Program Overview

The photographer Garry Winogrand famously said, “The problem of the artist is to state the problem.” In other words, the artist wants you to speculate and examine problems, not solve them. At AUM, we want you to learn how to think like a fine art photographer. It’s not simply a matter of receiving instruction in how to take a technically proficient image, but rather how to communicate a concept to the viewer in a compelling manner.

The Department of Fine Arts offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Photography concentration. Photography students will receive a foundation in film that will serve as the basis of all future photo and video courses. Why film? Will Fenn, Chair and Associate Professor in Photography at AUM, believes the limited number of frames available to a photographer with film encourages a person to learn how to carefully construct and compose an image. This results in a photographer being able to capture what he or she wants more economically. In the Photography concentration at AUM, you’ll receive practical, hands-on experience in both film and digital photography. Class sizes tend to be small which promotes student and faculty interaction. Professional photographers are regularly invited to speak to students.

The visual arts training this concentration provides–combined with specific photography training and the other liberal arts components of the curriculum–is a solid foundation for jobs in advertising, marketing, journalism, social media, entrepreneurship and other career endeavors.

In photography, you will have the opportunity to build a professional portfolio, learn from professors who are successful practitioners in their field and express yourself creatively within a supportive and collaborative environment.

Other concentrations in this BFA degree program include Graphic Design, Sculpture, and Painting and Drawing.