Photography, B.S.
Media Arts
615-898-2085
Shannon Randol, program coordinator
Shannon.Randol@mtsu.edu
The Photography program combines aesthetic and technical skills with a foundation of photographic theory and history to prepare students for careers in commercial photography, creative/artistic photography, and documentary photography.
The Photography program is housed in a modern freestanding building with secured, ID card swipe access for students. Facilities include two digital classrooms with camera obscuras, a digital lab with scanners and printers, a spacious studio with an infinity wall (cyclorama), a large tabletop studio, two traditional darkrooms with enlargers and sinks, an alternative process darkroom, and a student photo gallery.
The Photography program is home of the Baldwin Photographic Gallery, known for its exhibits of works by many of the world's most renowned photographers. The Baldwin Photographic Collection and Archive which contains numerous masterpieces of photography are also managed by the Photography program.
Students are encouraged to participate in the MTSU Photo Society, a student organization that conducts photo workshops, photo safaris, and other photo-related activities.
NOTE: Majors must complete all major course requirements with a grade of C (2.00) or better.
Admission to Candidacy
To be admitted to candidacy in the Photography concentration, the student must meet the following requirements:
- 36 hours completed before applying for candidacy
- Passing grade in EMC 1010
- Grade of B- (2.67) or better in each of the following:
PHOT 1050
PHOT 1800
PHOT 2000
PHOT 2500
PHOT 2900
PHOT 3200
- Grade of C (2.00) or better in each of the following:
EMC 1020 / RIM 1020 / JOUR 1020
ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020
ART 1610
Academic Map
Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses
Photography, B.S., Academic Map
Degree Requirements
| General Education | 41 hours |
| Major Requirements | 57 hours* |
| College Core | 9 hours |
| Photography Requirements | 48 hours |
| Auxiliary Major Requirement | 3 hours |
| Minor | 15-18 hours |
| Electives | 1-4 hours |
| TOTAL | 120 hours |
*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.
General Education (41 hours)
General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.
The following course required by the program meets General Education requirements:
Major Requirements (57 hours)
College Core (9 hours)
EMC 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as JOUR 1020/RIM 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
JOUR 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 1020/RIM 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
RIM 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 1020/JOUR 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
(may be counted in General Education)
VFP 3020 - Screenwriting I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020; VFP 2020; Media Arts major
Techniques of creating and writing for film and video production in both the studio and field environment. Integrates writing for visual impact and audio/integration of sound and examines formatting needs of varying non-fiction and fiction story platforms for screen-based media.
IAM 3060 - Writing for Interactive Experiences
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 with C or better. Introduces fundamental principles of writing for interactive experience for specific audiences. Encourages students to explore content development; looks at creation of meaning in interactive media while providing skills in content development.
JOUR 2710 - Media Writing
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 or equivalents. Theory and practice of writing for print and electronic media according to the techniques, styles, and formats of various media.
JOUR 4250 - Mass Media Law
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 4250.) Prerequisites: JOUR 1020 and JOUR 2710; junior standing. Examination of legal guarantees and restrictions on the flow of information using the case study method. Focus on libel, privacy, obscenity, and the special restrictions placed on advertising, broadcasting, cable TV, and the Internet.
EMC 4250 - Mass Media Law
3 credit hours
(Same as JOUR 4250.) Prerequisites: EMC 1020; junior standing. Examines legal guarantees and restrictions on the flow of information using the case study method. Focuses on libel, privacy, obscenity, and the special restrictions placed on advertising, broadcasting, cable television, and the Internet.
PHOT 4190 - Ethics and Law for Visual Communicators
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; junior status with declared major.
Background in ethics and law for the visual communicator. Focus on ethical philosophies, ethics case studies, and solutions to ethical dilemmas; copyright, privacy, and libel law.
Normally offered Spring only
Photography Requirements (48 hours)
EMC 1010 - Orientation to Media Arts
1 credit hour
Introduces Media Arts majors to its degree programs, degree requirements, descriptions of curriculum, student resources and opportunities, career options, and critical goals for graduating seniors. Meetings may include lectures, guest lecturers, and site visits. Freshmen should enroll in this course no later than their second semester. Transfer students should enroll in this course during their first semester at MTSU. This course or a pre-approved substitute is required for candidacy in all majors in the Department of Media Arts.
EMC 3001 - Success in Media Arts
1 credit hour
Prerequisite: EMC 1010; junior status
Introduces students who have just achieved candidacy in Media Arts to best practices for success in Media Arts. Project management key topic. Emphasizes the value and importance of portfolio-quality work samples, experience points for resumes, and extracurricular experiences.
PHOT 1050 - Basic Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Introduces simple and multiple image photography, principles, methods, theory, and practice for both Photography majors and non-Photography majors. Explores digital camera anatomy, operating, and handling while discussing proper in-camera exposure, metering, focusing, shutter speeds, apertures, depth of field, and camera accessories. Basic principles of lighting, design, and image composition discussed. Digital darkroom techniques and image manipulation using tools such as Photoshop included. Emphasis placed on cameras with manual controls. Students required to own a digital camera with manual controls. Must have working knowledge of the Macintosh computer system.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
PHOT 1800 - Narrative Strategies in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 1050
Explores the capacity to tell a story as a predominant aspect of still photography and photo-related imagery. Sequence, series, the grid, linear and nonlinear approaches, and literary models explored as the deep structure of subject. Includes lectures, films, readings, writing, and workshops aimed at helping students understand these strategies and their practical applications.
PHOT 2000 - History of Photography
3 credit hours
Investigates intersections between photography and artistic, cultural, political, and societal concerns prior to and since the introduction of photography. Photographers, photographic processes, and movements within photography framed through ideas and topics as they relate to broader concepts of how photography has shaped and been shaped by outside forces.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 2500 - Photographic Lighting I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050 and PHOT 1800
Introduces and uses artificial light sources to establish foundational lighting control techniques. Demonstrates the use of various lighting sources such as on-camera flash, battery powered off-camera flash, constant lights, and related tools to modify light. Balancing artificial light with existing natural or ambient light sources.
PHOT 2900 - Photography Sophomore Seminar
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 1800, PHOT 2000, and PHOT 2500
Helps students develop a sense of analysis, synthesis, assessment, and self-reflection regarding their own photographic production and the work of their peers. Engages students in critiques, readings, writing, and class discussions while working to prepare a professional portfolio of images that best present their overall aptitude and interests. Serves as a culminating experience for minors and as a preparatory experience for the photo major candidacy.
Normally offered in Spring semester only.
PHOT 3100 - Contemporary Issues in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Introduces theoretical and critical issues of photographic practices. Enhances photographic language by discussing photographs, photographers, and contemporary issues within the practice of photography. Students read and respond to selected essays, critical articles, and critical reviews of photography and photographic exhibitions.
Normally offered in the Spring semester only.
PHOT 3200 - Advanced Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Use of digital cameras and flatbed scanners as image capture devices and digital printers as image output devices. Software programs, applications, and discussion topics focus on camera operation, file formats, and the aesthetic and ethical issues surrounding photography. Software applications used to explore creative and experimental possibilities for processing and manipulating photographs.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
PHOT 3300 - Picturing People
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Students will engage with numerous modes of photographing people through lectures, writing, photographic production, and group critique. Explores commercial and fine art applications of portraiture while also considering their relationship to other known modes of capture such as vernacular photos, photojournalism, and surveillance. Practical photographic strategies in portraiture will be taught alongside the important considerations of ethics, privacy, and law.
PHOT 4001 - Professional Practices in Photography
3 credit hours
Corequisite: PHOT 4900
Designed to be taken in the senior year; advises students on aspects of launching their careers post-graduation. Includes lectures and instruction by the professor and visiting professionals; covers building a portfolio, promoting work, finding exhibition and residency opportunities, creating online presence, finding jobs, keeping financial records, and photo-related legal issues.
Normally offered Fall only.
PHOT 4900 - Photography Capstone I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Senior standing; PHOT 3200, and project proposal approved by instructor prior to registration period.
Students use learned skills and concepts to develop a semester-long photography project of their personal choice. Project can be completed in a variety of photographic medium(s) discussed and approved by instructor prior to registration period. Exhibition is required during the annual MTSU Photography Student Show.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 4910 - Photography Capstone II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; PHOT 4900
Part two of two required courses for photography students in their senior year. Students will continue work on the self-directed project from Capstone I. Course culminates in written thesis and required exhibition during the MTSU Photography Capstone Show.
Normally offered Spring only.
Photography Electives (13 hours)
EMC 4900 - Independent Study in Media Arts
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy and permission of department. Provides opportunities for individually designed problems, work experiences, or research projects related to the development of professional competencies in a major field of study. Requires approval of instructor.
PHOT 3510 - Documentary Practices in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Explores the traditional and non-traditional forms of photographic documentary practice. Considers the conventions of journalism, editorial, and photo essays alongside more contemporary modes of subjective documentary, post documentary, and socially activist practices. Explores image and text as a foundational component of much documentary work. Students will engage in practical experiences related to documentary photographic practices.
PHOT 3520 - Alternative Processes in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 3200 or PHOT 3540, or permission of instructor
Explores building cameras, hand coating emulsions, and working with historic printing processes. Topics include but not limited to pinhole cameras, solargraphy, lumen prints, anthotype process, cyanotype process, cyanotype toning, gum bichromate prints, Van Dyke process, and generating large scale digital negatives. Students will coat, expose, and process their own materials while working with sunlight and a UV light box.
PHOT 3530 - Archiving Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050 and PHOT 3200
Discusses identification, preservation, digitization, and archiving of various photographic mediums. Will restore existing material for future generations. Topics include image restoration, media handling, and reproduction. Methods to acquire source materials for use.
PHOT 3540 - Exploring Camera Formats
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 1050
Introduces the aesthetic and technical possibilities of various camera formats. Students choose to work with cameras such as miniature, 35mm, medium and large format, panoramic 360° cameras as they relate to specific image considerations. Handling, processing, digitization of, and printing from these different formats demonstrated and discussed. There are limited opportunities for short-term loans of equipment, so students should be prepared to provide their own camera(s).
PHOT 3550 - Photographic Lighting II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 1800, and PHOT 2500
Studio lighting course focusing on various aspects of a professional commercial photography practice. Students gain experience in assessment of lighting schematics, proper handling of gear, and various camera trigger devices while working with product, fashion, and portrait style images. Introduces full frame DSLR cameras, medium format cameras, macro photography, and professional lighting equipment. Utilizes studios equipped with tabletop, seamless backdrops, and the Cyc wall.
Normally offered in Spring only.
PHOT 3580 - Photography Practicum
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; junior standing, and permission of instructor.
Practical experience in an on-campus setting. A minimum of 75 hours work for each hour of credit. Required to be present and work for the class during evening and weekend times during the semester when needed. Note: Total university credit for internship, practicum, and individual problems courses cannot exceed 6 credits. Pass/Fail.
PHOT 4000 - Photography Internship
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; senior standing and permission of department chair or instructor.
Practical experience for advanced students in a professional setting. A minimum of 75 hours work plus other assignments will be required for each hour of credit. Note: Total university credit for internship, practicum, and individual problems courses cannot exceed 6 credits. Pass/Fail.
PHOT 4500 - Special Topics in Photography
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy in Photography or permission of instructor. Introduces and explores various subject matters, approaches, and/or topics in the medium of photography. May be repeated for up to 9 hours with different topic.
PHOT 4510 - Photobooks
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Investigates the history of photobooks as well as the contemporary relevance of the medium as a powerful vehicle for photographic projects. The form of the object itself, the sequence of images, inclusion of text, and design elements are deeply considered as elemental considerations in the creation of photobooks. Students work towards self-publishing their own book over the semester. Best suited for students who have a body of images that they would like to explore in book form.
Auxiliary Major Requirement (3 hours)
ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design
3 credit hours
The principles and techniques of design and their application to two-dimensional art forms. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1340
Minor (15-18 hours)
Electives (1-4 hours)
Recommended Curriculum: Photography
Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.
Freshman Fall
EMC 1010 - Orientation to Media Arts
1 credit hour
Introduces Media Arts majors to its degree programs, degree requirements, descriptions of curriculum, student resources and opportunities, career options, and critical goals for graduating seniors. Meetings may include lectures, guest lecturers, and site visits. Freshmen should enroll in this course no later than their second semester. Transfer students should enroll in this course during their first semester at MTSU. This course or a pre-approved substitute is required for candidacy in all majors in the Department of Media Arts.
ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing
3 credit hours
The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.
PHOT 1050 - Basic Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Introduces simple and multiple image photography, principles, methods, theory, and practice for both Photography majors and non-Photography majors. Explores digital camera anatomy, operating, and handling while discussing proper in-camera exposure, metering, focusing, shutter speeds, apertures, depth of field, and camera accessories. Basic principles of lighting, design, and image composition discussed. Digital darkroom techniques and image manipulation using tools such as Photoshop included. Emphasis placed on cameras with manual controls. Students required to own a digital camera with manual controls. Must have working knowledge of the Macintosh computer system.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
EMC 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as JOUR 1020/RIM 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
JOUR 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 1020/RIM 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
RIM 1020 - Introduction to Media and Entertainment
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 1020/JOUR 1020.) An introduction to media and entertainment, exploring the history of media and entertainment as it pertains to ethics, law, free expression, diversity and inclusion, economics, research, globalization, and other important concepts. Examines the evolution of technology, from the first printing presses to social media and gaming, as well as media industries that include advertising and public relations.
Subtotal: 13 Hours
Freshman Spring
ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History
3 credit hours
The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication
3 credit hours
Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025
ART 1610 - Two-Dimensional Design
3 credit hours
The principles and techniques of design and their application to two-dimensional art forms. Six-hour studio course. TBR Common Course: ART 1340
PHOT 1800 - Narrative Strategies in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 1050
Explores the capacity to tell a story as a predominant aspect of still photography and photo-related imagery. Sequence, series, the grid, linear and nonlinear approaches, and literary models explored as the deep structure of subject. Includes lectures, films, readings, writing, and workshops aimed at helping students understand these strategies and their practical applications.
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Sophomore Fall
ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.
ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.
HUM 2610 - World Literatures
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.
- Natural Sciences 4 credit hours
PHOT 2000 - History of Photography
3 credit hours
Investigates intersections between photography and artistic, cultural, political, and societal concerns prior to and since the introduction of photography. Photographers, photographic processes, and movements within photography framed through ideas and topics as they relate to broader concepts of how photography has shaped and been shaped by outside forces.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 2500 - Photographic Lighting I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050 and PHOT 1800
Introduces and uses artificial light sources to establish foundational lighting control techniques. Demonstrates the use of various lighting sources such as on-camera flash, battery powered off-camera flash, constant lights, and related tools to modify light. Balancing artificial light with existing natural or ambient light sources.
VFP 3020 - Screenwriting I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020; VFP 2020; Media Arts major
Techniques of creating and writing for film and video production in both the studio and field environment. Integrates writing for visual impact and audio/integration of sound and examines formatting needs of varying non-fiction and fiction story platforms for screen-based media.
IAM 3060 - Writing for Interactive Experiences
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 with C or better. Introduces fundamental principles of writing for interactive experience for specific audiences. Encourages students to explore content development; looks at creation of meaning in interactive media while providing skills in content development.
JOUR 2710 - Media Writing
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 or equivalents. Theory and practice of writing for print and electronic media according to the techniques, styles, and formats of various media.
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Sophomore Spring
PHOT 2900 - Photography Sophomore Seminar
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 1800, PHOT 2000, and PHOT 2500
Helps students develop a sense of analysis, synthesis, assessment, and self-reflection regarding their own photographic production and the work of their peers. Engages students in critiques, readings, writing, and class discussions while working to prepare a professional portfolio of images that best present their overall aptitude and interests. Serves as a culminating experience for minors and as a preparatory experience for the photo major candidacy.
Normally offered in Spring semester only.
PHOT 3200 - Advanced Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Use of digital cameras and flatbed scanners as image capture devices and digital printers as image output devices. Software programs, applications, and discussion topics focus on camera operation, file formats, and the aesthetic and ethical issues surrounding photography. Software applications used to explore creative and experimental possibilities for processing and manipulating photographs.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
- Social/Behavioral Science 3 credit hours
- Natural Science 4 credit hours
- Minor course 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Junior Fall
EMC 3001 - Success in Media Arts
1 credit hour
Prerequisite: EMC 1010; junior status
Introduces students who have just achieved candidacy in Media Arts to best practices for success in Media Arts. Project management key topic. Emphasizes the value and importance of portfolio-quality work samples, experience points for resumes, and extracurricular experiences.
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
- Minor courses 6 credit hours
- PHOT elective 3 credit hours
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II
3 credit hours
Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History
3 credit hours
The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030
HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.
HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II
3 credit hours
The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.
Subtotal: 16 Hours
Junior Spring
PHOT 3100 - Contemporary Issues in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Introduces theoretical and critical issues of photographic practices. Enhances photographic language by discussing photographs, photographers, and contemporary issues within the practice of photography. Students read and respond to selected essays, critical articles, and critical reviews of photography and photographic exhibitions.
Normally offered in the Spring semester only.
PHOT 3300 - Picturing People
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Students will engage with numerous modes of photographing people through lectures, writing, photographic production, and group critique. Explores commercial and fine art applications of portraiture while also considering their relationship to other known modes of capture such as vernacular photos, photojournalism, and surveillance. Practical photographic strategies in portraiture will be taught alongside the important considerations of ethics, privacy, and law.
- Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
- PHOT electives 6 credit hours
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Senior Fall
EMC 4250 - Mass Media Law
3 credit hours
(Same as JOUR 4250.) Prerequisites: EMC 1020; junior standing. Examines legal guarantees and restrictions on the flow of information using the case study method. Focuses on libel, privacy, obscenity, and the special restrictions placed on advertising, broadcasting, cable television, and the Internet.
JOUR 4250 - Mass Media Law
3 credit hours
(Same as EMC 4250.) Prerequisites: JOUR 1020 and JOUR 2710; junior standing. Examination of legal guarantees and restrictions on the flow of information using the case study method. Focus on libel, privacy, obscenity, and the special restrictions placed on advertising, broadcasting, cable TV, and the Internet.
PHOT 4190 - Ethics and Law for Visual Communicators
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; junior status with declared major.
Background in ethics and law for the visual communicator. Focus on ethical philosophies, ethics case studies, and solutions to ethical dilemmas; copyright, privacy, and libel law.
Normally offered Spring only
PHOT 4001 - Professional Practices in Photography
3 credit hours
Corequisite: PHOT 4900
Designed to be taken in the senior year; advises students on aspects of launching their careers post-graduation. Includes lectures and instruction by the professor and visiting professionals; covers building a portfolio, promoting work, finding exhibition and residency opportunities, creating online presence, finding jobs, keeping financial records, and photo-related legal issues.
Normally offered Fall only.
PHOT 4900 - Photography Capstone I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Senior standing; PHOT 3200, and project proposal approved by instructor prior to registration period.
Students use learned skills and concepts to develop a semester-long photography project of their personal choice. Project can be completed in a variety of photographic medium(s) discussed and approved by instructor prior to registration period. Exhibition is required during the annual MTSU Photography Student Show.
Normally offered Fall only
- Minor course 3 credit hours
- PHOT elective 3 credit hours
Subtotal: 15 Hours
Senior Spring
PHOT 4910 - Photography Capstone II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; PHOT 4900
Part two of two required courses for photography students in their senior year. Students will continue work on the self-directed project from Capstone I. Course culminates in written thesis and required exhibition during the MTSU Photography Capstone Show.
Normally offered Spring only.
- Electives 4 credit hours
- Minor course 3 credit hours
- Minor course/elective 3 credit hours
- PHOT elective 1 credit hour
Subtotal: 14 Hours
Photography
PHOT 1050 - Basic Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Introduces simple and multiple image photography, principles, methods, theory, and practice for both Photography majors and non-Photography majors. Explores digital camera anatomy, operating, and handling while discussing proper in-camera exposure, metering, focusing, shutter speeds, apertures, depth of field, and camera accessories. Basic principles of lighting, design, and image composition discussed. Digital darkroom techniques and image manipulation using tools such as Photoshop included. Emphasis placed on cameras with manual controls. Students required to own a digital camera with manual controls. Must have working knowledge of the Macintosh computer system.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
PHOT 1800 - Narrative Strategies in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 1050
Explores the capacity to tell a story as a predominant aspect of still photography and photo-related imagery. Sequence, series, the grid, linear and nonlinear approaches, and literary models explored as the deep structure of subject. Includes lectures, films, readings, writing, and workshops aimed at helping students understand these strategies and their practical applications.
PHOT 2000 - History of Photography
3 credit hours
Investigates intersections between photography and artistic, cultural, political, and societal concerns prior to and since the introduction of photography. Photographers, photographic processes, and movements within photography framed through ideas and topics as they relate to broader concepts of how photography has shaped and been shaped by outside forces.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 2500 - Photographic Lighting I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050 and PHOT 1800
Introduces and uses artificial light sources to establish foundational lighting control techniques. Demonstrates the use of various lighting sources such as on-camera flash, battery powered off-camera flash, constant lights, and related tools to modify light. Balancing artificial light with existing natural or ambient light sources.
PHOT 2900 - Photography Sophomore Seminar
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 1800, PHOT 2000, and PHOT 2500
Helps students develop a sense of analysis, synthesis, assessment, and self-reflection regarding their own photographic production and the work of their peers. Engages students in critiques, readings, writing, and class discussions while working to prepare a professional portfolio of images that best present their overall aptitude and interests. Serves as a culminating experience for minors and as a preparatory experience for the photo major candidacy.
Normally offered in Spring semester only.
PHOT 3100 - Contemporary Issues in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Introduces theoretical and critical issues of photographic practices. Enhances photographic language by discussing photographs, photographers, and contemporary issues within the practice of photography. Students read and respond to selected essays, critical articles, and critical reviews of photography and photographic exhibitions.
Normally offered in the Spring semester only.
PHOT 3200 - Advanced Digital Photography
3 credit hours
Use of digital cameras and flatbed scanners as image capture devices and digital printers as image output devices. Software programs, applications, and discussion topics focus on camera operation, file formats, and the aesthetic and ethical issues surrounding photography. Software applications used to explore creative and experimental possibilities for processing and manipulating photographs.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
PHOT 3300 - Picturing People
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Students will engage with numerous modes of photographing people through lectures, writing, photographic production, and group critique. Explores commercial and fine art applications of portraiture while also considering their relationship to other known modes of capture such as vernacular photos, photojournalism, and surveillance. Practical photographic strategies in portraiture will be taught alongside the important considerations of ethics, privacy, and law.
PHOT 3510 - Documentary Practices in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Explores the traditional and non-traditional forms of photographic documentary practice. Considers the conventions of journalism, editorial, and photo essays alongside more contemporary modes of subjective documentary, post documentary, and socially activist practices. Explores image and text as a foundational component of much documentary work. Students will engage in practical experiences related to documentary photographic practices.
PHOT 3520 - Alternative Processes in Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 3200 or PHOT 3540, or permission of instructor
Explores building cameras, hand coating emulsions, and working with historic printing processes. Topics include but not limited to pinhole cameras, solargraphy, lumen prints, anthotype process, cyanotype process, cyanotype toning, gum bichromate prints, Van Dyke process, and generating large scale digital negatives. Students will coat, expose, and process their own materials while working with sunlight and a UV light box.
PHOT 3530 - Archiving Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050 and PHOT 3200
Discusses identification, preservation, digitization, and archiving of various photographic mediums. Will restore existing material for future generations. Topics include image restoration, media handling, and reproduction. Methods to acquire source materials for use.
PHOT 3540 - Exploring Camera Formats
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 1050
Introduces the aesthetic and technical possibilities of various camera formats. Students choose to work with cameras such as miniature, 35mm, medium and large format, panoramic 360° cameras as they relate to specific image considerations. Handling, processing, digitization of, and printing from these different formats demonstrated and discussed. There are limited opportunities for short-term loans of equipment, so students should be prepared to provide their own camera(s).
PHOT 3550 - Photographic Lighting II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: PHOT 1050, PHOT 1800, and PHOT 2500
Studio lighting course focusing on various aspects of a professional commercial photography practice. Students gain experience in assessment of lighting schematics, proper handling of gear, and various camera trigger devices while working with product, fashion, and portrait style images. Introduces full frame DSLR cameras, medium format cameras, macro photography, and professional lighting equipment. Utilizes studios equipped with tabletop, seamless backdrops, and the Cyc wall.
Normally offered in Spring only.
PHOT 3580 - Photography Practicum
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; junior standing, and permission of instructor.
Practical experience in an on-campus setting. A minimum of 75 hours work for each hour of credit. Required to be present and work for the class during evening and weekend times during the semester when needed. Note: Total university credit for internship, practicum, and individual problems courses cannot exceed 6 credits. Pass/Fail.
PHOT 4000 - Photography Internship
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; senior standing and permission of department chair or instructor.
Practical experience for advanced students in a professional setting. A minimum of 75 hours work plus other assignments will be required for each hour of credit. Note: Total university credit for internship, practicum, and individual problems courses cannot exceed 6 credits. Pass/Fail.
PHOT 4001 - Professional Practices in Photography
3 credit hours
Corequisite: PHOT 4900
Designed to be taken in the senior year; advises students on aspects of launching their careers post-graduation. Includes lectures and instruction by the professor and visiting professionals; covers building a portfolio, promoting work, finding exhibition and residency opportunities, creating online presence, finding jobs, keeping financial records, and photo-related legal issues.
Normally offered Fall only.
PHOT 4040 - Color Photo Communication II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; PHOT 2000. Emphasis placed on details toward the craft, honing a personal vision, and final portfolio presentation.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
Normally offered Spring only
PHOT 4190 - Ethics and Law for Visual Communicators
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; junior status with declared major.
Background in ethics and law for the visual communicator. Focus on ethical philosophies, ethics case studies, and solutions to ethical dilemmas; copyright, privacy, and libel law.
Normally offered Spring only
PHOT 4220 - Advanced Photojournalism
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy or permission of instructor. Advanced photographic techniques, including digital imaging, information on ethics and law as they pertain to the image maker, along with an examination of different styles of photojournalism addressed by classroom demonstration, lecture, and practical assignments.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
Normally offered Spring only
PHOT 4270 - Photo Illustration
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy. Studio lighting of various objects in table top settings such as fabrics, clothes, glassware, food, beverages, and how to make the object read well to a potential client or customer. Setting up of lighting scenarios demonstrated and various camera trigger devices used for stopping time and showing products in different ways. Introduces full frame DSLR cameras, large format view cameras, macro photography, and professional lighting equipment. Problems in advertising photography including the responsibility of understanding the truth in advertising.
Lecture/lab with three to six hours per week.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 4290 - Documentary Photography
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PHOT 4040
Those students using color darkroom print material must have taken PHOT 4040. Students will photograph a semester-long photo project of personal choice in a documentary style. Research on the aspects of and photographers practicing contemporary documentary photography.
Three-hour lecture plus up to three-hour lab per week.
PHOT 4500 - Special Topics in Photography
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy in Photography or permission of instructor. Introduces and explores various subject matters, approaches, and/or topics in the medium of photography. May be repeated for up to 9 hours with different topic.
PHOT 4510 - Photobooks
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy
Investigates the history of photobooks as well as the contemporary relevance of the medium as a powerful vehicle for photographic projects. The form of the object itself, the sequence of images, inclusion of text, and design elements are deeply considered as elemental considerations in the creation of photobooks. Students work towards self-publishing their own book over the semester. Best suited for students who have a body of images that they would like to explore in book form.
PHOT 4900 - Photography Capstone I
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Senior standing; PHOT 3200, and project proposal approved by instructor prior to registration period.
Students use learned skills and concepts to develop a semester-long photography project of their personal choice. Project can be completed in a variety of photographic medium(s) discussed and approved by instructor prior to registration period. Exhibition is required during the annual MTSU Photography Student Show.
Normally offered Fall only
PHOT 4910 - Photography Capstone II
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: Admission to candidacy; PHOT 4900
Part two of two required courses for photography students in their senior year. Students will continue work on the self-directed project from Capstone I. Course culminates in written thesis and required exhibition during the MTSU Photography Capstone Show.
Normally offered Spring only.
