Photography Major...Colleges?

[Opaque]

Im brand new to the forum..but have been browsing as a guest for a while now...

I wasnt quite sure where this topic should go under...so...sorry if this is not the correct place...

I am becoming more and more into photography...and THINK i have a good eye for photography..and was wondering if anyone had any information on good photography schools...preferably in Texas...money you see...

I realize that is not a very clear statement of what I am looking for...but any information on Universities who have good photography schools would be greatly appreciated...

One more thing...is Studio Art major the typical photographer's B.A. ..then continue to get a masters in photography...forgive me for my ignorance.

Thanks,
Peyton

 

[darin3200]

These are colleges in the top 10 for photojournalism:
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
University of North Texas


Others:
Sam Houston State University
Southern Methodist University
St. Edward's University
Texas A&M University
University of Houston

 

[Protean]

wowz, looks like ya got lucky there, im actually looking into thesame thing, but the prob. is i have no idea what a b.a. is and all that crap, i just want to take photography clases and become a "pro" (meaning i sell them for money)

 

[darin3200]

wowz, looks like ya got lucky there, im actually looking into thesame thing, but the prob. is i have no idea what a b.a. is and all that crap, i just want to take photography clases and become a "pro" (meaning i sell them for money)

That's easy to say and hard to do. You need to have some idea of what specifically you will be doing for money. What branch of photography you plan on going into. Photojournalism, fashion, advertising, wedding, portrait, etc...

 

[JodieO]

That's easy to say and hard to do. You need to have some idea of what specifically you will be doing for money. What branch of photography you plan on going into. Photojournalism, fashion, advertising, wedding, portrait, etc...

I found my direction (with no schooling) and went pro. Now, if I would have started this prior to being 30 years old, I would have probably gone through the schooling. Now that I am a "pro", I'm not sure what I should do... I'm thinking about taking some workshops through PPA as opposed to college just to expand myself. It would have been nice when people ask me to say, "Yeah, I studied such and such" but I didn't.... but then again, I used to paint portraits for money, and never had art schooling and they seemed more impressed that I didn't have art schooling lol! It's such an odd industry in a way... I guess if you are going to be working for someone else and applying for jobs with other companies, etc., that is where you truly need your credentials, right? I do have to say, I was just interviewed by a pretty decent sized magazine yesterday for an article, and the interviewer never once asked me for credentials lol!

Even though I didn't go that route, I do believe going through college for it is the better route to take. Good luck in your journey, must be exciting!

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I'll be taking the photography at the Art Institute of Seattle come October, and I think that the Art institute in Houston has the same program. Its a 2 year associates BTW.

 

[Opaque]

Thanks for replying...after looking this week...
I think I'm leaning towards studying studio art (specifically photography) at the University of Texas.

If anyone has any experience or knowledge of the University of Texas's photography school..any info would be appreciated.

Peyton

 

[thebeginning]

i've searched extensively on this subject, as I live in Texas also and would like to major (or at least minor) in photography next year. So far I've found that texas state, sam houston, UNT (university of north texas), and Texas A&M Commerce have the best photo departments. I'm leaning toward A&M commerce after looking up their department (I still have to go check it out), but havent really found any place I REALLY like yet.

 

[Ihaveaquestion]

I'm switching to Photography next semester.

http://www.academyart.edu/ph/outline.asp?AP=BFA-PH&ASP=BFA-PHDOC

I'm at the Academy of Art University.

Have you checked out Brooks yet?

http://www.brooks.edu/

I dont know about the state schools? You get much more photo classes in an art school.


Sorry you said texas? Take out loans and go to a better school J/K

 

[thebeginning]

i've looked alot into brooks also...looks like a great school with some good stuff. I've heard from past students there that it wasn't the friendliest place, and really wasn't that unique as far as what you did and learned compared to other schools and workshops. not sure if it's worth $30k a year.

the 'state schools' i mentioned have specific photography majors (except texas state, which is only a minor i think), not just classes.

 

[THORHAMMER]

photography is a rare field... noone really cares what school you went to (if any) they just care about what you can produce. If you have the luxury of attending classes then thats nice, but dont be suprised if you attend an art institute and come out owing 60K and also on top of that realize you need to get another 60K to start a studio......

Sometimes the best education is to learn by doing, but of course everyone is different,....

 

[Sw1tchFX]

i've looked alot into brooks also...looks like a great school with some good stuff. I've heard from past students there that it wasn't the friendliest place, and really wasn't that unique as far as what you did and learned compared to other schools and workshops. not sure if it's worth $30k a year.

the 'state schools' i mentioned have specific photography majors (except texas state, which is only a minor i think), not just classes.

I applied to Brooks and got accepted. We went down to Santa Barbara to take a look at the campus and it was great. When we finished about half of the open house, they said that with equipment, paper, etc... factored into the tuition cost, it was going to cost $55,000 a year. I said "wow, that's alot. Well, I think we've heard enough." and I walked right out. That's more than Stanford or Yale!

I dont' care who you are, or what you shoot. $165,000 isn't worth it for a 3 year bachelors degree in photography. Go with something cheaper. That's why i'm going up to seattle.

 

[wyldkard]

My little brother's ex-girlfriend was a photography major at the University of North Texas. She seemed to really like the department. She later transfered to be closer to home. My brother is still at UNT(IT major) and likes it there...although he never does anything. Denton is an alright place to live I suppose.


I have to say Texas Tech though. :heart: :mrgreen: But be warned about living in Lubbock...there's not any trees around, so when the wind blows, it blows hard...usually with dirt in it. Also, Lubbock is flat, so when it rains, all the streets are pretty much flooded. However, it is a great city...awesome campus too. There's nothing like Raider Gate(tailgating) before a football game...especially if the team we're playing is A&M.

 

[ShutteredEye]

I've heard good things about UNT also...

 

[JDP]

Brown College in Minneapolis has a BS degree in Digital Photography - http://www.browncollege.edu/programs/digital.asp

With a solid background in principles, processes, and techniques, you’ll work with studio and location equipment, computer software and print-making technology. You’ll create and modify digital images. You can also develop your own artistic vision and style through portraiture, photojournalism, and commercial projects. The program’s General Education curriculum helps students develop human relations and problem-solving skills sought by employers.


I've been somewhat thinking about it, but since I'm almost 30 I doubt I'll actually go for it. Brown doesn't have a real stellar rep around here except for their broadcasting stuff - and the digital photography degree is pricey too - I've been told around 40k.