BFA/MFA Photography

[LadyShutterBug]

Let's talk Houston. What are the options here?

How credible/well-accepted are our schools?

[CobyPhoto]

What would be your reason behind getting a BFA or MFA in the first place? I am familiar with University of Houston's program, and not a big fan of it.

There is the Art Institute, but DAMN your gonna pay for that. Other than that, I really don't think Houston's Universities are known for photography.

Not saying you couldn't learn there, they are just not known.

I received my first degree from Rochester Institute of Tecnology, BFA Photography. Of course, they carry a little bit of weight as they are the home of Kodak, Xerox, Fuji, etc. and there was and is alot of research coming out there dealing with photograhy, imaging, new digital photography etc.

If I had to choose now, I would choose The Brooks Institute. (Mainly for the location! LOL) as it has a great reputation.

Your purpose in getting a degree would have alot of bearing on where you go, I would think.

CJ

[daveb]

I Have a BFA in Photography from Atlanta College of Art (now defunct)
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. If you are looking to make a profession out of this ... Join PPA get a CPP and work toward a Master of Photography...Carries a whole lot more marketing weight IMHO.

[LadyShutterBug]

the reasons are mostly personal. i don't want a certification, i want a degree. i am a PPA member already. i would like to work toward some of the PPA credentialing but the BFA/MFA is more of a personal goal.

i'm doing fine business-wise, have already made a profession out of this. my bachelor's degree is in somethign completely different, though, and i would like a formal educationw/degree in photography. it is something i would pursue part-time, as i have a business to run and kids to care for when they come home from school every day.

the option of going somewhere other than Houston is not available at this time (and for the forseeable future, we will be in houston, so that will probably not change). My husband and children come first, so it's a matter of what I can find in Houston.

[CobyPhoto]

As your reasoning is purely for the knowledge sake, and part-time education, I would look at some of the Community Colleges near you and find one that has a program. Get your start there. All of the classes that you take in the beginning are going to be the same...film, theory, technique and time in the dark room. See who the instructor is and do a little research on them. Most will have personal websites and information available. You can find some really knowledgeable instructors at this level.

As far as getting a degree that will help you in this business...get it in BUSINESS. I agree with Dave, if you want marketing advantage CPP is much more useful. (Thou not very useful.) Gaining CPP will require alot of the knowledge you get from the classes you take in working toward a degree (not all classes, but alot of the theory and technique). Aside from taking a formal knowledge test, you will have to participate in print compeition, speak at guild functions and other things to gain a Masters or Fellow in the PPA. Pretty involved process. But on the way, it will impart valuable knowledge in most cases.

CJ

[jonnydonut]

Originally Posted by daveb

I Have a BFA in Photography from Atlanta College of Art (now defunct)
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. If you are looking to make a profession out of this ... Join PPA get a CPP and work toward a Master of Photography...Carries a whole lot more marketing weight IMHO.

huh? please expand acronyms.

[CobyPhoto]

BFA = Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree
PPA = Professional Photographers of America
CPP = Certified Professional Photographer

[nash]

Near you, you might check out Lamar University and taking some classes from Keith Carter, if you can. Sam Houston also has a decent program. The BFA/MFA will be helpful if you want ot pursue teaching one day.

[LadyShutterBug]

As far as getting a degree that will help you in this business...get it in BUSINESS.

I'm good on the business knowledge end of things (worked in corporate america long enough, thank ya... healthcare administration), and I would rather eat mud for a month straight than go back to school for a business degree ;)

I would like to have teaching as an option later in life.

I am pretty much going to just come right out and say that hey, I want the educational component to be academic moreso than netowrky and peer-learning. UH and San Jacinto South are the most viable options simply due to location.

I Have a BFA in Photography from Atlanta College of Art (now defunct)
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. If you are looking to make a profession out of this ... Join PPA get a CPP and work toward a Master of Photography...Carries a whole lot more marketing weight IMHO.

I am going to try and say this in the least offensive way possible... but do you think your BFA experience might be a little skewed in light of the fact that the school is in fact now defunct?

And speaking from strictly my very own point of view... it makes a difference to me, personally, when I know that someone I choose to do a job for me has committed time from their life to pursue an education in the field. A degree from an accredited univeristy is (in most cases, not all!) more meaningful than a certification from an association.

That being said, I would like to achieve both.

As your reasoning is purely for the knowledge sake, and part-time education, I would look at some of the Community Colleges near you and find one that has a program. Get your start there.

i am workin' on it! san jac south offers the photography for-credit classes and i have applied. i'm just trying to figure out if they really and truly are going to make me send them five college transcripts just to take a few photography classes that i will hopefully transfer elsewhere someday. i am hoping to the high heavens they will not... but they probably will. blah.

Aside from taking a formal knowledge test, you will have to participate in print compeition, speak at guild functions and other things to gain a Masters or Fellow in the PPA. Pretty involved process.

*faint* the phrase "speaking at guild functions" makes me quiver. i can speak in front of second graders... parents... clients.... but oh my how low self esteem rears its ugly head when i think of talking to peers or panels of any kind.

i realize i will have to get over this. it's funny how it terrifies me... seeing as i used to give very detailed programs to dorms, fraternities & sororities, and various organizations on sexually transmitted diseases. complete with pictures.


Thank you all very much for your help and input. I really do appreciate it! It's nice to have practical points of view when I get hairbrained ideas.

[CobyPhoto]

Kasey,

As your goal is to learn...check out the instructors well. This will ensure you get quality instruction that will translate into knowledge you can use for future plans...teaching, photography etc.

Many of the smaller community colleges have accomplished professional photographers teaching there for additional income. U of H Main Campus on Cullen has several. I just don't agree with the Block system that U of H uses for serious photography students.

CJ

[TheObiJuan]

I've read and thusfar understood that UH Photography is a good program.
Not quite in tune with the Digital Age, but still very applicable.
It is far cheaper than the fine arts school in Houston, but not as good for post graduation preparation.

I wish you luck with your degree and commend you for wanting something legitimate.

I will be going to UH in August of '08 and will study Photography.

[bondarnes]

Just a little personal experience here. I have a BA in Photojournalism from NTSU (now UNT). I can honestly say that I learned a whole lot more from my part-time job at the newspaper than I did in those college classes. Like you I decided that I might want to teach photography at some point and since SHSU would count Texas School as three hours credit towards a Masters, I paid my tuition and amassed 9 graduate hours. Since graduate hours only count for five years I signed up for some graduate classes at TWU. The attitude with most of the students in my classes was, "What's the least I have to do to get a B." I decided that I would not enjoy teaching in that environment so I just dropped the whole thing.

In your area SHSU is the only school I know enough about to recommend. They do have a good photography program. You might look into their distance learning program. Also some schools have graduate classes that you attend all day one Saturday per month. The BFA in photography from either of the colleges in Denton is a joke in my opinion.

[Namie]

This has been a very interesting thread for me.

I made the decision to go back to school a little over a year ago. I started at the local jr college, and just got my AA. I took a photography class and loved it - but I'd been taking pictures for a long time and knew that I would enjoy the class. I wasn't able to pick one up this semester because of a scheduling conflict. I start at TWU in the spring. Because of working full time, and raising a family, I enrolled in the general studies program. But I absolutely love photography. I would have loved to have been able to pursue a BFA in photography, but I just don't think I can with working. I'm trying to do this without any student loans, so giving up my day job is not an option.

A lot of people haven't understood my desire to pursue a degree. I think that it's fantastic that you've decided to go back and pursue this aspect. Going back as an adult can be a bit of a lonely experience, but I can honestly say that I've gotten tremendous amount out of it, and I think you will too. Having to complete assignments in the photography class really helped me to think about my photography in new ways. It challenged me to take pictures of things that otherwise I never would have given a second thought. Now if I could just decide what I want to do with my photography.....

Let us know what you decide. I'm behind you 100%. Good luck!

[johnastovall]

Where's a counter as to why an MFA is important.

It's the Sheepskin, Stupid

[CobyPhoto]

I would have to agree with the statement that if you aren't working toward TEACHING photography, anything other than a BFA (and that depends upon the school) is not very useful.

I could see myself teaching, however, Don points out the VERY reason I would never do it...

Originally Posted by bondarnes

The attitude with most of the students in my classes was, "What's the least I have to do to get a B." I decided that I would not enjoy teaching in that environment so I just dropped the whole thing.

So my other degrees help me the most in this industry: Finance and Accounting.

CJ