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Photography

Undergraduate Overview

Undergraduate Overview

Fall 2026 Application Deadline: February 15

As an undergraduate student in The Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), you will develop solid mastery over the technical and conceptual complexity that characterizes photography’s past and present while enhancing your ability to discuss your work and the work of others.

Student holding up a colorful zine

 

Students concentrating on their Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) studies in Photography will:

  • Learn from distinguished, practicing artists with a variety of approaches to photography.
  • Collaborate with graduate students and peers to create an annual departmental catalog.
  • Participate in a 3-credit capstone spine class geared towards preparation for the senior Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis exhibition.

Undergraduate classes offer a natural progression for all students.

  • Beginning classes present basic practical skills and strategies for conceptual thinking. 
  • Intermediate classes are in-depth studies of specific conceptual issues or techniques. 
  • Advanced classes present opportunities for more self-directed projects, group seminars, and frequent private consultations with instructors.

Course titles and topics––over 30 offerings each semester––range from Intro to Photography to Lighting Fundamentals, Surrealism and Photography, Digital Light Projections, Fashion Photography, Advanced Post-Production, and more, allowing students to delve deeply into an area of interest, find synergies with departments and mediums across the school, or explore and master a wide range of techniques and equipment.

Scholarships

In addition to merit scholarships awarded at the time of admission, each year, a senior student working in the photography department is selected by the faculty for the Fred Endsley scholarship, an unrestricted one-time $1,000 cash award which can be used to create new work or prepare for the senior exhibition.

Undergraduate Admissions Requirements & Curriculum

  • To apply to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), you will need to fill out an application and submit your transcripts, artist's statement, and letters of recommendation. And most importantly, we require a portfolio of your best and most recent work—work that will give us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to explore, experiment, and think beyond technical art, design, and writing skills.

    In order to apply, please submit the following items:  

    Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Portfolio

    Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.

    When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single discipline or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.

    Learn more about applying to SAIC's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio, or view our portfolio preparation guide for more information.

  • Studio69
    • CP 1010 Core Studio Practice I (3)
    • CP 1011 Core Studio Practice II (3)
    • CP 1020 Research Studio I (3)
    • CP 1022 Research Studio II (3)
    • SOPHSEM 2900 (3)
    • PROFPRAC 39XX (3)
    • CAPSTONE 49XX (3)
    • Studio Electives (48)
    		 
    Art History15
    • ARTHI 1001 World Cultures/Civilizations: Pre-History—19th Century Art and Architecture (3)
    • Additional Art History Course at 1000-level (e.g., ARTHI 1002) (3)
    • Art History Electives at 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level (9)
    		 
    Liberal Arts30
    • ENGLISH 1001 First Year Seminar I (3)
    • ENGLISH 1005 First Year Seminar II (3)
    • Natural Science (6)
    • Social Science (6)
    • Humanities (6)
    • Liberal Arts Electives (6)
      • Any of the above Liberal Arts or certain AAP or EIS
    		 
    General Electives6
    • Studio, Art History, Liberal Arts, AAP, or EIS
    		 
    Total Credit Hours120

    * BFA students must complete at least two classes designated as "off campus study." These classes can also fulfill any of the requirements listed above and be from any of the divisions (Art History, Studio, Liberal Arts, or General Electives).

    BFA in Studio with Thesis Option (Liberal Arts or Visual Critical Studies): Students interested in pursuing the BFA in Studio with the Thesis Option (Liberal Arts or Visual Critical Studies) should contact their academic advisor for details about eligibility, program requirements, and the application process.

    Total credits required for minimum residency66
    Minimum Studio credit42

Course Listing

Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1712

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1696

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1697

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1698

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1699

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1700

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This foundational course introduces students to photography as a tool for creative expression and critical inquiry. Through hands-on assignments, students develop technical skills in camera operation, composition, and digital printing while exploring photography¿s evolving nature and impact on perception. Readings, screenings, and discussions provide a critical framework for analyzing images¿both personal and cultural. Emphasizing both conceptual growth and practical application, the course encourages experimentation across genres and prepares students for advanced photographic study. Required for all subsequent photo courses.

Class Number

1715

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 106

Description

This course invites students with a foundational knowledge of photography to expand their image-making practices through hands-on, experimental techniques. Exploring cyanotype, van dyke brown, collage, reproduction, and transfer methods, students gain a working understanding of graphic arts and print films. The course encourages curiosity, independent research, and creative risk-taking, with opportunities to integrate text, installation, and performance. Emphasizing process and material exploration, Slow Photo fosters a deeper engagement with photography beyond the digital, embracing time-intensive approaches that challenge conventional image-making.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1701

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 206

Description

'The Anthropocene' is the name of the new geological epoch, proposing that the human species has become the single most dominant agent of change affecting the Earth's ecosystems. Photography plays in this context a pivotal role and goal of this class is to promote different photographic experiences on land- and cityscapes of the Anthropocene. Collaborative work and access to different material forms, laboratories, analog and digital photographic media as well as scholarship and first-person testimony on health, race, politics and aesthetics, will help generate diverse perspectives on the entangled realities of the world and the complex human-natural systems. Questions of environmental justice and environmental ethics will take center stage in this class.

Class Number

1720

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Digital Imaging, Economic Inequality & Class, Art and Science

Location

280 Building Rm 216

Description

Explore the history, methods, and creative potential of medium format film photography. In this course, students will work with medium format cameras, experimenting with black-and-white and color film. Through guided instruction, they will learn film development techniques and both analog and digital printing methods. By combining traditional and experimental approaches, students will expand their photographic practice and deepen their understanding of the medium.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 3 credits of PHOTO 1000 level courses.

Class Number

1716

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 214

Description

This course explores the intricate concepts and practices of color photography, integrating perception, science, and cultural significance. Students refine their ability to see and interpret color through hands-on projects, peer critique, and historical and theoretical discussions. Technical instruction includes image capture, color correction, light quality, printing across various scales and media, and presentation strategies. Through these explorations, students deepen their understanding of color¿s role in shaping meaning and photographic expression.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1702

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 216

Description

This course explores the intricate concepts and practices of color photography, integrating perception, science, and cultural significance. Students refine their ability to see and interpret color through hands-on projects, peer critique, and historical and theoretical discussions. Technical instruction includes image capture, color correction, light quality, printing across various scales and media, and presentation strategies. Through these explorations, students deepen their understanding of color¿s role in shaping meaning and photographic expression.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1703

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 216

Description

This course explores the techniques and aesthetics of black and white photography, from exposure to final prints. Students will develop skills in analog darkroom and inkjet printing, contrast control, lighting techniques, and the impact of scale, paper, and film choices. Hands-on projects and darkroom experimentation will deepen technical abilities and creative expression. An adjustable film camera is required.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1704

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 214

Description

This course explores the techniques and aesthetics of black and white photography, from exposure to final prints. Students will develop skills in analog darkroom and inkjet printing, contrast control, lighting techniques, and the impact of scale, paper, and film choices. Hands-on projects and darkroom experimentation will deepen technical abilities and creative expression. An adjustable film camera is required.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1705

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 206

Description

This course explores the techniques and aesthetics of black and white photography, from exposure to final prints. Students will develop skills in analog darkroom and inkjet printing, contrast control, lighting techniques, and the impact of scale, paper, and film choices. Hands-on projects and darkroom experimentation will deepen technical abilities and creative expression. An adjustable film camera is required.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1713

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 214

Description

Light is a powerful tool for creative control. In this course, students learn to observe, measure, and manipulate light to enhance their photographic work. Through hands-on practice, they explore the interplay of natural, ambient, and artificial light sources¿including on-camera and hand-held flash¿within existing conditions. By understanding metering and light mixing techniques, students gain the skills to shape mood, depth, and atmosphere in their images. This course provides a strong foundation in lighting, equipping students with practical techniques to elevate their work with confidence and precision.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1706

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 207

Description

Light is a powerful tool for creative control. In this course, students learn to observe, measure, and manipulate light to enhance their photographic work. Through hands-on practice, they explore the interplay of natural, ambient, and artificial light sources¿including on-camera and hand-held flash¿within existing conditions. By understanding metering and light mixing techniques, students gain the skills to shape mood, depth, and atmosphere in their images. This course provides a strong foundation in lighting, equipping students with practical techniques to elevate their work with confidence and precision.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: PHOTO 1001.

Class Number

1707

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 207

Description

This course examines historical and contemporary philosophies, critical frameworks, and theoretical approaches that shape photography and visual culture. Designed to prepare students for advanced discourse, whether in graduate studies or as practicing artists navigating the broader art world, the class emphasizes the integration of theory, research, and artistic practice. Through weekly critical readings, discussions, and informal writing assignments, students will analyze key concepts, articulate ideas, and conduct theoretical research connected to their own creative work. The course also incorporates visits to photography exhibitions and collections around the city, fostering engagement with contemporary photographic dialogue.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 3 credits of PHOTO 2000 level courses.

Class Number

2173

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Theory

Location

280 Building Rm 214

Description

Large Format Photography introduces students to the concepts and aesthetics of working with a large-format view camera. Students will learn pre-visualization, camera movements, perspective control, large-format optics, and sheet film handling. Through flexible assignments, they are encouraged to develop a personal style while exploring traditional genres such as portraiture, landscape, studio, and architecture. Technical skills include view camera setup, the zone system, large-format scanning, and both analog and digital printing. Each student is assigned a 4x5 studio camera and has access to 8x10 and 4x5 field cameras, along with various optics and accessories.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 3 credits of PHOTO 2000 level courses.

Class Number

1708

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Area of Study

Books and Publishing, Digital Imaging

Location

280 Building Rm 206

Description

This course fosters the development of self-directed, research-driven projects, challenging students to push beyond traditional photographic approaches and explore interdisciplinary practices. Emphasizing experimentation, students refine their conceptual depth and technical skills while advancing a sustained body of work. Through critiques, discussions, collaborations, workshops, and individual mentoring, the course supports ambitious project development and strategies for exhibition, publication, and public engagement. Designed to complement Senior Capstone projects, it prepares students for the BFA exhibition and professional creative practices. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: 3 credits of PHOTO 2000 level courses.

Class Number

1714

Credits

3

Department

Photography

Location

280 Building Rm 215

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