Photography, B.F.A. at SUNY Buffalo State College

The discipline emphasized in our B.F.A. program is art photography — specifically the creation of art to be displayed in museums, sold in galleries, or published in books. Graduates of our program may also find receptive employers in advertising, and editorial illustration.

A major is required to mount an individual exhibition of his or her work in their senior year. It will be planned and installed with the advice of the student's Senior Studio adviser, but no grade will be assigned.

Students are expected to assume the costs of certain materials and cameras (film and digital) needed to make photographs. Cameras and other photography equipment are not provided to do course work by the college. However, we do provide a well-equipped computer/digital-printing lab for color, a black-and-white film developing lab, and a print-enlarging lab to make traditional monochromatic silver prints. All photography courses have a materials fee. This fee covers chemistry, ink jet inks, certain ink jet papers, and some other materials. The fee does not cover film, cameras, flash equipment, and other equipment and supplies needed by all majors. Students enrolled in a studio course are expected to work a minimum of two additional hours each week outside of class for each credit granted for that class.

The study of photography in Art and Design emphasizes creativity, craft, and making memorable pictures. Our courses teach film and digital camera craft, traditional film developing and print enlarging, the use of electronic flash, the use of computers and ink jet printers, color management, and Photoshop as used by photographers. some of our students go on to do graduate degrees and to teach. Our graduates include self-employed artists, freelance photographers, and teachers. The art world, advertising, photojournalism, education, and industry are some fields in which our graduates have found employment.