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2022-2023

Photography and Film, Bachelor of Fine Arts

VCU

Community college:
Uniform Certificate of General Studies (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Uniform Certificate of General Studies

Associate of Fine Arts in Visual Arts (please consult with the VCU Transfer Center for additional course recommendations)

Program description

The Department of Photography and Film offers a variety of basic, intermediate, and advanced photography and filmmaking classes leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Film.


The program provides students with the ability to intelligently express, investigate or document using photography and/or film, and to interpret meaning in still and moving images. Emphasis is placed on photography and film as contemporary fine arts. The department promotes a fundamental and effective philosophy that students maintain creative freedom, have access to resources, and are enrolled in courses in which they can refine their voices and skills through traditional and contemporary media, tools, and professional working methods. All student work in the program will culminate in an in-person exhibition or film screening in the fourth year.

Career opportunities

Graduates are well prepared to enter the industry as commercial, freelance, industrial and staff photographers and videographers, independent filmmakers, exhibiting artists, media content providers, gallery managers, advertising associates, art educators, film editors, producers and studio, location and production technicians. In addition, they enjoy careers as social media content providers and managers, film festival and museum curators/programmers; film commission and television station personnel.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Exhibiting Artist
  • Independent Filmmaker
  • Advertising Associate
  • Film Commissioner
  • Film Editor
  • Gallery Manager
  • Media Content Providers
  • Social Media Content Manager
  • Staff Photographer
  • Studio Technician
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Arts Educator
  • Commercial Art Director
  • Museum Curator
  • Professional Artist
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
  • No guaranteed admission. 
  • Apply for admission during first year at community college. 
  • Review deadlines and portfolio requirements for transfer applicants here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Photography and Film with concentration in Filmmaking, Photography

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Photography and Film, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Experience Year 2

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Photography and Film, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Students who earn the Uniform Certificate of General Studies before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements.
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning (or any other approved MTH course) MATH 131 3 General education
ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 103 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 104 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 121 Foundations of Drawing (depending on your portfolio, this courses will either transfer as an elective or an Art Foundation course). ARTS 1XX 3 Elective
ART 131 Two-Dimensional Design (depending on your portfolio, this courses will either transfer as an elective or an Art Foundation course). ARTS 1XX 3 Elective
Science Physical or Life Science elective with lab VCU equivalent 4 General education
Social/behavioral Social/Behavioral Science elective VCU equivalent 3 General education
History Select any approved HIS course HIST 3 General education
Community college credits transferred to VCU 32
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU.
Art Foundation Program. Students must complete the Art Foundation program at VCU or equivalent courses at another institution to be eligible for admission to the Photography and Film degree. VCU equivalents of studio art transfer courses are determined by means of the portfolio review process.
ARTF 131 Drawing Studio 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 132 Surface Research 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 133 Space Research 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 134 Time Studio 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 139 or ARTF 138 Project Studio or Project Seminar 2 Major (Ancillary)
Photography and Film, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) with a concentration in photography
PHTO 280 Moving Pixels 3 Major
PHTO 281 Digital Imaging I 3 Major
PHTO 350 Concepts I 3 Major
PHTO 243 Darkroom 3 Major
PHTO 260 Experiments in Sequencing 3 Major
PHTO 307 Processes and Techniques 3 Major
PHTO 340 Lighting I: Studio 3 Major
PHTO 352 Concepts II: Junior Project 3 Major
PHTO 381 Digital Imaging II 3 Major
PHTO 420 + PHTO 421 Senior Thesis I + Senior Thesis Ii 6 Major
PHTO 435 Professional Practice 3 Major
PHTO 442 Lighting II: Location 3 Major
PHTO 474 Contemporary Critical Perspectives 3 Major
ARTH Select one: ARTH 270, ARTH 271, or ARTH 370 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTH 372 History of Photography 3 Major (Ancillary)
Arts electives 10 Major (Ancillary)
Open electives 16 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 88
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120