. Those concentrations include: advertising photography, commercial photography, photo media photography and portraiture photography. After completing any of these four concentrations, a bachelor of fine arts degree will be awarded. Brooks also offers a certificate in wedding photography. Offering multiple majors allows students to narrow in their focus on photography even further, to better prepare them for their career. Financial aid is available for qualified students.
Located in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, the Hallmark Institute of Photography was established more than 30 years ago. All Hallmark students are taught many different aspects of photography, including commercial, portrait and industrial imaging. Hallmark's 10-month certificate program not only teaches the technical aspects of photography, but also interviewing skills, how to make an effective business plan and how to create an eye-catching website to display portfolios. Financial aid is available, and there are student dorms.
Rochester Institute of Technology is in Rochester, New York, and offers a four-year (181 to 189 credit hours, depending on track) major in Professional Photographic Illustration. The major includes: advertising photography, fine art photography, photojournalism and visual media. All four options will help students narrow their focus for an eventual career and include internships and career counseling, and give graduates a bachelor of fine arts degree. Rochester also offers a master's program in photography.
The School of Visual Arts, in New York City, offers a four-year photography program. Its stated mission is "to educate students who aspire to become professional artists." The school has more than 100 faculty members who come from a variety of backgrounds, from artists to museum directors. In addition, The School of Visual Arts offers both a bachelor of fine arts program and a one-year certificate program.
Located in Chicago, Illinois, Columbia College offers both a bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts degree. This four-year program is designed to turn students into professional artists. Through the photography department, past students have exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. In addition, Columbia College's state-of-the-art facilities are some of the more advanced in the country. It has two studios with a lot of lighting equipment, cameras and digital equipment. The school also has multiple darkrooms, with more than 150 enlargers for both black-and-white and color developing.
Located in Savannah, Georgia, Savannah College of Art and Design offers a 180-credit hour program with a either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of fine arts degree. The school also helps prepare its students for life after school. More than 175 companies visit the school throughout the semester to recruit students for employment. In addition, in 2008, more than 8 out of 10 graduates surveyed either obtained employment within their field or were admitted to graduate school within only six months of graduating.