Online Degrees & Certificates

AA in Photography

Program Description

The mission of the Foothill College Photography Department is to provide exceptional instruction in creative image-making and photographic techniques for vocational, general education, and transfer students. The program encourages students to develop their personal vision while building technical proficiency and critically examining photography's influence on visual culture—both historically and in contemporary contexts. Coursework covers a broad range of topics, including analog and digital photography, studio lighting, portraiture, darkroom processes, photojournalism and visual storytelling, the history of photography, photographic criticism, and professional practices such as business strategies, portfolio development, and presentation skills.

Learn more about the program on the Photography website.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to produce images that demonstrate knowledge of photography's visual and expressive elements (light, color, and composition), using standard professional equipment and production processes.

Students will be able to analyze how images reflect and shape our culture and assess the contributions made in the field by people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities for graduates may include: advertising photographer, aerial photographer, art dealer or collector, art critic, art documentation photographer, arts writer, commercial photographer (architectural), commercial photographer (portrait), commercial photographer (product), commercial printing and reproduction, corporate photographer, darkroom lab technician or manager, digital photography technician, digital photographic illustrator, documentary photographer, editorial photographer, event photographer, fashion photographer, film-set photographer, fine art photographer, fine art printing assistant, forensic photographer, freelance photographer, gallery director, graphic artist, landscape or nature photographer, photographic lab technician or manager, photo editor, photo-historian, photography studio manager, photo assistant, photographic retoucher, photography instructor, photojournalist, photography sales, sports photographer, stock photographer, studio photographer, theater photographer, travel photographer, underwater photographer, wedding photographer, wildlife photographer.

Award Type(s)

AA = Associate in Arts Degree

Units Required

Major: 40

Additional Information

Note: Please contact department faculty for information about recommended course sequence to assist with student success. Faculty contact information is available on the Photography website.

Online Courses for Photography

The courses listed BELOW are offered as online courses at least once every two years. Please see the Class Schedule for verification.

• For a complete listing of online courses offered during the current quarter, visit Online Course Information.
• If you need any additional degree information or confirmation, please contact the Counseling Division.

NOTE: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.

Associate Degree Requirements

A minimum of 90 units is required* to complete the associate degree, including:

Core and support courses for the major (40 units total)

Completion of one of the following general education patterns:

Foothill College General Education

Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)**

Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)**

Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)***

* Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.

** Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information.

*** Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.

Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificates. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.

 

Core and Support Courses

Core Courses

Support Courses (24 units)

* PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.

Note: Courses listed in both the core and support sections may be completed only once for credit to satisfy either the core or support course requirement.

Note that this is a list of fully online courses that satisfy degree requirements.

For a list of on-campus courses that satisfy degree requirements, please visit Photography 2025-2026 Degrees & Certificates.

Based on the 2025 - 2026 degree program.