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Photography at AU

AU student exhbiting in photography in annual undergraduate exhibition.

Photography program at a glance:

  • 39-credit major designed for dual degrees or minors.
  • 9 scholarships and awards available to majors.
  • Equipment and technical help available from the Cage and SOC darkroom and processing labs.
  • Students show their work in annual exhibitions at the Katzen Arts Center, University of DC, and elsewhere.
  • Facilities across campus in Katzen, McKinley, Design and Build Lab, and Media Production Center.

"Collage 1" by AU student Xueyan Xia

The Photography BA program is for students interested in all forms of photography, from fine art to photojournalism. Combining the resources and expertise of AU's Department of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Communication, the program includes historical, theoretical, and practical approaches to photography.

Students study the evolution of photography, and can gain hands-on experience in darkrooms and digital editing labs. Students who complete the program understand the why and how of photography's adoption by fine artists, commercial studios, and the general public; and photography's changing role in the greater art world. Students relate technical developments in the medium to aesthetic and conceptual developments, citing movements and trends that also coincided with a broader art history. Through a final project and exhibition, students delve into a relevant topic of their choice and analyze it through a specific socio-cultural lens.

Several students hold cameras

Bulletins

New York Times Features Alumni Work

See Anna Moneymaker's work in "TIME'sTop 10 Photos of 2024"

Alum Wins 2024 Fluevog Artist Grant

Discover Murugi Thande's award-winning project in the "2024 Fluevog Artist Grant Winners."

AU Photo Collective

See AU Photo Collective on Facebook for events and more with students and alumni.

Experiential Learning

Visit the Experiential Learning page to explore more opportunities for Photography students.

leenamediainthemix

Hear From Faculty

Professor and director of the new BA in Photography, Leena Jayaswal, features on episode 7 of Media in the Mix with host Grace Ibrahim. Throughout the episode, Professor Jayaswal talks about how her love for photography formed at an early age, the importance of creating representation in her work, and more.

Joint Annual Photography Gallery with UDC

Since 2010, SOC has been partnering with the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Photography Department on a joint exhibition, which began as a project between UDC’s photo program and graduate students from SOC’s strategic communications program. The theme always revolves around the celebration of homeland, identity, and diversity. This annual exhibition has provided AU students the opportunity to co-create an exhibition, coordinate, install work in a gallery, and interact with students and faculty in photography programs around the DMV.  The exhibition runs annually in November at UDC and in March at AU.

Prague

Prague Film Program

Central Europe is your classroom as you hone your film skills on the streets of Prague and other European cities.